Ingenious

Ingenious 3

Brainiac's Story 3

I awoke to a grey ceiling.

Throbbing, my head spun, but I sat up anyway. I sat upon a metal slab that was cool to the touch, excepting the areas I was previously laying on. The room around me was a combination of stone and metal, all in the same color theme: grey, and the air was chilly.

Closing my eyes against the dizziness, memories of what happened in Lex Luthor's warehouse came spinning back from where they had almost been forgotten.

Where was the Justice League? And the Young Justice league?

Where was Supergirl?

What happened after I passed out?

Had Lex Luthor been arrested?

But, more importantly, where was I?

Taking the time to allow my head to clear, I leapt from my perch on the slab to the metal floor without a sound. Steadily trying to regain my bearings enough to walk, I caught my reflection in the metal blow my feet.

My normally, decently, straight brown hair was knotted in several places and I think I saw dried blood in some parts. One of the sleeves of my uniform was torn off and missing, while the other was slit in several places. I had lost a glove, and its partner was missing three fingers. Rolling my shoulders, I found the unprotected one still throbbed from where Artemis' arrow had hit and was sealed with a white bandage. I groaned to myself, everything was sore.

But I was free, and that made it all worth it.

Walking through a doorway and down the hallway adjacent to it, I found myself at the edge of a central room filled with floating computer screens. The Young Justice team was there, in plain clothes and out of costume, and they were listening to Batman. Supergirl, still in uniform, hung with the group albeit somewhat further apart.

"As you know, your mission was to break into Lex Luthor's warehouse and find and free Supergirl." The team nodded at the bat's words as he debriefed them. "But what most of you didn't know was that while the majority of you looked for Supergirl, Robin had an additional mission of his own."

Gesturing to one of the screens behind him, Batman pulled up the image of a decrypted message.

"The Justice League intercepted a signal sent by an associate of Lex Luthor's to Cadmus." Batman began. "The signal told of a weapon that could compete with projects Supergirl and Kryptonite. This weapon was said to have been completely under his control and all of its abilities were at this associate's very fingertips. It was supposed to be able to store and produce information at any time, no matter how complex it may be or how long ago it may have been given, create weapons designed to give it advantages over its opponents, find and exploit weaknesses of opponents in combat, and solve complex mathematical formulas in an unbelievable time frame. The signal also stated that this weapon was capable of 'moving objects'; a clue that puzzled The Justice League for the longest time." Batman minimized the letter on the screen. "It was Robin's mission to find out what this 'weapon' was."

"Well, did he find it?" A red-haired, green-eyed, freckle-faced guy piped up. I assumed he was Kid Flash.

"Yes," Batman sounded slightly annoyed. "And Robin brought her back for examination."

"Her? I thought it was an 'it'?" No one heard Kid Flash's next question, as the Bat turned and gestured for me to join them. How he had known I was there, I had no idea.

"There was a flash drive in Robin's utility belt that contained a mathematical formula. He tells me, you solved it. What was the answer?" Batman asked, once I was within a certain distance from the group.

"2.882546258 times 10 to the 26th power." I replied, the answer flying from my lips on impulse.

"That is correct," Batman turned back to Young Justice, who were staring at me. "It took the Justice League over a few hours to solve this, whereas it took Brainiac less than a few minutes.

Actually, it had taken me more than just a couple minutes, but I didn't say anything, I just looked at my shoes.

But the Bat wasn't done with me yet. "Because of your extreme abilities, The Justice League of America is offering both you and Supergirl places on The Young Justice team. Supergirl has accepted, under the condition that you do so as well."

"Even after all I've done?" Batman's hardened gaze made me feel as if my question was out of line.

"The Justice League and The Young Justice League do not hold you or Supergirl responsible for any actions committed while under the influence of mind control." Batman explained, exasperated. But some of the looks I was getting, I assumed that Young Justice didn't hold me responsible because they were forced to.

"Yes, I accept." I breathed. If Supergirl had taken the leap to try working for the other side, maybe I should too.

"The team is dismissed." Batman stalked away, leaving the hovering screes shutting down behind him.

A couple of awkward seconds later, Kid Flash announced: "Well, I dunno about you guys, but Rob and I are gonna catch a game on TV at my house. " He waved and exited, a black haired boy wearing sunglasses following him. The sunglasses boy must have been Robin. "Adios!" He called back in goodbye.

"Artemis and I are going to the movies!" Miss Martian hesitated, her green skin melting into caucasion. "Do you and Supergirl want to come?"

Behind them, Supergirl shook her head madly with her arms crossed.

"No, thank you." I declined for the two of us.

Gradually, everyone separated into their own activities, until it was just Supergirl and I remaining.

Making sure no one was around, Supergirl stepped up to me. "I'll show you around."

I nodded, and she led me into the metal maze that was our new headquarters.