Rick and Barbara stood right in front of Maxwell Lord. He was sitting in a folding chair with his hands bound behind him. The room we decided to put him in was secluded and hand a single bulb overhead that cast shadows around the room.
I almost couldn't keep the smile off my face when I saw him here. Finally. We finally got him.
"We know Habitum works for you." Barbara stated with a steady glare.
"Stop giving us information we already know!" Rick yelled grabbing the back of his neck.
Maxwell Lord just looked up at him and shook his head. To Rick it was a sign that he wasn't going to speak, but to me it was him saying we didn't understand. Rick pushed him back as he stood up straight and looked over at me. He gave me this look as if to say "You think you can do anything?".
"You went to Ireland." I started, walking closer to Maxwell. "Who were you running away from? Because I know it wasn't us."
He looked up at me and smiled, "Finally someone who knows what they're saying."
I waited for him to continue and I started to feel impatient.
"Habitum came to me, asking for my help. He said he needed parts. Parts for what? Well, at the time I didn't know. All he told me was that it was the start to making every person on our world even. So that the people like me, who work their butts off to get somewhere, don't have to deal with metahumans. Metahumans." He said that last word like it was venom that he was spitting out of his mouth.
"Extraordinary people who get "given" special abilities. More like a 'get out of jail free' card. They don't deserve the fame and fortune they get. People like me do. People who spend all their lives learning and studying, hoping to one day get their big break. But when they do it's just undermined by superheroes who prance around the city doing 'good works'."
My eyes widened at his words as it all started to make sense.
"So you blindly started funding Habitum." I said looking right at Maxwell, who wouldn't make eye contact with me.
"Yes, he soon started treating me like his boss. When I found out what he was building...I-it was too late to stop now."
"Is that why you ran away?" Rick asked suddenly.
"No." Maxwell Lord said with a dark chuckle.
"I ran away because I found out I wasn't the only person Habitum was working for."
I nodded my head in understanding, already aware Habitum worked for someone bigger.
"What?" Barbara questioned, giving Rick and I confused looks.
"Habitum works for someone off world. We suspect Durla." I explained.
"Do you know?" Rick asked Maxwell Lord.
"Nope." He said laughing.
"Thought it would be smarter if I knew as little information as possible."
I nodded my head in understanding, glad we were getting somewhere.
Barbara stood up and started towards the door.
"I'm going to get Br-Batman in here." She said almost slipping his name. To be honest Batman didn't really do hero work anyways.
Maxwell snorted saying, "Go ahead Mr. Wayne isn't fooling anyone." Before leaning back sighing in fake comfort.
"So you know nothing about where Habitum's from?" I asked crossing my fingers and hoping we could get more information.
"I know I've been making this easy for you guys, but I don't know everything." Maxwell said shrugging as best he could with tied hands.
"I-I now realize that this bomb could really cause more destruction than I anticipated." Maxwell admitted letting his head drop.
"To take away metahumans abilities. Sure, whatever, barely any of them deserve the powers anyways, but to destroy a city? My city? I'm sorry, but in the words of Peter Quill 'I'm one of the idiots who lives in it!'"
I looked over at Rick to see what he was thinking and saw that he was deep in thought. His hand was placed on his chin as he zoned out, probably strategizing already.
I heard footsteps coming towards the room and figured it was Barbara with Bruce. It surprised me when Tim entered the room, decked out in his Robin gear and suit.
"Here to join the party?" I asked jokingly.
"Yeah, we're having loads of fun." Maxwell Lord sarcastically stated, trying to pull his hands free.
"I can see that." Tim said looking at the three of us.
"I was told I should join the investigation." Tim continued speaking mostly to me.
"Investigation?" Maxwell Lord said, laughing. "More like my free giving of information. Which by the way I should get something for my generosity. Like maybe free trip out of here after or outside the radius of this bomb."
I just rolled my eyes while Tim snorted shaking his head.
"Nice try, pretty boy." Tim said laughing. I quirked an eyebrow at Tim, surprised by his humor. That was usually an area he lacked in, but I took it as Wonder Girl's effect on him.
Rick suddenly stepped forward, speaking to Maxwell Lord, "Did Habitum ever mention any relations to another planet? Not even anything about a boss, but a backstory or another source of funding?"
I was actually surprised when Maxwell thought about his answer. He opened his mouth, but then closed it again, different expressions took over his face as he thought.
"Well, once...no." He thought some more and I was beginning to think that he was just toying with us. I began tapping my foot to show I was impatient, during our informal interrogation.
"I get it princess!" Maxwell Lord exclaimed giving me an annoyed look, while staring at my tapping foot.
I put my hands up in surrender and took a step back to hopefully relieve any pressure.
After more painfully slow minutes he finally seemed to come up with an answer.
"Yes, actually, there was this one time he mentioned where he got a vital piece of equipment for the Gene Bomb." I nodded my head in anticipation, basically begging him to continue. This guy was killing me with the slow pace he was telling us his answer.
"I forget when this was," Maxwell continued thinking, "maybe two weeks ago-"
"C'mon any slower." I said getting impatient.
Maxwell shook his head and laughed, "Fine, fine, I'll get to the point.
"He mentioned that he had a supplier from another planet. At the time I didn't think much of it, but I believe the planet he mentioned was-"
He never finished that sentence. Suddenly, I felt like a wave was hitting me as a flew back and smashed into the wall. I stood up as fast as possible, looking around for the source of that unexplainable force.
"I'm sorry, I can't let you finish that sentence." Tim said morphing into Miss. Martian. I look at her confused and couldn't understand what was happening.
"Habitum." Rick hissed getting into a ready stance. His batons were out and he looked ready to fight.
"Wha-" was all I managed to say before Habitum- disguised as Miss. Martian- walked towards Maxwell Lord. His hands were still bound, but the chair was long gone from under him. He looked confused and his eyes were hazy. I wondered if he was suffering from a head injury from hitting the wall.
My brain tried to make sense of it all, but then it finally clicked. Tim was the mole. I was right. My eyes widened in horror when I realized Habitum was going to leave with Maxwell Lord- our one way to get information. Habitum flicked his wrist and Rick went flying against the wall clinging at his neck. I started to hear a choking noice and realized what Habitum was doing.
"NO!" I yelled flying towards them. Habitum seemed to work at lightning speed, grabbing hold of Maxwell Lord's wrists and pulling him up in the air. He used his current Martian abilities to fly up, dragging Maxwell with him. Using his telekinetic powers he blew a hole in the ceiling. Just as he was flying out with Maxwell Lord I grabbed hold of Habitum's foot.
"Pitiful." Habitum muttered shaking his head. He then morphed into me, still in flight.
It was a weird feeling to see myself glaring at me. Like looking into an angry mirror. It was trippy, like freaky Friday trippy.
I never knew what it felt like to be hit with my own heat vision. I obviously had never tried it before, and thankfully I had never made my dad angry enough to use it on me, but I now can officially say it is very painful. A concentrated burning blast, that feels like it's piercing through your body, hits you. It's so fast that you don't even have time to react before you're flying backwards from the force. By the time I had shaken it off and gotten back into the air Habitum was gone with our one source of information.
Great.
"No." I whispered starting to chase after him.
"It's not use." Rick choked out rubbing his throat. I quickly went to his aide, helping him to his feet.
"We need a game plan if we want a chance to face Habitum." I sadly nodded in agreement.
We were so close. Just seconds away from finding out where Habitum could be from. I was mad at myself for my own ignorance. Tim had been there during the interrogation. Habitum right under our noses.
I should've gone with my gut and just confronted Tim about being the mole. It would've scared Habitum off and we could've gone through with questioning Maxwell Lord.
I shook away my thoughts of all the "what ifs" and tried to focus on what to do next.
"So, what do we do now?" I asked deflated.
"I think I can help with that."
I turned towards the door to see who had spoken, and there stood Maxwell Lord's receptionist. Angela West.