July 13th, Friday 11:47pm:

"And now boys and girls, Uncle Joker is going to show you all why being friends with superheroes is bad for your health." Joker laughed maniacally into the camera streaming live footage to the world's database.

The hand-held camcorder wobbled around as the cameraman moved from Joker's hideous face to where the twisted villain had grandiosely gestured like a sickly Vana White. All that the camera showed was a chair in the glare of a solitary overhanging light, surrounded by the dark and by shadowed figures. Joker was still laughing, pacing like an animal around the chair, his yellowed teeth exposed in a horrendous grin, hands behind his back. The billions of viewers around the world thought 'it must be a joke!' 'this is just some publicity stunt for the Justice League'. The people of the world had no idea as they watched from their living rooms that the subject of this grotesquery was very real indeed.

The League itself, and its youthful counterpart, were dumbfounded as to how an insane villain—clever in tricks and treachery, to be sure—had managed to hack the entire world. The resources, man power and knowledge to pull something like this off were, seemingly, beyond the capabilities of the Dark Knight's nemesis.

"Here we have a known affiliate of the pompous heroes, and their pathetic little team of sidekicks. Why don't you say hello to those responsible for your being here hm…Cailan?"

The mouths of the members of the Young Justice team dropped. It was some trick of the camera, it was a sick lesson the League members were trying to teach them. Their Cailan was not sitting with her hands tied behind her back in the middle of what was doubtlessly going to become a torture room. Their Cailan was not going to be subjected to untold pains—on their account—in just a few moments. Their Cailan wasn't being tested on her loyalty to them, before their very eyes.

"On tonight's segment, we're going to learn a few things. See, little Ms. Cailan here—the beautiful protégé of Gothem city's very own Bruce Wayne—knows some very personal details about the 'heroes' who plague this world. And my men and I are very talented at gaining that kind of information; young Cailan here is going to tell us who our heroes really are."

As he talked, the Joker paced around Cailan, eventually picking up an iron pipe and dragging it along the floor. He tapped it in his hand and grinned in the insane manner that only suited him. As he talked he leered over Cailan who sat, eyes closed and mouth duct-taped, as calmly as possible.

"But before we can get to the really juicy stuff, we have to make sure we can trust what she says." Joker gave no warning as he let the pipe loose, right into Cailan's stomach.

There was a muffled huff as she doubled over—as far as her bonds allowed; her eyes squeezed shut. People who'd been walking down the streets of Gothem in late night shopping stopped and watched the screens and televisions in windows with wide eyes. Metropolis civilians held baited breath as they sat, clutching each other.

Cackling rang out over the sound waves. "Oops, did I do that?"

…

Kaldur watched as Joker's defiling hands tore the tape from Cailan's mouth. The world watched her gasp for breath.

"Now, is your name Cailan Leal?"

The team—the world—was surprised to hear her gasp out a laugh. "No, I'm the freaking Queen of Sheba."

"…Cailan…no…" Robin begged under his breath; he knew any second a call would be coming in from Batman to—

"Aqualad, under no circumstances are you or the others to go after her; that's an order. Leave it to us." Batman growled, his image temporarily overlaying that of the Joker's broadcast.

The teens only half listened; the grin on Joker's face had grown bigger and the pipe came down to the side of Cailan's face. "Tsk, tsk, tsk." He chortled.

The Joker forced her head up. "Now, Cailan, what is your name?"

"Just tell him!" Robin shouted at the screen despite the impossibilities of her actually hearing him. "This guy doesn't mess around!"

The hand held zoomed in on her face; they watched her jaw jump, her eyes flash in anger and calculations. "Cailan Leal."

They breathed a sigh of relief. "What are we going to do?" Wally asked, his eyes shattered.

"We wait, like Batman said." Robin hardly murmured.

"He's going to kill her!" Superboy shouted, his eyes pained; he was watching some freak beat on the girl he considered family. That was not tolerable.

"…no, he won't, the League will save her…won't they Kaldur?" Megan asked, turning to the sea-boy, like the rest of the team, questioning Cailan's fate, wondering what they could do.

…

Cailan bit her tongue; she wouldn't give them up. Nothing was going to get her to talk. Not even the freak looming over her, needle in his gloved hand, grin on his face. She wouldn't give up the only family she'd even known.