Arsenal, Central City's newest Super Villain, had built a large lab inside an obscure office building in suburbia, definitely a step up from the warehouses that most villains seem to prefer. Arsenal himself was, it seemed, one step up. In three days he had transformed a normally ordinary city into a crime central, allied himself with the Rogues and other lowlifes, and built a huge criminal organization network. In three days. He definitely wasn't a force to be trifled with. No one knew where he came from, or how powerful he was, so the Justice League had sent the whole team over, as the rest were already overstretched by various crimes all over the huge metropolis.
'Alright, stick to the plan. Robin, take out the guards, Wally, try to get inside and separate Arsenal from the others before the alarm is sounded. Artemis, pick off anyone who tries to escape. Superboy, go in after Robin and capture all the others. M'gann, keep us linked up and gather any information you can from inside. I'll search the building for the kidnapped woman. Remember team, this mission's aim is to capture, not kill, so..."
'Yeah, we know.' Artemis snapped, 'just get on with it already.'
'Jeez,' Wally thought, 'someone's being a bit short today.'
'Shut up!' Artemis growled, as she watched Robin ooze through the shadows, occasionally disappearing from sight, to pick the lock on the door and take down the guards. It took him almost thirteen seconds to get through the door, and in less than half am minute he was ready for Wally. Across the parkinglot under the starlit sky, Wally winked at her.
'Bye-bye, beautiful," then in a red and yellow blur, he was inside.
~0~
Wally took a deep breath as he entered the building. Inside, he found himself in a darkened corridor lined with cubicles. Right in front of him were eight black-clad men stacked on top of each other in varying levels of unconsciousness. There was a flutter and a crackle as the note pinned to the top of the top man shivered in the breeze. Wally cautiously sped over and read it.
All clear. Do your thing. -Rob
Wally smiled and shoved the note into one of his food compartments as he sped through the building. It was dark inside. The deeper he went, the darker it got and he hesitated at the top of the stairwell just long enough to switch his goggles to night vision. He didn't want to miss anything. There was an eerie feeling to this building that Wally, try as he might, just couldn't shake off. He shivered, keenly aware that it had been eight seconds since he entered the building, and sped off down the stairs.
~0~
Ever since they reached the Lab, something had been bothering Superboy, driving him crazy really. He just couldn't pinpoint it.
~0~
Wally passed by several floors, speeding his way through them in search of the Lab. They were all empty, With an abandoned, neglected feel that unsettled him. After he had checked all the way to the top floor, he headed down to the basement.
At the bottom of the stairs, Wally saw the door. Huge and metal, it looked practically impenetrable. He hesitated then told the team. They said they'd be down in a few minutes. For a few seconds, Wally shifted from foot to foot, then his stomach growled, and he groaned, impatient. He looked at the keypad marring the doors smooth surface and hesitated, wondering if he were Arsenal, what he would use. Then he began to type in a passcode.
~0~
Every step that Superboy took into the building, the feeling of unease grew stronger. Next to him, M'gann seemed to be feeling it, too, floating unnervingly silently.
~0~
The door clicked open, and Wally gasped at what he saw inside, the thought of cookies suddenly gone, and leaving behind the urge to vomit.
~0~
Superboy suddenly realized what had been bothering him. Far away, underneath his feet, there was a constant ticking noise, one that was horribly familiar...