At L'Eclair, a fine bistro in Metropolis

[jla_villains]

Merlyn sips his espresso and sighs contentedly. There aren't too many places in America where you can get really decent coffee, but this is one of them.

He looks around idly. Surely Superman won't be late. He's Superman after all.

Comments

[jla_villains]

No, sir. My normal modus operandi is "succeed." Simply coming out of the blue and attempting to kill Ms. Lane does not work, as previous assassins have demonstrated.

He finishes his espresso and puts down the cup, reaches into his pocket for some money - and as he drops a loose twenty on the table, reveals a small beeper underneath it in his hand.

I have just transmitted a signal to a bomb. The bomb is now set to explode, and will do so in five minutes' time. You will likely detect the bomb by the small hypersonic wave it generates upon timer activation. Rest assured that the bomb is both hard to reach and able to kill probably in the neighborhood of forty people or so.

When the first bomb stops transmitting that hypersonic wave - either because it's exploded or because you've disabled it - that triggers a second bomb's timer, set for thirty seconds. The second triggers a third, and so on and so forth. There are somewhere between thirty and sixty. The first is in Bangladesh.

There is a killswitch that will detonate every bomb simultaneously that will trigger if I am rendered unconscious. Furthermore, if any of your League friends attempts to stop me while I do my job, I'll manually detonate them.

It is now eleven-thirty-five. You have three minutes and forty-five seconds, sir. I do wish you the best of luck. Ms. Lane is in Portsmouth, I believe, visiting a doctor? Good day.

And suddenly, he disappears. His reflection is visible in the mirror opposite their booth for a fraction of a second, alongside Mirror Master - and then they're both gone.

[_man_of_steel_]

Clark doesn't even blink. He figured something like this would happen. He jumps off the terrace, alarming several of the patrons before they see the familar red and blue streak in the sky.

As he flies top speed to Bangladesh, he's already on the case.

"Oracle, this is Superman. I need a secure comlink to Dr. Mid-Nite now, please."

[oracle_watching]

"Link established. Proceed, Superman."

[_man_of_steel_]

"Dr. Cross, what we discussed is in play, as I suspected. Merlyn knows where you are, but he DOESN'T know who you are. However, he has a number of explosives set up across the world that will detonate if he is knocked unconscious or interfered with by anyone but me. In your medical opinion, what are the risks of teleportation in the patient's current condition?"

Superman arrives in Bangladesh, listening intently. He knows Wally's next on the speeddial.

[midnite_md]

Dr. Cross responds instantly.

"Far too great, especially as delicate as this is situation is. Do what you need to do. The patient will be protected."

On another device, he sends a signal to his assistant Camilla.

[portsmouth_crew]

Camilla Marlowe gets the go sign from the doctor, and she purses her lips grimly before she sends her own message.

"Nite-Lite, get your men into position."

[portsmouth_crew]

"On it."

The big man gives silent hand signals to his massive street army, and they start to spread out to strategic hiding places.

Let this motherf-er come.

[_loislane_]

"You interested in telling me what's going on, Pieter?" Lois asks, arms folding across her in a pose of vexation.

[midnite_md]

"What is always going on, Lois. Some fool attempting to harm you. The one advantage we have is that said fool is coming here... and this is where I have the home field advantage, so to speak."

[_loislane_]

"How did...how the heck did someone know I was HERE?" Consternation rings in her question.

Pause.

"This mean the examination's off?"

[midnite_md]

"Merely postponed. You'll be safe in this room. Please don't leave it. If you need me, activate this communicator."

[_loislane_]

Smirking, Lois looks from the communicator to Mid-Nite and says sharpishly, "You think I'm going to hide in here like some damsel in distres while the rest of you find out who's behind this and why, you really, really don't know me well."

[midnite_md]

Dr. Mid-Nite smiles slightly.

"Very well. Keep it with you regardless, in case we get separated."

He turns to the owl on his arm, adjusting the spy camera concealed by feathers around its neck, then whispering a 'go' to him.

Hootie flaps upwards, then out the door, getting into position himself.

[_loislane_]

"We won't, don't worry." Lois frowns. "Though this is getting to be a pain in the ass REALLY fast."