_
Training with Dad?
Yeah.
So... nothing's changed since I left.
Why are you here, Jade?
Why am I here, Artemis?
I know, I know. Mom warned,
- _ - I shouldn't make contact unless it was an emergency...
Life-threatening emergency for Lian!
And only because Will's not a match
for her blood or tissue type.
I already told her Lian is safe and asleep upstairs.
So you'd better have a damn good reason for...
Will could be home any minute,
so unless you want to see him,
maybe we should take this conversation elsewhere.
Or I could just leave,
which likewise solves the problem.
Fine, fine.
I have two defectors from the League of Shadows
seeking asylum.
Each one claims the other is a plant, a mole.
I need your help to sort it all out.
You know I left the Shadows years ago.
Couldn't help if I wanted to.
And I don't want to.
The Shadows tracked me here.
Here, the house where your daughter lives.
What do you need?
Sync & corrections by emeline-whovian www.addic7ed.com
_
Recognized... Robin-D-one-two...
Hurricane Amy just doubled in size and keeps growing.
Flash flooding in Florida, stranded citizens...
- We suspect Weather Wizard. - Or global warming.
The Outsiders are headed into the storm.
You coming?
Uh, I'm still really javelin-lagged
after the trip back from Mars.
I... I wouldn't be much help right now.
Think I'm just gonna crash for a few hours.
Crash?
Um... crash.
You can handle this, right?
Uh, sure.
We gotcha covered!
Thanks.
He's been sleeping a lot, hasn't he?
Yeah.
Come on. Mission time.
I telepathically read them.
They both seem sincere.
Is it possible both are telling the truth
to the best of their knowledge?
Anything's possible. That's the problem.
Orphan says the Shadows are trained to thwart psychic readings.
You think that's happening here?
I'm no Miss Martian.
I can't be sure.
Is there anyone else you can call?
Why are you here, Jade?
It's been a while.
Thought I'd check up on you.
I've hit a rough patch.
Thought you could raid the fridge for me.
No. She can't.
You thought you could make it on your own, little girl.
- I can. - Then prove it.
Fine. If you're gonna get all angry about it,
I'll just go.
You know, you're not the only one who's angry.
We're all mad here...
Mad as hatters.
So, obviously, the beast and I
are out for our nightly jog.
You, on the other hand, are just sitting alone...
in the park... at night.
That's, uh... odd, right?
Not at all.
It's the ideal spot for my meeting
with an international assassin.
Ooh, is he a handsome international assassin?
What makes you think it's a "he"?
Strangely, I'm even more jealous now.
You have nothing to be jealous of.
I hate to interrupt this tender scene...
Aren't you going to introduce us?
Uh, of course.
Holly, meet my sister, Jade.
I think she might have meant me.
Sister Jade, this is Jason Bard,
my uh... boyfriend.
Wow! I'm your boyfriend?
That's the first time you've said that out loud.
Calm down before I take it back.
The boyfriend, huh?
- Let's see... dog lover? - Check.
- Ex-military? - Check.
College professor?
Erm... W-Working on that.
I'm a private detective now.
Ooh, a private dick.
So, how'd you meet?
My, um, ex fixed us up
when she dumped me for her ex,
and I moved to Star City from Gotham to get my degree.
Artemis always got my hand-me-downs, too.
Okay, that's enough.
She really is an assassin.
Escape while you can.
And your little dog, too.
Bye, girlfriend. And girlfriend's sister.
- Run! - Running!
I like him.
- I'm happy for you. - Thanks.
I know it's been hard since...
It just goes to show...
second chances are possible.
What did you learn?
My sources all have the same intel.
The Savage kid's on the run and being hunted.
Meanwhile, no one's even heard of this Onyx.
In my business, that means you're either a nobody or a ghost.
A nobody's never making it off Santa Prisca alive.
And a ghost...
you don't want anything to do with one of those.
Well, Looker read both defectors psychically
and sensed no deception from either of them.
But Orphan tells me Shadows are trained
to thwart psychic reads.
Who's this Orphan?
She's on my team.
She's a kid, but she escaped the Shadows
and has Batman's seal of approval.
And if the Bat says she's cool,
- you're just supposed to... - Yes.
Well, she's right about Shadow training.
Don't suppose you'd be willing to just kill them both.
That would solve your problem.
Fine. Fine. Get me in with them.
I know what questions to ask...
and what responses to look for.
Closing in on target now.
Remember, we want Cassandra alive.
Oh, she'll be a special delivery!
Handled with care.
As for whatever other packages might be on the porch...
Do whatever damage is necessary.
But bring Cassandra back.
Roger that, boss.
Wasn't sure you'd remember our little meet-up code.
"Mad as hatters"? Of course I remember!
Plus your weird love of these freeze-dried Chicken Whizees.
Blech! I'm happy to give you those
and whatever else I could scrounge.
Thanks, sis.
It's called "Soh Dah" in Vietnamese.
The English title's Dumb Luck.
Thought you might like it.
You stole this, didn't you?
Like you didn't steal this?
You're family. It's not stealing.
Not sure Crusher would agree.
When's he gonna be back?
He said 36 hours.
No worries. I'll come back tomorrow night
with enough money for you to restock.
- Promise? - Of course.
We're all mad as hatters here.
Recognized... Tigress-B-zero-seven.
Okay, Spoiler, I'm here to relieve...
Yeah, I came for my shift to relieve her,
but she wouldn't leave.
- Any problems? - No.
They've been quiet.
Good. You're relieved.
You can go. You can both go.
You coming?
Orphan, really, I've got this covered.
Good luck.
Recognized... Spoiler-B-two-eight.
Orphan, go.
Or I'll call Batman.
Fine.
Just don't tell anyone what you see here tonight.
Bypass authorized.
Put the sword away.
I know you probably learned
all about Cheshire from the Bats.
But she is my sister,
and another defector from the Shadows.
It's like an epidemic.
She's here to help. We can trust her.
- More or less. - I need her...
for the mission.
As part of his ever-expanding multimedia campaign,
King Brion of Markovia
released yet another video statement
across social media today.
If you are a meta-human...
feeling persecuted, unsafe,
unwanted...
then I welcome you here.
Markovia welcomes you here...
with open arms and sanctuary.
King Brion's open border meta-human policies
have caused unrest within his country.
Hundreds of frightened non-meta citizens are fleeing Markovia.
Faced with the resulting refugee crisis at her border,
Queen Perdita of Vlatava had this to say...
- First question... - You're Jade Nguyen!
Cheshire! The one who got away!
Yeah, yeah, you've been trained to kill me on sight.
No!
I mean, yes, but...
you're the one who gave me hope...
hope I could escape!
Screw hope. Let's get to it.
I know who Savage is.
But who are you, Onyx Adams?
How'd you end up a Shadow?
Or let me guess...
broken parents, broken home?
I think that's your story.
I was raised by my maternal grandfather.
And he was a hero.
Will Everett, the Amazing Man.
I'm supposed to know who that is?
Yeah, well...
I was recruited into the Shadows
at age 11 by Sensei.
Sensei? Sensei himself?
He promised he could train me
to be the best version of myself.
And for a while, I believed him...
Why did you leave the Shadows?
It's not just the Shadows.
It's the Light.
It's everything my father touches.
Because he killed your sister?
Because he took your arm?
Because he's without anything
resembling human emotion and feeling.
He took me from my mother when I was four.
He told me she was dead.
Then shortly after he killed my sister Olympia, who raised me...
I learned my mother was alive and well.
She had a husband, and two more children,
my half-brother and sister...
Vandal cheated me out of my childhood,
my family,
so he could turn me into his puppet...
his one-armed puppet...
for his little cult of personality.
It was good at first...
on Infinity Island.
We were like a family.
It was tough love...
Still, I felt like I was part of something.
But when the Shadows moved to Santa Prisca...
When the Great One and Sensei were replaced by Deathstroke and Lady Shiva,
I realized I was just being used
as little more than a weapon.
Why Tigress? How did you find her?
Shiva sent Manta Troopers out a few weeks ago.
That's how we knew Tigress was leading
the Justice League's covert unit.
That felt right.
Like she was the one I should reach out to.
Besides, she's Sportsmaster's daughter.
I thought she'd understand.
How? Are you kidding?
She still goes by Artemis Crock.
It took me three minutes on the internet.
Wait. You've gotta believe...
The other one says you're a plant, a mole.
Meanwhile, your body language underscores
all you say all too perfectly...
textbook counter interrogation tradecraft.
You've used every Shadow trick in the book to deceive me.
I don't trust you.
Look, I've been a Shadow since I was 11.
I don't know how not to manipulate my responses.
But I swear to you I want to learn.
I just want to learn how to be a human being again.
And I should trust you?
I came here for protection.
I mean, I understand, your sister called you in
because it takes a Shadow to know a Shadow.
But, really, why are you even here?
Are you one of the heroes now?
They're either telling the truth,
or they're both very good.
I still say our best bet is to kill them both.
We're not killing anyone.
Then my job's done.
You need to get better at covering your tracks
if you're going to live in the same house as my daughter...
Or maybe Lian needs both Crock sisters living in that house.
You know, just to keep her safe.
If you're not going to kill them,
you'll just have to trust your gut.
I hate to admit it,
but no one's got better instincts.
How the hell...
Aww, now why'd ol' Rictus
have to break up that tender scene?
I was so enjoying seein' Cheshire's softer side.
This is as soft as I get.
Orphan, Cheshire! Take down Black Spider!
Alive!
Ah!
Rictus.
Do you really believe you have what it takes
to bring down the daughter of Vandal Savage?
Shh.
No need for words.
Leave the banter to the Spider.
Don't ya just love my balls?
Hot, sticky web balls! Comin' at you.
Someone's overcompensating.
Tigress, what are you doing?
Trusting my gut!
Come on out!
Grab your gear!
You need to help me protect Cassandra!
Are you crazy? She's the mole.
You want to prove yourself?
Back me up!
Freeze!
Ah!
Yoink!
I remember when the only thing
more disarming than my webs...
was your disarming smile, Chesh.
Now you just look sad.
Ah-ah-ah.
Hasn't anyone ever told you not to play with guns?
Hasn't anyone told you?
Duh... Oh-oh.
Ah!
Ow!
Finally remember why I was your boss?
What I remember is how you betrayed us all.
For a guy. Cliche much?
Not recognized. Access denied.
Well, crap.
The legendary Crock sisters working together.
Quite the family reunion we have here today.
Lady Shiva. Let Orphan go.
No.
Since you refuse to surrender what's mine,
I'm taking what's yours.
If you want this "hero" back alive,
you'll bring that...
to Santa Prisca.
Leave your metas, your team and the various bats at home...
or this "Orphan" dies.
Uh-uh.
I mean it.
You have 24 hours.
Damn it!
Take me back to Santa Prisca.
- Look, you don't have to... - I didn't come here
to trade someone else's life for mine.
That's something my father would do.
I still think this is some kind of setup.
She can't be trusted.
So if she's going, you'll need someone to watch your back.
Or you want to come along to stab us in the backs.
Enough. You're both coming.
You can't be serious.
Don't take these two, take your team!
You heard Shiva.
I can't risk Orphan's life.
Orphan? You mean Lady Shiva's daughter?
What?
Oh, the Bat didn't tell you that part, did he?
Listen, when I was a Shadow,
Shiva was raising her own daughter
to be the ultimate assassin, the ultimate weapon.
She wouldn't teach her to read...
even had the girl's vocal chords severed as an infant...
so that her only language would be body language...
the language of Shadows, of death.
I recognized those scars on Orphan's throat.
She is Cassandra Wu-San,
Shiva's daughter.
No wonder Shiva and my father get along so well.
All the more reason to get Orphan back safely.
Please. Shiva was bluffing to lure you to Santa Prisca.
She won't kill her own daughter.
Can you be sure?
My father murdered my sister.
Those people can justify anything.
Bad as Crusher was,
I never worried he'd kill one of us...
Can you promise me Shiva won't kill Orphan?
I never thought I'd go back.
But I'm still in.
So am I.
Then we're going.
And I could use your help.
Forget it.
You're all mad as hatters, here.
Let me out. Now.
Bypass authorized.
- Promise? - Of course.
We're all mad as hatters here.
You gave Jade all our food.
Then you'll be training on an empty stomach.
And training hard.
Follow me.
We'll work on your boxing skills tonight.
One-armed boxing.
Artemis!
Recognized, Halo. B-Three-One.
Good morning.
Ready for my guard duty shift...
_
Santa Prisca,
here we come...
The unicorn looked dreamily at Alice
and said,
"Talk child."
Alice could not help her lips curling up into a smile as she began,
"Do you know, I always thought
unicorns were fabulous monsters, too!
I never saw one alive before!"
"Well, now that we have seen each other,"
said the unicorn,
"if you'll believe in me, I'll believe in you.
Is that a bargain?"
Lewis Carroll.
Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There.
Sync & corrections by emeline-whovian www.addic7ed.com