Chaper 49: Infiltrators

Infinity Island, August 7, 2010, 11:39 p.m.

Infinity Island is a small, remote isle, but at its peak stands a fortress-like building with guards in black combat suits and masks with night vision goggles, armed with high-tech guns. They patrolled the area, weapons at the ready for any intruder.

Roy Harper, otherwise known as Red Arrow, sped through the island as quickly and deftly as he could, taking out guards silently with his arrows. He needed to get in and out as swiftly and quietly as possible with Dr. Roquette before the League of Shadows descended upon them. Going against the League of Shadows on his own was foolish, but he had very little time to get the doctor out of their grasp. Contacting backup was not an option, especially since the only backup he would trust was out of commission thanks to Professor Ivo's latest creation.

As one of the guards patrolled the area, a red-painted arrow whizzed through the air and struck the center of his chest. The arrow had no bladed head but delivered an electric shock, knocking the guard out cold.

Red Arrow sprinted past the unconscious guard and headed for the facility's wall. He shot another arrow tied to a line of rope, which transformed into a grappling hook and hooked onto the top of the wall. He began climbing swiftly, blending in with the shadows where none of the other guards could see him.

Revealed to be Speedy, now in a new red-black costume that replaced his old red-yellow, Roy had decided to become a solo hero known as Red Arrow after turning down Justice League membership. Angered by his former mentor treating him like a child, he chose his path alone.

The island he infiltrated was the base of the League of Shadows, a criminal organization of assassins wanted in several countries. He had heard rumors they had kidnapped a scientist from Star City to build them a weapon for some kind of heist. He was not going to let that happen.

After reaching the top, he stayed in the shadows and spotted a security camera. Red Arrow took another arrow from his quiver, nocked it behind his bow, aimed, then fired it next to the camera. The arrow was a hacking arrow, hacking into its mainframe so the camera displayed an image of empty space, allowing him to pass by undetected.

Red Arrow then stepped out of the shadows, spotted two guards, and fired a taser arrow at one, knocking him unconscious. The other guard spotted where the arrow was fired from and pointed his weapon at Red Arrow, but the archer quickly knocked him out with another taser arrow. He then proceeded to find the doctor and the weapon.

In the meantime, a woman with short blond hair, glasses, and a white lab coat was working frantically on a computer, typing fast. Two guards observed her. Though scared, she kept herself as calm as possible around these criminals.

"We're losing patience," one guard said. "Complete the project, or forfeit your life."

"I'm working as fast as I can," she replied, her voice steady despite her fear.

Suddenly, a knock on the door caught the guards' attention. One opened it but was immediately kicked down by Red Arrow. The other guard fired his weapon, but Red Arrow ducked and counterattacked, using his bow as a quarterstaff and knocking the guard out with a final punch.

With both guards down, Red Arrow turned to the woman. "Doctor Roquette?"

"Tell me you're the advanced guy," she replied, trying to mask her relief.

"The only guy," he said, readying his bow and arrow.

"You couldn't bring backup?" she asked sarcastically. "What? Were there budget cuts?"

Before their conversation could continue, an alarm bell sounded, and they heard more guards running towards the room. In response, Red Arrow fired an explosive arrow at the wall, creating a sizable hole.

"Now or never, doc," Red Arrow urged. Roquette looked uncertainly at a silver canister next to them.

"We can't leave it behind," she said, referring to the weapon inside the canister.

"Look at it this way: I can take it, or I can take you," he replied.

Roquette thought for a moment, then took off her glasses and gave her answer. "Alright, take me."

Red Arrow nodded, fired a zip-line arrow into the trees below, and zipped down to the ground with the doctor just before the guards arrived. Once they landed, the guards started firing at them from above, but the two ran to the beach.

Once they reached the beach, they found a boat covered in a camouflage tarp. After removing the tarp, Red Arrow pushed the boat into the water and jumped in with Roquette. He started the boat just as the guards reached the beach and began firing at them.

"So, what do you call this? The Arrow Boat?" Dr. Roquette asked, trying to lighten the tense mood.

"Call it a rental. Now get down!" Red Arrow replied, ducking her head.

As the guards continued to fire, a series of explosions went off around them. Red Arrow had set up explosives to cover their escape. The guards retreated, and Red Arrow sped away with Dr. Roquette.

"I think we're in the clear," Red Arrow said, indicating they were safe.

"Great, leaves only one problem," she replied.

Back at the facility on Infinity Island, two members of the League of Shadows inspected the room where Dr. Roquette had been working.

One was Sensei, an elderly man with a balding head, gray hair, a scar on his right eye, and dressed in Japanese-style clothing. The other was Professor Ojo, a man with a helmet featuring a red eye in the center and wearing a red-black robed suit.

"Well?" Sensei asked.

"She finished it," Ojo confirmed. "We're good to go."

A sinister smirk spread across Sensei's face.

Mount Justice, August 8, 2010, 9:58 a.m.

It was a beautiful and sunny day in Happy Harbor, perfect for a fun beach day, which the Team planned to enjoy. The entrance to the cave opened as the Team, dressed in their swimsuits, walked out onto the beach under the warm sun. Mount Justice had its own private beach, a perfect spot for relaxation. M'gann, Kaldur, Robin, and Superboy all carried beach blankets, umbrellas, chairs, surfboards, and food.

M'gann took a deep breath, filling her lungs with ocean air. "Hello Megan, we should hit the beach every day."

Robin grinned before placing his hand on his forehead and bowing his head in mock remorse. "But first, a moment of silence for our absent comrade."

"Poor Wally," M'gann said sadly, her face falling a little.

Unlike the others, Wally was back in Central City, starting his first day of school. Life was tough when you had to start school early.

The others weren't as unfortunate. Robin's school was temporarily closed due to repairs after the battle between Lunaris and Amazo left craters and burn marks all over the place. Superboy and Amazo also caused a lot of damage before the Team got to them, so it would take at least a week or two for the repairs to be completed.

"Well, come on, let's get into the water!" M'gann said, hoping to steer them away from depressing subjects. With smiles, the Team began to enjoy their day at the beach, somehow feeling that something would change today.

They spread out their blankets and set up their umbrellas. Kaldur and Superboy started a game of beach volleyball, their powerful serves and spikes making it an intense match. Robin and M'gann took to the surfboards, eager to catch some waves.

Toneri's Palace on the Moon, August 8, 2010

Toneri sat on the moon's surface, the Earth a brilliant blue and green orb in the distance. His eyes shone with an otherworldly light, reflecting his deep thoughts. Observing the Team enjoying their day at the beach through his celestial vantage point, he looked like an unnamed god unaffected by the effects of space.

'Every attempt to open a portal to another reality has been hijacked,' he mused. 'My yang chakra seems to counteract the hijacking on this end, but where the portals open... it's as if something or someone is blocking them, it's that stupid deer horned abomination Empty hand isn't it?.'

He frowned, considering the implications. 'I could try to brute force my way through, but the consequences are unpredictable. What if the portal opens on another planet in a different reality? The backlash from breaking the barrier might turn that world into space dust. I can't risk such destruction without knowing if it's a populated world or not and since it's realities apart I can't extend my senses to confirm.'

His thoughts wandered to a particular shinjutsu that might succeed where others had failed. 'There is one technique that could work, but...' He cut off the thought, sighing as he stood up.

'It will take time, but it's not completely impossible to crossover. Still, even if I manage it, I sense it will lead to another iteration of this universe. Perhaps, once there, I can try to open another portal, then another, and another...' He shook his head. 'That might be a pointless endeavor.'

A dark thought crossed his mind: 'Maybe I will never be able to return home.' He immediately squashed it, his chakra leaking out and causing the space around him to bend as if under an immeasurable weight. The pressure disappeared as quickly as it had come.

Toneri shook his head, disappointed in himself for letting his emotions get the better of him. "Hamura-sama would disapprove of such behavior," he said aloud. "He always looked so whelmed..." He paused, realizing what he had said. "Oh good, now I'm starting to sound like Robin," he muttered, facepalming.

Refocusing his gaze on the Team enjoying their beach day, Toneri sighed once more. He watched them for a moment longer Then, without a motion, he opened a portal to his room at Mount Justice and stepped through, ready to rejoin the team and continue his journey.