Setting up connections...

The morning of the twenty-eighth, Kara was called to the cave. She was rather surprised to see most of the Justice League senior members standing around in their street clothes. Diana, Clark, Arthur, Hal, and Barry were chatting over a cart of coffee and bagels. What also surprised Kara was that Karen was there… Kara was slightly unnerved to be around her extra-dimensional doppleganger, as she always was, but to see Karen in… causual clothing was especially unnerving. Karen normally only left her apartment with Helen in an immaculately tailored prim and propper skirt suit, and Kara knew that Karen and Helen shopped at all the same custom latex designers as Kara did for their “At home pajamas”.

“Hay Bruce?” Dick barked as he exited the elevator.

He stopped in his tracks when he looked up from a sheet of paper and saw everyone was staring at him.

Dick looked around and then looked directly at Bruce.

“Have you seen this update on 43-A?” Dick asked holding the paper in his hand slightly up.

“Yes, I finished them before bed last night,” Bruce was as non-chalant as possible.

“So… where are your notes?” Dick asked, “For each paragraph in an update, you normally add a page of notes.”

“This one time, the update speaks for it’s self Dick,” Bruce calmly noted, “Did you want to sit in on the briefing?”

“League Op?” Dick asked.

“Recruitment,” Clark smiled.

“Tempting,” Dick said, “But I have to go replace Jason’s shaving cream with a stink bomb…”

“Very Well,” Bruce said, “Please hit the ‘do not disturb’ light on your way out.”

“Cool,” Dick said, “Later guys!”

The Justice League members looked about with general confusion as the young man went back to the elevator. Bruce turned back to the main terminal of the computer and brought up some briefings. After a second he put gave the subtle gesture for Kara to inform the crowd.

“You see doctor Watson,” Kara said imitating Basil Wrathbone’s iconic voice, “The young Mister Jason turned a fire extignisher into a bomb and hid it in the back of a Royle Royce…”

“And?” Diana asked.

“He timed the detonation so that it exploded and enveloped Mister Dick and Miss Kori in fire retardant while they were less than properly dressed,” Kara finished, “Now they have what is called a ‘Prank War’ going on.”

“Ah,” was the collective responses.

“Now then,” Bruce turned back around, “Kara, a very respectable Linda Danvers will join Karen Starr to go to the home of one Mary Bromfield, the info packets are next to the trash bin…”

“Mary Bromfield?” Hal Jordan asked while sipping his coffee.

“Mary is a potential ‘Kryptonite’ for the real target,” Karen said, “A long lost twin sister could be used against him, so it is imperative we make sure she is in a safe environment and possibly reunite her with her brother.”

“You have delt with them before, haven’t you?” Barry asked.

“Of course…” Karen stated curtly.

“You should know better than to try and pry anything from her or her friend,” Arthur slapped Barry on the back, “Continue Bruce, who is our primary target…”

On the giant monitor the screen changed to a website for an Orphanage and the profile of one “William Batson” was highlighted.

“Billy, as he is more generally known, is the primary target,” Bruce said, “He made some sort of deal with a wizard… Thus, he can turn from the child into the adult hero…”

*

They both wore bland navy skirt suits and glasses. “Linda” noticed the brown hair from the wig get caught in the wire frame yet again.

“These are stupid,” Kara whispered.

“They make you look smart,” Karen stated.

“They make me feel stupid,” Kara hissed.

“Keep them on,” Karen noted, “Hello there, are you Mary Bromfield?”

The brown haired girl looked at the pair.

“I am not supposed to talk to strangers,” the girl said.

“A smart policy,” Karen smiled, “We would like to speak to your mother.”

“Yeah sure,” the girl said, “Wait there.”

A minute or two later, a man and woman came out of the small home. Both adults were Caucasian, with brown hair and brown eyes.

“You wanted to speak with up about Mary?” the man snapped.

“Yes, Nicholas Bromfield is it?” Karen smiled.

“Nick,” the man said, “And you are?”

“Karen Star and this is Linda Danvers,” Karen pulled out an ID wallet from her purse, “We are from the Gotham Academy.”

The man came over and looked at the id. He looked at his wife and she nodded.

“Mind if I check this out?” the man said.

“By all means,” Karen smiled.

“Right this way,” Nora said.

The pair lead the two Kryptonians into their home. The place wasn’t bad, but it was clear that they were on a tight budget… The Christmas Tree was sparsely decorated, and a number of repairs were being done by the family rather than a professional.

“Why are you interested in our daughter?” Nora asked as they came to a kitchen table.

“The pink plaid Canadian folder please,” Karen stated calmly, “Your daughter’s teachers brought your daughter to our attention…”

Kara pulled out the zipper closed folder and handed it to Karen. Karen made an effort to dramatically unzip the folder and looked at the notes on the note pad to one side and then pulled out the photocopies from the other. She put them on the table.

“I believe these are your daughter’s homework assignments?” Karen asked.

Karen spread out the photocopies so they could be examined. Math homework, an English paper, a Science paper, and French paper. There was a hand written note on one of the sheets asked for someone to find some scholarship money for the girl. Nora looked them over and noted they were all marked with perfect scores.

“It seems that your daughter’s academic potential far exceeds your school districts ability to develop that potential,” Karen stated flatly.

Kara made a gesture like she was scratching her ear while she turned down the dampeners and listened in on the Father. He was calling a number he found online for the Gotham Academy and was asking about Karen and Linda… It was clear that Helen herself answered the phone and was informing him that they staff member were legitimate without betraying that it was the headmistress of the school speaking. They established that Karen was the Headmistress’s secretary, did indeed have a body like a porn star, and was authorized to make offers of scholarships on for the school and the little girl with her was the new girl in admissions.

“I know Mary is bored with her classes here at the local school,” Nora said…

“Well,” Karen said calmly, “Miss Danvers, the packet?”

Kara took out another folder with all of the paperwork. She handed it to Nora Bromfield. Nora went over the paperwork…

“Who is paying for this?” Nora looked up from the paperwork, “Who is JKMSF?”

“Memorial Scholarship Fund,” Kara said coldly, “One of many memorial scholarship funds that support promising students. And as your district’s staff noted, Mary is a very promising student. Only a few lines need to be filled in to complete the application…”

“Nora?” Nick called as he came down stairs.

“In the kitchen…” Nora called back to her husband.

Nick came into the kitchen, tucking in his shirt.

“You are Miss Wayne’s secretary?” Nick asked.

“Yes, I can assure you that I speak with her full authority and confidence,” Karen said coldly.

“Miss Wayne…” Nora mulled as she looked at the paperwork.

“Fourteen pages,” Karen intoned.

“Fourteen pages of what?” Nick asked.

“Fourteen pages of Waynes in the Gotham phone book,” Karen gave a slight smile, “I can assure you Miss Wayne moved to Gotham to take this job.”

“We can get her started as soon as the next semester,” Kara stated, “January fifth.”

“But she still has a semester before she can start High School…” Nick started.

“An advanced placement program,” Kara stated, “It is already in the paperwork, page ten.”

“Here is a pen,” Kara pulled out a pen.

*

Kara sat on the couch with Dick watching the feed from the camera Hal was carrying. The room was dark.

“This is going to be great,” Dick snickered.

“I be he has pimples,” Kara said looking down at the Orphanage’s profile.

“Shhh… the kid is tapping on the window..” Dick said.

“Freddy, open the door, Come on Freddy, open the door…” a kid’s voice called.

In the dark, the camera’s night vision illuminated Superman’s move to the door and gentle efforts to unlock and open the door while staying out of sight.

“For a second I thought I was…” the kid whispered before the lights came on.

“On today’s edition of ‘What Would you Do?’ A young hero is offered an intern position for the Justice League, will he accept?” Hal intoned.

It was clear that Diana had tied another kid to a chair. The Freddy that Batson was asking for?

“Holy Moley…” Billy whispered.

“No pimples…” Dick noted.

“Sounds like his balls haven’t dropped yet,” Kara noted.

“He is what, 13? 14?” Dick asked.

“Almost 13 and half,” Kara referred to the orphanage’s profile.

“So, Mister Batson… or do you prefer to be called Captain Marvel?” Wonder Woman asked.

Billy raised up his hands.

“No need to wake up the whole place son,” Superman said as he walked past Billy.

“I… I guess Billy is fine then,” the Billy said nervously.

“Now I suppose we could tell you to ditch the heroics for a while,” the Flash said.

“I don’t need the Lasso of Truth to know that you would never abide by such an agreement,” Wonder Woman held up the end of the lasso that held Freddy to the Chair.

“What are you doing to Freddy?” Billy asked.

“I just tied him with the Lasso and asked him to sit quietly,” Wonder Woman said, “He is quite fine. You may speak freely now, but please do so quietly mister Freeman.”

“Billy, I am sorry, I tried the door to see if you were there and the Flash dashed in on me,” Freddy whispered.

“It’s ok,” Billy whispered.

“And then he put me in the chair and opened the door and Wonder Woman came in and tied me up before I could do anything…” Freddy said.

“You tried,” Billy whispered.

“I was just struck by how sexy she is in real life…” Freddy continued, “Her legs…”

Dick was snorting as he was trying to suppress his laughter.

“Oh my,” Alfred intoned, “I believe we are witnessing the birth MILF fetish.”

Dick lost it, and broke out laughing.

“Her face, her…” Freddy continued.

“On second thought, please stop talking,” Wonder Woman sighed.

She put her hand over her face. The camera started shaking. It was clear Hal was chuckling as well.

“We know about your activities as Captain Marvel,” Flash tried to get the ‘talk’ back on track, “For now your activities haven’t been noticed yet…”

“But eventually they will,” Hal added, “And you come home to a building filled with innocent orphans…”

“So who wants to adopt us?” Billy asked, “I bet you guys have super sweet pads.”

“Us?” Superman asked.

“Freddy is my sidekick,” Billy said, “He goes with me.”

“Yeah, I am already raising my own sidekick,” Flash quipped.

“My place would fail a Child Protection inspection automatically,” Hal quipped.

“No,” Wonder Woman stated flatly.

“What do you really want?” Superman asked, “To crash at one of our places and go to public school or would your rather have a spot in the Justice League academy?”

“Justice League Academy?” Kara questioned.

“You guys have your own academy?” Billy asked.

“Of course we didn’t put that as the sign above the door,” Hal picked up the gag, “You know secrets identies and all that…”

“Yeah, of course…” Billy agreed.

“I sent my sidekick there,” Flash added with a smile.

“Dick,” Batman’s voice growled, “You are not getting a ‘Justice League Academy Alumni’ tee-shirt.”

“Kill joy,” Dick snipped.

“How do we join?” Billy asked, “When can we join?”

“Get ready,” Hal smiled, “You two start classes after the new years.”

“Alright,” Billy said a little too loud.

“Who’s in there?” another voice shouted.

“Cheese it!” Hal said as the camera feed cut out.

“He really said ‘cheese it’ didn’t he?” Jason asked.

“Yes,” Bruce smiled, “Yes he did… and we have a recording of it.”