The Bait Was Set

Su Ming spun and leaped between the high-rises. With the Cloak of Levitation, he could even do it with his eyes closed.

A bat-shaped shadow swept over the streets, but after the World-Ending Great Flood, they were unusually quiet tonight. Even the petty thugs who liked to warm themselves over burning oil drums were gone, and the organized gangs had evidently closed up shop too.

As he flew through the moonlight, Su Ming considered his next move.

Something had clearly been off about Diana's mood earlier. He had noticed, but for now, he could only watch her. If he probed further, she might realize he had caught on.

So they had parted outside the Iceberg Lounge, with Diana going to recruit someone for the team.

She had guessed what Su Ming had in mind. If Batwoman, the Justice League's biggest financial backer, was no use, its second-biggest backer, Green Arrow, could certainly afford Deathstroke's hefty fee.

A dollar was a dollar, whoever paid it. Wayne Enterprises had money, but Queen Industries was hardly poor.

So she went to persuade Green Arrow to pay. A mercenary wouldn't break his own rules, and she understood that. She couldn't bring herself to ask him to help for free, either.

Su Ming had told her to offer Green Arrow a place on the team as bait. Oliver surely wouldn't refuse. A few million dollars to join a squad facing a Multiversal Level threat? What a bargain.

Oliver cared even less about money than Bruce did. Batwoman still had armor to build, and a single suit could cost over a billion dollars. Batplanes, Batmobiles, and all those other bat-this, bat-that toys weren't cheap, either.

But Oliver? How was he supposed to shoot arrows, climb, or flip around in heavy exoskeleton armor? His fighting style relied