Change of Plans

"So you're telling me that there's a kidnapped girl from another dimension where aliens invaded and made bioweapons?" Bruce took a deep breath, "and not only are these bioweapons children, they're children created using stolen genetic material?"

"Not all of it was stolen," Lois said, nibbling on her thumbnail. "I think there were also collaborators. I don't know what to believe, but I met this Ella when I was kidnapped myself."

Lois looked at Bruce and Clark. Bruce's brow was furrowed and Clark was getting angry, angry at the thought of an invasion and even more at the idea of some little girl being treated as a lab rat. She had conveniently left out the parts about San, Ella's guardian and the little group that was chasing after the girl.

"Those teenagers have something to do with this, but I can't track them," Bruce said, turning his attention to his giant computer. He tapped a few keys. "Clark? Can you try using the Fortress to lock onto the signal they're using for their communications? It's changing too fast for my computer to keep up."

"What? Sure. Back in a minute," Clark said, walking to the exit.

As he left, Bruce finally turned his full attention to Lois.

"So, what was it you didn't want him to know?"

*****

"I'm getting really, really mad about all this," Lucy said, flipping through the paperwork.

"I think we're all getting mad," Aarti agreed with a sigh. "We were so close that time."

"They're getting sloppy, and that's a good thing," Court shrugged. "They were getting complacent, and it's hard to become non-complacent fast. It seems they found some collaborators. We can track them. Brainwashed idiots are easier than their overlords."

"Ouch! Parental issues, much?" Dawnie peeled another IWA bar and frowned. "We're going to have to speed things up, so to speak. We've only got about twenty IWAs left. If they're gone, we're trackable just from the sheer amount of food me and Don are going to eat."

They all nodded at that. A normal IWA bar contained around three thousand calories, more than enough to keep the twins going for a few hours. No one other than a speedster could handle eating more than one a day. Depending on their activities, the twins ate between four to eight a day. At the moment, the two large crates they'd brought had been reduced to half of one.

"Maybe we're looking at this the wrong way? We've been trying to track utility usage and shell companies because we know that's how they start, but maybe we should be looking for missing people?" Don asked.

"They did try for my mom," San added. He was staring at the sky from one of the windows. He turned and looked at the rest. "That argues that they're getting bolder. They can't use just anybody to get more of me; my mom was the only truly compatible person they had."

They all fell quiet at that. Everyone remembered the other attempts, done when they were young children. Those memories brought up others.

"Maisie James," Court suddenly said.

"Maisie?" Aarti parroted. Then she winced.

"She'll be running away from home soon if this place is really running twenty years behind ours," Court added.

"You really think they'll go after her again?" Aarti stood up and started rubbing her hands on her arms as if cold.

"She was one of their most successful containers. I think they'd nuke her hometown to get to her." Court snagged his jacket from his chair. "We've got to move."

"Do you even know where she would be?" This time Lucy spoke up, finally lifting her eyes from the paperwork in her hands. "Maisie could be anywhere."

"She'll be here in Gotham." San closed his eyes, thinking. "That's why they were lingering here. They were waiting for their 'perfect' container."

"Until she wasn't," Dawnie muttered with a shiver. "What?" she hissed at her brother when he nudged her and gave her a look. "It's the truth."

*****

"So, you're saying that they also used you and Clark?" Bruce asked.

"And killed me when I wouldn't go along with it, supposedly." Lois started pacing again, slowly shaking her head. "If I hadn't seen him, I wouldn't have really believed any of this."

"You saw him?" Bruce started fiddling with his computer. "Does this kid look familiar?"

Lois looked up at the video of San grabbing the kryptonite. The brief smile that flashed across his face as he dug out a small baggie of powder from his pocket made her gasp. It reminded her so much of her father's smile. Then the girls interrupted, rather skillfully separating him from the radioactive rock.

"That must be Aarti and then Lucy," she said. "I would place the speedster as one of the twins Ella mentioned. I think those belong to Barry though he'd been missing when they were taken." Lois clenched her fist. "What I can't tell is why those things are here."

"Isn't it obvious? We're a fresh, new world that has no idea what's coming or didn't," Bruce replied. He stopped the video on the two-shot of Aarti and Lucy looking after a departing San's back. "I can tell that this one," and he indicated Aarti, "is most likely an Amazon, but Lucy is more of a cipher."

"Ella only said that Lucy is her guardian and that she was one of the Abducted and not a Created." Lois examined her closely. "I think she's wearing makeup but honestly? I can't be sure."

"The only way to get more answers is to either find them or find the aliens who kidnapped you. Preferably, I'd like to talk to your captors."

"As would I," Clark said, flitting back in. He glanced between them. "Is there something I should know?"

"Probably not until this is over?" Lois ventured. "Did you find the signal?"

"I did," Clark returned. He tossed a small device to Bruce. "This can track them. Whatever they're using is remarkably sophisticated."

"I bet," Bruce said, slotting the device into his own supercomputer. After a few seconds, a set of six dots appeared, one of which was moving at fantastic speed. "I wonder what they're looking for?" Bruce mused as they watched the methodical movements.

"We'll find out more if you go ask them," Lois said. "I'm not leaving here until this is cleared up. Just the thought of their little 'request' is enough to bench me for a few hours."

"As if a little kidnapping—"

"—Or two!" Lois refuted.

"Could keep you from chasing a story," Clark finished with a grin. "I'll take the speedy dot."

"And maybe I'll luck into this Lucy." Bruce stood up and headed for his favorite vehicle.