Takes place in between JLU seasons 1 and 2.

"Batman to all League members: Everyone converge on the device, and make sure you're seen going." Questions and concerns flooded the radio waves, but he didn't have time to answer them now. If they survived, he'd explain then. "I repeat, all of us need to be seen on approach to the nuclear device. Just do it!"

"Batman, what's going on? What are you planning?"

He hesitated for a brief moment.

"It'll take too long to fully explain now, Wonder Woman, but there is a plan - now make sure everyone is visible fighting!"

She didn't respond, but from the sudden diminishing of complaints, Batman assumed Diana was repeating his orders to everyone around her. The entire Justice League was in the process of attacking a power plant that had been taken over by hostile forces. Or, more correctly, one insane hostile force with an army of energized robots at his command.

A little over an hour ago, Captain Marvel had called the Watchtower to sound the alarm: Doctor Thaddeus Sivana, a brilliant yet power-hungry mad scientist was in the process of claiming a nuclear power plant in northeastern Pennsylvania as his own. The Susquehanna Steam Electric Station had fallen in minutes, it's staff and workers fleeing in terror, to be replaced by metal monstrosities.

As of now, the Leaguers were rapidly penetrating the exterior defenses, with Batman's new order to head for what readings indicated was a massive device being constructed in the hollowed-out central building. It was being powered by the plundered nuclear rods, and no one wanted to have to find out what evil it was intended for.

What everyone did want to know, though, was what on Earth was Batman planning?

The dark silhouette of his jet could be seen just passing into the airspace over the battlefield; it was lost from sight momentarily around the pair of reactors, before diving straight for the largest remaining group of robotic warriors. Explosives were dropped, and the gathered enemies became scattered and damaged - easy pickings for close combat fighters like Wildcat, Black Canary, Hawk and Dove.

Also overhead, Leaguers capable of flight ducked amongst the airborne robots, smashing through the central units, disabling their wings and thrusters to send the creatures crashing to the scorched ground below. Gradually, all of their lines of combatants closed in upon the central building, until they were all gathered together as Green Lantern's ring was bringing down the entire wall.

Inside, there were no more mechanical monstrosities waiting for them - just Sivana, standing within a small force field upon his massive creation, a triumphant grin stretching his features.

"Took you pitiful heroes long enough," His voice was high pitched and nasally, painful to listen too. "My beautiful baby's been ready for ages, and you're only just now getting here. Such a pity to keep us waiting."

"What do you want, Sivana?" Captain Marvel barked out, standing beside his sister Mary Marvel at the front of the crowd, who looked anxious but determined to be just as strong as her sibling. The other Leaguers tried to keep their expressions stony or neutral, despite the shared feeling of fear rolling through all of them. If the scientist's device was complete, what did he intend to use it for?

Smile growing even larger, Sivana was not long in answering. "Oh, just a simple thing, really - I had to make sure you all were kept busy for a time, and threatening to obliterate the entire Eastern Coast seemed like a decent way of going about it."

Several League members exchanged wide-eyed glances amongst themselves, at least until Batman stepped forward to address the villain. "Do you expect us to believe your cobbled-together machine can do that? Or are you just trying to bluff your way out of a situation that's completely backfired on you?"

"Ah! You wound me, Batman." Sivana raised a gnarled hand and pressed it to his chest dramatically. "Nothing about my baby is "cobbled-together", as you so charmingly put it; and neither has this endeavor backfired upon me. After all, I now have the entire Justice League within my sights, and none of you are likely to survive the next phase."

With that, the old scientist reached out to pull a lever from left to right, his wide grin worrying nearly every hero in the room.

Nearly.

Batman had to contain a smirk as the machine's activation sequence began - and almost immediately, the meltdown warnings and alarms began to flash. Tremors wracked the massive device, and steam began to billow from every gap in the metal plating and tubes. Taken by surprise, Sivana stumbled away from his control panel just as sparks began to fly from it. In a miniature explosion, his force field (and only means of defense) collapsed alongside the supports for the machine behind him.

"No!" The villain wailed, and before even Flash could run forward to grab him, a dark figure leapt out of the steam behind Sivana, tackling him. Astounded, the Leaguers merely stared as a surprisingly young voice rang out across the room over the quieting rumbles of the sabotaged device.

"You know what I really hate about ventilation systems? When a place blows, they're the first thing to fill with smoke!" Robin grinned at them as he secured Sivana with a pair of handcuffs, dusting his hands off as he finished. "On the other hand, when a bad guy sees every hero he expects to be coming for him out front, he's hardly worrying about keeping a decent defense in place out back."

-JKI-

"How the heck he managed to get the kid into the building without any of us even noticing is what I want to know." Green Arrow muttered, crossing his arms. Black Canary took a moment to nudge him, and the archer fell silent as the pair of Gotham heroes went past.

"Maybe I'm just that good." Robin cast a smug look at the Star City defender, keeping close to his mentor's side. Arrow just gaped for a moment as the kid moved on, finally putting on a lopsided grin as he shook his head.

"Guess I've been told." He joked, getting Canary to roll her eyes. "Kinda have a hard time believing that the Bat's kid has a sense of humor, though."

"Oh, you'd be surprised." Superman joined them, watching as the pair made their way to the Batplane, a handful of braver than most heroes risking Batman's glare by calling out 'thanks, kid' or 'good job' to Robin. "He's one of the few people I know capable of getting our dreary Dark Knight to actually smile."

"You're kidding." Black Canary looked incredulous while her green companion pantomimed having a heart attack.

"Nope. I've seen them together when no one else was around, though, and that's where it's really obvious. In this setting, Batman's working overtime to keep up his walls and stop the rest of us from realizing just how much of an influence Robin has on him." Superman frowned as he remembered something. "That reminds me, I need to put some work in on the kid's birthday present..."

"Seriously?"

He tried not to laugh at Canary and Arrow's mirrored expressions of shock. He really did. "Yeah, Robin turns twelve later this month. I've been trying to convince his guardian to let me surprise him and take the kid to see some of the planet's better sights: the pyramids, the Taj Mahal, so on and so forth. No luck so far, because of the inherent 'safety risks', but I think I'm slowly wearing him down."

"That man really is as paranoid as Question." Green Arrow muttered, as the Batplane took off from the field outside the plant, where various League members were working on cleaning up some of the mess before the civilian construction crews arrived. "He lets a preteen dress up and fight crime with him, but won't let the same kid go sight-seeing with the Man of Steel?"

"I think it's because he knows Robin can handle anything Gotham dishes out, but what can even a fully grown human do against the kinds of things I often find myself being attacked by?"

"...Fair point."

"If it's such an issue, then why not switch for getting Robin a tour of the Watchtower?" Canary suggested.

"That's... Not a bad idea."

"Wait, you mean he hasn't been already?" Arrow raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think so. He got to visit the original one back when it was just the seven of us, but I don't he's been to the new station yet. Thanks, Canary."

"You're welcome. Let us know if you manage to convince Batman of it - I'd like to be around to talk to the kid when he visits, see how good of an education he really has in the martial arts."

"Please tell me you don't actually want to spar with a kid."

"No; but if you're not careful, Arrow, I might just put the two of you in a ring and see how long it takes him to take you down." She chuckled at his indignant expression, and Superman took his leave before the pair slowly shifted from insults to flirting.

Surprisingly enough, though she never appeared in the animated show, Mary Marvel had an appearance in one issue of the comic accompaniment, hence my inclusion of her in this chapter. I also figured after the issue with Luthor/Brainiac, Captain Marvel was willing to at least start working with the League again, even if he didn't resume membership.

Next chapter: Daddy Bats time! Also, the heroes go a little nuts over a simple tour...