A/N: We're back, folks! Hope everyone's staying safe in these crazy times we live in. We know you all have been looking forward to this for a while, so let's sit back and enjoy!

New Orleans, September 24, 16:53 CDT

"This is Betty Brant with the Fact Channel, live from the historic French Quarter!" Betty Brant shouted out, as the sky shook with thunder and lightning. "Superman and Thor are in a pitched battle with the so-called Terror Twins, who have been on a three-state rampage through the American South!"

In the skies above the French Quarter, thunder rumbled as Thor swung Mjolnir into a car that was flown at him and Superman caught another car. They were batted away just in time to see the so-called 'Terror Twins' leaping at them. Both men caught the brother and sister duo and spun them around, flinging them both into a nearby warehouse.

"Ow…" Tommy Terror grunted out, rubbing the back of his head. He and his twin sister, Tuppence, rose to their feet, wincing. The blonde-haired supervillain looked around the warehouse they were in, seeing abandoned Mardi Gras floats that looked like something out of a horror movie…

Before he or Tuppence could react, Trickshot and Hawkeye emerged from the Shadows. They both clamped collars around their neck, both collars powering up as red lights activated. Tommy tried to resist, but Trickshot was able to effortlessly force his hands behind his back.

"What the-? What happened to mah strength? Ah just went toe ta toe with Superman!" Tommy declared, only to hear a scoff from the darkness.

"More attention than he's ever paid me…" Superboy said as he emerged from the shadows, revealing that he was now dressed exactly like Tommy. His blonde hairstyle, the white tank top, the torn black leather pants with the red suspenders, the padlock and chain he wore across his neck… it felt like Tommy was looking in a mirror.

"What the hell…?" Tuppence said, and Superboy turned back to the shadows.

"You ready, 'Sister Tuppence'?" He said into the shadows in a fake southern accent, and now it was Tuppence's turn to be shocked as Wonder Girl stepped out, dressed exactly like the Terror Twin. Her get up was largely identical to Tommy's, but with the black pants replaced by a skirt.

"I'm practicing my accent, 'Brother Tommy.'" Wonder Girl replied, as the Twins looked at them in confusion.

"Hey, Ah need some answers!" Tommy asked, as Batman stepped out of the shadows.

"It's simple." The Dark Knight clamped two collars around their necks, red lights powering on. "They're under arrest."

Chapter 15: Terrors

Belle Reve Parish, September 26, 21:55 CDT

The prison transport rocked as it rolled across the bumpy road, the interior of the transport eerily silent as Cassie's eyes scanned the interior of the transport. Next to her was Superboy, in his disguise as 'Tommy', dressed in an orange prison jumpsuit. In addition to the power restraining collar, he wore a set of power dampening shackles, just like she did, for extra security. At the front of the holding area was a single guard holding a shotgun. Cassie looked to the back of the transport, seeing Mister Freeze wearing an orange jumpsuit over his life support suit, sitting within a specialized seating area. She looked across from here, seeing Icicle Jr giving her a weird look. He gave her a wink and blew a kiss, causing her face to scrunch up. As she stared at the shackles on her wrists, she thought back to two days earlier….

She, Superboy, and Trickshot were all in the Cave briefing area, standing before Batman and an armorless Tony Stark as the briefing area powered on. "Victor Fries, aka Mr. Freeze. Leonard Snart, aka Captain Cold. Mark Higgins, aka Tundra. Terrance Sorenson, aka Equinox. Donald Gill, aka Blizzard. Cameron Mahkent aka Icicle Jr. Crystal Frost, aka Killer Frost. This past Fourth of July, all seven of these ice-based villains launched coordinated, simultaneous attacks at locations all across the country." As Batman spoke, images of each villain appeared behind him, along with the locations they attacked. The images of Blizzard, Tundra, Captain Cold, and Killer Frost all moved away from the rest to be under an image of a prison.

"Afterwards, Higgins, Snart, Gill, and Frost were escorted to Belle Reve Penitentiary in Louisiana, a prison designed exclusively to hold meta-criminals. Fries and Sorenson were delivered to Arkham Asylum in Gotham, while Mahkent was sent to a juvenile facility." Batman explained, as each mentioned image was separated to be placed under the relevant prison. "Last month, Fries and Sorenson both petitioned the court to be declared legally sane. At the same time, Mahkent successfully sued to be tried as an adult."

"Why would any of them do that? They had to have known that they would've gotten sent right to Belle Reve." Superboy asked, crossing his arms.

"That's what we need to find out, and why we're sending you in." Batman stated, highlighting Mr. Freeze and Icicle Jr. "Due to the effect the conflicting nature of his powers have on his mental state, it was determined that Sorensen would remain in Arkham for treatment. However, both Freeze and Junior were successful, and now await transport to Belle Reve. We need to find out what they're planning." He finished explaining, and Wonder Girl raised her hand.

"Uh, isn't this something better suited to Miss Martian?" Cassie asked.

"She's busy. With… school work. Big chemistry test this week." Trickshot offered, stepping forward. "You two are the only ones with super strength, meaning we don't have to try too hard to pass you off as the Terror Twins." He explained, causing images of the Terror Twins rampage to appear.

"Superman and Thor are currently working with law enforcement agencies to divert the Terror Twins to New Orleans. Once they get them to a certain warehouse, we will incapacitate them, allowing you two to slide into their places." Batman explained. "Trickshot will be on the bioship nearby, monitoring the situation."

"I got a question." Superboy cut off, looking at Trickshot. "No offense to you, Francis, but shouldn't Kaldur be running this?"

"He had to go back to Atlantis. Wanted to visit his folks." Trickshot answered, but Superboy narrowed his eyes. Something wasn't right…

Before he could ask any further, Tony stepped forward, carrying two small cases that fit into the palms of his hands. "Since you two don't have telepathy, that means I had to channel my inner Q." Tony explained, opening one of the cases to reveal a set of contact lenses. "These are based on a prototype we're working on at Stark Industries. Micro Camera filaments embedded in a lens, connected via a limited broadband network. Translation: smart contacts." Tony handed a case to both teens. "They're a few years away from real practical use, but for communicating between the different wings of the prison and the bioship, they'll do the trick. Now, if you'll open the cases again…" Tony asked, and Connor opened the case, Tony pointing to a small strip.

"See this little flesh colored thing right here? Stick it on your throat, and it'll connect to the contact lenses. It'll read the vibrations of your vocal cords, and transmit as text, allowing all of you to communicate without anyone overhearing. You don't even have to speak out loud, you can just hum." The billionaire genius explained, and Trickshot frowned.

"Alright, so that leads to my next question: will anyone in the prison know who they really are?" He asked, and Batman and Stark exchanged a glance.

"No one. We cannot be sure that the prison staff isn't compromised. Once they're in there… they're on their own."

"Dude! Dude!" Cassie was pulled from her reminiscing by Junior not so subtly whispering to 'Tommy.' "Dude, you're sister is so hot! Mind putting in a good word for me?" 'Tuppence' just rolled her eyes, and 'Tommy' was about to tell Junior to piss off, when the guard grabbed Junior by the shoulder and shoved him back into his seat.

"Sit down, boy. We're here." The guard, identifiable only by the name tag that read 'Wilcox', scolded, as they felt the transport slow to a halt. They could hear what sounded like warning sirens, and soon the doors opened. "Get out. Time for your orientation." Wilcox ordered, and the prisoners all got off of the bus. "Welcome to the Vault." They were now in the prison intake area of Belle Reve, guards flanking each and every corner. On a catwalk above the inmates were two figures: one was a skinny blonde woman in a pantsuit, while the other was a heavyset African American woman in business attire.

"I am the law of last resort. I am the impenetrable Wall, through which there is no passing." The African American woman stated, looking over the inmates with a glare that made even Freeze look unnerved. "My name is Amanda Waller, and I am not your mother, your maiden aunt, or your friend. I am the Warden here, and while you are here paying your penance to society, you will play by my rules. See those collars you're wearing?" She asked, gesturing to the collars they all wore. "They are not a fashion statement. The proprietary collars you are wearing were custom made to inhibit each prisoner's specific meta abilities. No super strength, no flight, no ice, no laser beams coming from your ass."

"And here I was thinking she was just in to S&M…" Junior whispered to 'Tuppence', but this did not go unnoticed by Waller, who simply narrowed her eyes as she pulled out a remote.

"But wait, there's more. This is the finest meta-prison in the world, and unlike the slumber parties you may be used to at Arkham, we do not tolerate nonsense. If you step out of line, the collars can and will be used to discipline you. In fact, I think a demonstration is in order."

"What's that…?" Before Connor could finish his thought, Waller pressed the button on the remote. The effect was immediate as all four cried out in pain, as electricity coursed through all of them, staggering them. Once she was content that was enough, she pressed the button again, ceasing the electric shock.

"Now, doesn't that make you feel all nice and tingly?" Waller teased, as the inmates regained their senses. "That was a warning, and everyone gets one. If the shock is deployed and the inmate continues to act up, the next shock will be sufficient enough to knock the inmate unconscious. At the slightest hint of trouble, the whole facility will go into lockdown. Belle Reve's walls are all lined with adamantium, which, for the uneducated among you, is one of the toughest metals on God's green Earth. And we've got enough in these walls to hold Superman. We know, we checked." At the mention of Superman, Connor's eyes went to the ground, something that didn't go unnoticed by Cassie as Waller continued to speak.

"No one's ever escaped Belle reve, and no one ever will. There's a reason we've nicknamed this place 'The Vault.'" With that, the woman next to Waller cleared her throat, causing her to sigh. "Now that that's out of the way, I'll introduce you to Dr. Karla Sofen. She is your maiden aunt."

"Thank you, Amanda, for the introduction…" Dr. Sofen said as she stepped forward, putting on a sickeningly sweet smile. "What Warden Waller is trying to tell you is that I am the prison psychiatrist. I believe your time here shouldn't just be a punishment, but rather a chance to better your life. Each and everyone of you deserves a chance at rehabilitation."

"Because we know you types are all about second chances." Waller said, a hint of menace to her voice.

A half hour later, Connor was being escorted into the men's wing, following Junior in a line to the guards. As they entered Cell Block 4, he blinked twice, causing the contacts to activate. The purple HUD appeared before his eyes, and on the left side he saw the symbols of both Trickshot and Wonder Girl. He hummed a phrase, watching the words appear before his eyes as text.

SB: We're in.

Just like Stark had shown him, he winked his right eye, sending the message as he and Junior were led into the cell.

Onboard the Bioship, hovering cloaked in the swamps surrounding the prison, Trickshot was looking at his phone, almost as if he was waiting on a message… before the spheres of the control glowed. He tapped both of them, seeing Superboy's message appear on a holoscreen generated from the ship. A keypad formed in front of him, and he typed his message back.

TS: Any trouble?

WG:Only a warden on an ego trip…

Cassie sent her message as she was led through the prison, two guards in front of her. She watched as Trickshot's emblem, a downward purple arrow on black background, was highlighted, signifying a message from him.

TS: Be careful. Belle Reve's had more than a few investigations for how they treat their prisoners.

TS: Maintain radio silence until you find out more about what they're planning. Until then, keep your heads down.

'Easy for him to say. He's chilling out on the bioship…' Cassie thought to herself, as the guards led her to an open cell.

"Hey, Scream Queen! You've got a new roomie." The guard stated, pushing Cassie into the room. "Play nice, ya hear?"

"Talk about manners…" Cassie muttered to herself as the guards shut the cell door and walked off. She looked around the cell, seeing the toilet, sink, and bunk beds. Before she could look any further, she heard a sigh from the top bunk.

"That wasn't funny the first three times she called me that…" The woman on the top bunk sighed out, sitting up. She was a young lady, probably around 18 or 19 if Cassie had to guess, with dyed, spiky white hair with blue tips. She looked 'Tuppence' over, her eyes narrowing as Cassie swallowed a lump in her throat. Why did she look familiar…? "Hey, Blondie, you got a name?" The woman asked, and Cassie let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding in.

"Uh, Tuppence. Tuppence… Terror." God, that name sounded ridiculous in Cassie's fake southern accent. Her new cellmate apparently thought so too, as the woman raised an eyebrow.

"Have we ever worked together before? I swear you look familiar…"

"Uh, not that I can think of, Miss… Scream Queen?" Cassie figured this was too polite for Tuppence, but there was no sense antagonizing anybody. This didn't exactly pay off, as the woman's face twisted into a scowl.

"That's just everyone's nickname for me. Call me that again, 'Tuppence', and collar or no collar, I'll make your brains bleed from your ears." She threatened, and 'Tuppence' just nodded. "Out there, they call me Screaming Mimi, but I prefer to be called Mimi. Understood."

"Y-yeah. No problem, ma'am." Cassie was too busy trying to keep from panicking to worry about her accent, as there was a very big problem: Screaming Mimi was one of the villains Cheetah had hired to come after her in Gateway when the Team had come to find her. If she recognized Cassie… no. Calm down.

When Cassie and the Team had encountered the villains in Gateway, she had on thick goggles and a cheap wig. Plus, if she remembered right, Screaming Mimi had never gotten close enough to get a good look at her face. But she was starting to sweat a little, as Mimi hopped down from the bed, getting up in Cassie's face and staring at her.

"Uh… see anything ya like?" She nervously asked, as Mimi narrowed her eyes.

"You sure we never worked together?"

"Uh, positive. I'd uh, I'd remember you." The undercover superhero nervously stated, but Mimi wasn't satisfied. "Y'know, I've just got one those faces and-"

"Eh, whatever. Angar always said that we've all been in the same room at some point. No sense worrying about it." The supervillain stated, causing Cassie to let out a sigh of relief as she went back to her bunk. This just got a whole lot more complicated…

The Next Morning

Connor watched as panels above what would be the yard powered up, creating an illusion of sunlight as the prisoners were escorted into the yard. "Pretty clever, huh?" A voice said, and he looked to his right to see Junior looking at the panels. "See, they built The Vault to be impenetrable, meaning no one could fly in or out. But then some human rights group found out; said that all the prisoners were entitled to seeing daylight. So…" Junior gestured up to the panels. "...compromise."

"You seem to know a lot about this place." 'Tommy' stated, and Junior smirked, though Connor thought it seemed a little… sad.

"Been coming here since I was five. Come to a place often enough, you learn a few things…" The ice-based villain stated, but then the sadness Connor saw was replaced with his trademark cocky demeanor. "Stick with me, cellmate, and I'll show you the ropes."

"Uh, thanks. Though do ya mind if I ask why?"

"Dude, it's simple." Mahkent stated. "You and me? We're the next generation of villainy. One day, it's gonna be us fighting the Justice League! I figure we gotta go ahead and start stickin' together!" Connor highly doubted that Tommy Terror, who punched a hole in a gas station because he couldn't buy alcohol there, would be one of Earth's worst villains, but he wasn't going to dissuade the young villain. Still, he had to keep up the act. Act like Tommy, not Superboy,

"Wait a minute, you're younger than me! You ain't never been in no Belle Reve before! You liable to get me hanged with them ropes." 'Tommy' retorted, as the two walked past several men at the weight benches. One of them looked up, his red eye narrowing…

"C'mon, dude, try to pay attention! Remember how I said I've been coming here since I was a kid? Well, the reason's over there." Cameron answered, gesturing to a set of benches. Connor looked where he indicated, seeing Blockbuster and Mammoth guarding two men: a grey haired man in his fifties, and an italian man with a pencil thin mustache. "See the guy with the grey hair? That's Icicle Senior."

"And if you're Icicle Jr, then that means… that's your dad? I mean, your pa?"

"Bingo. You're looking at my old man." Cameron proudly stated. "See, my old man was one of the first supervillains, way back in the 40's. Oh man, the stories he used to tell me. Not every kid can say their dad fought the original Flash!" This caused 'Tommy's' face to twist in confusion.

"But… he don't look that old."

"The beauty of cryogenics, my redneck friend. It's kept him looking nice and young almost a hundred years later." Junior explained.

"So he's what, the man in charge?" The disguised hero asked, earning a scoff.

"I wish, but he's the next best thing. See the guy who looks like a vampire?" Junior asked, gesturing at the man sitting above Icicle Senior. "That is none other than Count Nefaria himself."

"Who?" Apparently he was supposed to be a big deal, as Cameron's jaw dropped while his eyes went wide as saucers.

"Dude, are you serious?! You call yourself a supervillain, but you have no idea who Count Nefaria is?!" Connor had to confess that he hadn't. Between Cadmus and the Team, he hadn't really had time to read up on old supervillains.

"What, is he like Doctor Doom or somethin'?" As soon as he said that, Cameron's eyes widened, clamping his cellmate's mouth shut.

"Are you trying to get killed?! He hears you say that, they'll be lucky to find your body!" He warned, and Superboy narrowed his eyes as he removed Junior's hand from his face.

"You gonna keep actin' like a chicken with it's head cut off, or you gonna tell me who he is?"

"Only the original crime lord! The Count started the Maggia back in Italy, before he moved the whole operation to the States! He was one of the League's first major enemies!" Junior explained, looking over at the Count. "It took the capes years to get enough evidence to take him down, and even then they had to work with the X-Men to do it. His daughter, Madame Masque, took over the whole operation when he went away, but he's still got a fair amount of input. Two-Face, Kingpin, Tombstone, Penguin… they're all just knock offs of the original. "

"Ok, so he's a big deal. You gonna explain what he's got to do with your Pa?" Connor had known Cameron for maybe twelve hours, but one thing was obvious: the young villain had a flare for the dramatic.

"Right, sorry. See, Nefaria's basically the Capo here in Belle Reve. There's not a thing that goes on around here that he doesn't know about, and my dad's his right hand man. If you wanna smuggle some contraband, if you wanna off a guy in the showers… hell, you gotta get the Count's permission to smuggle in some smokes. And my dad's the Count's right hand man, meaning he handles all of that for him. If the Count needs anything done, then my dad's the guy he goes to."

"Your pa sounds like a big deal." At this, Cameron seemed to deflate a little.

"You're telling me… 'big shoes' doesn't even begin to describe it. It sucks when your dad is 'the man', y'know?" At this, Superboy averted his eyes.

"Believe me, I know…" Connor watched as a brown haired man in his early 30's approached Icicle Sr. He was stopped by Mammoth and Blockbuster, who turned to Senior.

"What do you want, Tinkerer?" Senior asked, and the man began to nervously fiddle with his hands.

"Well, uh, I just figured you could use some brain power! You know, balance the brawn a little." Phineas Mason Jr pleaded, earning a growl from Mammoth.

"You trying to call me stupid, Mason?" Senior asked, causing the Tinkerer's eyes to widen.

"N-no, of course not! My grandfather, he always said you were one of the best he ever worked with. I was just thinking, uh, I-I've got a good head for numbers, and I was thinking that I could lend you some of my know how." Mason pleaded, and Senior looked down his nose at the Tinkerer.

"I'm thinking I've got plenty of know how." He stated, and Blockbuster growled as he shoved Tinkerer away. The man sighed, before walking past a smirking Tombstone.

"Aw, did the little baby Tinkerer not make any friends? Guess the old man didn't leave you any backbone."

Meanwhile, on the women's side of the yard, 'Tuppence' was looking around the yard. She figured that this was the best chance she had to gather intel, hoping she might hear a stray rumor or two. Anything that could tip her off as to what may be going on in the prison. Of course, the main problem was figuring out where to even start…

"Well well, what do we have here?" A new voice spoke up behind her, and Cassie felt her blood run cold as she turned around to see none other than Killer Frost standing behind her. She was flanked by two muscular, abnormally tall women that she recognized from the internet: the redhead was Titania, a recurring enemy of Superman, and Devastation, one of Wonder Woman's recurring foes. Killer Frost was eyeing her up, like a cat sizing up it's dinner.

"Can ah help you?" 'Tuppence' asked, and Frost smirked.

"Tuppence Terror. Saw you and your brother's little rampage on the news." Frost stated, gesturing to the one wall mounted television in the women's yard. "Word is you sent Thor flying across three blocks. Care to comment?" The ice-based villainess asked, and Cassie had to think for a second.

"Uh, right. Ah sent that long haired Swede and his fancy hammer flyin' across the Big Easy. He ain't all he's cracked up to be. Plus, if you ask me, that fancy hammer's compensatin' for something." Was that 'villainous' enough? It had to be, as Frost smirked. From her spot on the wall, Mimi noticed Frost talking to her cellmate, narrowing her eyes.

"So, you're strong. We could use muscle like that on my crew sooner rather than later. Want in?" Cassie was kinda shocked at this. On the one hand, this would be a surefire way to get the intel they needed. But at the same time, joining a prison gang was more than she bargained for. And when she was pulled out, Cassie didn't want to screw over the real Tuppence by signing her up for something like that…

So preoccupied was she that she didn't notice Titania and Devastation flanking her, and before she realized it, the disguised heroine was boxed in. "Uh, I think I'll pass…"

"This ain't that kinda offer, Blondie." Devastation warned, and Cassie frowned. She could see Titania cracking her knuckles, and Devastation rolling her shoulders in preparation. Even with the collars, she was willing to bet that the muscular women still packed quite a punch…

"Hey, leave her alone." The voice of Mimi cut off, drawing their attention as she walked over to them.

"Well well, if it isn't Screaming Mimi herself." Killer Frost mocked, crossing her arms. "You want in on this, too?"

"The new girl just got here, Frost. Why don't you give her at least a day before you press your gang on her?" Mimi challenged, crossing her arms and meeting Frost's glare. They held eye contact for a moment… before Frost just smirked once more.

"Fine. Have it your way." The ice weaver stated, turning back to her lieutenants. They both nodded, stepping away from 'Tuppence.' Before she walked off, Frost turned back to the blonde. "I wouldn't take too long, Tuppy. Time to decide'll be here before you know it." And with that, the blue-haired woman walked off, but not before Devastation leaned in close to Mimi.

"Angar owed me five grand, Scream Queen. You better be able to pay up." She warned, and Mimi narrowed her eyes.

"If Angar owed you money, I'd get a Oujia board. Sorry I can't support your steroid habit." Devastation growled, and brushed past her, and Cassie exhaled.

"Thanks for that. Really saved my bacon…"

"Don't mention it." Mimi replied, scratching the back of her head. "I uh… I don't like bullies. I put up with enough of that growing up…" Mimi sighed, before looking at her cellmate. "Look, Frost isn't the only one around here acting out her Mean Girls fantasy. It's dangerous to be on your own around here. If you want, I can show you the ropes." She offered, and Cassie's eyes widened.

"Uh, sure! I'd… Ah'd like that!" She almost dropped her accent, but if her cellmate picked up on it, she didn't show it, instead offering a light smile.

"Good. Try and keep up." And with that, Cassie was left with one thought: Screaming Mimi didn't seem so bad…

Back on the men's side, Cameron was pointing out the various groups within the yard to 'Tommy.' "Alright, now you see that big guy over there at the weight bench?" Cameron asked, pointing at a large, pale-skinned man lifting an absurd amount of weights. "That's Tombstone. Used to run guns out of Star City before Speedy broke it up."

"Uh, ah hear he likes ta be called Red Arrow now." Connor spoke up, causing Cameron to raise an eyebrow.

"Isn't that a little derivative?"

"I dunno, I didn't name 'em!" The Terror Twin answered, and crossed his arms. "Besides, you ain't all that great at comin' up with names yerself, 'Icicle Junior.'"

"Hey, it's a name with history. With class. It strikes fear in-" Before Junior could finish, he was tackled to the ground from behind. Grunting, he was able to turn around enough to see the glaring red eye and helmet of Professor Ojo glaring at him.

"Hola, Junior! Remember me?" Ojo growled out, and Junior gulped.

"O-ojo, buddy! How ya been?" He nervously asked, and Ojo's mouth twisted into a snarl.

"Don't think I forgot the shit you pulled in Keystone! I warned you what would happen if you ever crossed me again!" As all this was happening, Nefaria and his entourage noticed what was happening. He cast a look at Icicle Senior.

"Well?" He asked, his voice carrying the thick accent of his native country. "Say the word, and-"

"No." Senior stated, folding his arms. "Kids don't learn anything if we fight their battles for them, do they?" He asked, causing Nefaria to smirk.

"No, they certainly don't."

Ojo prepared to slam his fist into Junior's face, only for Tommy to grab his shoulder and yank him back. "Get off of him!" He bellowed, delivering a right hook to Ojo's jaw. While normally a punch such as this would have been enough to knock Professor Ojo out, the collar dampened Connor's super strength. Instead, it just knocked Ojo to the ground, right at Tombstone's feet. The pale-skinned crime boss looked at the two, cracking his knuckles.

"Boy, that was not wise." Tombstone warned, as his crew began flanking the two. Cameron had barely gotten on his feet before one of Tombstone's henchmen grabbed him, dragging him backwards. Connor went to help his new friend, only to be cut off by a man with short brown hair as Tombstone moved behind him.

On the catwalk above, Wilcox and the other guards were watching the whole situation. One of them pulled out his collar remote, only for Wilcox to raise his hand. "Uh uh. New fish has gotta learn the rules."

Back in the yard, Connor grunted as Tombstone grabbed his arms. "Free shot, Ojo!" Tombstone called out, as Ojo rose to his feet. He approached 'Tommy', prepared to deliver a punch to his stomach… only to pause.

"Wait. I know you…" Connor's eyes went wide as saucers at this. He had almost forgotten his and Scarlet Spider's fight with Ojo in Philadelphia during the Fog debacle, but even then, he figured Ojo hadn't gotten a good look at his face. But if Ojo remembered him…

His training with Black Canary kicked in, as he slammed his foot down on Tombstone's. The collar meant that Tombstone's skin lacked it's usual invulnerability, meaning that he screamed out in pain. This loosened his grip enough to allow Superboy to grab the larger man by the back of his head, tossing him over his shoulder and into Ojo. The man with the cybernetic eye managed to dodge, but this allowed 'Terror' to rush him and deliver a right hook to his jaw. Much like it had in Philadelphia, this proved sufficient to knock out Ojo, sending him to the floor. Tombstone grunted out, looking at Superboy with pure rage.

"That wasn't wise, blondie…" He cracked his knuckles, Superboy preparing to rush him…

"Enough!" Icicle Senior's voice echoed through the yard, stopping each man in their tracks. "Kid's got guts. I can respect that. That's the kind of thing a man wouldn't mind seeing in his own son," The veteran supervillain remarked, sending a glance at his son, who was released by the man holding him. "The beef is squashed. Understood?" He glared at Tombstone, who sneered. He was about to say something, when his eyes went to Nefaria sitting above Senior.

"Fine…" He growled out, storming off, as Senior cast a glance at the guards above him.

"You ladies done enjoying the show? Or you gonna come clean this up?" He asked, gesturing to Ojo.

As the guards came down to collect the unconscious Ojo, Cassie, who had been watching from the women's side, let out a sigh of relief. "Talk about a close one…" She breathed out, as Mimi snorted.

"Your brother sure does know how to make friends, huh?"

"That's one way ta put it…"

Once Ojo had been collected, Icicle Senior nodded towards Junior. "Be right back." And with that, Junior walked over to his father, being joined by Captain Cold, Mister Freeze, Blizzard, and an African American man whom Connor recognized from the briefing as Tundra. Joining them on the women's side was Killer Frost, who was leaning against the plexiglass separating the two areas of the yard.

Connor looked at Cassie through the glass, both of them nodding. Connor closed his eyes, focusing his super hearing on their conversation.

"Gee, thanks for the help, dad…" Junior stated, and Senior just glared at him.

"What have I always told you, son? Reap what you sow, and fight your own battles." He stated, and looked over the ice villains. "What happened to Equinox?"

"He blew it. Couldn't keep it together on the stand long enough to make his appeal." Freeze stated, and Senior frowned.

"All he had to do was keep it together for one day… still, I knew he was going to be the most unreliable part."

"How's that affect our chances?" Blizzard asked.

"Not enough to make a real difference. Plan accounted for the possibility of all three of our new arrivals being unable to make it. Still, Sorenson packed a lotta raw power. Just means we have to be a bit more precise." Senior stated, leaning forward. "I got the confirmation from the Count this morning. All the pieces are in place."

"You mean… We're actually going through with this?" Tundra asked, and Icicle smirked.

"Oh yeah. Tonight… we break every con out of Belle Reve."

Connor's eyes widened, but he kept his cool. Visibly reacting would only tip off the villains he was surrounded by, but for now, he kept his head down, continuing to listen as Icicle Senior continued to speak.

"You all know your roles. Higgins, Snart, Fries, you three go get the parts. Gill, you go get with Ivo. Make sure he's on time delivering the orange." He instructed the male villains, before turning back to Frost. "You get your muscle?"

"Almost. Titania and Devastation are on board, but I've got my eye on one more." Frost stated, looking over at 'Tuppence.'

"Whatever you gotta do, do it. We're down to the wire here." The veteran supervillain stated, before looking to Junior. "What about you? You get your cellmate on board?"

"Oh, uh, not yet. But he'll be totally onboard once I explain it to him!" Junior's excuse didn't sate his father in the slightest, as he sneered and pulled his son in close, a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen, Junior, a lot of effort and money went into getting all of us here. You think you were anybody's first choice? No, you're here because of me. Because I went to the Count, convinced him myself to get you the best lawyer money could buy, so you could be a part of this." Senior explained. "This is the big leagues, kid. This isn't knocking over some backwater bank in St Roch, throwing a fit in Star City, or whatever petty little bullshit you got up to out there. Understand?" He asked, and Junior nervously swallowed.

"Y-yes sir." At this, the senior supervillain just patted the shoulder of his son.

"Good. Now get to work." And with that, the ice villains dispersed, and as Junior walked back over to him, Connor had to act like he hadn't been listening.

"Uh… have a good talk with your pa?"

"That's one word for it…" Junior replied, scratching the back of his head. "Hey, I know we just met, but I've got to ask you something." Connor already had a pretty good idea what Junior was about to ask him, but for now, he had to play dumb.

"What is it?" Junior's eyes went up to the guards watching them, before leaning down close.

"Look, something big is going down tonight. Me, my dad, the other ice villains… we've got a plan to bust out of here. And we need you and your sister to do it." This was it. Connor's chance to find out more.

"Whaddya need?" Junior's eyes darted around, to the guards on the catwalk, to Tombstone shooting the both of them a death glare.

"I can't give you details just yet. Less people who know specifics, the better. Just do what I say, and follow my lead when it goes down, alright?" The teenage villain asked, and Connor nodded.

"Just say the word." In for a penny, in for a pound…

A few minutes later, the two were at the weight benches, Connor watching as Cameron was attempting to bench. "You ok?"

"Oh yeah… I've got this…" He groaned out. Taking advantage of his distraction, Connor activated his contacts, humming a quick message.

SB: Their big play is a breakout.

TS: You overhear any details?

SB: No, they're keeping details on a need to know basis.

SB: Only thing I could get Junior to tell me was that whatever it is, it's happening tonight.

WG: I think Frost tried to recruit me earlier, but my cellmate chased her off.

TS: Did she have anyone with her?

WG: Titania and Devastation.

SB: Now that you mention it, Senior had Mammoth and Blockbuster with him.

Back on the bioship, Trickshot frowned. Belle Reve had been overhauled into a prison for superhuman criminals after it was found that prisons such as Iron Heights and Ryker's Island were unable to handle the rapidly rising number of costumed villains. Every inch of the prison had been designed to keep the criminals within the adamantium-lined walls contained. Of course, there had been breakout attempts in the past. Some came close, but all were unsuccessful, which contributed to Belle Reve's nickname of 'The Vault.' But if the ice villains had gone to all the trouble to get under one roof, and if they were gathering muscle…

TS: Alright, we know what they're planning. I'm pulling you two out.

SB: I don't think that's a good idea.

TS: Elaborate.

SB: Senior went to a lot of trouble getting everyone here. No way he'd let anything stop him.

SB: We bring the League in now, he'll just reschedule.

Francis just blinked as he read the messages coming before him. Ever since the whole ordeal with Ivo and the Amazo, Superboy hadn't been the type to disobey orders. Sure, there was his little outburst the previous week in India, but all of them had been infuriated by Kaldur's secret. If Superboy was voicing his opinion now, it had to mean he was sure of it.

TS: Cassie? What do you think?

The screen was silent for a moment, as Cassie seemed to think.

WG: I think Connor's right.

WG: We need to be 100% sure, right?

Francis sighed. He hated to admit it, but the newbies had a point. Any plan that went to this kind of trouble was expected to succeed, and a little delay wouldn't dissuade the villains.

TS: Alright, just keep your heads down. See what you can find out. Don't do anything stupid.

TS: That means you, Superboy.

SB: Why are you singling me out?

TS: Amazo ring any bells?

Hours Later

The wheels of a cart squeaked as Professor Ivo pushed it down the men's cells. At each cell, he would stop and throw the new jumpsuits through the meal slots of the doors. When he reached 'Tommy' and Cameron's cell, he tossed the jumpsuits through the slot, drawing Tommy's attention. "I'd go ahead and put the new duds on. Sooner, rather than later." His cellmate cryptically suggested, and Connor frowned. He activated his contacts, humming together a message.

SB: Junior says the break is coming sooner, rather than later.

WG: Killer Frost said the exact same thing to me earlier today. Said she wanted someone with my strength in her crew.

Cassie sent her message as she finished buttoning her own jumpsuit, turning back to Mimi who was reading a book on her bunk. "Hey, this might be a weird question, but what's Frost's deal?" She asked, drawing her cellmate's attention.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, uh… ah've never actually met her, but from what ah've seen on the news, she ain't exactly a leader type." 'Tuppence' stated, earning a scoff from Mimi.

"Welcome to prison. People have a tendency to surprise you." She stated, turning her attention back to her book. "Devastation and Titania used to hang around Cheetah. Kind of the Wonder Woman hate club. But last week, a guard got a little too handsy with Cheetah in the laundry room, so she slit his throat. Been in solitary ever since, and that's when Frost scooped up those two."

'Well, that answers where Cheetah is. Last thing I need is her recognizing me…' Cassie thought, as she composed her message.

WG: Cellmate says that Frost started gathering muscle a week ago.

SB: Whatever's going down, it's going down soon.

Later

Superboy didn't know a lot about Tommy Terror, to be honest. Sure, he knew about the three state rampage the twins had gone on, but he didn't know a lot about the guy himself. Still, the guy must have had some pretty serious issues to go on a multi-state rampage, and apparently the judge in charge of his sentencing thought so too. Connor and Cassie were in the therapist's office, a room that seemed to have been designed with 'calm and serene' as the theme. The bonsai tree, the speakers playing calming music, the 'windows' facing them displaying a calm, serene forest… Connor thought it seemed like overkill.

"So…" The voice of Karla Sofen, the prison psychiatrist, roused him from his thoughts. "... let's not beat around the bush. The two of you would rather be anywhere but here, and honestly, I understand. You're only in this room because some stuffy old judge didn't like how you behaved in the courtroom, and thought I could straighten you out. If I was in that position, I'd be sulking too." The psychiatrist said, leaning against her desk. "Still, prison is supposed to be about rehabilitation, not punishment. It's my responsibility to guide you on that road, so that you can-"

"Yeah yeah, we heard the speech when we got here. Can we hurry up?" Cassie spoke up, startling Connor. This startled Karla as well, who raised an eyebrow.

"Not a fan of therapy? Most people aren't. Not at first. That's why it's important to build a rapport, a foundation of trust."

"Ah'll pass." 'Tuppence' spat, crossing her arms. 'Tommy's' brow furrowed in confusion. The whole brooding thing was his gimmick, not Cassie's. Why was she acting like that…?

Sofen seemed to be having the same line of thought, tapping her chin. "I've seen this before. You don't trust people like me, probably because someone like me, or rather some sort of authority figure, took advantage of you. A therapist, a teacher, a guidance counselor…" That last part got Cassie to tense up, and Connor saw Sofen's eyes seem to light up. "So, you don't trust me because I remind you of someone from your past. That's fine, I can work with that."

"Look, Doc, we gonna get to the point, or are you gonna keep poking us to see what we do?" 'Tommy' asked, his voice tinged with irritation. There was something about Karla that reminded him of Desmond, in his pre-Blockbuster days. This feeling wasn't assuaged as Sofen just smiled.

"Alright, I'll cut to the chase. Both of you exhibit antisocial tendencies. You both have a temper, with a tendency to escalate encounters into violence. Just look at Tommy's little scuffle in the yard this morning," The psychiatrist explained, and 'Tommy' sat up in protest.

"Hey, Ah didn't start that!"

"True, which is why I made sure you weren't punished for it, but you did leap at the first chance to hit something," Sofen analyzed, before turning to 'Tuppence.' "And I saw your conversation with Ms. Frost and her friends this morning. They may have started it, but you were about to throw the first punch before your friend showed up."

"What this says to me is that both of you have anger issues. You think the world screwed you over, so you take it out on anybody you can. You'll find you have that in common with a lot of people here. What I'm more interested in is the cause of this anger," The psychiatrist stated. "Now, this anger can stem from many places. Financial difficulties, trouble finding work, spurned by a lover, conflict with a parental figure…" At this, both of them averted their eyes. "Ah, so that's it. Whether we realize it or not, our behaviors and actions as adults are often shaped by our relationships with our parents… or lack thereof." At this, Tommy clenched the armrest of the chair, glaring at the doctor.

"Maybe Ah'm angry cause I have to listen to some shrink treat me like some animal at a zoo."

"Then why don't you tell me about it, using your own words?" She asked, and Connor sighed. This was going to go on until Sofen got whatever answer she was looking for, so the Kryptonian figured he might as well throw her a bone.

"Mah pa… he's a pretty big deal back where we come from. Everyone looks at me, and even if they don't say it, they see… him. They expect me to be like him, but Ah'm not. And Ah've… Ah've tried to get him to help me be like him. But sometimes… sometimes it feels like he doesn't want anything to do with me. Like I'm some kind of… burden."

"Interesting…" Sofen remarked, jotting this down on her clipboard, before turning to Cassie, who was still sulking. "What about you, Tuppence?" Connor expected Cassie to remain quiet, to simply sulk until their time ran out…

Before the blonde girl sighed. "Pa's a big deal, alright. Thing is, Ah didn't know anything about him for a long time. Ah never really worried about it, but recently… recently ah… ah mean we found out who he was. That he was a 'big deal.' Next thing I know, mah whole life is flipped upside down by a guy Ah don't even know. It felt like everyone was only interested in me 'cause of who my dad is, and now ah'm here."

"Interesting…" Karla observed, crossing her hands in front of her. "I find it very interesting that both of you seem to harbor resentment towards your father for similar, yet different reasons. Tommy resents him because he's worried about living up to his reputation, while Tuppence resents him because of his absence, and is worried that the aforementioned reputation is affecting how others see her. Very interesting…" Superboy couldn't help but cast a glance over at his partner, who had crossed her arms and looked away.

"I'd like to hear about your mother. Tell me, was her presence-" Before Karla could finish, a melodic chime echoed throughout the office, causing her to sigh. "Well, looks like that's the end for our time today. I think we made a real breakthrough."

Meanwhile, as the 'Terror Twins' had their therapy session, Wilcox and another guard lead Freeze, Captain Cold, and Tundra through the laundry room and into a tool area, where a crate was waiting. Snart went to grab a crow bar off the wall, looking back to Wilcox. The guard nodded, opening his shirt pocket to reveal the collar remote in his pocket. The message clear, Snart used the crowbar to open the crate, allowing the three to look inside. Upon seeing what was inside it, Mr. Freeze smirked.

"Exactly what we need."

Mess Hall

'Tommy' was sitting at the table, lazily poking his mashed potatoes with his fork. However, while to anyone else it looked like the Terror Twin was just spacing out, in reality he was sending a message to Cassie.

SB: Hey, Cassie, about what you said back there about your dad...

SB: Is that really how you feel?

In the women's wing, Cassie couldn't help but sigh as she stared at what passed for food in Belle Reve. She hadn't meant to vent like that in the therapist's office, but being in there… it got her thinking about Loki. About all the trouble he had gone to, impersonating a guidance counselor, luring the Team and Diana into Gateway like that…

WG: Yeah, I guess it is.

WG: A month ago, no one cared who I was. Next thing I know, I've got you and gods and crazy supervillains after me.

SB: Well if it means anything, I don't care who your father is. God, alien, or otherwise. You're great as you are.

On the women's side of the prison, Cassie couldn't help but softly smiled, a light hint of pink reaching her cheeks.

WG: Thanks Connor. That means a lot more than you know.

"So, are the mashed potatoes that interesting?" Mimi asked, shaking Cassie out of her thoughts.

"Uh...what?"

"You're looking at those potatoes pretty intently. Don't worry, they won't kill you. The food here barely passes for edible, but you could do worse." The supervillain explained.

"Uh, sorry. Just… a lot on my mind."

"Sofen got under your skin, huh?" Mimi asked, sighing out. "I don't really like her that much either. Everytime they make me go there, I feel like I'm an ant, and she's a kid with a magnifying glass."

"Yeah, she really threw me off…" Cassie admitted, poking her mashed potatoes with the plastic spork. "She uh...she brought up a bunch of stuff that got me riled up."

"That's how these prison shrinks work. They get you riled up, and they put that down in their little notebooks. Let me guess, she tried asking about your folks?"

"Heh, how'd you know?"

"Because it's what she did to me. Brought up how my mom was in prison, my dad was a drunk, about how Angar 'enabled my self destructive tendencies' or whatever." Mimi responded, earning a confused look from 'Tuppence.'

"Who's Angar?" She asked, earning a sigh from Mimi.

"Oh, you don't know. Might as well tell you now…" She muttered, setting down her utensil as she learned forward. "Ever hear of Angar the Screamer? Don't feel too bad if you haven't. Me and him were never really big time."

"He was yer partner?"

"My partner and my boyfriend. I met him a year or so after I ran away from home." Mimi answered, smiling fondly as she recalled. "He was a few years older than me when I met him, but we were both pissed off at the world. He's the one who convinced me to sign up for the Roxxon experiments that gave us our powers."

"So y'all were kind of like a superpowered Bonnie and Clyde." 'Tuppence' concluded, and Mimi nodded.

"Yeah, I guess you could call us that. Hit a few banks, took a few decent scores, but nothing major. We never really fought the Justice League or anything. Thing is, Angar... David... he had a gambling problem. He'd bet on everything. Ball games, horse races... hell, once he bet on a dog show. That's why he owed Devastation over there five grand."

"I uh... Ah kinda notice that you're using a lotta past tense…"

"Heh, you're smarter than you look." The villain remarked, her face falling. "Things got bad. He owed more and more people money. And I mean real nasty people, people who make Devastation look downright pleasant. He started getting desperate, planning bigger, high risk scores. Eventually... he settled on the Coast City National Bank."

"Why that one?" The blonde asked, earning a raised eyebrow.

"It's one of the biggest banks in southern California. Villains have been trying to knock it over for years, but they get stopped by one of the Lanterns every time. Angar had this plan, had it all worked out to hit it when all three were off in space. And it was going good, for a minute. We had the bank manager, we were getting into the safe… when some guy with a gun decided to be a cowboy. Next thing I knew, Angar was shot in the neck, bleeding on the ground. I... I tried helping him, but then the cops showed up. He... he died in the ambulance, and left me holding the bag." She finished recounting.

"Damn. Ah'm... Ah'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be. David was brash, impulsive, and reckless. He's the one who convinced me to do the whole supervillain thing. If anything, that should've been my first clue to what he was like." Mimi finished. "So, I told you my origin story. What's yours?"

"Oh, well uh, it's really nothin' special. Mah pa was never around, and when Ah... I mean, me and Tommy got our powers, we just... did what felt right."

"Heh, having a choice must be nice. Me ending up here is the result of a lifetime of other people's shitty choices, and I 'lash out at the world for that.'" The supervillain finished. "At least, that last part's what Sofen says."

"Yeah, well, I coulda told you that without getting a fancy piece of paper on my wall. My ma used to say that it doesn't matter how bad a hand yer dealt, it's what you do with it that matters.'" 'Tuppence' remarked, and Mimi smirked.

"You know what, Tuppy? I think I like you after all."

Back on the men's wing, Senior, Freeze, Blizzard, Captain Cold, and Tundra we're watching a Fact Channel report.

"-a fierce battle, Iron Man triumphed over the Melter!" The news reported, causing Freeze to look at Senior.

"That's Iron Man accounted for. Meaning we've got tabs on each active Leaguer." Freeze stated.

"What about Red Tornado?" Captain Cold asked, drawing their attention. "I was talking with Chemistro, and he said no one's seen Red Tornado in at least a week."

"And? He's probably got monitor duty or something. Besides, if Tornado does show, we can take him, no sweat." Senior stated, and sighed as he felt a presence approaching him. "Mason, you come over here, I'm feeding you to Desmond!" He shouted, causing Mason to nervously swallow as Blockbuster growled at him.

"F-fine! I don't go where I'm not wanted…"

"Doesn't leave you a whole lot of options, does it?" Tombstone mocked, and as Tinkerer was ridiculed, Connor and Cameron sat alone at their table.

"So uh, how come you ain't sittin' with your pa?" Connor asked, earning a scoff.

"Cause my pa is a manipulative jerk, who only wants me around when he needs me." The young villain answered. "It's how it's always been. He'd go out, knock over a bank, fight Flash or Captain Marvel or whatever, and get put in the slammer. He'd only call us if he needed money on his commissary account or something. Bothered me as a kid, but eventually, I learned to stop trying to live or die over his approval." He explained, causing 'Tommy' to avert his eyes. That sounded nice in theory… "Enough about my crappy old man. Tell me about your sister!" Junior pleaded, causing his cellmate to frown.

"What about her?"

"Dude, she's so hot! I mean you can't see it because you're family, but the whole blonde, killer goth look… man!" He explained. "I look at her, and I think 'that chick gets me.' And in the end, that's all you need. Someone who sees you for the psycho you are, and likes you anyway!"

This sent Connor's mind on to overdrive. Cassie… she'd seen how he was, how he'd stormed off after learning about Kaldur's secret. Yet while the others would have given him a wide berth, she had gone after him, hoping to calm him. Did she…?

"That's it old man!" Before Superboy could think on it any further, Mr. Freeze's filtered voice rang through the room as he slammed his fist on the table, glaring at Senior. "I'm done wasting time! Belle Reve needs a new second in command!" He yelled, decking Senior across the face, knocking him to the ground. He raised his tray, preparing to bring it down on Senior's head…

When his collar activated, causing him to cry out in pain as electricity cursed through him. "This ain't Arkham, Freeze!" Wilcox warned, his finger staying on the remote button. "We don't tolerate drama queens here. Last warning, snowman." The guard warned, and Freeze glared at Wilcox.

"Hrrrn… make your blood freeze in your eAGHHH!" His death threat was cut short as Wilcox pressed the button, sending a second shock that caused freeze to collapse on the spot.

"Damn Gotham villains…" Wilcox muttered, turning to the other guards. "Take his ass to Waller! She'll sort him out good." As the guards collected Freeze, Icicle Senior rose to his feet, wiping a bit of blood from his mouth… and smiling.

A few minutes later, Cameron and 'Tommy' were heading back to their cell when Senior came up behind them, grabbing his son by the arm. "Ow! What the-"

"For once in your life, shut up and listen. It's going down. Now." He stated, causing Junior's eyes to widen.

"But I thought-"

"Stop thinking. There's a glitch. Can't reach Frost." Senior explained, leaning close. "I've got an idea. Get to Wentworth, tell him I'll pay-"

"Uh, 'scuse me. Mind if ah interject?" 'Tommy' spoke up, drawing the duo's attention. "Couldn't help but overhear your… let's call it a 'communication error.'"

"That's what happens when you eavesdrop. Something I'm not real fond of."

"Point is, ah can help!" 'Tommy' stated, tucking his hands in his pocket. "See, I got this mindlink with mah sister."

"You think I'm stupid? I read your trading card, kid. Super strength only, no telepathy."

"Yeah, well, it don't exactly pay to advertise yer stats when they're slapping collars around your neck, does it?" 'Tommy' explained, and Icicle Senior's face seemed to soften from 'distrust' to 'curious.' "See, we're twins. Got this psychic thing in utero. You talk to me, I talk to Sis, Sis talks to Frost. Make sense?" He asked, and Senior narrowed his eyes, running down his options… before he deviously smiled.

"Kid, I like the way you think. Pass this message along: it's going down. Now."

Warden's Office

Waller and Sofen watched as the guards led Freeze in, only for the villain to stop halfway across the office. One of the guards rolled his eyes, shoving Freeze. "Move!" He ordered, only for Freeze to smirk.

"Freeze!" He moves his hand to grab the guard's, and Waller's jaw dropped as ice spread across the guard, encasing him in ice. The smirking scientist turned back to Waller, revealing a sleeve of technology that froze and shattered his handcuffs. "Now, I think a demonstration is in order." As soon as he said that, Waller had pulled out her own remote, attempting to electrocute him. However, just as the collar activated, the dome encasing Freeze's head opened, allowing him to reach in and freeze his collar, shattering it. "Too little, too late!"

"We'll see about that." Waller warmed, standing up. "Voice activation, Waller One! Lockdown!" As soon as she spoke, alarms sounded throughout the prison, as barriers slammed down in every entrance in the prison. Guards ran for the armory, while turrets deployed outside every doorway.

Waller reached into her desk and pulled out a pistol, but just as she pulled the trigger, Freeze encased her arm in ice, suspending the bullet in the ice. "Ngh!"

"Victor, that's enough!" Sofen protested, placing herself between Freeze and Waller. "Let's just calm down and think about what you're doing. Is this what Nora would want?"

"Oh, I've been doing plenty of thinking." The former scientist stated, reaching over and pressing the master control button for the collars.

All throughout the prison, the red lights of the collars shut off, restoring the Metahuman abilities of all who wore them.

A guard's eyes widened as a strong gust of wind knocked a cell door off its hinges, slamming against the wall as Whirlwind emerged. Before Wilcox could react, he heard metal warping as Blockbuster emerged from his own cell, roaring. "Open fire!" At Wilcox's orders, the turrets whirred to life, pelting Blockbuster with bullets. They thudded against his impenetrable skin, but he wasn't held back for long as Mammoth ripped the turret from the ceiling, tossing it through the wall into the control room.

In another area of the cell block, Connor watched as all sorts of meta powers reactivated. The guards were quickly overwhelmed, and Connor heard the sound of something freezing behind him. He turned to see Senior freeze his collar off with his own freeze gauntlet, as Junior's skin turned blue and his arm became encased in a shell of ice. "Dude, your powers are back! Ditch the collar!" Junior suggested.

"Uh, right." Superboy ripped off his collar, doing his best to ignore the pained scream of the guards.

"How's Frost doing?"

On the women's side, Cassie has been changing into the new prison uniform, while her cellmate was reading a book on the top bunk, when she felt her strength return. Brow furrowing in confusion, Cassie looked down to see that her collar had turned off. "What the…?" Before she could wonder any further, she heard screaming from the cell block. She looked up in time to see a guard flung across the walkway, Frost appearing in the doorway.

"Hey blondie, Scream Queen, it's go time!" And with that, Frost was off to go wreak havoc elsewhere in the prison, causing both to sit up.

"The hell is going on?!" Mimi asked, and 'Tuppence' frowned.

"This is it. This is what Frost was planning…"

"The hell are you talking about?!" Mimi asked, when she noticed one important detail. "Wait, what happened to your accent?" She asked, and that's when she started to piece things together. "You... you're not Tuppence Terror, are you?" The villain asked, and Cassie frowned.

"No, I'm not. I'm someone who was sent here to try and stop Frost and her friends from doing whatever it is they were planning."

"Shit, you're a superhero." Mimi cursed out, pacing her cell. "Just my luck. All I wanted to do was keep my head down, serve the rest of my sentence, and put all this shit behind me. I can't even do that…"

"I'm sorry that I lied to you. I had to, to find out what Frost and her friends were planning. If they were going to hurt innocent people, me and my people couldn't just let that happen." Cassie stated, balling her hands into a fist as she heard screaming from outside the cell. Mimi frowned, standing in the doorway.

"I knew there was something off about you from the second you walked in. You were just too... nice to be a supervillain. I saw your little tantrum on the news, you should've been the first one swinging when Frost cornered you. You were too... earnest to be in here." The supervillain analyzed, and Cassie frowned.

"Look, I already apologized for lying. And I'm sorry that you ended up here. For what it's worth, I don't think you're a bad person. But if you don't get out of my way, actual bad people are going to hurt a lot of innocent people." Cassie pleaded. "You think Frost wants to meet up with her old friend in a small town in Mexico? I'm guessing they don't call her 'Killer Frost' because she's nice and cuddly."

"Look, I don't give a shit about whatever scheme Frost and the ice villains cooked up. I don't even care why you're here. But... but if I don't stop you, then they start looking at me. They'll start to think I was in on it. And trust me, you don't want to see what happens when the people in here think you're with the capes." The sonic villain retorted, and Cassie sighed.

"Look, Mimi, I don't think you're a bad person. You're just someone who got screwed over by people who didn't care what happened to you." The blonde newbie stated, choosing her words carefully. "You think this was my first choice for my life? A month ago, I thought I was just a regular high school girl, and then I found out that I'm apparently part of some prophecy from some... Asgardian douchebag. But I didn't let it get me down. I did what my mom always told me to do: you look at the hand you're dealt, and you do something with it. All I can do is move forward, and hope that I'm doing the right thing. And if that means going through, then I will." They stared each other down, both anticipating the other's next move... before Mimi sighed.

"... Whatever. You wanna get yourself killed, go ahead. If you make it out, make sure you tell whoever you work for that I wasn't a part of this." The villain stated, and Cassie was about to walk out of the cell... before she turned to her cellmate.

"Remember: you always have a choice." And with that, Cassie was gone, leaving Mimi with her thoughts.

Officer Hart grunted as Titania tossed her to the ground, scurrying away as she looked up to see Titania, Devastation, Frost, and Shimmer circling her. "Please... please don't kill me! I... I have a family!"

"Please, beg some more. It'll make this that much more fun!" Frost taunted, an ice mace encasing her fist. She was about to bring it down on Hart's hand…

When an orange blur flew in and slammed into her back, knocking her into Shimmer. Titania and Devastation looked up to see Wonder Girl, still in her Tuppence disguise, hovering above them. "That's enough! Get back in your cells, now!"

"Well well, looks like Tuppy's got a few surprises up her sleeve." Titania remarked, cracking her knuckles as Devastation rolled her neck.

"Bring it, Blondie. I've been itching for a good fight ever since-"

"AHHHHHHHHH!" A sonic scream cut off Devastation, the blast catching both her and Titania off guard and knocking them back. Cassie's eyes widened, and she turned to see Mimi leaping off the walkway and onto the ground. She had removed her collar, and looked at Hart. "Get out of here. Now."

"T-thank you…" The guard thanked as Wonder Girl touched down on the ground and looked at her squadmate.

"What are you doing?"

"Honestly? I have no idea. I just thought I'd try and take control of my life for once." The cellmate responded, earning a smile from Cassie.

"That…" Frost's voice groaned out, and the two looked to see the Ice villainess and her henchmen rising to their feet. "...was a very, very big mistake."

"You ready for this?" Wonder Girl asked, and Screaming Mimi scoffed.

"No time like the present to find out."

Men's Wing

Waller grunted as she and Sofen were shoved into a cell with Wilcox and the other guards, Icicle Senior slamming the door shut behind them. "And just like that, the prisoners control the prison." Senior taunted, and Waller just scowled at him.

"Controlling the prison isn't the same as escaping. There's still a few dozen feet of steel, concrete, and adamantium between you and freedom."

"Well, then we'd better get to work, shouldn't we?" Senior responded, and he walked away from the cell towards the center of the wing, past Junior and 'Tommy' to where Count Nefaria was waiting. "All yours, Boss." He stated, and the Count nodded.

"Prisoners of Belle Reve! For too long, we have been forced to endure as those weaker than us impose their outdated laws upon us! The time has come to cast off our shackles, and move towards freedom!" The Count boasted, earning cheers from the prisoners of the men's wing. Content that he had the crowd riled up, the crime lord turned to Senior. "Get to work."

Senior nodded, approaching a wall with Cold, Freeze, Tundra, and Blizzard. They pulled up their sleeves to reveal their gauntlets, pointing them at the wall. They all fired their weapons, five beams of ice colliding with the wall and spreading a wave of cold throughout the whole prison. Once it was encased in ice, they ceased their firing, allowing for Mammoth and Blockbuster to step forward and deliver punches that shook the entire area. Connor frowned as the ice shattered away, taking a portion of the wall with it. "

"Just as we thought. Not enough adamantium to line the entire building." Freeze commented. "At this rate, we should have our way out in about ten, twenty minutes." As soon as he heard that, Connor frowned, composing a quick message.

SB: Trickshot, hear from Wonder Girl?

TS: No, nothing.

SB: I don't suppose we're getting any back up?

TS: Nope. All League members are occupied, and I can't get a hold of anyone from the Team.

"Wonderful…" Superboy muttered out, as Cameron elbowed him.

"Dude, this is history in the making! We're about to be the first cons to ever bust out of the Vault!"

"Hey, Terror!" Senior called out, drawing their attention. "How are the chicks? Everything copacetic over there?"

"Uh, yeah. All according to plan."

"Then stop gawking, and get to work!" The veteran villain instructed.

"We're on it, dad!" Junior piped up, and he lead Tommy away towards the laundry room. "Alright, here's the plan: this is the only place in the prison where the men's wing and the women's wing intersect. We work it from our end, and the girls work it on their end. Eventually, we'll meet up here, and all walk out together. Pretty brilliant, right?"

"Uh, right. Sounds simple enough." Connor agreed, as Junior fired freeze beams that encased the wall. Once his part was done, he stepped back, allowing 'Tommy' to get to work and pummel away at the wall. For now, Superboy had no choice but to play along, forced to wonder about what was happening to Wonder Girl…

Back in the Men's Wing, Waller, Sofen, and the rest of the prison faculty were shivering as the cold spread through the building, something that Tombstone and a man with short brown hair took obvious delight in. "They look a little cold, don't they?" Grant Wilson, AKA Ravager, asked, getting a smirk from Tombstone.

"Hell, I don't blame 'em. Probably colder than an eskimo's asshole in here right now. Of course, not that we'd know. These new prison jumpsuits are awfully warm, on account of the microtech thermal units sown in." Tombstone taunted. "They're keeping us downright toasty."

"Get used to it. When I'm done with all of you, Hell's going to look downright cozy." Waller warned, and Tombstone scowled as he reached in and grabbed Waller by her shirt.

"Well, why don't I send you on ahead of us to make sure?"

"Lonnie, Grant, I want you to calm down and think about this." Sofen spoke up, doing her best to keep from shivering. "T-there's a million ways this whole thing can end! A-a w-woman like Waller is t-the type of hostage that can be invaluable if this all goes south! But that's only if she stays alive!" The psychologist pleaded, and Tombstone's face scrunched up as he glared at Waller.

"Shrink's got a point. You better get this woman a raise, Waller." Tombstone growled, shoving her back to the ground. Sofen bent down, trying to help her up.

"Amanda, are you ok?" Karla asked, and Waller scowled.

"Downright peachy compared to what's going to happen to them when I get out of here…" She growled, and Sofen leaned in close.

"When will the Squad be back?" She whispered, low enough that no one could hear her.

"At least another day. Of all the times for Walker to be gone…" Waller muttered. "Like it or not, all we can do is wait this out." She stated, and Sofen got a dangerous glint in her eye as she looked at Ravager.

"Maybe not…"

The laundry machines shook as Tommy Terror's fists hit the wall, eliminating yet another frozen layer. One more layer gone, one step closer to Cassie. "Weird. We should be about to meet up with them, but I'm not hearing anything from the other side…" Junior stated, and that's when Connor got an idea. He couldn't help Cassie if he had to fight every con in Belle Reve…

"I uh... I just got a message from my sister. She says that the collars are turnin' back on over there!" He lied, causing Junior's eyes to widen.

"Wait, seriously?! But Freeze was supposed to turn off the collars!"

"It must be some sorta backup!"

"Oh crap... That means they can turn back on over here any minute! We gotta tell my dad!"

"Or, and hear me out... this is your chance to show some initiative!" Superboy suggested. "I mean, I don't wanna overstep, considerin' I've only known you for about a day, but I can tell he don't really respect you. If you can keep the collars from comin' back on, then that'll show yer pa you're worthy of respect!" For a second, Connor worried it wasn't going to work... before his cellmate grinned.

"I like the way you think, bro!"

A short while later, the two were approaching the warden's office, which was being guarded by Whirlwind, Mysterio, and Hook. "Freeze said no one goes in." Whirlwind stated, and Junior stepped forward.

"Dude, you want your collar to turn back on?" He asked, but it was clear that Whirlwind wasn't convinced. "C'mon, Dave, just listen and-"

"We don't have time for this!" Superboy cut off, rushing the three. Whirlwind attempted to generate a cyclone to knock him away, but not before Superboy knocked him into the wall. Hook was about to retaliate, before a freeze blast knocked him into the wall and into Whirlwind, encasing both in ice. Mysterio prepared to throw a punch, only for Junior to freeze him first.

"Ugh, this is why you don't leave the important stuff to C-listers…" Junior remarked, turning to his cellmate. "I'll keep watch. You do what you gotta do!"

"Right!" And with that, Tommy disappeared into the office. He wasn't even gone three minutes, as he soon returned. "Alright, let's get going!" WIthout another word, the two headed back to the laundry area… just as the frozen Mysterio's collar turned back on.

Men's Wing

Meanwhile, as all this was happening, Ravager had been assigned to stand guard over the cell with the prison staff. "So, I see you got the most important job. Guarding the suits…" Sofen's voice called out, drawing the mercenary's attention.

"Someone's gotta keep an eye on you pigs."

"Oh, I'm sure." Karla remarked, a mischievous glint in her eye. "The biggest breakout in history, and you're stuck guarding the staff. I'm sure Slade would love to hear about that." As soon as she said that, Grant's eyes narrowed.

"The hell does that mean?"

"Oh, I'm just wondering aloud. I can't help but think that Senior and the Count would have him right by their side, rather than just guarding a bunch of bureaucrats." And that was it. At the further mention of his father, Ravager opened the door, entering and preparing to backhand Karla…

When Wilcox tackled him. The noise from the ensuing scuffle distracted the ice villains, Senior ceasing his freezing and turning back to the cell.

"The hell…?" Before he could wonder any further, Captain Cold, Blizzard, and Tundra all yelled out in pain as they were shocked by their collars reactivating. Soon, they were followed by Mammoth, Tombstone, Grey Gargoyle, Blockbuster, Gibbon, Vulture... even the Count, who had been preparing to deliver the final punch to the wall of the Vault, was immobilized as his collar switched back on. "No. No no no no no…" he muttered out, spinning back to Freeze. "The hell is going on?! I thought you shut off the collars!"

"I did! Someone must have gone back and turned them on!" Freeze theorized, and Senior began to pace.

"This can't be happening. This is the greatest jailbreak in history!"

"It was. Now it is history." Freeze coldly stated, taking note of a few inmates who had already removed their collars were still standing. "You stay here with them. I'll figure out what's going on."

Women's Wing

Wonder Girl blocked a bunch from Devastation and retaliated with a punch to the large villain's jaw, staggering her. Devastation tried a right hook, but Cassie managed to dodge and deliver a punch to the villainess's gut. "I know those moves!" Devastation growled out, spitting out a bit of blood. "I heard Wonder Bitch got herself a little sidekick. Was looking forward to ripping both of you in two."

"Keep dreaming, Roid Rage." Wonder Girl taunted, rushing Devastation again. Meanwhile, Mimi ducked under an ice blast from Killer Frost, before jumping to the side to avoid a punch from Titania that cracked the pavement. She performed a handspring and landed on her feet, launching a pink sonic blast from her mouth that knocked Titania back. However, it didn't have the same impact it did before, as the red head warrior was prepared for it. She was about to launch an attack…

When the red light of her collar switched back on, causing her to scream as the electricity coursed through her. Devastation followed suit, dropping at Wonder Girl's feet as the rest of the inmates followed suit. "Holy…" Mimi panted out, looking around as the collars activated. "What's…"

"You…" A familiar voice growled out, and they looked to see Killer Frost, her frozen collar in her hands. "You little bitches are done for!" She growled out, and Wonder Girl looked at Screaming Mimi.

"You got energy for one more?"

"At this point, I might as well." Mimi remarked, and Frost grinned as ice caked her hands.

"Bring it."

Men's Wing

Almost there. Connor was almost there. Just a few more punches, and the wall would be gone. And he'd be free to save Cassie, save his friend. His... he didn't have a word for what he felt towards her, but he would worry about that later. For now, he just had to punch and punch and punch…

"The hell is going on in here?!" Senior bellowed out, entering the laundry room with Freeze at his side.

"Whoa, easy, dad. We're almost through!" Junior reassured, but the irate Senior wasn't hearing it.

"Collars are turning on all over the place. The Count and all our muscle is down, and the guys we have left aren't enough to keep the guards under control." Senior stated, and Freeze narrowed his eyes.

"I went to the warden's office. Whirlwind, Mysterio, and Hook's collars turned on after they were frozen." Freeze stated. "Cold and the others were with us, and I doubt that Frost did that. Someone went in there, and someone turned the collars back on."

"No way! Tommy went back, and… turned..." Superboy frowned as Junior trailed off, piecing it together.

"I checked the cameras. The collars are already turning back on in the women's wing… except for Tuppence Terror. Who is currently facing off with Frost." Freeze stated, as Junior turned to 'Tommy.'

"Dude, tell me it's not true." Junior pleaded, and the Kryptonian sighed.

"Alright, here's the deal." He stated... before he kicked a nearby laundry table and launched it to the senior villains. Freeze grunted as he caught it, and both Icicles sneered.

"I knew there was somethin' off about you!" Senior declared, firing an ice blast at Superboy. The disguised hero leapt to the side to avoid the blast, only to wince as ice shards tore his clothes. He saw Junior glaring at him, firing shards of ice at him.

"Dude, I trusted you! I thought we bonded! Is that even your sister?!" Junior asked, as Connor ducked behind a washing machine. Said machine was already being covered in ice, and Superboy's brain scrambled as he searched for a strategy... only to hear the powering up of a weapon. He narrowly dodged Freeze's blast, the ice grazing his shoulder, and decided to try going on offense. Superboy yelled as he delivered a right hook to Freeze's dome, shattering it and knocking him to the ground.

"No, can't survive…!" He gasped out, when an idea occurred to him, aiming his weapon at his head and encasing himself in ice. With Freeze taken care of, Superboy had to turn his attention to the father-son villain duo, who were currently flanking him.

"You always had the worst taste in friends, Junior!" Senior declared, as both of them fired at Superboy. He narrowly dodged the streams, and that's when an idea occurred to Connor, something based on an old movie that Wally and Carter had insisted on showing him. He leapt on top of the machines between the two, and when they aimed their arms to fire at him… Superboy ducked. The streams collided, generating a close range back draft of ice and snow that forced both Icicles to cover their eyes. Taking advantage of the momentary confusion, Superboy delivered a punch that knocked out Senior, before leaping at Junior and delivering a punch to his face that knocked him out.

With both Icicles knocked out, Superboy turned his attention to the wall. It only took a few more punches to break through, and the first thing that hit him was just how warm it was on this side. This told him that Frost hadn't started freezing the wall, meaning she'd had to have been kept by something. But Connor's relief at that melted into worry, as he remembered what Freeze had said.

"Cassie!" He yelled out, running towards the women's wing. He prepared to barge in, preparing to charge headfirst into battle…

Only to be met with the sight of about a dozen incapacitated female supervillains, and the main attraction? An unconscious Killer Frost punched into the wall, groaning as she dreamt murderous dreams. "Wonder Girl? Wonder Girl?!"

"Hey, over here." A familiar voice called out, and Superboy turned to see Wonder Girl and Screaming Mimi sitting against a wall. Cassie looked none the worse for wear, but Mimi had a few cuts and bruises. "Hey, Superboy. Have fun in prison?"

"Clearly not as much fun as you had." He remarked, and Cassie jerked a thumb to Mimi.

"Oh yeah, this is my cellmate, Mimi. Mimi, this is Superboy."

"Charmed." The villainess greeted, and Superboy actually couldn't help but chuckle. Looks like he had no reason to worry after all.

September 28, 08:35 EDT, Mount Justice

"You two did good work in there." Captain America congratulated the two, who had abandoned their Terror Twins disguise, save for Connor's hair still being blonde. "You two showed some real quick thinking, and were able to stop the breakout before too many people got hurt. Good job."

"Thanks, Cap." Superboy thanked, and Cap couldn't help but smile.

"Superman couldn't make it, but he asked me to pass along his congratulations." Connor's eyes widened at this, before he smiled. Cassie cleared her throat, drawing Steve's attention.

"Uh, Cap? My cellmate, Screaming Mimi, really helped me out. She risked her neck to help me and save the guard, and-"

"And I'll see what we can do." Her mentor's husband reassured, earning a smile from the new hero. A short while later, after some last minute debriefing, Cap had to leave, leaving the two of them alone.

"So, you're still rocking the blonde?" Cassie teased, pointing at Connor's still blonde hair.

"Ugh, don't remind me. I'm going to have to go out and get some hair dye remover…" He groaned out, earning a giggle from Cassie.

"Well, you don't look half bad in it." She joked, before her smile fell. "Hey, about what you said back there in Sofen's office... you know that we don't expect you to be like Superman, right? I don't know about the others, but I've never really thought of you as 'Superman's clone'. I mean... you're not him. You're Superboy." She reassured, and Connor smiled.

"Thanks. And I don't... I mean, we don't care about all that stuff with Zeus and Loki. I think, even before Hercules dropped out of the sky, we would've met up eventually. He just... helped things along." Connor said, earning a smile from the girl. They stood there for a minute, not saying anything. Just... looking into each other's eyes, feeling a spark of... something.

"I uh... I gotta get home. My mom's probably freaking out."

"Right, right. Tell her I said hi." Connor watched Cassie walk away... and he smiled.

Belle Reve

Sofen was in Waller's office, looking around. She walked in front of the desk, picking up Waller's nameplate... and tossing it in the trash. "A little premature, don't you think?" A male voice asked, and Karla smirked as she turned to Icicle Senior seated in a chair.

"After years of boasting about this place being inescapable, Amanda Waller almost oversaw the biggest jailbreak in history. Needless to say, the prison board has lost faith in her, and will no doubt place her on indefinite leave."

"And after that little stunt with Ravager, you're the guards' favorite. I'm sure they're testifying all about that right now." Senior remarked, as Sofen leaned against the desk.

"Oh, it was nothing special. Just had to poke at his daddy issues enough to get him to do something." She explained, earning a laugh from Senior.

"Slade sure wouldn't have fallen from something like that." The villain laughed, leaning back. "After I left to try and turn off the collars, you rallied the guards and took down the rest of the inmates, stopping my breakout in its tracks. I'm sure the board will be really fond of that, 'Warden Sofen.'"

"Oh, now that has a nice ring to it." She boasted, removing her glasses and letting her hair down. "Wilcox is taking inventory now, and everyone's in their place. Except for our little cosplayers... and the Tinkerer."

"He must have slipped away in the confusion." Senior smugly stated. "It sucks that we got beat, but the main objectives were all achieved. The Tinkerer got away, Waller was removed, and you're now in charge."

"Meaning that I will now be taking Waller's place as not just the Warden, but as the supervisor of Task Force X. Meaning I get the final say in who goes where."

"Speaking of the Squad, I hear the Boy Scout himself was asking around about Screaming Mimi, trying to get her transferred to a different prison. You ain't worried she's gonna blab?" Senior asked, but Sofen just scoffed.

"Ms. Gold may have horrid taste in life decisions, but she's not stupid. She knows that if she breathes a word of the Squad to anyone, her sentence gets doubled. I'll humor Captain America, transfer her to Iron Heights. That should sate him enough to not start sniffing around here."

"Heh, fine by me." Senior stated, standing up. "Anything else you need from me?"

"No, Mr. Mahkent, I don't think I do." Sofen stated, extending her hand. Senior took it, and Sofen smirked. "I'm sure the Light will be most pleased with the results."

A/N: You may have noticed that little to no mention was made of Kaldur's conversation. Trust me, that is by design, as this next batch of chapters all take place at the same time. Can't wait for you all to see what we've cooked up for the rest of this miniarc!