Chapter 26: Chapter 26 - Gotham Hockey
United Nations Conference.
"Now that those without clearance have left…" The older man looked to Waller who was standing in the center of the room. "Why don't you give an updated threat assessment. I noticed this file did not actually have one."
"Yes sir." Waller then pulled out a file and handed him the single folder. "I apologize but I only made a single copy to keep the information secure." She then stepped back, "we have identified a large body of mass on course for our planet, it is making course adjustments so we believe it is a spaceship."
"Is there anything else you know?"
"Yes, due to various assets we have. We were able to identify it as War World. They will likely abduct warriors from our planet to fight in a tournament. We are not expecting much in the way of civilian casualties, but for the most part the Justice League will be its main target. But we believe it is a distraction for Darkseid to infiltrate and attack Earth." Waller motioned to Scarlett who stepped forward.
"We have identified several of his minions infiltrating in preparation for this invasion. We believe he will use a three pronged attack approach since all boom tube activity is in three areas." Scarlett explained.
"How long?"
"They will attack when War World arrives in a few days. We are already making plans and researching ways to combat attacks from War World and stop long range teleportation to and from Earth." Waller explained.
"Hmm… very well. Then we will get to see ARGUS in action in a few days. Tell us if you need anything, we will decide on an overseer council at a later date."
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A few Hours Later. Gotham City. Hockey Stadium.
"Yes! A Hockey game!" His daughter was ecstatic as they walked through the door. Mylo just shook his head while Blake chuckled.
"Come on! Let's get the seats, then I will go grab us some munchies and drinks." Mylo told them as they walked to their seats the cold air flowing through the Hockey stadium.
The Gotham City Knights is a team that they have always been fans of. Mostly due to them devolving most games into violence. It started when his parents took him to a game when he was younger. They were studying the violence in sports, so they took their kids to a bunch of sports games. The Hockey game was the only one that really stuck to Mylo.
So after that first one he became a fan. He watched many of the Knights' games on television and when he was sixteen he purchased his first season tickets. He kept them even after his 'death' and even bought another season ticket after he married Blake.
Then bought a third when Blake found out she was pregnant. Which was even more well received when their daughter watched her first Hockey game and got just as hooked as Mylo was. So it became a point of bonding for the whole family.
They took seats near the front by the glass behind the home team. He actually preferred them to the private box seats; it was much more fun to be down in the crowd. As his ex-wife and daughter took their seats he moved up to the stands to grab food and drinks.
But as he was in line he frowned as he noticed something. There were a bunch of people that were quietly whispering and moving black bags into an employee only section. Seemed like someone was going to attack the game.
He stepped forward and started ordering food and drinks. Making sure to get some extra food to throw. He had a feeling it would be useful. Then he walked back to the seats getting a frown from Blake when she noticed the extra food.
"I know this is our first live game in awhile but even I know that is too much food." Blake pointed out as she was handed a tray of nachos and a beer.
"You will understand later. Lemonade, pretzel, and a loaded sausage for you." He handed his daughter her food.
"That means Dad saw something he was suspicious of and now made preparations. But when would we throw food at people?" She turned her head to her mother. Her mother blinked and thought for a moment before she remembered something. Then she glared at Ethan.
"There was no chatter, so it should be fine. Besides this is that man's city so he or one of his trainees likely already knows." Mylo shrugged as he took a bite of his hotdog. "Besides, we are here to relax and enjoy the show."
The game went exactly as he thought it would. Two minutes in and the first brawl occurred. In a twist it was the visiting team not the Knights who started the brawl, they took a swing at the ref for a bad call and the Knights took that as an invitation.
A few more brawls occurred throughout the first third of the game. Unfortunately the second third of the game was less heavy on the brawls. So when it was coming to a close the audience was ecstatic when a full-on brawl started. One of the Knights threw off their gloves and clocked the visiting team's players. Then it was all out brawl with players from both sides swarming to the fight.
Mylo chuckled as his daughter stood up in excitement. The brawl occurred right in front of their spot. So they got to see the blood and faces smashed against the glass. Normal parents would probably be horrified at their children seeing this.
"Yeah, shove him into the wall!" His daughter screamed. Mylo just shook his head while Blake chuckled.
After the brawl was over she was cheering on the hockey team. But as the break started something abnormal occurred.
People in orange outfits covering their entire bodies with red numbers on their fronts and backs began taking up positions in crucial points around the stadium. The numbers went up to the hundreds as they were all armed with a weapon of some kind. It ranged from baseball bats to sniper rifles.
While a stage was being pushed onto the stadium. Standing on it was a blonde haired man that was covering his face with an orange bandana while he wore a red outfit with a blue chest plate. It was the Cluemaster.
One of the more lowkey villains from Gotham. He usually stuck to kidnapping smaller groups and forcing them to play in game shows. This was actually probably his biggest crime to date. Good for him!
It seems he stationed the… twenty people with firearms on the roof of the stadium. With snipers in the rafts and the other people with guns in the VIP sections at the higher levels. The rest of the goons were holding bladed or blunt weapons of some kind. While the ones down in the ice rink were sporting Hockey sticks.
All the screens suddenly went to the center where Cluemaster was standing at some type of announcer's podium. Where he had five podiums with big red buttons sitting opposite of him. Fortunately the game's score and the interval time were still up. The time was actually seventeen minutes so they had some time for a break.
"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to a Gotham City speciality intermission! The Cluemaster Games!" He announced through a microphone. "Today we have five random people from the audience! Check on the underside of your seats to see if you are one of those people. Keep in mind I know the seat numbers and locations of all the invitations so there is no point in lying!"
Mylo raised an eyebrow and quickly checked under his seat before looking under his daughters. Neither had an 'invitation', but when he looked at Blake he saw her holding a strange 'invitation' as he called it. It was like a wedding invitation except it had cutouts from magazines for its words.
Blake glared at Mylo immediately but he just shrugged. "It's Gotham." Blake rolled her eyes as their daughter giggled.
Elenor was fully aware that this was a dangerous situation. Or rather it was supposed to be a dangerous situation. But the fact her father was not worried while her mother was only annoyed at the situation meant that she would not have to be worried. But she was still curious, "Dad, does this happen in Gotham often?"
"Ehh…" Mylo tilted his head, "More often than any other city I suppose." He decided as it did have one of the higher crime rates with the strangest interactions.
"Cool…"
Blake walked up to a door that led into the ice rink where one of the goons was stationed with a baseball bat. She showed him the 'invitation' then slid onto the ice rink with practiced ease. It was not her first time sliding across an ice rink in tennis shoes.
There were three other people moving onto the ice rink. It really was at random because there were a few from the away teams section.
"Seems we are missing our fifth!" Cluemaster called out and then started looking at the invitations as the contestants all stepped up to podiums. Seems each podium and invitation was different for a reason. "Seems we are missing the comic book contestant! That is seat-" Cluemaster babbled off the row and section before pointing to it.
The spotlight followed where he was pointing and it showed an untouched and empty seat. Seems that one of the spots he picked went unoccupied.
"Ha… well that is unfortunate. We will need a replacement contestant. So-" He stopped mid sentence as Robin flew down from the roof and dashed towards the Cluemaster. "Ah! Stop!" He held up a trigger that was hidden on his podium.
Robin stopped mid stride. Clicking his tongue in annoyance. To be fair he had managed to take out all the gun wielding goons on the higher floors without almost anyone noticing. Mylo had noticed but not said anything, mostly because he had already picked up on the smell of bombs coming from multiple directions.
"Robin appears to have delegated himself. I am sure you understand that I have bombs placed around the stadium. Now go stand at that podium and I will explain the game." Cluemaster pointed to a podium that had a comic book design.
Robin obediently walked over to the podium and stood behind it. Silently sending out a message for backup and the shorthand for hidden bombs through his communication device. Unfortunately Batgirl was out of town on her college visits. The same was true of Question who was focused on investigating Mylo and Scarlett. But Batman was available, he would just have to cut his night short.
"The game is simple. There are twenty bombs placed around the stadium. There are also twenty questions, each question can't be answered by the same style of podium. For example, Robin cannot answer any questions about comic books while the rest of you can. Then for each question you answer correctly one of the bombs will be defused." Cluemaster explained.
Mylo looked at the podiums. There was a wedding podium, the comic book podium, a sports podium, an animal podium, and the last one was a space podium. Seems like this should be easy if they are all somewhat cultured.
"Now let's start our questions!" Cluemaster then began his questions at the fifteen minute mark. The questions started off simple, the space ones were quickly answered by Blake. While Robin answered the ones about animals. Another person answered the wedding ones. Blake also answered a few sports and comic book ones. There were five minutes left in the break and there were ten questions in when Mylo noticed the caped crusader quietly moving in the shadows defusing bombs.
Meanwhile Cluemaster was turning off and disabling switches with each correctly answered question. By the time the twelfth question was correctly answered all the bombs were disabled. A moment later it seemed that Batman noticed as well. Because he stepped out of the shadows and started knocking out goons.
Cluemaster turned around to see what was going around and Robin jumped over the podium knocking Cluemaster clear of the stage. He then jumped after them. It did not take long for the audience to realize that the bombs were diffused. Nor apparently did it take the players that were in the locker rooms long to realize it either.
Because shouting Gotham Knights came running out of the tunnel tossing goons to the ground. It was the same for the visiting team a few moments later. The audience followed suit a moment later, picking up the nearest objects to attack the nearest goons.
Instead of participating, Mylo picked up the spare food he got which consisted of Chilli Dogs, Loaded Fries, Applesauce, and a banana. Handing them to Elenor who looked around in excitement. Elenor giggled and picked up one of the items and then threw them. It sailed through the air and smacked right into a goon knocking them off their feet.
Mylo chuckled as he watched his daughter, strategically throwing the extra food he bought. Meanwhile Blake walked back to her seat sliding across the ice. When she got to the ice rink door a goon took a swing at her. But she ducked the punch and responded by smacking his head against the glass wall.
She then stepped over the unconscious goon and sat next to Elenor. "Do you think the game will continue?"
"Yep." Mylo answered immediately, "It will make a good news story but it is still hockey. The game must continue and besides does it look like the players or audience really care, it is still the break after all."
"Ha… sometimes I think I will never understand humans." Blake shook her head while complaining.
Elenor giggled, "it's just Gotham mother." Getting a chuckle out of Mylo and an eyeroll out of Blake.