"Well, from this side of the glass, you can read the books. Seeing as we're in a library."

"Ugh." 

  Green Arrow steps forward. "Roy," he tries, aiming for a calmer tone, "you just need to be patient." 

"What I need is respect!" Speedy turns to the others. "They're treating us like kids! Worse - like sidekicks. We deserve better than this."

"For the record, I'm at least two years younger than you and acting dramatically more mature. Just if you wanted some advice on not being treated like a kid."

Kid Flash snorts. "She's got you there."

The other sidekicks look at each other awkwardly, and say nothing. None of them move to get up. 

"You're kidding, right?" Speedy looks from one to the next in disbelief. "You're playing their game? Why?"

He's ranting now, not letting anyone else get a word in edgewise. "Today was supposed to be The Day, step one in becoming full-fledged members of the League!" 

"Well, sure," Kid Flash says, a little nonplussed.

He looks at Robin for support. "But I thought step one was a tour of the HQ?"

"If we want to join them why shouldn't we play their game? 'Oh, I want all the priveleges with none of the responsibilities, I deserve everything I want and nothing I don't, boo hoo'."

"Except they've been lying to us," Speedy retorts. 

"The Hall isn't the League's real HQ! I bet they never told you it's just a false front for tourists, and a pit-stop for catching zeta-beam teleporter tubes to the real thing - an orbiting satellite called the Watchtower!" 

The Leaguers behind him gasp.

"..."

"Is that true?"

  "It is," Zatara confirms, shooting Green Arrow a dirty look. 

Green Arrow himself looks somewhat sheepish. "I know, I know, but I thought maybe we could make an exception?"

  Batman's eyes narrow.

"...or not." 

Aquaman is still focused on Speedy.

"You're not helping your cause here, son. Stand down, or - "

"Or what?" the teenager interrupts.

"You'll send me to my room? And I'm not your son. I'm not even his." He gestures angrily at Green Arrow. 

His voice gets quieter, but no less intense. "I thought I was his partner. Well - " 

Speedy puts a hand to his cocked hat, a cheerful yellow with a red feather.

"Not anymore." 

He throws the hat to the floor, and spins on his heel to walk away. 

Well. If they were supposed to be partners that kind of explains why he was so pissed off by the word sidekick.

"So I don't mind so much that you don't want us in your real secret clubhouse yet but I am kind of pissed off about the fact that you lied about it."

Before anyone can reply to this, a large screen on one wall blinks on, displaying the words "Receiving Transmission".

Superman appears on a video link. "Superman to Justice League," he says, speaking quickly and urgently. "There's been an explosion at Project Cadmus. It's on fire."

"I've had my suspicions about Cadmus," Batman growls. "This may present the perfect opportunity to - " 

  "We have a bigger problem," Zatara interrupts. "The sorcerer Wotan is using the Amulet of Aten to block out the sun." He looks up at Batman and Superman. "Requesting full League response."

"Superman?" Batman checks. 

  "It's a small fire. Local authorities have it under control."

"Then Cadmus can wait." He presses a button on the control panel. "All Leaguers rendezvous at co-ordinates provided by Zatara; Batman out." The Leaguers present spring into action.

Batman turns to the assembled sidekicks. "Stay put." 

"What?" Robin exclaims.

"Why?"

Their mentors trip over each other to answer.

  "This is a League mission - "

"You're not trained - " 

"--We may or may not be under further tactical misapprehensions-slash-lies--"

"Not trained? Since when?" Kid Flash demands of his mentor.

  "I meant you're not trained to work as part of this team," Flash replies.

"There will be other missions," Aquaman puts in. "When you're ready." 

"But for now..." Batman glares at them, fixing each sidekick individually with his gaze.

"Stay. Put." 

She briefly considers giving him an angelic innocent face and then determines that this would not help anything at all.

"Yes, yes, the sun's going out, it's much more important that you deal with that than us. Shoo."

  "..."

The Leaguers sweep from the room. 

  As they leave, Green Arrow can be overheard murmuring to Martian Manhunter, "Glad you didn't bring you-know-who?"

"Indeed." 

They follow the others out, and the door swings shut behind them, seeming to mock the sidekicks with its "Members Only" sign. 

"Oh fuck them all," she says disgustedly, flopping dramatically onto the nearest floppable surface. "What the hell gave them the idea it was a good plan to collectively lie to us? Ugh. Ugh. Ugh."