INT. WATCHTOWER - TELEPORTER ROOM

SLOW PAN RIGHT ACROSS 3 TRANSPORTER TUBES AS THREE MORE LEAGUERS TELEPORT IN - HOURMAN, STARMAN, AND BLACK CANARY

SANDMAN (VO)
(Each name is spoken as the character materialises in the transporer tubes.)
Rex Tyler, Jack Knight, Dinah Lance...

WIDEN TO TAKE IN ALL FOUR CHARACTERS

SANDMAN
I am gladdened you came. I had feared you may not answer my summons.

HOURMAN
There was no need to worry about that. You might not be J'onn, but you did contact us on a secure Justice League channel.

SANDMAN
Unfortunately, as I told you, we can no longer be certain such channels are secure, Rex Tyler.

BLACK CANARY
If that's the case, perhaps we should be using our code names, Sandman?

SANDMAN NODS, THEN TURNS TOWARDS THE EXIT.

SANDMAN
You make a good point, Black Canary.

SANDMAN EXITS THE ROOM, FOLLOWED BY THE OTHERS.

CUT TO

INT. WATCHTOWER - CORRIDOR

THE GROUP WALK DOWN THE CORRIDOR, WHILE THEY SPEAK.

STARMAN
So, what do we know so far?

SANDMAN
Three hours ago - after which point all computer records are missing until my arrival - all on-duty members of the Justice League, save four - J'onn J'onnz, Green Lantern, the Question, and the Flash - had been sent to handle various crises across the globe. They are all still engaged in such duties or otherwise unable to answer my summons.

CUT TO

INT. WATCHTOWER - MONITOR ROOM

The group enters the monitor room as Sandman continues.

SANDMAN
Some time between then, and when I arrived on the Watchtower, roughly an hour ago, some person, or persons, came aboard the Watchtower, subdued and abducted those members of the Justice League who remained aboard the Watchtower, deleted all records of their presence, and left.

SANDMAN TAKES UP A POSITION BEHIND A COMPUTER ARRAY - J'ONN'S CUSTOMARY POSITION.

SANDMAN
I have investigated, but found only small traces of the perpetrators, which, I must confess, I can make nothing of.

HOURMAN
What did you find?

SANDMAN SEEMS ABOUT TO SPEAK, BUT HE IS INTERRUPTED BY STARMAN.

STARMAN
Was something burnt in here?

BLACK CANARY
Now that you mention it, it does smell like it.

SANDMAN
I had not noticed. Another clue, perhaps.

HOURMAN
Almost definitely. Now, you were saying?

SANDMAN
Of course. In the Question's quarters, I found a small ball.

HE TAKES THE BALL FROM HIS POCKET - IT'S A SMALL PLASTIC BALL WITH A BELL ATTATCHED BY A THREAD. IT HAS OPENED ALONG A SEAM.

SANDMAN
It is not in character for the Question to have such a thing - particularly not randomly thrown to his floor - so it may point towards his abductor. In the training room, there is a hole in the wall, perhaps made by a small sword or large knife. I have no idea what it signifies. In Green Lantern, J'onn J'onnz, and Flash's quarters, I found nothing. Nor in any other areas.

BLACK CANARY
Perhaps we should all check them out again? One of us may find something you missed. No offense.

SANDMAN
None taken. You speak sense, Black Canary.

STARMAN
If I may... The burning scent in here might have something to do with J'onn.

BLACK CANARY
You're probably right. But we should check his quarters, just in case.

STARMAN
Agreed. Let's go.

THE GROUP AGAIN MAKES FOR THE EXIT.

CUT TO

INT. WATCHTOWER - FLASH'S QUARTERS

The group enters, Sandman making for the bed, Hourman for the desk, and Starman for Flash's closet. Black Canary pauses in the door way.

BLACK CANARY
Do you smell that?

SANDMAN
More burning, Black Canary?

STARMAN STOPS AND SNIFFS.

STARMAN
No...more....

HOURMAN
Flowery.

BLACK CANARY NODS, AND SANDMAN RAISES HIS GASMASK SLIGHTLY.

SANDMAN
It is reminiscent of my Mist of Dreams.

STARMAN BLINKS.

STARMAN
Mist of dreams?

SANDMAN LOWERS HIS MASK BACK INTO PLACE.

SANDMAN
Sleeping gas, Starman.

STARMAN
So...someone hit Flash with a sleeping gas?

HOURMAN
And the Question, no doubt. The ball is probably how it was delivered.

BLACK CANARY
And Green Lantern. Whoever it was surprised them, and gassed them.

HOURMAN
But J'onn would probably resist it. And Flash would metabolise through it in minutes.

SANDMAN
A different method was needed for J'onn - thus the burnt smell, rather than the Mist of Dreams. And Flash was no doubt dosed repeatedly. But if the plastic ball is the vector, why did I only find one in the Question's quarters?

STARMAN
Different vectors for different Leaguers. OK, we've established J'onn, Question and Flash, let's check out the training room and see if we can't figure out how they got Lantern.

CUT TO

INT. WATCHTOWER - TRAINING ROOM

The group is gathered around the mark Sandman had mentioned. It is several inches deep and slightly angled.

BLACK CANARY
There's that smell again.

SANDMAN NODS.

STARMAN
OK...So, they gassed Lantern, too. This hole doesn't really explain much, though.

SANDMAN
I agree, Starman. Let us return to the Monitor room, and attempt to put the pieces of this puzzle together.

THE GROUP EXITS

CUT TO

INT. WATCHTOWER - MONITOR ROOM

Starman is sitting at a computer, calling up entries on known criminals.

ANOTHER ANGLE - OVER STARMAN'S SHOULDER

A number of entries flash by. Toyman, Joker...

ANOTHER ANGLE - ACROSS FROM STARMAN, WITH THE OTHER THREE IN FRAME

STARMAN
Joker, maybe?

SANDMAN
Possibly, but it seems unlike him. He would be more likely to have begun taunting us before now. Do you not agree?

BLACK CANARY
No, I think you're right.

STARMAN
Alright, moving on.... Oh... Hey.... Do you think that hole could have been made by a boomerang?

HOURMAN
Would have to be one heck of a boomerang, but I suppose it's possible.

STARMAN
Well, take a look at this.

STARMAN PUNCHES A FEW BUTTONS.

THE ANGLE SHIFTS AGAIN. ONE OF THE MONITOR SCREENS FILLS OUR VIEW

The entry that Starman brought up pops up on the screen. A face framed by long blond hair grins down at them.

STARMAN (VO)
Giovanni Giuseppe, AKA James Jesse, AKA the Trickster. Known to use trick toys, such as the ball Sandman found to deliver explosive or various noxious or lethal substances.

HOURMAN (VO)
What's this about boomerangs?

STARMAN (VO)
Check out his known associates. Heatwave, and Captain Boomerang. Our burning smell and the boomerang mark.

ANOTHER ANGLE, SAME AS PREVIOUS

BLACK CANARY
Active in Central City. Going after Flash, maybe?

SANDMAN
Perhaps, but it is a discussion best left for another time. We should move before they harm their prisoners, or return to complete whatever dire deed they plan.

THE GROUP EXITS, WITH A MURMER OF ASSENT.