A Few Steps Ahead

* Lex looks at his warp suit*

Lex (thought): Within this suit is the smallest shard of warp crystal...

* He thinks about this*

Lex (thought): With this warp power...surely I can create something that would detect the warp crystals?

*He puts on the suit before manifesting a warp crystal detector*

Lex: Things just got...interesting...

Lex: i think i have a few ideas

SOMETIME LATER...

*Wonder Woman, Batman and Superman arrive at a warp crystal site in protective suits*

Superman: Are you sure about this Bruce?

Batman: These crystals are unpredictable, we need to take every precaution possible.

Wonder woman: thats all well and good but...where is the crystal? Im not seeing any signs.

*Superman looks round and sees an orange crystal*

Superman: There it is!

*He goes to grab it, but it sinks into the ground and then pops up next to Wonder Woman*

Wonder Woman: I've...

*Just as she goes to grab it, it jumps out away from her*

Wonder Woman: ...got it?

Batman: *tries to grappling hook it*

*The orange crystal floats around, glowing*

Superman: That can't be good.

*Superman, Wonder Woman and Batman are hit with a blast of orange energy*

All: AAAGH!

*When the glow fades, the three are horrified to see their protective suits are floating and enormously inflated*

Wonder Woman: Great Hera! Our suits!

*They look round to see the orange crystal has gone*

Superman: Where's the crystal?

Batman: It's...gone...

*From a vantage point, Lex grins smugly*

Lex: a crystal captured and 3 heroes humiliated

*Lex smiles*

Lex (thought): Now to divert some more heroes while I take the real crystals...

Lex: *sends more crysgal copies out*

LATER...

* Huntress, Nightwing and Batgirl are patrolling Gotham*

Huntress: Any sign of Batman?

Batgirl: He said he was involved in some "research". He didn't elaborate any further.

Nightwing: He never does.

*They look round to see a bouncing green crystal*

Nightwing: Tell me I wasn't the only one who just saw that.

Batgirl: after it

*They chase after the green crystal, speedily bouncing down the street, causing the roads to change shape as it does so*

All: WHOA!

Nightwing: this is a bit crazier than usual

*They head down toward an abandoned amusement park*

All: OH COME ON!

*the exit vanishes*

* They all gulp*

Batgirl: Just when you think this place can't get any weirder.

Huntress: just another day that ends in y

* Rides, stalls and carts appear around them with lights and music flickering on*

All: What the...?

*the crystal bounces past

*They all run after it...but as they do their gloves and boots expand*

All: WHOA!

Huntress: whats happening?!

* A familiar laugh echoes around them*

Huntress: Oh no.

Batgirl: it cant be

*They look round to see a bunch of inflated Joker clones with giant inflated rubber boxing gloves*

Batgirl: It's official. We're in a nightmare.