Wildcat's eyes lit up slightly.
"Hidden basement. Now we're talking." He immediately took point and started down the stairs without hesitation.
Black Canary lingered beside me for a moment.
"And how exactly did you find that?" she asked curiously. "Let me guess—your magical suit again?"
"No," I replied lightly. "My eyes. They're even more special than the suit."
I gave her a quick wink.
"Oh?" she said, stepping a little closer. "Maybe after we're done here, you can tell me what else is special about you." she whispered, leaning on me.
I coughed softly, feeling a bit tight in my pants.
"Less flirting," Wildcat called from ahead. "We're getting close to that nutjob."
"This old man is getting grumpier by the minute," Black Canary said with a sigh as she walked ahead. I followed close behind.
As we descended the dark stairwell, Toyman's voice returned—this time sounding far more strained, almost exhausted.
"Would you believe me," he said slowly, "if I told you… I never wanted to make these dangerous toys?"
"I wouldn't," Wildcat replied flatly.
"It's the truth…" Schott continued, his voice drifting into something almost reflective. "After my company collapsed, after my wife died… it was just me and my son. I tried to raise him alone. Every day, I built new toys for him. Better designs. Brighter colors. Even those with moving parts."
He let out a weak, humorless chuckle.
"But he hated simple toys. He didn't want harmless things. He wanted something exciting. Something destructive. He would take them apart… smash them… and try to see how they worked."
He paused with a sigh.
"One day, I made a mistake. A small miscalculation. The new toy ended up exploding right in front of us." His tone turned distant, almost hollow. "But instead of being frightened… my son laughed. He laughed so happily."
I glanced at Black Canary, and she met my eyes for a brief moment. The unspoken thought passed between us easily — his son was sounding more and more like a villain in the making.
"After that… I started calling them toy bombs," Schott continued. "I refined the designs to make them stronger. More explosive. Anything to see that smile again."
There was a warped pride in his voice now.
"But eventually, survival forced my hand. I had to sell some of them to local gangs just to stay afloat. Word spread quickly in the underworld. Demand grew."
He chuckled.
"And that… is how I ended up here."
"…You know it's still not too late to stop," Black Canary said quietly as we stepped onto the basement floor. "You can still surrender peacefully."
A low, unstable laugh echoed through the underground chamber.
"Stop?" he repeated. "Why should I stop now? I've discovered a far better way to make my toys popular. This is the moment to expand—to increase production!"
His voice rose into manic excitement.
"Soon, the entire world will be amazed once again by the brilliance of William Schott's creations!"
Black Canary's jaw tightened.
"He's completely lost it."
Wildcat narrowed his eyes.
"I can hear his annoying laugh up ahead."
He pushed open the heavy door at the end of the corridor.
The room beyond was shockingly colorful — oversized toy blocks scattered across the floor, a plastic slide in one corner, even a small swing set hanging from the ceiling. It looked disturbingly similar to a child's playroom.
Against the far wall stood a human-sized toy box.
Inside it stood a blonde girl with her hair tied in a ponytail. She had an almost flawless, doll-like face and an attractive, perfectly proportioned figure. She wore a simple one-piece dress, her hands hanging neatly by her side.
On the front of the box, a sticker read:
Darci — Let's Play!
Wildcat raised his fist slowly.
"What kind of sick game is this?"
Toyman's voice echoed through the chamber, softer now — almost wistful.
"Hehehe… even after I perfected the explosive toys, my son grew bored of them. He stopped playing with me."
There was a brittle sadness in his tone.
"I thought perhaps it was because he was a boy — perhaps he simply didn't enjoy toys. So… to cure my loneliness, I created myself a daughter."
A faint mechanical hum began to fill the room.
"She is modeled after the Darci line — one of my company's longest-running and most beloved creations. But she is more than plastic and wiring."
His voice sharpened with pride.
"I gave her free will. She is not just a toy. She is a real person."
Black Canary stared at the figure in the box.
"I had one of those Darci dolls when I was little," she muttered, unsettled.
Wildcat's expression hardened.
"This is beyond messed up."
"I don't need lectures from adults who've forgotten the joy of playing!" Toyman snapped. "Go, my daughter. Darci — punish these trespassers!"
With a soft mechanical click, the toy box slowly opened.
The blonde girl stepped out gracefully.
Wildcat and Black Canary immediately dropped into combat stances. I, however, simply studied the figure before me with interest.
Darci's blue eyes lifted to meet ours, and she let out a faint sigh.
"I… don't want to fight," she said quietly.
"You don't?" I asked, a small smile forming.
"What are you doing, Darci?!" Toyman shrieked. "Use your superhuman strength and destroy them!"
"I'm sick of listening to your orders!" she shot back, her voice rising with emotion. "All you do is keep me locked inside that box. You let me out to 'play' in this stupid room for an hour and then force me back in! I'm not just your toy!"
"Wow…" Black Canary muttered, stunned.
"You ungrateful creation!" Toyman roared. "How dare you defy your maker?!"
Darci lowered her gaze ignoring his words.
"He's in the next room," she said softly. "I won't help you… and I won't interfere. I just hope you don't destroy me like the others."
"We won't," I replied lightly.
I remembered Darci from the Superman animated series — her desire for freedom had been genuine there as well. At least I didn't sense any deception in her tone right now.
"Well, I'm relieved that I don't have to brawl with one of my childhood dolls," Black Canary said with a wry smile.
Wildcat gave a small shrug. "As long as she stays put."
Seeing as we were all in agreement, we cautiously began moving towards the next door.
As I passed Darci, I slowed slightly and murmured, "Once this is over, I can get you out of here."
She glanced at me and offered a small, almost hopeful smile.
"Be careful," she whispered. "There are traps inside."
I gave a subtle nod before stepping forward.
The room we entered resembled an oversized toy chamber. Small cymbal-banging monkeys clattered in place, miniature toy soldiers marched in tight circles, and model trains looped endlessly along tracks that crisscrossed the floor. The entire space felt disturbingly alive.
At the far end of the room stood an old man, watching us with cold scrutiny.
"So you've finally made it," he muttered, anger simmering beneath his voice. "Heroes… always meddling in other people's lives."
"A grown man hiding behind toys like this?" Wildcat scoffed as he advanced. "You ought to be ashamed."
"Playtime's over, Toyman," Black Canary said calmly.
"Oh, playtime is over," he replied with a wicked grin. "For you."
In one swift motion, he pulled a gas mask over his face and slammed his palm against a concealed button.
HISSSSS—
From every toy in the room, thick yellow gas began spewing outward. At the same time, an iron door slammed down behind us with a heavy clang, sealing the exit.
"It must be poison—don't breathe it in!" Wildcat barked, clamping a hand over his mouth.
"You absolute psycho!" Black Canary snapped.
"SCREEEEEE!"
Her Canary Cry blasted across the room, destroying many toys and striking Toyman before he could retreat. He smashed into the far wall and collapsed to the ground—but the gas continued flooding the chamber.
Through his mask, a muffled laugh echoed.
"This gas will drop you in seconds, heroes!" he wheezed, blood staining his lips from the impact. "That's what you get for underestimating my toys!"
I had already positioned myself slightly behind my companions, anticipating something like this.
Without hesitation, I stepped forward, moving in front of them.
I drew in a controlled breath—
—and exhaled sharply.
A powerful gust of air surged from my lungs, sweeping the thick yellow cloud backward like a violent windstorm. The gas rolled across the room and rushed toward Toyman, who suddenly stiffened in alarm.
"What—?!"
Before he could react further, I was already in front of him. I tore the gas mask from his face.
I was holding my breath and hadn't bothered inhaling the gas; Although I doubted this toxin could even affect me.
The Toyman's eyes on the other hand had widened in fear.
Within seconds, the gas overwhelmed him, and he collapsed unconscious at my feet.
BAM!
I drove my fist into the side wall, punching multiple ventilation-sized holes through the concrete. Then I smashed the iron door behind us apart so the remaining gas could disperse quickly.
The yellow cloud began thinning almost immediately.
I lifted the unconscious Toyman by the collar and carried him back toward Wildcat and Black Canary.
"You handled that in seconds… impressive," Black Canary said as she walked up to me, a faint smile on her lips.
Wildcat let out a low chuckle.
"Hah. An old man gives us that much trouble, and we end up getting upstaged by a youngster. Maybe staying retired wasn't such a bad call after all."
Truthfully, I could have ended the whole thing in seconds if I had come alone.
But I didn't say that.
Some victories aren't worth bruising someone else's pride—especially not veterans who had already given more to this world than most ever would.
"It's not completely over yet," I said, handing Toyman over to them. "Can you take him upstairs? I still need to deal with the remaining bombs. I'll leave a few intact for evidence."
"That's smart," Wildcat nodded. "We don't want anyone else getting their hands on those things, but the cops will need proof."
"I'll call in a favor," Black Canary said, pulling out her phone. "Let the right people handle the arrest."
There was a dock connected to the factory, and several shipping containers were stacked near the water. Inside them were more crates filled with the same explosive toys.
Lara and I located them quickly.
One by one, we neutralized every device, leaving only a small number untouched for evidence.
The factory was filled with many such toys, which we also had to disable. Sadly there was no hidden stash of cash or gold waiting to be discovered like the previous bases in Metropolis.
But there was something better.
Darci.
When we regrouped outside the factory under the night sky, she stood a little apart from us, quietly watching the stars as if she were seeing them for the first time.
"What do we do about her?" Black Canary asked softly.
"We can't just let her wander off," Wildcat said, frowning. "And I'm not sure handing her over to the authorities is the right move either."
I looked at Darci for a moment before speaking.
"I can take her with me," I said. "I know enough about advanced mechanics to maintain her systems. And I have a secure place where she can stay."
Darci turned toward us, having clearly heard every word.
"Thank you," she said gently.
Wildcat and Black Canary exchanged uncertain glances and argued quietly for a few minutes, weighing the risks.
In the end, after some persuasion, they agreed.
"Look, kid… I can tell you've got some pretty incredible powers," Wildcat said, patting my shoulder. "But I was watching you when you were dismantling those toys. You've got strength, sure—but not much formal training in any real fighting style."
He reached into his suit and handed me a card.
"I run a small gym here in Star City. If you ever want to learn some proper technique, come find me."
"I will," I said, taking the card, though I already knew exactly where his gym was located.
Black Canary stepped forward next.
"And don't forget—you promised to think about my offer," she said, handing me a sleek card of her own. "That's my private number."
She leaned in slightly, giving me a view of her cleavage.
"I'll be waiting for your call, handsome."
She brushed a light kiss against my cheek before stepping back.
Her hot body and her flirty manners were so seductive that I still couldn't help getting a little flustered when she stuck that close to me.
"How long do you think he'll be in jail?" I asked, shifting the topic. "I'm worried Intergang might try to bail him out."
"Don't worry," Black Canary replied reassuringly. "We'll keep a close eye on the case. We have some… influential friends who can make sure he doesn't slip through the cracks."
Wildcat gave a firm nod.
"He's not walking free anytime soon."
"Well, I hope so," I muttered.
The distant wail of police sirens began echoing through the docks.
I gave them a quick nod in farewell before lifting into the air, Darci held carefully in my arms.
"I've got a feeling he's going to become something special," Black Canary said with a faint grin as she watched me rise into the sky.
Wildcat crossed his arms.
"Eh. He's still a little green. But… yeah. Kid's got potential."
He rolled his shoulders slightly.
"Guess it's back to retirement for us."
"Speak for yourself Oldman" Black Canary said punching his shoulder.
Even from above, I could still hear their conversation and couldn't help but chuckle softly.
"Instead of taking this robot with you, you could have taken that woman," Lara's voice interrupted my thoughts. "She showed strong compatibility as a potential partner."
"Mom please," I muttered, rolling my eyes at her teasing.
Darci remained silent in my arms, her eyes wide as she gazed down at the city lights below with quiet wonder.
As we flew, Lara and I discussed the loose ends that still needed attention.
Mainly Toyman's and Bruno's personal accounts.
Bruno, in particular, had several offshore holdings. Lara had found them and already begun the process of quietly draining them through layered routes and dormant shells. It would take a few months for the funds to be completely untraceable—but once they were, I would be free to use them.
There was also the matter of Toyman's son.
I didn't know where he was yet. That would require some more digging. Perhaps Darci might know something.
Before heading back, I made a quick stop in Metropolis to retrieve the stash I had hidden earlier. I let Darci carry the bags while I flew us back to Smallville.
The original plan was to take her straight to my Arctic base.
But dawn was approaching, and the last thing I needed was Ma waking up to find me missing again.
I placed Darci inside the barn for the time being and asked her to stay put for a few hours. As an added precaution, Lara wrapped her up in a temporary containment cocoon—nothing harmful, just enough to make sure she didn't wander off or accidentally expose herself.
After that, I hid the bags of cash, gold, and jewelry in the chamber where my space pod was stored before. The pile was starting to grow considerably.
I would need a long-term strategy to utilize it all safely.
Slipping back into my room, I smiled when I saw a soft figure curled up in my bed.
Selina.
It was a good thing I had already hidden the loot, or this cat might have sniffed it out.
Knowing she must have climbed in sometime during the night looking for me, I quietly changed into my pajamas and slipped under the covers beside her, wrapping an arm around her warm, familiar form.
"I know where you hide your secret stash, Clark," she mumbled sleepily, barely opening her eyes. "I'm… going to steal all your money… and your shiny jewelry…"
I chuckled softly and kissed her forehead.
"Alright, alright. Go to sleep, you little thief."
She nestled closer, and I let my eyes close as well.
For a brief moment, everything felt peaceful.
But I knew that this peace wouldn't last for long.
As my vigilante training phase was finally over.
Now—
It was time for the real thing!
***
[CKLance has redeemed an Extra Chapter this week]