The Importance Of Workplace Safety

Enter the Watchtower

Blurry lights and spots danced across Ted's vision as he rapidly blinked his eyes, coming to. He could feel a cold metal grate pressed against his back as he tried to shift his position, but his limbs were still heavy from whatever Batman had drugged him with.

"Oh, you're awake!" Ted heard a muffled voice say, and through his blurry vision he could vaguely make out a bright red human-shaped blob. "Guys! He's waking up!"

"This... grate," Ted said, struggling to get out the slurred words. He managed to get his left arm underneath his body and pushed himself up, the metal imprinting slightly too deep into his palm. "It... isn't... up to... code."

"What?"

Ted could notice several more blurs were gathered around him now, scattered throughout the room. A large blue blur reached forward, taking his hand and pulling him up to his still unsteady feet.

"Hold on, the effects should be wearing off soon... Batman said it was designed to last only a few minutes."

Ted recognized that voice from the news. The countless interviews, the clips of planes being caught midair, the massive fights... it was unmistakable. 

"Superman..." Ted said, his eyes now beggining to focus. The large symbol on the Kryptonian's chest came into view, the giant red and yellow crest. Not an 's', but a sign of hope- although Ted liked to pretend it was a 's'. 'S' for 'safety'. "Your fights... the... the property damage. So many... buildings... not up to code."

"Straight to business, I see." Batman entered the room, his presence as commanding and imposing as ever. "I can see why they chose you."

"I wasn't voted... 'most safe' in... my high-school yearbook... for nothing." Ted responded. He was begging to slouch back over now, and he was sure that if it weren't for the man of steels iron grip, he would have fallen back down to the ground already.

"That's quite the superlative," the red blur said. With his vision starting to return, Ted could now tell that he was looking at Central Cities very own Scarlet Speedster- the Flash.

"The knockout gas must still be having an effect on you..." Batman said, stepping in closer. "Good thing I planned for that and made an antidote- just in case."

Ted felt a light prick in his arm, followed by the sensation of pins and needles. Immediately, he began to regain the feeling in his fingertips, and his blurry vision realigned with a renewed clarity.

He straightened up, his focus shifting from the heroes in front of him to the Watchtower itself. They were standing on a large platform that overlooked a large room, walled almost entirely in glass. Outside of the windows, he could see the vast expanse of space, stretching out as far as the eye could see; glimmering stars, reflected in an ocean of impossibly dark seas. And there, in the centre of it all, was the earth, appearing as if it were rising up from beneath them. A gorgeous blue sphere covered in patches of emerald green, brilliant white, and umber, as sprawling expanses of forests, tundra, and desserts stretched across the globe.

Ted blinked, stunned, and unable to fully process his surroundings. He realised then that he was looking at the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He took a step forwards, the Leaguer's watching him as his placed his hands on the railing in front of him.

"Incredible, isn't it?" Superman said, starringling lovingly at his adopted homeworld- the place he'd sworn to protect with his very life. "No matter how many times you come up here... you never do get used to the sight."

"Handrails..." Ted muttered, his voice barely a whisper as he was overcome with emotion. "This platform... has handrails... Do you know how many Superhero and Supervillain bases build elevated platforms like this without handrails?" Ted turned to Superman, tears brimming in his eyes. "Never in my life, have I ever seen something as beautiful... as these handrails."

The man of steel blinked in suprise, then let out a good natured laugh. "We'll, I'm glad we've impressed you... Hopefully the rest of the Watchtower is up to code."

"Only one way to find out," Ted said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "Let's begin the inspection."