Titans of Justice Chapter 34 “Fausta Returns”
Written By: Power Guy
Co-conspirator: Scotty2Hotty
Editor: Marcus Mebes


The Hall of Justice, Metropolis, U.S.A….

“Well, it looks like besides the few missions that our teammates are on, things are relatively quiet,” observed Green Lantern as he stood in front of the Trouble Alert monitor.

“That’s a relief,” commented Sargona. “Maybe when your shift is done, we can go out for dinner?”

“Dinner?” asked a confused Green Lantern. “I thought you weren’t feeling well?”

“My stomach is starting to come around,” revealed Sargona. After Sonic Boom had left for Star City, the rumblings in Sargona’s stomach had died down, indicating that her uneasiness was psychosomatic. “Don’t worry. I’ll take it easy and just get a salad or something simple.”

“Sargona, I’d really like to take you out for dinner but I have to teach a class on Christian Archeology tonight,” replied Green Lantern. “Maybe we could go out some time next week?”

“Next... week???” responded an irritated Sargona. “But we haven’t gone out since before that whole Sportsmaster mess.”

“I’m sorry. Between the church, the Corps, and taking over leadership of the team, I’ve been stretched pretty thin,” replied Green Lantern.

“Oh, really? You certainly had time to go over to Sonic Boom’s house for chili a few weeks back,” snapped Sargona.

“Don’t be upset about that,” requested Green Lantern. “The only reason I was able to go is because the class that I teach got cancelled that night.”

“Okay, sure,” Sargona said shaking her head. “I’ll see you another time,” she offered. With one fluid movement, she conjured up her magic carpet, unrolled it, climbed aboard, and took off in disgust.

Green Lantern’s frowned in disappointment as Sargona left the Hall. “I think she’s taking this the wrong way. I just have so much on my plate right now and I’m trying to divide my time up as best as I can. I guess I’m going to have to make this up to her,” he vowed.

***

Deep in the jungles of Brazil….

“Schweinhund!” shouted Fausta angrily at the Cheetah as a pressed-back branch suddenly whipped back into place, swatting her face, “we have been searching through this jungle for hours and we have yet to see any sign of the spear. You had better not be leading us on a wild goose chase, or I promise you that what I did back to you in Austria will seem like child’s play compared to what I will do to you…”

The one she addressed turned to her and retorted, “I would think one who was asleep for over sixty years—like yourself—would have a little more patience. The spear is just up a head on this trail.” He strode through the verdant growth with the agility of his namesake.

“Baroness, race up ahead and see if he is lying!” commanded Fausta.

“No, you fool!” snarled the Cheetah. “The spear has two guardians protecting it. We can’t go racing off half-cocked until we know who we are up against.”

“You are a smart tactician fairy-boy,” remarked Captain Nazi.

“Watch your tongue Captain,” growled the Cheetah menacingly, “or I’ll bite it right off!”

“Try it boy and I’ll strangle you with your own tail!” retorted Captain Nazi as he raised his fist in front of him.

“Halts mauls! BOTH of you, silence!” ordered Fausta. “We do not have time for foolish squabbles. Cheetah, how much further do we have to go?”

“Look no further Fausta,” answered the Cheetah. He gently placed his clawed hands on the branches of a large tree that shielded them from view. He stared ahead past it, then turned back to address his traveling companions. “It’s there; in that primitive hut!” he said as he pointed beyond the tree.

“You must be trying to fool me,” commented the Baroness. “The all-powerful Spear of Destiny is being kept in some junglized chicken shack?”

As the group of villains approached the simple hut, its two guardians stepped out to confront them.

One was an albino-looking woman while the other was a Native American; both of whom were not pleased to see guests.

“Stop where you are,” ordered the man. “Who are you and what is your business here? These are sacred grounds and not to be trespassed on.”

“Out of the way Indian,” snapped Fausta. “We have come for the spear. Step aside and perhaps Captain Nazi here will let you leave with all of your limbs intact.”

“Captain Nazi, huh?” queried the white-haired woman. “I have heard tales from the Justice Society of your slaughter in the name of your Nazi party. You four will go no further.”

“Woman, I am only going to tell you once more,” stated Fausta. “Move, or we will move you... and in a very unpleasant manner.”

“You are Fausta! You are a servant of the Dark Angel,” the man remembered. “I am Ndeen Dzil. The white men call me Apache Chief. This is Rima,” said the man as he put his hand on the white-haired woman’s shoulder. “Do you know what your mistress Dark Angel did to us? In her quest to rid the world of minority superheroes, she imprisoned Rima, and my teammates Black Vulcan, El Dorado, Samurai, and me in her Black Limbo dimension for many years. She wiped the world’s knowledge of us. No one remembered that we were members of the Justice League or that we even existed until Zatanna discovered her foul play and led the Justice League to rescue us. Leave now or you will find yourself in very big trouble.”





“It is four against two, Indian. You have no chance of beating us,” retorted Fausta.

“We have a much bigger chance than you think,” countered Apache Chief. “INUKCHUK!!!!!”

Within the blink of an eye, the Indian warrior quickly expanded to fifty feet tall. All four villains stood frozen in shock at the sight of their colossal foe. Apache Chief then slammed his giant right fist onto the ground, scattering the four villains in various directions.

“Good work, Ndeen Dzil,” complimented Rima, using his Apache name.

The Cheetah and the Baroness were the first two to regain their composure. The team of speedsters raced at Rima in an attempt to neutralizer her.

“Dish out compliments all you want woman, you’re still out-numbered,” gloated the Baroness.

“Not for long,” countered the platinum-tressed woman. “I am Rima, Queen of the Jungle. All animals, no matter how few legs they walk on, must obey my commands. Ahh-oye-ahh-oye-ahh!!” Belting out her mystic command over the animals, she used her ability to summon the animal closest to her.

“What are you doing to me, whore?” demanded the Cheetah as his head started to ache. His vision blurred and started to darken. He soon found himself at Rima’s command.

“Stop the yellow-garbed woman, cheetah-man!” ordered Rima, seeing through his eyes.

The Cheetah was torn. While he hated Fausta and her bigot friends, he knew that attacking the Baroness would not get him out of this predicament that Fausta had put him in. Still as much as he struggled, he was forced to obey Rima’s command. He lunged forward at the Baroness and raked her chest with his claws.

“Arghhh!!! You fool! What are you doing?” the Baroness demanded as she recoiled in pain.

“I... can’t help it,” cried the Cheetah as he struggled. “This jungle witch is controlling me.”

“It matters not. You are no match for me,” bragged the Barroness as she used her super-speed to barrage the Cheetah with several dozen punches. The Cheetah was quick enough to dodge a few of them but as far as speed went, the Baroness had him out-classed.

While the two continued to attack each other, Fausta decided to take on Rima directly. “Fraulein, release the animal man from your control or you will make me very angry.”

Rima stood firm and confident. “Your threats do not scare me, Nazi. I have lived in these jungles nearly all of my life, and I have tamed much more ferocious animals than you.”

Fausta quickly became irritated by Rima’s defiance and hurled a punch at her that was powerful enough to take down an elephant; but Rima’s swift reflexes allowed her to leap out of the way. Landing behind Fausta, she swung her body around and kicked Fausta in the back of the neck, temporarily paralyzing her.

Fausta dropped to her knees as she lost control of her body. All she could feel was a slight tingling in all of her limbs. “You browned-skinned dog of a woman. I am going to skin you alive when I am back on my feet!”

As Fausta was recovering, Rima wasted no time in snaring her in her familiar vine-lasso. “Enough from you Fausta. You are beaten.”

Meanwhile, Apache Chief was locked in battle with Captain Nazi. “You had better surrender Nazi. Rima has already gotten the best of two of your teammates,” advised the giant Indian.

“We are soldiers of the furher! We never give up, Indian!” shouted Captain Nazi. He leaped up high into the air, and blasted Apache Chief in the chin with his best right hook.

“Ughhhh….” Groaned Apache Chief as he staggered backwards and then fell. Trees snapped like twigs underneath him, but the massive underbrush of the jungle acted as a cushion, and softened his fall.

Captain Nazi flew downward to finish off his opponent but was stopped in mid-air by Apache Chief’s two giant hands as they slammed together around him. The Captain was knocked senseless by the impact and dropped to the ground like a swatted fly.

Several yards away, Fausta had finally regained control of her limbs but found herself unable to break free of Rima’s vines. “What manner of trickery is this that I cannot break free from these foul weeds???”

“Those vines are enchanted by the great jungle spirits, woman,” informed Rima. “Not even Superman could break them.”

“Very well wench,” retorted Fausta. “If you are going to call upon your higher powers then so am I. Donar STRIKE!!!” At Fausta’s command, the German god of the storms was compelled to hurl an intense, mystical bolt of lightning down into Fausta’s body. The lightning surged through her and then conducted itself through Rima’s vines, sending a fierce electrical charge through her body. Rima dropped to the ground in unconsciousness.

With Rima neutralized, the Cheetah found himself once again in control of his actions. “I’m free!” he shouted in relief.

“Lucky for you furball; as I was about vibrate my fingers through your skull,” growled the Baroness as she let up pummeling him.

“Quick you dolts, we must take down the Indian,” commanded Fausta. She tore the vines from her and strode toward where the giant was still struggling on the ground.

The Baroness wasted no time in following Fausta’s orders. She started to race in circles around Apache Chief’s head, sucking the air from his lungs. In addition, the impact of her feet upon his chest as she dashed around,s threatened to shatter his collar bone.

“Cough….can’t... breath… cough…cough” The giant struggled to maintain his composure and swatted at the whizzing blur as he began to black out.

Fausta took this opportunity to jump into the air and punched Apache Chief in the back of the head, delivering a blow that caused him to shrink back down to normal size.

“That takes care of those ignorant sub-humans,” gloated Fausta. “Cheetah, go inside the hut and retrieve the spear while we prepare these two to be slaughtered. Hauptmann Nazi, tie these fools up with these stupid unbreakable vines. When the Cheetah gets back, I will have him rake these two with his claws. Then we will spray them with salt-water and smother them with thousands of hungry red ants.”

***

The Norwegian home of Icemanling…
Icemanling sat in front of his sixty-inch flat-screen television set that he had recently purchased. “Wow…the colors on this thing are so bring and vivid! I should pop in one of my old Super Friends DVDs. I bet it would look great on this screen!” he thought to himself.

Before he could make his way to his DVD cabinet, his phone rang. Rushing over to his phone from the other side of the room, he didn’t have time to check the caller ID before answering. “Ian here,” he offered.

“Ian? It’s Colin,” stated Celsius.

“Hey dude! What’s up?” inquired Icemanling.

“Do you have a few minutes to talk?” asked Celsius.

“Of course I do pal. What’s going on?”

“I’m a mess,” revealed Celsius. “I made a huge mistake a few weeks back.”

“Are you talking about the ordeal with the Sportsmaster?” guessed Icemanling.

“Yeah,” confirmed Celsius. “I just can’t get over the fact that I let that psychopath onto the team. He injured Nightvision, Palomé, and Junjie Quick pretty badly; plus he was using us to get close to the Huntress. Apparently he had some sick obsession with her.”

“Colin, don’t be so hard on yourself. I’ve known you for several years and you always try to see the best in people,” complimented Icemanling.

“Yes, but sometimes I allow people to take advantage of me and this time, it almost cost me several of my teammates’ lives,” explained Celsius. “As it is, I’ve stepped down as leader of the team. I feel horrible about what happened.”

“Dude, you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself,” suggested Icemanling. “We all make mistakes. The important thing is that we learn from them.”

“I don’t know. This is a pretty big mistake,” mumbled Celsius in grief. “Look, I need to go. Thanks for your time…”

Before Icemanling could say another word, the phone went dead. “He’s really taking this hard. I hope he realizes that no one should be upset with him. It’s not like he knew this Sportsmaster was going to ransack the team.”

***

City Hall in Star City, U.S.A.

Prince Vertigo stood over the nearly defeated Sonic Boom and Dark Arrow. The two were lying on the ground, extremely dizzy and nauseous from the Prince’s perception-warping powers. “You two were easy prey. I can’t understand why my father had such trouble with your parents.”







Dark Arrow struggled to keep himself from vomiting. “I’ve got to stop him before he does us in for good,” he thought. Before he could come up with a plan however, the Prince gave him a swift kick to the head causing his stomach to erupt like a volcano. Vomit spewed from his mouth several times before he finally passed out.

The Prince then turned his attention to Sonic Boom, “Now it’s your turn girly. But first, I want you to look into the eyes of your superior,” gloated the villain. Placing his hands under Sonic Boom’s armpits, he lifted her off the ground so she could look into his eyes.

She placed her hands on the sides of her head to try and keep it steady so that she would not become sick. She then ran her left hand down the back of her neck reaching into her Canary necklace for a knock-out gas pellet.

“Look at me! Look at me wench!” demanded Prince Vertigo. “I am your better! Vlatava will make the headlines today when the world finds out that I have crushed you American heroes!”

“Prince, I think you’re full of a lot of hot air…” whispered Sonic Boom as she reached her left hand forward, shoving the gas-pellet into the Prince’s mouth. She made sure to hold her hand over his mouth so that he could not spit the pellet out.

After a few seconds, the Prince’s eyes opened wide but then started to close as the gas took effect. He started to shake and stagger until finally, the gas put him to sleep.

About thirty minutes later after the authorities had come and taken Prince Vertigo away to prison….

“Nice job Di Di,” mumbled Dark Arrow wearily. “We’d have both been goners if it wasn’t for your quick thinking.”

“Don’t’ be too proud of me Robert. Not everything I did today was good,” revealed Sonic Boom.

“What do you mean by that?” asked her brother.

“Keep a secret?” requested Sonic Boom as she placed her hand in his.

“Of course I won’t tell Danny Boy that you had ANOTHER dream about him….” he joked.

“Be serious for once Rob!” she scolded, pulling her hand back out of his.

“Okay… okay, no more jokes,” promised Dark Arrow. “What did you do?”

“Well, we voted this morning for a new leader of the Titans and I voted twice…” admitted Sonic Boom.

“For Danny?” assumed Dark Arrow.

“No, for Power Guy,” revealed Sonic Boom. “Dan has so much going on his life right now with his church, the Green Lantern Corps, and Sargona, that he’s a wreck. He keeps having these horrible head-aches and I think it’s getting to be too much for him. I know that pretty much everyone on the team looks up to him so I was afraid they would vote for him to be the leader. I thought to myself, who else on the team screams leader material? that’s when I voted for Power Guy.”

“Did your little plan work?” Dark Arrow wondered aloud.

“Unfortunately, no,” answered Sonic Boom. “Dan still came out on top and accepted the position though I don’t think he wanted to.”


***

Above Brazilian Airspace in the Invisible Jet…


“Wonder Man, we’ve got to hurry!” insisted Lilith. “I can sense things are going badly at the spear’s location.”





“Don’t worry Lilith, we’re almost there,” replied the jet’s pilot confidently. “I’ve uploaded the coordinates of the spear from the Hall’s computer into my jet. It turns out that there are two former Justice Leaguers guarding it. Hopefully they can hold off Fausta and her crew until we get there.”

“I can’t wait to kick some Razi tail!” shouted Starman in anticipation. He thrust his staff upward, and knocked Palomé in the head with it. “Oops. Sorry dude.”

“Dang dude!” he said, rolling his eyes at Starman. “Nazis are so last century,” commented the young healer as he rubbed the knot that was rising on his head. “This Fausta must be a die-hard lunatic!”

“She certainly is,” affirmed Venus. “The last time we faced her, we were lucky to walk away. If Wonder Woman, Donna Troy, and a few others hadn’t shown up to help us, I’m not sure Wonder Man and I would still be alive right now.”

“Fausta’s a nasty one, that’s for sure,” agreed Wonder Warrior. “Even in my time, she’ still wreaking havoc.”

“Oh no!” shouted Wonder Man peering out of his jet. He pointed to a clearing in the jungle that they were rapidly approaching.

“Scott, what is it?” queried Lilith. “What’s wrong?” She was unable to see what he had glimpsed, though some of the other passengers got a clear view.

“Guys, look down there!” directed Wonder Man. “Fausta has Apache Chief and Rima and it looks like she’s about to kill them!”

TO BE CONTINUED…