Post by Deleted on Mar 27, 2015 20:56:03 GMT -5
Titans East Chapter 46 – “A Fresh Start Part 2”
Written by: Power Guy & Scotty2Hotty
Featured Artists: Power Guy & The Stranger
Edited by: Marcus Mebes
A few hours later at the Hall of Justice, Metropolis…
“Will someone please go tell him to turn that music down?” requested Sargona in regard to the heavy-metal blaring from Power Lad’s room.
“Is that music?” commented Isis, baffled. “It is angry noise; shouting, growling. It is doing nothing but darkening his outlook on life.”
“Hang on ladies, I’ll go tell him to drop it down a notch or two,” Wonder Man said, walking towards Power Lad’s room.
KNOCK KNOCK!
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
“Okay, that’s it!” shouted Wonder Man as he barged in Power Lad’s room. “Hey kid, turn that darn music down!!!” He noticed Power Lad watching an adult movie on his television set. “What? You’re not old enough to see that!”
“Oh hey Wonder-dude,” greeted Power Lad as he scrambled to find his remote control.
“Don’t ‘oh hey” me,” said Wonder Man firmly. “What do you think you’re doing with this porno?” The older hero ejected the DVD from the player and snapped it in half.
“Hey! I just bought that… and paid good money for it!” complained Power Lad.
“Believe me kid, I was your age once too but we can’t have you watching that stuff here in the Hall,” stated Wonder Man. “When you’re here, you need to act like a professional.”
“Well those chicks in the video were acting like professionals…” insisted Power Lad.
“T.M.I.” sighed Wonder Man, shaking his head. “Get your stuff put away and keep the music down. It’s giving everyone a headache. You’re lucky that Nightvision is on the opposite end of the building right now or he probably would have ripped the cord out of the wall.”
“And I thought you were supposed to be the cool one,” mumbled Power Lad angrily, shoving clothes from boxes into a chest of drawers.
Wonder Man rolled his eyes and walked back out into the meeting room.
“Thanks for taking care of that Scott,” said a grateful Isis.
“No problem. He needs to learn to be more respectful of others,” Wonder Man said as he sat down at the table and stole a drink of Venus’ Tab Cola.
“Hey – keep your lips off of my lady’s soda,” ordered Palomé, staring Wonder Man down. “Y’all talkin’ about manners, and there you go settin’ a bad example.”
“Oh, sorry. Thought it was mine,” Wonder Man replied humbly.
Venus came to Wonder Man’s defense, “Scott and I are always taking each other’s sodas by mistake. He got me hooked on this stuff.”
“Bleah,” grunted Palomé dramatically. “Y’all can keep that bitter mess. Give me some good old sweet tea any day.”
Nightvision then entered the room followed by a mysterious man wearing a pair of sunglasses and a handkerchief over his mouth and nose. “I found us some help.”
“Did the Lone Ranger forget his hat?” commented Sargona in jest.
“You are sooo bad,” whispered Black Vulcan to her new friend.
“Guys, this is our new I.T. support person,” Nightvision said, putting his hand on the man’s shoulder. “Meet Stuart Carr, nephew to Snapper Carr. I’m sure I don’t have to fill anyone in on who Snapper is.” He noticed a few blank stares, and elaborated. “He worked with both the Justice League as well as Young Justice.”
“You can call me the Silencer,” added the new-comer.
“Stew here is going to be taking over the majority of the monitor duty shifts along with keeping our computers up to date and online at all times. He’s a literal technological genius and has been mentored by my mother, Oracle,” informed Nightvision.
“So why do they call him the Silencer?” asked Palomé, looking confused. “Isn’t that what assassins put on guns to hide their dirty deeds?”
“Besides being our support person, he’s also our security guard,” explained Nightvision. “Not only is he good with computers, he’s also a master at ju-jitsu, karate, tai kwon do, and several other martial arts.”
“I still don’t get the name,” muttered the healer. Despite his upbringing, Palomé liked to think he was at least well-educated, and hoped that names applied meaning to whoever used them.
“So why isn’t he just joining the team then?” asked Sargona. “We could certainly use one or two more field members.”
“I’m sorry ma’am but that’s not my place,” replied the Silencer. “I work better behind a desk but don’t let that fool you. If Mirror Master or the Key come a knockin’, they’ll most likely leave here with a broken leg… or two.”
As the Silencer finished explaining his position, the visitor alert went off.
“Ugh… we don’t even have the team up to full strength and someone is calling on us already?” questioned Palomé as he rushed to the monitor. He was followed closely by Black Vulcan.
“Is it the Legion of Doom?” asked Wonder Man humorously. “Now’d be the perfect time for them to attack us and win.”
“No… worse,” stated Black Vulcan. “It’s Amanda Waller and Task Force X.”
The team rushed outside to confront their visitors. Nightvision and Wonder Man led the pack as they approached Black Vulcan’s former boss with Task Force X standing behind her.
“Waller? What are you doing here?” demanded Nightvision.
“Oh, I’m just here to offer my condolences,” smirked the plump, old woman.
“I’ll bet,” snapped Black Vulcan. “You’re probably here just to make sure that our six friends are six feet under.”
“Please, I’m not that heartless,” retorted Waller. “And I come bearing gifts.”
Just then, the van that Waller had arrived in opened up and to everyone’s surprise, the Sportsmaster exited.
“What’s that loser doing here?” barked Power Lad. “I still owe him a few slugs for stealing my surf-board.”
“What’s he doing here?” echoed Waller. “Why, he’s my gift to you. I heard you kids were having a membership drive so I’m here to help you fill your ranks.”
“This is no time for jokes, Ms. Waller,” insisted Wonder Man.
“I don’t find this amusing one bit, Waller,” declared Nightvision pointing his finger in the old woman’s face. “Now pack up your group of merry little men and get out before we throw you out!”
“He’s right Amanda. It’s best that you leave,” agreed Black Vulcan. Now that she had severed ties with the despicable woman, she hated being in her presence more than ever.
“Oh, I’m not going anywhere until my boy here is all settled in,” stated Waller. “And before you say another word, I think you all should have a look at these papers here,” she added as she handed some documents to Nightvision.
Nightvision grabbed the papers from her without haste and looked them over. After a few minutes, he looked up and asked, “How many congressmen did you have to blackmail to get these papers drawn up?”
“Me; blackmail someone?” chuckled Waller. “Now you’re really hurting this old lady’s feelings.”
“What do the papers say?” inquired Wonder Man.
“In a nutshell, they say that if we don’t take the Sportsmaster in, the government will declare us liabilities to public security and have us shut down. Furthermore, if we continue to operate after that, we will be declared as outlaws and be hunted down and imprisoned.” He turned to glare at the woman again. “I don’t suppose you have the testicles to do this to Superman, do you? It must be so much fun to pick on the newbies.”
“I’m glad it didn’t take you long to understand that I mean business,” gloated Waller. “It seems that after the little accident your friends had, the government is quite concerned about your little group and wants to keep an eye on you for your own safety… and the public’s safety too.”
“But Amanda, this man tried to kill us!” Black Vulcan said, pointing at Sportsmaster.
“Come now, people can change. You certainly did when you walked out on me,” the overweight woman said, trying to give Black Vulcan a guilt-trip. “This man has been seeing a pastor every other day for the last six months. He’s recognized his mistakes and wants to make good for them.”
Up until this point, the Sportsmaster had been silent, tolerating what was said about him. “She’s right,” he spoke up. “In my attempt to get closer to the Huntress, I let my emotions cloud my judgment and made some horrible mistakes. I came from a broken home with an abusive father so I never had the guidance until recently to walk down the right path. Pastor Daniel Jordan took the time to enlighten me in God’s loving word. I now realize that the right thing to do is to live a selfless life and do everything I can to help others.”
“Gag me with a spoon,” commented Sargona, rolling her eyes.
“Help others?” echoed Black Vulcan incredulously. “So, you gonna help others by working for this… this… woman?”
Sportsmaster ignored her, and responded to the sorceress’ question. “It’s true Sargona. Pastor Daniel even wrote a letter to Ms. Waller stating that he believes that I’m genuinely sorry for my mistakes.”
“He’s right,” affirmed Waller. “Plus this man has been a model prisoner and has been doing tremendous amounts of community service for the last few months.”
“As part of your Suicide Squad?” demanded Nightvision.
“Lets not get into all of the boring details, Bat-boy,” countered Waller. “Now what’s it going to be? Are you going to let the Sportsmaster onto the team or do we shut you down here and now?”
“You really, honestly don’t have a heart, do you?” demanded Sargona, tears threatening to burst from her eyes. All the talk of Daniel Jordan had torn at her heart, and the emotions that they so recently suffered through were bubbling forth again. “How dare you do this to us? Do you hate us? What do you have against us?”
Nightvision walked over to the Sportsmaster and grabbed him by his jersey. “Come on punk. Let’s go,” he said angrily as he pulled the former villain toward the Hall. He turned back to face Waller one last time, “Don’t get your hopes up. He’s not getting the password to the security files and he won’t be able to access the teleporters alone.” He pointed at Black Vulcan, and added, “but she does.”
Waller had a twisted grin of victory on her face. “That’s fine. I’ll just be able to sleep well knowing that he’s watching over your shoulder.” She winked at Sargona, knowing her refusal to answer her questions only served to infuriate the sorceress even more.
***
Later that evening…
Aquaman and Mera walked away from an old Justice League of America
transporter tube near a dock. The tube had been left active so Aquaman could
arrive at the United Nations with ease. He enjoyed his role as a diplomat
and was especially happy that he and Mera had reconciled so many years ago.
Mera looked at her husband. He was still as handsome as they day they had
met. At the same time, as they walked hand in hand, Aquaman couldn't take
his eyes off the still beautiful queen of Atlantis.
"Would you like to go on vacation after this meeting? Somewhere quiet where
no one will find us?” he asked.
"I would love it, but can you afford to be away?" the red haired beauty
replied.
"Sure I can. Everything in Atlantis is fine now, and this meeting is just standard business. Very boring. If we didn’t have to come to the surface world for the Titans’ funeral, I probably would have skipped the meeting altogether," he commented.
Before Mera could say another word, the happy couple were pulled from their
light conversation by a woman's voice.
"The only trip you two will be taking is to Davy Jones's locker!" The woman who spoke was floating in mid air.
"Black Orchid?" Aquaman remembered her, but thought she had disappeared long ago. "Mera, get out of here now."
"Husband, who is this woman?" Mera asked, noticing the vacant look in Black Orchid's eyes.
With near super-speed, Black Orchid punched the royal couple, knocking Mera into the water.
Aquaman struggled to get to his feet. He felt as if he had been punched by Superman. He got to his feet only to see Black Orchid coming at him, screaming like a mad woman. He punched her, but it only seemed to fuel her anger as he was far from full-strength from being out of the water for quite a while. Aquaman was able to land a punch directly to Black Orchid's jaw, knocking her over.
She scrambled to her feet and lunged at her former ally from so many years ago. Aquaman was able to grab her by the throat while she swung her arms wildly, screaming in frustration.
"You are a useless fool! How did you ever make it in the Justice League of America?" she demanded.
"I think a better question is what happened to you? Why did you turn against us?" Aquaman said as he glanced to see if Mera had made it back to the dock.
"You turn from me!? That shall be your undoing!" Black Orchid exulted as she kneed the king of the seven seas in the groin. In a flash, Black Orchid scratched Aquaman's face, barely missing an eye. With her other hand, she punched him in the gut so hard that Aquaman vomited. He dropped to his knees as Black Orchid pulled Aquaman's arm behind his back, snapping the bone in two.
"What a girl! I thought the pressures of the ocean made you strong!" Black Orchid growled. She then grabbed one of his feet and twisted it, breaking his ankle.
Aquaman's body and mind were wracked with pain. "How is she doing this? Is it
true, that she's from Krypton like Superman? Could she… be Power Girl...?”
Before he could react, Black Orchid slammed his head into the dock repeatedly. Blood
and bone mingled with Aquaman's blond hair as he started to pass out. He could hear her insane laughter and saw her cape flailing in the wind. "M-Mera,” he gasped as his mouth and throat filled with blood.
"Oh don't worry! She's next!" Black Orchid laughed.
Just then Black Orchid was knocked over by a large fist… made of water? "Mera!" she hissed. "I'm going to scalp you alive and use your pretty hair as a throw rug!"
"Not today, demoness! You have hurt my husband and king!" Mera used her hard water powers to separate Black Orchid from Aquaman. She scooped her up in the air and dropped Black Orchid in the ocean several yards away to buy time to think of a plan. Mera was prepared for a fight, but was surprised when Black Orchid simply stared at her, started to cry, and then suddenly flew away.
***
Hours Later…
Mera had gotten her husband to a S.T.A.R Labs hospital where after several procedures, the King of Atlantis had been stabilized. She sat at her husband's side, holding his hand and praying, thanking Poseidon for sparing her husband. Four founding members of the Justice League of America had arrived to stand watch over the Kind of Sea. Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), and Martian Manhunter positioned themselves in various places in the facility, ready, should Black Orchid come back to finish the job she started.
“This makes no sense,” came the telepathic voice of J’onn J’onzz in the others’ minds. “I cannot fathom our ally Black Orchid committing these acts.”
“It’s obvious,” conjectured Green Lantern. “Something’s happened to her mind. Either she’s lost it, or someone else is controlling it.”
“And that is just the thing,” continued the Martian Manhunter. “The last thoughts I received from Mrs. Martian, before she died, were about the Black Orchid. She had delved into her mind as she was being attacked, and as I understand it: she found three personalities there. Two were being suppressed as the third controlled her body.”
***
In the Ghost Zone….
“You haven’t eaten all day,” remarked Jenna.
“I’m not hungry,” responded the Stranger.
“You can’t keep punishing yourself like this,” advised the Stranger’s wife.
“I should have foreseen their deaths, Jenna,” said the Stranger in despair.
“Honey, your powers can be unpredictable at times. Don’t beat yourself up over this,” consoled the beautiful woman.
“There has to be an answer and I will not stop until I find out what it is!” declared the Stranger.
“Honey, I don’t mean to interrupt but do you hear that noise?” asked Jenna.
“Noise?” asked a confused Stranger. “Oh wait, I hear it now…it sounds like thunder and it’s getting closer.” The stranger made his way to one of the windows of his home. His eyes were filled with horror as he saw what was making the thunderous sound. “Jenna, lock yourself in the cellar NOW!”
***
The Hall of Justice, the next day after watching the morning news containing recap of Aquaman’s battle with Black Orchid…
“Dang that Black Orchid, she almost got Aquaman!” yelled Palomé as he twisted around on the couch to see the others.
“First Mrs. Martian and now the King of Atlantis,” observed Nightvision. “As far as I know, there isn’t a connection between the two but I’ll keep going over this until I figure out her pattern.”
Venus had stepped outside for a few minutes. She made her return back into the building and entered the meeting room. “Everyone, I’d like you to come outside.”
“Why? What’s up?” asked Palomé “Y’all put a picnic together or something?”
“No, I’d like to take a team photo,” revealed Venus.
“Team photo? Good idea!” said an excited Wonder Man. He was anxious to grasp onto anything positive in the light of the team’s recent tragedies.
“Forget it,” grumbled a defiant Nightvision. “You can take it without me.”
“Uh-uh,” said Venus as she tugged on Nightvision’s arm. “You’re part of the team and the picture won’t be complete without you. I’ll be sending this photo out to the press to let the world know that the Titans will continue on in spite of the great tragedy we experienced. This photo will also serve as a warning to the bad guys that we’re not giving up and reinforce the fact that we represent a united front.”
After initial hesitation, Nightvision decided to give in and join his friends outside for the picture. As they walked out, Palomé winked at him, and he could not help but wonder if the empath had influenced his decision to agree.
A few minutes later when everyone was in position outside in front of the Hall…
“Hey Lighning Lady, how do I look?” asked Power Lad. He had placed himself in front of the others, and was flexing his muscles.
“Again – it’s Black Vulcan and you look fine…” stated the annoyed heroine. “Now get back in line with the others. The team isn’t called Power Lad and the Titans of Justice.”
“Fine? Babe, I’m the best looking guy you’ll ever meet” replied an over-confident Power Lad. “In fact, if you don’t ask me out soon, I bet the Egyptian honey will.”
“She’s married,” revealed Black Vulcan, “and to Black Adam.”
“So?” countered Power Lad.
“Ok everyone, the camera’s going to go off in twenty seconds. Everyone smile!” requested Venus.
After the photo was taken, the team headed back into the Hall. As the various members made their way into the meeting room, they saw their comrade the Stranger, staggering, bloody, and bruised.
“Stranger! By Zeus, what happened to you???” asked a shocked Wonder Man.
Palomé and Sargona made their way over to the powerful mystic and helped him up so that he could speak. The healer placed his hands on the Stranger’s head, and healed the wounds as quickly as he could.
“That’s just it. Zeus IS the problem. He sent the Annihilator after me,” mumbled a near delirious Stranger. “I need your help…”
***Please note that the Aquaman, Mera, and Black Orchid mircros are from: jerome.galica.free.fr/dc%20comics/dccomics.htm
Written by: Power Guy & Scotty2Hotty
Featured Artists: Power Guy & The Stranger
Edited by: Marcus Mebes
A few hours later at the Hall of Justice, Metropolis…
“Will someone please go tell him to turn that music down?” requested Sargona in regard to the heavy-metal blaring from Power Lad’s room.
“Is that music?” commented Isis, baffled. “It is angry noise; shouting, growling. It is doing nothing but darkening his outlook on life.”
“Hang on ladies, I’ll go tell him to drop it down a notch or two,” Wonder Man said, walking towards Power Lad’s room.
KNOCK KNOCK!
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
“Okay, that’s it!” shouted Wonder Man as he barged in Power Lad’s room. “Hey kid, turn that darn music down!!!” He noticed Power Lad watching an adult movie on his television set. “What? You’re not old enough to see that!”
“Oh hey Wonder-dude,” greeted Power Lad as he scrambled to find his remote control.
“Don’t ‘oh hey” me,” said Wonder Man firmly. “What do you think you’re doing with this porno?” The older hero ejected the DVD from the player and snapped it in half.
“Hey! I just bought that… and paid good money for it!” complained Power Lad.
“Believe me kid, I was your age once too but we can’t have you watching that stuff here in the Hall,” stated Wonder Man. “When you’re here, you need to act like a professional.”
“Well those chicks in the video were acting like professionals…” insisted Power Lad.
“T.M.I.” sighed Wonder Man, shaking his head. “Get your stuff put away and keep the music down. It’s giving everyone a headache. You’re lucky that Nightvision is on the opposite end of the building right now or he probably would have ripped the cord out of the wall.”
“And I thought you were supposed to be the cool one,” mumbled Power Lad angrily, shoving clothes from boxes into a chest of drawers.
Wonder Man rolled his eyes and walked back out into the meeting room.
“Thanks for taking care of that Scott,” said a grateful Isis.
“No problem. He needs to learn to be more respectful of others,” Wonder Man said as he sat down at the table and stole a drink of Venus’ Tab Cola.
“Hey – keep your lips off of my lady’s soda,” ordered Palomé, staring Wonder Man down. “Y’all talkin’ about manners, and there you go settin’ a bad example.”
“Oh, sorry. Thought it was mine,” Wonder Man replied humbly.
Venus came to Wonder Man’s defense, “Scott and I are always taking each other’s sodas by mistake. He got me hooked on this stuff.”
“Bleah,” grunted Palomé dramatically. “Y’all can keep that bitter mess. Give me some good old sweet tea any day.”
Nightvision then entered the room followed by a mysterious man wearing a pair of sunglasses and a handkerchief over his mouth and nose. “I found us some help.”
“Did the Lone Ranger forget his hat?” commented Sargona in jest.
“You are sooo bad,” whispered Black Vulcan to her new friend.
“Guys, this is our new I.T. support person,” Nightvision said, putting his hand on the man’s shoulder. “Meet Stuart Carr, nephew to Snapper Carr. I’m sure I don’t have to fill anyone in on who Snapper is.” He noticed a few blank stares, and elaborated. “He worked with both the Justice League as well as Young Justice.”
“You can call me the Silencer,” added the new-comer.
“Stew here is going to be taking over the majority of the monitor duty shifts along with keeping our computers up to date and online at all times. He’s a literal technological genius and has been mentored by my mother, Oracle,” informed Nightvision.
“So why do they call him the Silencer?” asked Palomé, looking confused. “Isn’t that what assassins put on guns to hide their dirty deeds?”
“Besides being our support person, he’s also our security guard,” explained Nightvision. “Not only is he good with computers, he’s also a master at ju-jitsu, karate, tai kwon do, and several other martial arts.”
“I still don’t get the name,” muttered the healer. Despite his upbringing, Palomé liked to think he was at least well-educated, and hoped that names applied meaning to whoever used them.
“So why isn’t he just joining the team then?” asked Sargona. “We could certainly use one or two more field members.”
“I’m sorry ma’am but that’s not my place,” replied the Silencer. “I work better behind a desk but don’t let that fool you. If Mirror Master or the Key come a knockin’, they’ll most likely leave here with a broken leg… or two.”
As the Silencer finished explaining his position, the visitor alert went off.
“Ugh… we don’t even have the team up to full strength and someone is calling on us already?” questioned Palomé as he rushed to the monitor. He was followed closely by Black Vulcan.
“Is it the Legion of Doom?” asked Wonder Man humorously. “Now’d be the perfect time for them to attack us and win.”
“No… worse,” stated Black Vulcan. “It’s Amanda Waller and Task Force X.”
The team rushed outside to confront their visitors. Nightvision and Wonder Man led the pack as they approached Black Vulcan’s former boss with Task Force X standing behind her.
“Waller? What are you doing here?” demanded Nightvision.
“Oh, I’m just here to offer my condolences,” smirked the plump, old woman.
“I’ll bet,” snapped Black Vulcan. “You’re probably here just to make sure that our six friends are six feet under.”
“Please, I’m not that heartless,” retorted Waller. “And I come bearing gifts.”
Just then, the van that Waller had arrived in opened up and to everyone’s surprise, the Sportsmaster exited.
“What’s that loser doing here?” barked Power Lad. “I still owe him a few slugs for stealing my surf-board.”
“What’s he doing here?” echoed Waller. “Why, he’s my gift to you. I heard you kids were having a membership drive so I’m here to help you fill your ranks.”
“This is no time for jokes, Ms. Waller,” insisted Wonder Man.
“I don’t find this amusing one bit, Waller,” declared Nightvision pointing his finger in the old woman’s face. “Now pack up your group of merry little men and get out before we throw you out!”
“He’s right Amanda. It’s best that you leave,” agreed Black Vulcan. Now that she had severed ties with the despicable woman, she hated being in her presence more than ever.
“Oh, I’m not going anywhere until my boy here is all settled in,” stated Waller. “And before you say another word, I think you all should have a look at these papers here,” she added as she handed some documents to Nightvision.
Nightvision grabbed the papers from her without haste and looked them over. After a few minutes, he looked up and asked, “How many congressmen did you have to blackmail to get these papers drawn up?”
“Me; blackmail someone?” chuckled Waller. “Now you’re really hurting this old lady’s feelings.”
“What do the papers say?” inquired Wonder Man.
“In a nutshell, they say that if we don’t take the Sportsmaster in, the government will declare us liabilities to public security and have us shut down. Furthermore, if we continue to operate after that, we will be declared as outlaws and be hunted down and imprisoned.” He turned to glare at the woman again. “I don’t suppose you have the testicles to do this to Superman, do you? It must be so much fun to pick on the newbies.”
“I’m glad it didn’t take you long to understand that I mean business,” gloated Waller. “It seems that after the little accident your friends had, the government is quite concerned about your little group and wants to keep an eye on you for your own safety… and the public’s safety too.”
“But Amanda, this man tried to kill us!” Black Vulcan said, pointing at Sportsmaster.
“Come now, people can change. You certainly did when you walked out on me,” the overweight woman said, trying to give Black Vulcan a guilt-trip. “This man has been seeing a pastor every other day for the last six months. He’s recognized his mistakes and wants to make good for them.”
Up until this point, the Sportsmaster had been silent, tolerating what was said about him. “She’s right,” he spoke up. “In my attempt to get closer to the Huntress, I let my emotions cloud my judgment and made some horrible mistakes. I came from a broken home with an abusive father so I never had the guidance until recently to walk down the right path. Pastor Daniel Jordan took the time to enlighten me in God’s loving word. I now realize that the right thing to do is to live a selfless life and do everything I can to help others.”
“Gag me with a spoon,” commented Sargona, rolling her eyes.
“Help others?” echoed Black Vulcan incredulously. “So, you gonna help others by working for this… this… woman?”
Sportsmaster ignored her, and responded to the sorceress’ question. “It’s true Sargona. Pastor Daniel even wrote a letter to Ms. Waller stating that he believes that I’m genuinely sorry for my mistakes.”
“He’s right,” affirmed Waller. “Plus this man has been a model prisoner and has been doing tremendous amounts of community service for the last few months.”
“As part of your Suicide Squad?” demanded Nightvision.
“Lets not get into all of the boring details, Bat-boy,” countered Waller. “Now what’s it going to be? Are you going to let the Sportsmaster onto the team or do we shut you down here and now?”
“You really, honestly don’t have a heart, do you?” demanded Sargona, tears threatening to burst from her eyes. All the talk of Daniel Jordan had torn at her heart, and the emotions that they so recently suffered through were bubbling forth again. “How dare you do this to us? Do you hate us? What do you have against us?”
Nightvision walked over to the Sportsmaster and grabbed him by his jersey. “Come on punk. Let’s go,” he said angrily as he pulled the former villain toward the Hall. He turned back to face Waller one last time, “Don’t get your hopes up. He’s not getting the password to the security files and he won’t be able to access the teleporters alone.” He pointed at Black Vulcan, and added, “but she does.”
Waller had a twisted grin of victory on her face. “That’s fine. I’ll just be able to sleep well knowing that he’s watching over your shoulder.” She winked at Sargona, knowing her refusal to answer her questions only served to infuriate the sorceress even more.
***
Later that evening…
Aquaman and Mera walked away from an old Justice League of America
transporter tube near a dock. The tube had been left active so Aquaman could
arrive at the United Nations with ease. He enjoyed his role as a diplomat
and was especially happy that he and Mera had reconciled so many years ago.
Mera looked at her husband. He was still as handsome as they day they had
met. At the same time, as they walked hand in hand, Aquaman couldn't take
his eyes off the still beautiful queen of Atlantis.
"Would you like to go on vacation after this meeting? Somewhere quiet where
no one will find us?” he asked.
"I would love it, but can you afford to be away?" the red haired beauty
replied.
"Sure I can. Everything in Atlantis is fine now, and this meeting is just standard business. Very boring. If we didn’t have to come to the surface world for the Titans’ funeral, I probably would have skipped the meeting altogether," he commented.
Before Mera could say another word, the happy couple were pulled from their
light conversation by a woman's voice.
"The only trip you two will be taking is to Davy Jones's locker!" The woman who spoke was floating in mid air.
"Black Orchid?" Aquaman remembered her, but thought she had disappeared long ago. "Mera, get out of here now."
"Husband, who is this woman?" Mera asked, noticing the vacant look in Black Orchid's eyes.
With near super-speed, Black Orchid punched the royal couple, knocking Mera into the water.
Aquaman struggled to get to his feet. He felt as if he had been punched by Superman. He got to his feet only to see Black Orchid coming at him, screaming like a mad woman. He punched her, but it only seemed to fuel her anger as he was far from full-strength from being out of the water for quite a while. Aquaman was able to land a punch directly to Black Orchid's jaw, knocking her over.
She scrambled to her feet and lunged at her former ally from so many years ago. Aquaman was able to grab her by the throat while she swung her arms wildly, screaming in frustration.
"You are a useless fool! How did you ever make it in the Justice League of America?" she demanded.
"I think a better question is what happened to you? Why did you turn against us?" Aquaman said as he glanced to see if Mera had made it back to the dock.
"You turn from me!? That shall be your undoing!" Black Orchid exulted as she kneed the king of the seven seas in the groin. In a flash, Black Orchid scratched Aquaman's face, barely missing an eye. With her other hand, she punched him in the gut so hard that Aquaman vomited. He dropped to his knees as Black Orchid pulled Aquaman's arm behind his back, snapping the bone in two.
"What a girl! I thought the pressures of the ocean made you strong!" Black Orchid growled. She then grabbed one of his feet and twisted it, breaking his ankle.
Aquaman's body and mind were wracked with pain. "How is she doing this? Is it
true, that she's from Krypton like Superman? Could she… be Power Girl...?”
Before he could react, Black Orchid slammed his head into the dock repeatedly. Blood
and bone mingled with Aquaman's blond hair as he started to pass out. He could hear her insane laughter and saw her cape flailing in the wind. "M-Mera,” he gasped as his mouth and throat filled with blood.
"Oh don't worry! She's next!" Black Orchid laughed.
Just then Black Orchid was knocked over by a large fist… made of water? "Mera!" she hissed. "I'm going to scalp you alive and use your pretty hair as a throw rug!"
"Not today, demoness! You have hurt my husband and king!" Mera used her hard water powers to separate Black Orchid from Aquaman. She scooped her up in the air and dropped Black Orchid in the ocean several yards away to buy time to think of a plan. Mera was prepared for a fight, but was surprised when Black Orchid simply stared at her, started to cry, and then suddenly flew away.
***
Hours Later…
Mera had gotten her husband to a S.T.A.R Labs hospital where after several procedures, the King of Atlantis had been stabilized. She sat at her husband's side, holding his hand and praying, thanking Poseidon for sparing her husband. Four founding members of the Justice League of America had arrived to stand watch over the Kind of Sea. Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern (Hal Jordan), and Martian Manhunter positioned themselves in various places in the facility, ready, should Black Orchid come back to finish the job she started.
“This makes no sense,” came the telepathic voice of J’onn J’onzz in the others’ minds. “I cannot fathom our ally Black Orchid committing these acts.”
“It’s obvious,” conjectured Green Lantern. “Something’s happened to her mind. Either she’s lost it, or someone else is controlling it.”
“And that is just the thing,” continued the Martian Manhunter. “The last thoughts I received from Mrs. Martian, before she died, were about the Black Orchid. She had delved into her mind as she was being attacked, and as I understand it: she found three personalities there. Two were being suppressed as the third controlled her body.”
***
In the Ghost Zone….
“You haven’t eaten all day,” remarked Jenna.
“I’m not hungry,” responded the Stranger.
“You can’t keep punishing yourself like this,” advised the Stranger’s wife.
“I should have foreseen their deaths, Jenna,” said the Stranger in despair.
“Honey, your powers can be unpredictable at times. Don’t beat yourself up over this,” consoled the beautiful woman.
“There has to be an answer and I will not stop until I find out what it is!” declared the Stranger.
“Honey, I don’t mean to interrupt but do you hear that noise?” asked Jenna.
“Noise?” asked a confused Stranger. “Oh wait, I hear it now…it sounds like thunder and it’s getting closer.” The stranger made his way to one of the windows of his home. His eyes were filled with horror as he saw what was making the thunderous sound. “Jenna, lock yourself in the cellar NOW!”
***
The Hall of Justice, the next day after watching the morning news containing recap of Aquaman’s battle with Black Orchid…
“Dang that Black Orchid, she almost got Aquaman!” yelled Palomé as he twisted around on the couch to see the others.
“First Mrs. Martian and now the King of Atlantis,” observed Nightvision. “As far as I know, there isn’t a connection between the two but I’ll keep going over this until I figure out her pattern.”
Venus had stepped outside for a few minutes. She made her return back into the building and entered the meeting room. “Everyone, I’d like you to come outside.”
“Why? What’s up?” asked Palomé “Y’all put a picnic together or something?”
“No, I’d like to take a team photo,” revealed Venus.
“Team photo? Good idea!” said an excited Wonder Man. He was anxious to grasp onto anything positive in the light of the team’s recent tragedies.
“Forget it,” grumbled a defiant Nightvision. “You can take it without me.”
“Uh-uh,” said Venus as she tugged on Nightvision’s arm. “You’re part of the team and the picture won’t be complete without you. I’ll be sending this photo out to the press to let the world know that the Titans will continue on in spite of the great tragedy we experienced. This photo will also serve as a warning to the bad guys that we’re not giving up and reinforce the fact that we represent a united front.”
After initial hesitation, Nightvision decided to give in and join his friends outside for the picture. As they walked out, Palomé winked at him, and he could not help but wonder if the empath had influenced his decision to agree.
A few minutes later when everyone was in position outside in front of the Hall…
“Hey Lighning Lady, how do I look?” asked Power Lad. He had placed himself in front of the others, and was flexing his muscles.
“Again – it’s Black Vulcan and you look fine…” stated the annoyed heroine. “Now get back in line with the others. The team isn’t called Power Lad and the Titans of Justice.”
“Fine? Babe, I’m the best looking guy you’ll ever meet” replied an over-confident Power Lad. “In fact, if you don’t ask me out soon, I bet the Egyptian honey will.”
“She’s married,” revealed Black Vulcan, “and to Black Adam.”
“So?” countered Power Lad.
“Ok everyone, the camera’s going to go off in twenty seconds. Everyone smile!” requested Venus.
After the photo was taken, the team headed back into the Hall. As the various members made their way into the meeting room, they saw their comrade the Stranger, staggering, bloody, and bruised.
“Stranger! By Zeus, what happened to you???” asked a shocked Wonder Man.
Palomé and Sargona made their way over to the powerful mystic and helped him up so that he could speak. The healer placed his hands on the Stranger’s head, and healed the wounds as quickly as he could.
“That’s just it. Zeus IS the problem. He sent the Annihilator after me,” mumbled a near delirious Stranger. “I need your help…”
***Please note that the Aquaman, Mera, and Black Orchid mircros are from: jerome.galica.free.fr/dc%20comics/dccomics.htm