Titans of Justice Classified Chapter 23 – “Truly Outrageous Part 4”
Written by: Scotty2Hotty
Edited by: Power Guy


“I wonder if she’ll talk about Rio.” Jemstone thought as Duela began speaking.

“You see, when you’re young--really young, you do some pretty silly things to attract the eye of a boy. I had the biggest crush on Robin, the boy wonder, and I needed to get his attention. I masqueraded as the daughter of pretty much every villain in Gotham City at the time. Robin noticed me--he had no choice with the mischief I caused and we became friends. I eventually joined the Teen Titans, but Robin had the hots for that other Batgirl--the red headed one. When the original Teen Titans disbanded I went to Hudson University and had a couple of adventures. By then, Dick had left school to join those all new Teen Titans. Can you imagine the insult of seeing your former friends reform your group without even asking you if you wanted to join? Oh well, I couldn’t really compete with those newcomers’ fancy powers, so I stayed in school and finished my degree. You can imagine my surprise when I got an invitation to Donna’s wedding. Your aunt was so beautiful that day…your mother as well.”

Wonder Man smiled at the mention of Wonder Woman and Wonder Girl.

“Anyway, I always had an affinity for practical jokes and novelties, so I decided to have one last little bit of fun at the wedding. I wore a fat suit and make-up that made me look at least 10 years older. Oh, I wish you could have seen Dick’s face! It was eating him alive that he couldn’t figure me out!!! I thought maybe it would pique his interest, but he was dating that odd looking alien girl. I heard she was killed sometime ago. There I go getting off subject again. After seeing Donna, Wally, and Dick so happy I left without saying goodbye to them--I didn‘t want to get near Lilith! With her ESP she would have figured out my disguise and even though I dressed up as the daughter of the Penguin, I had my dignity. The Titans didn’t want me, so I decided to travel for awhile and I ended up here. I founded this company and started a new life for myself.

“That’s an amazing story, Duela. Don’t you miss your family?” Jemstone asked hoping Duela would bring up Rio.

“No, not really. None of us were that close and I always took care of myself with my father always being out running his illegal activities.”

“Duela, please don’t think I’m being rude, but I have to ask you about your nephew Rio.” Jemstone blurted out.

Wonder Man looked at her and could tell the mystery was becoming unbearable.

“Rio? You know Rio?” Duela said with a quizzical look.

“I do. We were very close. He used to work with me.” Jerrica said, with a hint of desperation in her voice.

“As I said, my family wasn’t close and I only met Rio a couple of times. He was so young and my sister never brought him around, especially since our father is..” Duela stopped. “I think I’ve shared enough. Just who my parents are is one secret I’ll take to my grave.”

“Duela, we didn’t mean to pry. It’s just that Rio is very important to me and he’s embarked on a life of crime--- malicious mischief is more like it, and he referred to you the last time he appeared.”

“Me? I must have made one hell of an impression.” Duela laughed.

Jemstone didn’t laugh at Duela’s comment.

“Oh dear. I’m sorry. This means a lot to you doesn’t it.” Duela said, her tone more serious.

“It does.” Jemstone replied quietly.

“Rio is calling himself Wildcard and carries a back of gimmicks. He wears make up like the Joker and a costume similar to your Harlequin one. Before he appeared, he was working here in Japan.” Wonder Man offered.

“Here? Rio was here? I didn’t realize……. sounds like he’s got the gimmick act down pat. I wish I could tell you more, but I can’t.”

“Thanks for meeting with us. You’ve been more help than you know.” Jemstone said as she hugged Duela Dent.

Wonder Man hugged her next and asked, “I have one more question. If you’re here, then who was that Duela Dent murdered years ago?”

“Oh that! I read about that poor girl. I don’t know who she was. I just assumed she was some loony out to make a name for herself. My bank accounts were safe and my credit was never ruined, so I figured she wasn’t a true identity thief. Who knows? I always heard the big, bad Batman and his JLA cronies talk about parallel worlds, so maybe she’s from one of those. There was another Harlequin that ran with the Joker and Poison Ivy, but she’s not connected to me either.”

After chatting a bit more with Duela, Wonder Man and Jemstone left. The duo walked down the busy sidewalk, all the while getting stares.

“Well that was a dead end.” Jemstone sighed.

“Not really.” Wonder Man said. “We can rule out Duela helping Rio with his act. Someone else must be prompting him to act out. Until he blew up that building, he just sort of caused annoyances. No one was put in jeopardy or had their life threatened.”

“Now you sound like Nightvision!” Jemstone laughed.

“He’s not here, so I’m going all dark knight detective!” Wonder Man said as he made the most serious face he could muster.

Jemstone laughed. Wonder Man was glad to see her cut loose and have a good chuckle.
“Maybe we should check out that modeling agency. My mom told me that it closed suddenly. I bet it’s worth looking into.”

Jemstone and Wonder Man found the building easily enough.

“This area is run by gangs and the mafia.” Wonder Man said.

“Good looking and smart.” Jemstone relpied. ‘How do you know that?”

“Look around. All the graffiti, the general rundown look of the neighborhood. Prostitutes everywhere. Actually Mom told me to watch our backs here.”

“Smart lady.” Jemstone uttered as she and her companion made their way to the back of the boarded up building.

Wonder Man punched through the boards, only to find iron bars on the back door.

“Allow me.” he said as he ripped the bars apart and stepped through.

They looked around the offices and there were posters of nude women all over the place. Stacks of x rated DVDs littered the floor.

“Power Lad’s dream come true.” Jemstone said. “This place looks like they suddenly stopped working and just left. That computer is still on.”

“It’s odd enough, isn’t it. Look around. We need to find Rio’s office.” Wonder Man commented as he thought how disgusted the amazons of his homeland would be viewing the posters and looking at the movie titles.

“Over here! His name’s on the door!” Jemstone shouted. She entered Rio’s office and felt uneasy. Papers were on his desk and there was even a picture of Rio and the Holograms in a small frame. Jemstone picked it up and held it to her heart.

“Check it out. Something happened to Rio here. There’s what’s left of lunch.” Wonder Man pointed to a molded over bowl of….something. Something that had maggots writhing all around.
“Nightvision would say Rio left in a hurry or was taken.” Wonder Man suggested.

Unknown to the duo, they were being watched. If Nightvision had been there, perhaps he would have noticed the security camera was still turned on. In a bedroom not far away a beautiful woman threw back a shot of Jack Daniels and said, “Eric, the movie is getting interesting.”

She glanced to wall of tv screens and watched as Wonder Man and Jemstone investigated the abandoned building.

The man called Eric Raymond emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist. He lit a cigarette and said, ‘Well, well, well. Emmett Benton’s little Jem is onto us. Or at least she will be.”

The lingerie clad woman jumped up and ran her long multi colored nails across Eric’s hairy chest.

“You should have let me kill that poser years ago.” the woman said, scratching his chest and drawing blood.

“Ouch! Watch those nails, you b_tch. Phyllis, where’d you get those tacky things anyway? The Lee Press On Nail Outlet?”

“I thought they were cute….and retro. And don’t call me Phyllis ever again. It’s Pizzazz and you d**n well know it.” the former leader of the Misfits hissed.

Eric Raymond was as evil as he was handsome. He had fought for control of Starlight Records years ago when Jerrica’s father left half of the company to him and the other half to Jerrica.

“Are you just going to let little miss pop ballad and her boy-toy snoop around? They’ll catch on to us soon. As much as I hate Jerrica, she’s no dummy.” Pizzazz said, taking another shot of whiskey.

“Don’t worry about her. All is going to plan. Watch this.” he sneered. He pressed a panel on his nightstand and a control panel emerged from the wall.

“Fancy.” Pizzazz observed.

Eric pressed a orange button. “Just watch.”

Wonder Man was looking through files and Jemstone was going through letters and memos that were lying on Rio’s desk. They were so engrossed in their search, that they didn’t notice a figure dressed in black from head to toe approaching them. The person wore a clear plastic mask that looked like it could have come from a 50s novelty or Halloween store. The mask had painted on blue eyeshadow and rouge as well as a menacing blood red grin. The figure had a shock of green hair as well.

Jemstone was the first to spin around and see the eerie figure. Before she could even take a breath, the figure slammed a sledge hammer into the back of Wonder Man’s skull, knocking him out.

Jemstone held up her hands firing off blasts of color which the assailant dodged.

“I don’t need to hit you to hurt you!” She screamed. Jemstone manipulated the sound waves in the air and cranked them up to a high pitch. “Scott’s amazon ears shouldn’t be harmed, if he’s still alive--Don’t think like that Jerrica, whip this loser’s butt!” she thought to herself.

The figure stood silently before her unaffected by the sound waves. The windows in the building shatterd as did all of the computer monitors. Jerrica didn’t utlilize this power often and she was beginning to shake.

“Fall, d**n you ! Fall!” she glared.

The mysterious person swung the sledge hammer in response, striking Jemstone in the stomach. She dropped to the floor and the garish abuser kicked her full force in the face.

Jemstone was passing out as the assailant removed the mask and the green wig.
Her vision was blurring but she could see who had attacked her and Wonder Man.
“R….Rio?? Why?” she moaned as she blacked out.

Rio turned to the security camera and smiled.

Back in Eric’s bedroom he and Pizzazz let out a huge hooray and clinked wine glasses. “Well done Rio! Rough them up a bit more and bring that warbling no talent witch and her friend to me.”

To Be Continued…