Titans of Justice Unlimited Chapter 42 – “Not Quite The Same - Prelude “
Written & edited by: Power Guy


The Hall of Justice…

“It’s so hard to believe he’s gone,” sighed Sargona. “He was never the friendliest guy but he always made sure the team was divided out well and that the Hall was up to par with the latest technology.”





“He always went above and beyond,” added Power Guy. “There were many times he volunteered to take people’s monitor duty shifts, even if it meant working around the clock for a few days straight.”





“Why are you so quiet, Dan?” Sonic Boom asked as the rest of the group kept conversing.

“I’m just worn out from the funeral,” admitted Green Lantern. “I know this isn’t the first or the second funeral we’ve had for a Titan but it doesn’t get any easier no matter how many teammates we bury.”

“Well, you did another great job of presiding over the ceremony,” complimented the newly christened Black Canary.

“Thank you Di Di,” replied Green Lantern with a half-smile as he wrapped his hand around Sonic Boom’s. He then turned to his newly acquire sidekick and asked, “Kai-ro, you’ve been even quieter than myself today. Are you feeling alright?”

Kai-ro seemed as though he was deep in thought as he paused before he answered his mentor’s question, “I am fine Green Lantern. I just have never experienced a comrade being killed in battle before. This is all a bit of a shock to me.”

Nightvision had also been silent through the entire funeral and the period of time afterwards. He got up from his chair and walked up to the Trouble Alert and punched the screen, smashing through the glass and slicing up his arm.

Power Guy quickly got up and raced over to the new-age Dark Knight, grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him a bit, “Nightvision. Snap out of it! This isn’t your fault!”

“Get your hands off me,” snapped Nightvision with gritted teeth.





“Not until you cool off,” Power Guy said firmly.

As Power Guy tried to calm Nightvision, Green Lantern used his power-ring to repair the Trouble Alert. He looked over at his brooding teammate, “Nightvision – I am available if you’d like to talk.”

The Huntress got up and made her way over to her frequent partner. She knew all of the troubles that were racing through her mind but at the moment, she didn’t know what to say that could make it better. Part of her felt that he deserved a portion of his guilt for cheating on Blackbird with Kitty Kat. Another part of her was distracted by her mother’s recent actions towards the new cat-themed villainess.

Nightvision loosened himself from Power Guy’s grip and spat, “I don’t need you or anyone else right now. Everyone just needs to leave me alone,” he ordered as he exited the Hall.

“Try to understand that he’s going through a lot right now,” advised the Huntress to the rest of the team. “Blackbird has resigned from the team. If you guys think back, you'll remember that it was Nightvision that brought the Silencer onto the team and now he's dead. I don’t think I need to spell it out when I say that Nightvision has a lot of different thoughts running through his mind right now.”





Starman and the Arachnid were at the other end of the meeting table, still discussing the funeral.

“I can’t believe Supergirl didn’t show up for the Silencer’s funeral,” commented Starman.





“Yeah, that’s pretty low of her,” added the Arachnid. “But you know, she seemed pretty distant when she was at Palome’s funeral. It’s almost like she doesn’t want anything to do with us any more.”

Power Guy overheard the duo’s conversation and turned to them and explained, “I just saw Superman the other day. He said Supergirl has been very cool towards him and her mother. He said she’s either in her room or staying out until the middle of the night. He said he and Lois are becoming a little worried as they never see her any more.”

“Maybe she’s just going through a phase. She is a teenager,” Wonder Warrior reminded the group.





“I don’t know about that. She was acting really strange before she quit the group,” recalled Starman.

“Oh, you’re still bitter because she started showing interest in Kid Marvel,” accused the Arachnid.

“Sounds like you want a knuckle-sandwich for lunch, loser,” spat Starman, raising his fist to the Arachnid.

“You’ll be taking the first bite, butt-head!” countered the Arachnid, getting in Starman’s face, ready to rumble.

Argos came behind the bickering duo and grabbed them both by the back of their shirts, lifting them into the air, “A man just died and you two are ready to exchange blows over some petty attraction? You should be ashamed of yourselves!”





But before Argos could continue his lecture, the Trouble Alert went off. Zan was standing by the monitor so he put on the attached headset in order to keep out the noise coming from the crowd of Titans in the room. About a minute later he announced, “That was the mayor of Kansas City! He said there’s some super-powered alien destroying his town and he’s asking for our assistance. The local police were able to get a picture of the alien. I’ll put it up on the view screen. A few seconds later, the picture of the alien was visible. “Do any of you know this creature?” asked the male Wonder Twin.

Argos approached the monitor screen. “How dare she show her face here on earth!” he grumbled. He walked back up to Starman and the Arachnid. “You two require battle? Well you shall have it! You’re coming with me,” he ordered as he dragged the Spider-Star team to the teleporter with himself and Sturmer.

“Wait! I’d like to join you guys if you don’t mind?” requested Totem as she rushed over to join the departing group. “It’s been a while since I’ve gone on a mission and I could use the work-out.”





“I warn you young one, this mission could be very dangerous,” advised Argos.

“Well then, it meets my needs perfectly,” smiled the daughter of Vixen and John Stewart. “Let’s go!” she said as the teleporter came to life.

A few minutes later, the foursome arrived on the outskirts of Kansas City. The group began to survey their surroundings. After about thirty seconds of awkward silence, Totem spoke up, “Thanks again guys for letting me tag along.”

“No sweat, babe,” replied the Arachnid. “I’d rather have you here than Phantom Lady with her crazy accusations.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about them any more,” revealed Starman.

“Huh? Why not?” asked the Arachnid, curiously.

“Because, I set her straight. No pun intended,” smiled the wielder of the Cosmic Rod.

“Dude…..that won’t do any good,” argued the bug-themed hero. “I’ve tried explaining to her several times that we’re not gay and she just doesn’t get it.”

“Well she did when she and I talked. In fact, she even apologized and told me how dumb she felt over the whole thing,” added Starman.

The Arachnid huffed a bit and gave Starman a dirty look, “You know, it’s times like these that I really hate you!”

Argos then interrupted the debating Spider-Star Team, “Cease your bickering! Look over there!”

Several yards in front of them stood the hulking alien, holding a car over her head. “Is there no-one on this pitiful planet that can challenge me?” she bellowed as she threw the automobile at a crowded bus that was trying to get it’s passengers out of the area.

“Oh no! That bus is full of people!” noticed Starman.

But before the car could smash into the bus, Argos flew in front of it and caught it in his hands. “Ugh…” he grunted as he lowered the car to the ground.

“Argos!” screamed the alien. “What are you doing interrupting my fun?”





“Fugladeth! I thought I smelled the stink of rotting whale flesh,” growled Argos. “What are you doing on this planet? Did Darkseid send you here?”

“I came on my own,” revealed Fugladeth. “I heard that things and people here are easy to break,” she said as she punched over a huge statue next to her.

Totem sprang in front of the falling statue and called upon the strength of one of the strongest animals in the jungle, “Gorilla!” She was able to catch the falling statue and slowly lower it to the ground.

The hulking visitor from Apokolips became quite angry with Totem for spoiling her latest act of destruction. “You little witch! How dare you spoil my fun? I’m gonna tear you in half.”

Totem motioned her hand to Fugladeth to come near her, “Bring it, lady!”

Fugladeth charged Totem in a rage, ready to rip her limb from limb when suddenly Argos landed in front of her.

“Leave this planet immediately!” he commanded. “This planet it under my protection and you shall go no further, cousin.”

“Cousin?” repeated the Arachnid. “You’re related to this beastly beauty?”

“She is the daughter of Kaliback and Bernadeth which makes her my half-cousin,” revealed Argos as he turned away from Fugladeth.

Fugladeth took full advantage of Argos’ distracted attention and sucker-punched him in the side of the head, knocking him several yards backwards. “Let the family feud begin then!”

Sturmer quickly became enraged by the visitor from Apokolips’ actions and tackled her ready to chew her arm off.

“Get off of me you stupid mutt!” bellowed Fugladeth as she struggled to keep Sturmer’s fangs at bay. She quickly shoved her Beta-club in his mouth and shot an electric current through the war-hound’s body, knocking the wind out of him. She got up, ready to continue her spree of destruction when Totem, Starman and the Arachnid surrounded her.

“Last chance lady, give up!” offered Totem.

The Arachnid leaned over towards Starman, “Dude, she’s got hair on her back and chin! And she smells like a seven day old can of Starkist! YUCK!”

“Are you making fun of me, little man?” asked Fugladeth as she grabbed the Arachnid by the throat. “I’m going to squeeze until your eyes pop out of your head!”

“Let him go! NOW!” ordered Totem as she slammed into Fugladeth’s back with the force of a charging rhino.

Fugladeth dropped the Arachnid and fell forward. “You’re going to pay for that you scrawny little wench!” she said as she picked herself up, ready to make good on her threat. But before she could act, Starman blasted her with his Cosmic-rod.

“Man….you are one ugly creature,” Starman said, shaking his head back and forth.

Fugladeth promptly ripped free a piece of the pavement below her and threw it at the stellar-powered hero, knocking him out of the sky. “I’m gonna tie that stupid fairy-wand around your throat, whelp!” Starman got lucky though as Fugladeth was stopped dead in her tracks by a powerful blast of the Astro-force.

“I told you to go home Fugladeth now do it while you can still walk,” suggested the son of Orion.

“You want to pull out the big guns, bad boy? Fine!” Fugladeth spat as she fired a blast from her Beta-club.

Argos was quick to jump out of the blast and strategically land in front of his opponent. “You come to this planet, hurt my teammates and my dog. For that, I shall forget you are a lady,” he said, punching the brute daughter of Bernadeth.

Totem then jumped on Fugladeth’s back. “Firefly!” she called out as she put her hands over Fugladeth’s eyes and emitted a bright flash of light.

“ARGH!!! I can’t see!” barked the female powerhouse. “What did you do to me you slut???”

Totem jumped off Fugladeth’s back, smiled, and dusted her hands off. “Pretty smart, huh?”

“No, that was very stupid of you,” frowned Argos as he watched as Fugladeth began to fire beams from her Beta-club randomly. She still could not see but she knew that destroying whatever was in the beams’ path would keep her opponents distracted while she recovered. One of her blasts struck a nearby abandoned apartment building causing the building to start to topple over.

Argos quickly flew up the building and tried to steady it but the blast had cracked the structure of the building and it was starting to crumble. “This building will fall apart before I’m able to safely lower it to the ground,” he said to himself.

Then, out of the horizon came a red and blue blur streaking towards the building. Finally, the blur stopped revealing Supergirl. “Take a load off big guy,” she smiled as she used her heat-vision to disintegrate the falling pieces of the building as they broke off. “Where’s the guy that caused this mess?” she asked bluntly.





As Argos finished lowered the building to the ground, he turned his head towards the still rampaging Fugladeth, “It was no man that caused this havoc, it was her!” he said, pointing at his estranged cousin. “But tread lightly, she’s from Apokolips.”

“Tread lightly? Who do you think you’re kidding?” Supergirl gritted her teeth and flew at Fugladeth without haste, slamming into her with the force of a semi-truck, knocking her over. She promptly jumped on top of her and started beating her mercilessly. “You stupid Apokoliptian hussy! Kansas is very special to my family,” she said as she continued punching away.

Fugladeth was dazed and confused by Supergirl’s attack. She hadn’t been hit that hard in a long time. Realizing she needed to act or face imminent defeat, she energized her Beta-club and rammed it into Supergirl’s head, knocking the young Kryptonian off of her. “So this place is special to you, huh? Great – then you won’t mind being buried here after I rip your pretty little head off!” Fugladeth shouted as she kneed the kneeling Supergirl in the jaw, knocking her backwards. As Supergirl lay on her back, disoriented and in pain, Fugladeth stood over her, raised her Beta-club with the pointed-end facing Supergirl and was ready to impale her skull with it. “Nighty night blondie!”

Lucky for Supergirl, before the daughter of Kalibak could act, Starman barraged her with a series of blasts from his Cosmic Rod, “Stay away from her!” he commanded

The blasts did little more than give Fugladeth a slight burn. Her skin was thick and tough, having braved the Fire Pits of Apokolips at one time. “Ooohh…..so you’ve got the hots for this stupid bimbo here? Fine! Have her!” she spat as she picked up Supergirl and threw her at Starman, knocking him out of the sky once again. “I’m getting sick of all of these little worms getting in my way!”

“Fine then, face a true warrior from New Genesis,” dared Argos, both fists clenched.

“You wanna play tag, cuz?” taunted Fugladeth, “Don’t say I didn’t warn ya!” she said as she went to punch the new-age Dog of War.

In a tactical move, Argos caught Fugladeth’s fist in his right hand.

“Huh?” the brute woman said, confused. But before her question could be answered, Argos used his left hand to punch her in the side of the head in her temple area. “Ackkkk!!!” she screamed as she dropped to the ground. She looked up at her cousin and bared her teeth, still dizzy from Argos’ blow. “You slimy son of a….” she started when Argos back-handed her knocking her a mile across the city.

Argos quickly flew over to where Fugladeth had landed, with the intent of offering her surrender. There she lay on her back, groggy and wracked with pain. She struggled to pick herself up. “Do you give up Fugladeth? I have no wish to further harm you today but if you continue your rampage, I shall have no other choice than to put you down.”

“You win this round Argos but next time we meet, your friends won’t be around to cover your back!” threatened Fugladeth.

Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Supergirl flew into Fugladeth and started beating her again. “Not so fast ugly! I still owe you a few for that lump you gave me on the side of my head with that stupid club of yours!” The new-age girl of steel only grew angrier and angrier as she punched away. With the beatings that Fugladeth had taken earlier, she was no position to give Supergirl a challenge and succumbed easily to the Kryptonian’s attack.

Argos quickly grabbed Supergirl’s arms, “Calm yourself girl, she’s beaten.”

“Not good enough,” argued the girl also known as Jenna Kent. “Let me go!”

“Not until you calm down!” insisted Argos, tightening his grip.

Fugladeth’s body was wracked with pain. She took the opportunity that Argos had given her and opened a Boom Tube and slowly crawled her way through.

“She’s getting away!” yelled Supergirl, continuing to struggle.

“Jenna, what’s wrong with you? I’ve never seen you so upset before?” pointed out Starman.

“What do you care Scott?” scoffed Supergirl. “I heard you have some stupid girlfriend from Rann.”

Starman paused for a minute not quite knowing what to say.

Even the Arachnid was a bit speechless.

Totem tried to offer some female support to the girl of steel, “Supergirl, I know we don’t know each other but it sounds like you’re having a bad day. You need some girl-talk?”

Argos let go of Supergirl hoping she would take advantage of Totem’s offer.

“Thanks but no thanks sister,” declined Supergirl. “No wonder why I quit this team. You’re all nothing short of pathetic!”

“Jenna, you don’t mean that!” argued Starman as he approached her.

“Stay away from me Scott,” ordered Supergirl. “You lost your luster a long time ago,” she spat as she took to the air and disappeared into the heavens.

“Boy, does she need some Midol or what?” commented the Arachnid.

“I’ve got to go after her!” Starman said, about to take to the air.

Before he could depart, the Arachnid grabbed his arm firmly, “Dude, let her go. She obviously doesn’t want to be bothered. Plus what would Aleea say if she found out you were chasing over your old flame?”

“I suppose you’re right but I still can’t believe she’s become so temperamental,” Starman said, shaking his head back and forth.

“How did Superman have daughter that’s such a witch?” Totem pondered aloud.


ONLY THE BEGINNING….