Titans of Justice Unlimited Chapter 109 - “Fall From Grace Part 3”
Written & edited by: Power Guy


The headquarters of the Justice Society Unlimited, Earth 2...

Robin stared up at the monitor screen, a bit frustrated.





“Any luck getting a hold of your partner?” Terrifica asked as she approached the former boy wonder.





“No, I can’t seem to reach the Huntress or any other member of the Titans of Justice for that matter,” replied the world’s second greatest detective.

“Oh boy, she and Hawk Warrior have been gone almost a week now,” commented Terrifica as she joined in Robin’s concern.

“This isn’t like my husband,” noted Fury as she stood up from the meeting table, hands on her hips. “Even when he’s on a mission, he does his best to check in every couple of days.”





“Well, if all of the Titans of Justice are absorbed by the same mission, it’s possible that the stakes are so high that none of them have time to make personal calls, as much as they’d like to,” pointed out the Jade Sentinel, trying to offer some hope to the group.





“Alex is right,” added Liberty Belle. “They could even be off planet or stuck somewhere in time where it’s just not possible to communicate with their loved ones. Let’s all give it a little longer before we start to panic.”





“Sucks for Dreamsweeper though,” Ground Zero said right before he gulped down a swig of his Amp drink. “He’s got tickets to the Boston Red Sox game tonight and if the White Wraith doesn’t show to relieve him of monitor duty, he straight out of luck!”





“Sure……rub some more salt in the wound, Shane,” grumbled Dreamsweeper from a second monitor screen who was aboard the joint TOJ/JSU satellite but attending the JSU meeting via satellite-relay.





“You could always give me the tickets and have one less thing hanging over your head, buddy,” smirked the grandson of Dan The Dyna-mite.

“Tell you what, Kurt,” interrupted Lightspeed. “If the White Wraith doesn’t show later, I’ll cover his shift so you can go to the game.”





“Really? YES!!!” exclaimed grandson of the original Sandman. “Not to worry, G.Z, I’ll bring you back a hot dog….”

“I’ll tell you where you can stick that hot dog…” smirked the explosion-powered hero.

“Alright boys…..settle down,” ordered Liberty Belle, giving both Dreamsweeper and Ground Zero a dirty look.

“Can we go now?” questioned the Emerald Archer. “I’ve got a date with a set of twins in a few hours….”





“You’ve got a date with two girls? What are they? Siamese twins?” Ground Zero asked sarcastically.

“Hey, when you’re rich, good looking, and have the swagga of Justin Timberlake, the ladies fall at your feet. Maybe if you’d stop hanging out in the men’s locker-room, you’d understand that,” joked the battling bowman.

“Well, if all of the men in the locker-room were anything like you, I’d have no reason to go there in the first place,” countered Ground Zero, taking another shot at his teammate.

“Ok, this meeting is sooooo over,” huffed Liberty Belle as she slammed a gavel down on the table.

“Very well, I have some spells to practice,” advised Dr. Fate as he vanished into a puff of smoke.





“Anybody up for poker and brews tonight?” asked Wildcat.

“I’ll be there at seven,“ answered the Vigilante. “Soldier, you need a lift home?” asked the modern-age cowboy as he started heading towards the door.





“That’d be great. My car is still in the shop,” replied the Sixty Minute Soldier.





“Winged Victory and I bid you all farewell then,” stated the Shining Knight as he made his exit.





***

Star City, New Earth…

“Merlyn, Merlyn, Merlyn…..shouldn’t you be tucked away on some nice, quiet, exotic island? Preferably Stryker’s Island?” mused Dark Arrow as he fired three arrows at the single oncoming arrow that the archer assassin had fired at him. The three arrows all hit the oncoming arrow, shattering it into three.





“d**n you boy! I will pierce your heart today!” cursed Merlyn as he reached in his quiver for another arrow.





“Come on pal, you couldn’t even beat my dad back in your prime and now you’re old, decrepit, and showing signs of arthritis!” teased Dark Arrow as one of his boxing-glove arrows slammed into Merlyn’s face, forcing him to stagger backwards a bit.

The black-clad mercenary became quickly enraged by how Dark Arrow was making a complete fool out of him. “That’s it!!! I’ll beat you to death!!!!” he screamed as he ran towards the son of Oliver Queen with his black bow raised above his head.

“You wanna plan Star Wars, Merlyn? I’m game!” spat Dark Arrow, ready to meet his assailant head-on until a green brick wall appeared in front of Merlyn.

The aging archer had no time to react and impacted with the wall instantaneously. The blow to his head caused him to collapse into unconsciousness within a fraction of a second.

Dark Arrow quickly looked up to see Green Lantern, Sonic Boom, and Sargona descending upon him via a green power-bubble. As the trio of Titans exited the bubble, Dark Arrow addressed them, “Well, well, well……if it isn’t America’s biggest enemies…”

“Rob, it’s good to see you,” Sonic Boom said as she immediately hugged her brother tightly.





Dark Arrow began to feel a strange sensation as his sister continued hugging him for a moment. “Uhh…..you’re certainly the affectionate one today, sis.”

As Sonic Boom loosened her grip, she replied, “Sorry….it just seems like forever since I’ve seen you.”

“Forever? It’s only been what…..a week?” concluded the man otherwise known as Robert Queen. “So anyways, what are you three doing here? Aren’t you afraid of getting caught? The entire world has you on top their most wanted list right now.”

“They’ll learn soon enough,” Sargona replied, dryly.





“Huh? So that really was you guys that shot down the president’s plane?” asked the son of Oliver and Dinah Queen.

“Rob, you have to understand…..he was in cahoots with Waller,” defended Sonic Boom. “Waller had him all twisted into thinking we were the enemy! They put a roster freeze on us and then banned us from all activity!”

“So you add more fuel to the fire by shooting down the man’s plane and then go scaring the entire United Nations??? Something’s not right here,” Dark Arrow said, suspiciously. “First Lance Luthor’s group of villains arrives on the scene acting like a bunch of heroes and now you guys are acting like the villains. I’m almost beginning to wonder if you all have switched bodies with Luthor’s Legion or something.”

“Come on Rob, don’t be preposterous,” advised Green Lantern as he put his hand on Dark Arrow’s shoulder.





“Get your hand off me Dan. Di Di may have forgiven you but I haven’t,” snapped the battling bowman.

“This is a waste of time. All he wants to do is argue!” huffed Sargona.

Sonic Boom then looked at her brother very seriously and said, “Join us, Rob. It’s for the best.”

“Not gonna happen ’Di Di’!” declined Dark Arrow as he began to reach into his quiver.

“Bah! You had your chance,” spat Sargona as she touched the wall of the building next to the group of heroes and caused it to come down on Dark Arrow.

After the dust had settled, Green Lantern looked deep into Sonic Boom’s eyes, “I’m sorry. I know how much you wanted your brother back.” He then began to kiss her passionately and surprising, Sargona started rubbing Sonic Boom’s back and kissing her neck.

“It’s ok, blondie. We’ll make it all better…” teased the daughter of Zatanna as Green Lantern enveloped them in a power-bubble and then took them skyward.

A few minutes later, Dark Arrow managed to dig himself out of the rubble. <COUGH> <COUGH> <COUGH> He then looked up into the sky to see Green Lantern and the others speeding away. As he clutched his broken rib, he thought to himself, “That wasn’t Di Di but I’m sure as heck going to figure who that was.“

***

S.T.A.R. Labs, Metropolis…

“So how are you liking your new job?” Rex Mason aka Metamorpho asked his former teammate, Violet Harper.





“Rex, I absolutely love it! The Hall Agency has been so good to me,” replied Halo. “It’s kind of funny as for as much as I toyed around with my parents camera when I was a child, I never thought I’d land a photography career.”





“I’m sure you’ll do good at it. Heck with your powers, you’ll always have the perfect lighting,” smiled the Element Man as he and his escort walked into his son’s room.

There laid the still recovering Metamorpheous. Since he had woken from his coma-like state, he had been depressed, unmotivated, and stuck in self-doubt.

“How’s my boy healing up?” asked the retired Outsider.

“Hey dad…I‘m ok,” replied Ethan, glumly. “Hello, Ms. Harper.”

“It’s good to see you again, Ethan,” Halo said, smiling warmly. “From what your dad told me, you’ve been through a lot recently.”

Ethan just laid there, completely quiet as his eyes began to water.

“Hey kid, don’t be so down on yourself,” offered Rex Mason. “You’re healing up quicker than expected. The doctor said you might even be able to walk out of here later today.”

“It’s not that, dad,” revealed Metamorpheous. “Haven’t you seen the news? Thanks to my mishap, I’ve sent the Titans on a road to destruction.”

“Ethan,” Halo said as she took his hand, “I’ve only been back among the living for a few months but I can tell you with complete certainty that something is very off with your teammates. They would never have willingly shot down the president’s plane and jeopardized the entire United Nations.”

“But….” began Metamorpheous.

“Someone must be controlling them,” concluded Halo. “I’m sure of it…..even if you’re not familiar enough with them yet to agree. The men and women that helped me reestablish my life would not do the things we’ve seen on the news in the last week. Heck, I’d bet my second life on it!”

“I guess all of the pain medication has left me a bit deluded….” sighed Metamorpheous. “But if those aren’t the Titans or if it is them and they’re being controlled, what can I do about it?”

“WE’RE going to get to the bottom of this,” declared Halo. “I always repay my debts and I owe the Titans big time. How about you, Rex? Care to join us for the ride?”

“And steal my boy’s chance to shine? No way!” declined Metamorpho. “Besides, Sapphire would strangle me if she found out I was playing superhero again. So are you going to put a new Outsiders team together?”

“No way, that Blackbird lady has already dirtied up the name enough,” replied Halo. “Until we figure out what’s going on with the Titans, WE’RE the Titans,” she said, looking at Metamorpheous.

As the trio began to conclude their conversation, an important news bulletin began playing on the television set in the room.

“This is Lois Lane Kent reporting for WGBS News. I’m here in Washington D.C. where the government has just made a startling announcement. With the apparent demise of both the President and Vice President, the head of Congress has revealed who will be leading our county for the remainder of President Obama’s term. Thanks to a special clause within the constitution that was recently requested to be added by the supposedly deceased Obama, his successor was made to be very clear should something like the current circumstance happen. In the new clause, it states that if both the president and vice president are killed due to metahuman activity, the office of presidency falls to the head of metahuman affairs. As of today, the president of the United States of America is now………. AMANDA WALLER!”


TO BE CONTINUED