Titans of Justice / Darkest Hour #3 - “A Temper Flares”
Written & edited by: Power Guy
Creative consulting provided by: Darth_Ennis & GreenLantern
Art by: Darth_Ennis
Maxi-Micros by: Power Guy

Niger, Africa...

“I can’t believe this,” shouted Wonder Man to Starman via their Titans of Justice Communicators. “Jerrica wasn’t even with you guys one full day and she’s already missing?!?!?!”





“Scott, I know you’re upset but try to calm down,” urged Starman. “No-one is more upset about than myself except you of course but I promise you that we WILL find her.”





“I’m going to ask my mother to watch the kids. I’m going to suit up and join you guys momentarily,” decided the seemingly formerly retired hero.

“I don’t want you doing that,” countered Starman. “Your wife is missing. Your children need you right now if for nothing else than to keep them from worrying where their mother is. Your Aunt Donna is aware of the situation. She and I will personally make sure that Jerrica is found. Let Wonder Man take care of his kids. We’ll take care of Jerrica - you have my word.”

“Alright. I’ll put my faith in you.......for now,” agreed Wonder Man. “But remember this is my wife we’re talking about.”

“I understand,” confirmed Starman.

“I’m sure you would feel the same way if anything like this happened to Jenna,” said Wonder Man right before he signed off.

Starman looked over at Supergirl and just felt thankful that she was alive and well and right by his side as the two of them along with Goldbug, Phantom Lady, and the RayIII(whom Phantom Lady called in due to the global emergency) as they descended upon a small city in Niger. Vampirus and her vampiric minions were ransacking the town, turning everyone in sight into blood-thirsty monsters.

The heroes hit the vampire army like a hammer. Starman and the Ray used their solar energy to drive back dozens of vampires by shining bright or by zapping them with energy blasts.

“I thought you said you were rusty?” teased Starman to his light-emitting teammate.

“I am. I haven’t seen any action since the Crisis,” revealed the third incarnation of the Ray. “College has kept me extremely busy but when Phantom Lady called, I couldn’t turn down an original member of the Freedom Fighters,” said the Ray as he blasted an oncoming vampire.





“I have a lot of respect for the originals myself,” added Goldbug who had encased a trio of vampires in a forcefield. “One of these days, I wanna go back in time and meet the original Blue Beetle.”





“You should have asked Rip Hunter to take you back in time when he was here a few weeks ago,” advised Supergirl right before she used her super-breath to scatter a baker’s dozen of the undead.





Phantom Lady was listening to the chatter as she creeped through the darkness, blinding the vampires and taking them out with her dark energy blasts from her bracelets.

As the heroes fought on, they failed to notice the arrival of a dense cloud of mist which soon turned into the form of Vampirus, mistress of the voodoo vampires. “Well, look what we have here! More super-powered pawns to do my bidding!” she said as red beams shot forth from her teeth and struck Goldbug.





“Eiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!” screamed the legacy of both the Blue Beetle and Booster Gold as his body turned inside out as he morphed into a vampire.

“GOLDBUG!!!” shrieked Starman in dispair as he watched his friend’s transformation, “NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!!!!!” He then noticed Vampirus out of the corner of his eye. “You %*&#@! Turn him back or I’ll take your head off!”

“I’ll do no such thing, isn’t that right slave?” declined Vampirus as she turned to her newest minion.

“That’s is correct, mistress,” agreed the newly transformed Gold Bug as he lunged for Starman.





Starman instantly responded by zapping Goldbug with his Cosmic Rod, sending him backwards. Starman was quiet, highly upset over the apparent loss of his best friends. He trembled and shook a bit as Gold Bug picked himself up and lunged for him again, this time avoiding Starman’s energy-blasts and tackling him to the ground.

“Come on, old pal,” began Goldbug, “What’s a bite on the neck between old friends?” he teased, trying to bite at stellar-powered hero’s neck.

Starman was doing his best to fight Goldbug off but fond memories and his emotional bond with the blue and gold hero were getting in the way and diverting his attention. If this would have been on of their usual after video game fights, Starman would have no trouble holding his own if not winning this battle but this was different - it was serious this time.

Lucky for Starman, Supergirl swooped down from the sky and pulled Goldbug off of him. She then set Gold Bug on the ground and restrained him with her arms, “Easy big guy or I’ll give you a taste of my solar-powered heat-vision. We both know how much vampires like solar radiation.”

“You will do no such thing!” came the voice of Vampirus from behind Supergirl right before she shoved her hand through Supergirl’s back and ripped out her heart.

“JENNA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” screamed Starman who couldn’t believe his eyes. First, his best friend was turned into one of the living dead and now his girlfriend of several years was dead.

“Oh my God!” whispered Phantom Lady as she witnessed the horrific assault on Supergirl. She quickly ran to her nephew’s side and held him tightly. “Easy, Scotty, I’ve got you. Ray! We need a distraction!”





“The light-powered hero took Phantom Lady’s queue and then light exploded from his body like a disco-ball, blinding and weakening all of the vampires in the area. After they regained their sight, the heroes, along with Supergirl’s body were long gone.

Minutes later, inside one of the Titans of Justice’s Javelyns, Phantom Lady was trying to comfort Starman, who was quickly falling apart. He had been staring at Supergirl’s inert body for the last twenty minutes straight and was now repeatedly punching the walls of the ship. “%*#&!!!! %*#&!!!! %*#&!!!!” Starman kept screaming and cursing like a madman.

“Scott, please, don’t do this to yourself,” urged Phantom Lady. “Jenna and Aaron wouldn’t want you to beat yourself up over this.”

“Aunt Sandy, I lost them both within fifteen minutes! How the $%&# can anyone be expected to deal with something like this?!?!?!That’s just not fair!” cried out the co-leader of Titans West as he continued to punch away. Phantom Lady began rubbing Starman’s shoulders in an attempt to soothe his rage but it did little good. She then turned to the Ray who had put the ship on auto-pilot, “Nice save back there. If Illumina ever retires, your her replacement!”

***

The coast of Thailand...

Another Javelyn streaked through the air carrying Whirlpool, Hawk Warrior, Hawkgirl, Air Wave, Blue Dolphin, and the newly returned White Wraith.

“So where have you been all of this time?” Whirlpool asked his friend.





There was a slight hesitation before the White Wraith answered. “The Spectre had assigned me a mission of great importance. I just finished my mission a few days ago.”






“How did it go?” asked the Atlantean heartthrob.

“Good and........not so good,” replied the White Wraith, grimly.

I take it that you didn’t exactly complete your mission?” guessed the older brother of Aqualass.

“I did,” the White Wraith stated, dryly.

“Then why the disappointment?” asked the prince of Atlantis.

Though no-one could see his face, there was a menacing look of anger in the White Wraith eyes as he shouted, “Because! I was promised by the Spectre that I would get my full powers back if I completed my mission and once I was done, he told me I was not ready yet to get my full abilities back!”

“Oh man, I’m sorry,” offered Whirlpool.

“Don’t feel so bad, wraith, some of us don’t have any powers at all,” pointed out Air Wave. “Look at Knightvision and Johnny Hex. They do just fine without powers.”





“Sometimes, good fighting prowess is all that’s needed to win a battle,” interjected Hawk Warrior.





“Don’t you see???” growled the White Wraith. “I am reduced to a poltergeist of sorts. It’s pathetic for someone with my potential.”

“Don’t feel so bad,” began Hawkgirl. “All good things come in time.”





“I’ve waited long enough!” snapped the protogee’ of the Spectre.

“You and me both, whitey,” huffed Blue Dolphin as she pulled out her lipstick and began rubbing it around her lips.





“Ok, people,” called out Hawk Warrior. “The vampire army is right below us! Gossiping time is over! Prepare for battle!”

With that, the group of Titans sprang into action with the White Wraith fighting like a wildcat, trying to release anger within himself.

***

Markovia....

“We got lucky team,” advised Halo. “Out of all of the current vampire uprisings in the world, we got the smallest portion to deal with but don’t let your guard down for one minute. They are all extremely dangerous!”





“You don’t have to worry about us, Halo. We’re all watching each other’s backs!” assured the Crimson Squire as she threw a couple of her battle discs at a few vampires, knocking them off of their feet.

“They all smell musty and moldy,” said Miss Creeper as she leaped over one vampire and came crashing down on another.





“These creatures are truly unholy,” the new Geo-Force said as he compelled the earth to rise upward and entomb a half-dozen of the undead night-walkers.





“That and a whole lotta %^*@$# up!” shouted Rock as he drop-kicked a vampire that almost caught him by surprise.

Tsukuri glanced briefly at the grandson of Sgt. Rock as she silently zipped through a baker’s dozen of the vampires using her martial arts skills to keep her attackers at bay. Inside her, there was a hunger to carve them to pieces with her enchanted sword but she was trying to be a better person now and she would only resort to such a tactic as a last resort.





“Press harder!” directed Halo as she used her tractor-beam to scatter a handful of the blood-sucking monsters. “They’re gaining in numbers by the minute. We’ve got to take out the head-master!”

“And here I thought we were friends,” came a familiar voice. Halo turned her head to see her former teammate Looker, standing before her, blood dripping from her fangs.




“Looker! You’re behind this?” asked an astonished Halo. “I thought you were in control of your vampiric urges? What’s gotten into you?”

“What’s gotten into me?” repeated the red-headed creature of the night. “Why the thirst for blood!” Looker said as she used her telekinesis to immobilize Halo and then proceeded to float over to her.
She prepared to bite the blond heroine but before her teeth could penetrate Halo’s skin, Blackout darted out of one of her warp-holes and put her arm around Looker’s neck, restraining her.

“G...g.....get off of me!!!!” screamed Looker, slashing around like a trapped animal.

With Looker’s hold over Halo broke, the leader of the Outsiders gave her former teammate a small blast of solar radiation.

“EEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!” howled Looker right before she slumped in agony.

“Honey, talk to me,” pleaded Halo. “Why are you doing this?”

“I’m preparing the earth.........for his coming....” gasped Looker.

“Who’s coming?” questioned Halo, curiously.

But instead of answering Halo’s question, Looker lunged for her again but this time was stopped by the blade of Tsukuri going through her heart.

“AAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” cried out Looker as she dissolved into dust.

“Tsukuri!” cried out Halo. “You....you killed her.”

“Yes, my blade is not only magic but it is silver as well,” revealed the usually silent ninja warrior. “I’m sorry but I felt I had no other choice.”

“I know,” affirmed Halo, quietly. “I just hope she’s in a better place now,” she said as a few tears dripped from her eyes. “Well, I can’t dwell on this now. There are plenty more vampires to neutralize.” With that, the Outsiders rushed back into battle.

***

The royal Atlantean palace...

The retired Aquaman sat at the dinner table with his wife Mera and their recently returned from college son.

“Philip, it’s good to have you home again,” noted Aquaman. “I have to say that I’m proud of the grades you've earned this semester.”





“As am I,” agreed Mera as she sipped her white wine.





“Thanks mom and dad,” replied Philip Curry. “School was really tough this semester. My final project for economics was a killer.”

“Well, it was worth in the end. You got an ‘A’,” smiled Mera.

“You’re right,” agreed Philip. “Since I did so good in school and have a few months off I have a question for you two.”

“What is it son?” asked the former king of Atlantis.

“I want to accompany Arin and train to become a superhero like him,” stated Philip confidently.

Aquaman stood up with a look of anger in his eyes, “NO! I FORBID IT!”

“As do I!” Mera said, following suit.

“But why? I have these incredible abilities that shouldn’t go to waste!” argued the young man.

“I don’t care! I will NOT lose another son,” chided Mera. The world of superheroics cost me one child, it shall not cost me another.”

“This is ridiculous!” Philip said, intent on not backing down. “I’m a grown man. I can take care of myself.”

“I don’t want to hear it!” growled Aquaman. “I shall not allow you to do such a thing. Banish this thought from your head!!!”

“Not a chance, dad,” Philip thought to himself, a look of disappointment on his face.

***

Later at the Metrotower...

“Scott, are you sure you want to be alone?” asked Phantom Lady to her nephew.

“YES!!!” screamed Starman in frustration. “I want everyone out of here NOW!!!”

“Don’t let what Superman said to you get to you,” insisted the former member of the Freedom Fighters. “You were more than good enough for Jenna. He’s just rightfully upset because his daughter is dead but he didn’t mean those horrible things that he said.”

“I said GET OUT!!!” Starman roared, feeling extremely angry over Supergirl’s demise.

Phantom Lady’s eyes began to tear up knowing how much suffering that her nephew was going through this day after Gold Bug being turned into a vampire and Supergirl being killed by Vampirus. As much as she didn’t want to leave Starman alone, she though it might be for the best, at least for now.

After Phantom Lady and the Ray had made their exit to rejoin the battle against the vampires, Starman began throwing things left and right while cursing up a storm. Never had he been so angry before. Almost every vein in his body was swelling and sweat was dripping off of him almost like pouring rain. After several minutes, he had all but completely demolished his room when the window next to him was shattered by an object entering through it. Starman turned with a vicious look on his face to see what his latest trouble was only to see a red power-ring floating before him.

The ring wasted no time in speaking up, “Scott Stone of Earth. You have great rage in your heart. You have been chosen to be one of the two new Red Lanterns of Earth....”





TO BE CONTINUED!