Titans of Justice Unlimited #26 – “Truth AND Consequences Part 6”
Written & "Cover" Art By: Scotty2Hotty
Edited & Maxi-Micros By: Power Guy


Tartarus…

Wonder Man’s eyes widened in horror as his entire family began to plummet towards the unearthly flames. His brain could not process what he was seeing as he leapt forward, drawing his lasso. He hoped the lasso would be able catch his loved ones. Before he could draw a breath, he saw a giant green catcher’s mitt appear below his falling relatives. He looked over and Green Lantern had freed his hand from the spider web. Green Lantern then guided the mitt back to a ledge. Despite being injected by Dr. Poison, his willpower overcame the toxin, though he still was weakened.

Wonder Man and Jem rushed towards their screaming, terrified baby.

Ares turned his red eyes towards the giant spider web.

“Quite the show off, aren’t we Green Lantern? I think I will reward your bravery with a quick death.”





Ares gestured towards the web and from the ceiling descended a giant, black spider. Its eyes were red like blood and its fangs dripped a yellowish bile. Green Lantern struggled as did Corporal Marvel. Sargona had tears welling up in her eyes as she struggled to get the mask off her face. If only she could speak!

By now, Black Orchid was stirring. She narrowed her eyes, trying to focus. She let out a scream as she saw the spider crawling towards them all, its mouth open.

Illumina was awakened by Black Orchid’s scream. She too panicked as the beast gracefully moved closer to them. She could smell its rancid breath it was so close.

Wonder Man and Jem tried to comfort their crying son.

“Hey buddy, it’s all good! Mom and Dad are here.” Wonder Man said as he cradled his son.





Jem was also trying to calm her son as Wonder Woman and Champion freed Steve from his chains.

Donna assisted Tom to his feet.

Just then, Wildcard appeared from nowhere on his pogo-stick. He bounced by Wonder Man, striking him in the head with a giant crowbar causing him to drop the baby. Before Steven could hit the ground, Wildcard caught him in a fishing net. “Look what the stork left me! HAAAAHHHAAOOOOOHOOOO!!!!” he cackled as he bounced away.





Wonder Man was groggy but got to his feet but then quickly collapsed. “Go…go after him…just need a minute….” He said to Jem as he tried to focus his blurred vision.

Jem did not say a word, but took off after Wildcard.

Back at the web, the spider was sniffing Green Lantern.

“Dear God, give me strength!” Green Lantern thought. He was still weak from Dr. Poison’s injection and from saving the Wonder Family.





Suddenly Black Orchid got a second wind and burst free from the web. She attacked the spider, fists flying. “Sorry, we won’t be your appetizers today!” she said as she punched the spider in the face, causing it to utter an ungodly scream. Black Orchid was unable to dodge one of the spider’s legs as it howled in agony. She was sent flying back into the web, causing it to crash to the ground. Green Lantern, Illumina, Corporal Marvel, Sargona, and the cocoon holding Kung all were freed.





Corporal Marvel ripped the mask from Sargona’s face.

“Thanks.” She gasped as she caught her breath.





“No problem, Sargona. Your face never looked as good as it does now!” Corporal Marvel replied.






Illumina helped Green Lantern to a rock. He sat down as sweat poured off of him.

“Wh…what did Dr. Poison inject me with….” He muttered as he fought back nausea.

“I don’t know. I have to get you out of here and back to S.T.A.R!” she said, concern in her voice.





“I underestimated you all.” Ares said. “Fausta, if you would be so kind….”

“Ja.” Fausta smiled as she ran full force at Wonder Woman, knocking her down.





Champion helped her father to safety. “Dad, I am so sorry about all this. Are you going to be ok?”





“I…I’ll be fine…go help your mother and brother…”





“How I have waited for this moment, damned Amazon! My only regret is that I did not get to kill your mother! You will have to do!!” Fausta screamed, as she pounded Wonder Woman’s face with her fists.

Wonder Woman was able to get her feet up and underneath Fausta. She kicked and sent the Nazi flying into Ares, knocking them through a cavernous wall.

Donna Troy ran over to her sister. “Come on! While they’re down!”





Wonder Man had steadied himself and set out to find Jem and their son.

Deep within the cavern, Wildcard bounced wildly on his pogo stick. Steven Trevor’s cries echoed along the dark, damp walls.

Jem was right behind, sending blasts of sound and color at the madman. “Have to time this just right…” she thought.





“Why do you fight this Jem? Why, we could take this baby and ditch this scene! Start our own little family! Of course, this kid is way too ugly for me to raise! May have to do some plastic surgery…..to make him look more like me!” Wildcard laughed, turning to snicker at Jem.

Just then, Jem sent a bolt of sound directly in Wildcard’s path, knocking him off his pogo stick. Jem quickly snatched her son before he could hit the rugged, cold ground. After making sure Steven was ok, she set him down and walked over to Wildcard.
“You! You son of a b****! You take my son, nearly kill my sister!”

“Aw, don’t get your panties in a twist, cupcake! Ares promised you to me! Why don’t you just chill out and go with the flow? How about a roofy?” he giggled as he drew a martini glass from his uniform. “Hmph, should have slipped one to your hot lil’ sis!”

Jem’s rage boiled within her. Before she knew what she was doing, she was on top of Wildcard punching with no mercy. Wildcard screamed as his teeth went flying left and right.

“THAT is for my sister!” she screamed! She continued punching.

Wonder Man found her and pulled her off. “Babe! Calm down, he’s out! He’s out!”

Jem looked for a moment at Wildcard. His mouth was a bloody mess and his face was swollen. She looked down at her hands, covered in blood.

“Oh Scott…” she cried.

Just then Wildcard raised his head. “Oh Thot!” he said, lisping from his missing teeth. “Wah, wah, wah! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

With that, Wonder Man kicked Wildcard in the head, sending him into unconsciousness.

Wonder Man picked up his son and held his wife. She buried her head in his chest and kissed her now quiet baby.

By now, there was a full scale fight between Ares, Fausta and the Wonder Family and the Titans.

Champion deflected an assault of stalagmites with her bracelets, sent at her by Ares. Donna tried to restrain Ares with her lasso.

“Why Ares!? First you destroy an innocent girl! Druscilla is in a coma because of you! And now all this!?” Champion yelled.

“How dare you question me!” Ares said he whipped the lasso around, causing Donna to collide with her niece.

Fausta and Wonder Woman continued to fight. Tom tried to help Wonder Woman against Fausta.

‘Little man!” Fausta laughed as she drop-kicked Tom Tressor into a stone wall.

“Tom!” Wonder Woman cried out, much to Steve’s dismay.

“This has gone on far too long! It ends now!” Ares shouted as the cavern started to crumble.

“He’s gone crazy! He’s going to kill us all here, himself included!” Illumina screamed.

“Stupid woman. A god cannot die!” Ares said as lava erupted and fire sprang from the blackness.

Fausta seemed stunned at the turn of events.

“Only one chance…” Sargona said.

“Corporal Marvel! Change back to Freddy!” she commanded.

“What? Have you lost your mind?” he stammered.

“No, just listen to me! Black Orchid, I want you to throw Freddy at Ares as hard as you can. Freddy, when you are about to hit him, call down that thunder of yours. If I’m right, it will slow him down at least. It’s our only chance!”

Corporal Marvel took a deep breath. “I hope you’re right Sargona.”

“Just do it! I’m going to focus on Lilith and get my spell going to open the portal home!”

“SHAZAM!” in a flash, Corporal Marvel was gone. Freddy Freeman stood in his place.

Black Orchid picked him up in her arms. “Well, Freddy. If this doesn’t work, it was nice knowing you.” She winked as she hurled Freddy Freeman towards Ares.

Freddy could see Ares’s eyes widen. Just then he shouted “SHAZAM!”.

A big bolt of lightning came down, not only transforming Freddy, but knocking Ares over. His helmet split and his armor started to crack.

“Sargona! It worked!!! Get that portal open!!” Black Orchid cheered.

“I’m trying!!” Sargona replied.

Wonder Man, Jem, and the baby had returned. Wonder Man dragged the battered Wildcard behind him.

Ares screamed as the walls of the cavern shattered. “YOU HURT ME!” he yelled in a thunderous voice, staring at Corporal Marvel. “You will die first!”

Just then the cocoon holding Kung burst open. He screamed wildly as he saw Ares.

“You betrayed me! All of us!” Kung shouted as he transformed into a giant spider. “Now you pay!” Kung began attacking Ares and the two of them fought.





“I forgot Kung could change into animals.” Champion gasped. “Quickly while they fight!” she gestured towards the portal Sargona had managed to open.

Ares and Kung continued fighting like madmen. Rocks and debris were flying all around as everyone made it through the portal quickly.

Fausta saw that that Tartarus was quickly falling apart and Ares was in no position to be of any use for her. Just as the portal was about to shut, she leapt through.

Lilith ran over to her friends, now at S.T.A. R. Labs.

“Thank God!” my ESP was going crazy! She said as she hugged Donna Troy.





“I saw Fausta come through the portal….where is she…?” Wonder Woman asked looking around.

“She…she did come through…but she’s not here….” Lilith said. “Here…but not here…at the same time…”

Wildcard was taken to a maximum security holding cell. Lilith excused herself to call Duela Dent and let her know that her nephew was in custody.

Illumina rushed Green Lantern into an examining room.

“I hope he’ll be ok.” Sargona said.

“Illumina’s the best. If anyone can get that poison out of him, she can.” Black Orchid replied.

“I wish she could help my family.” Champion said as her family just stared at one another. Wonder Man held his son close. Wonder Woman reached out for him, but he turned his back.

“Come on Jerrica. Let’s take our boy home and check on Kimber.” Wonder Man said coldly as he walked over to Steve Trevor. He hugged him tightly and held back tears. “I’ll call you soon,” Wonder Man whispered.

“Ok, son.” Steve said as he patted Steven on the head.

Wonder Man walked over to Tom Tressor. “I’m sorry about all this. I’m sure you are as shocked as I am. I…I need some time.”

Tom half smiled. “I understand. I need some time myself. It’s ok.”





Donna walked over to her sister. “Donna, please get me out of here. I’m about to fall apart.” She whispered.

Champion walked over to her father. “Dad. I don’t know what to say….” She started as she put her arm around him.

“Can you take me home…please?” Steve asked.

“Sure. Come on.”

Black Orchid watched as this all unfolded. She knew Green Lantern would be ok, but wasn’t sure if the Wonder Family would ever be the same. Wonder Man had been one of the first friends she made on the team and it hurt her to see him so upset.

“Wow.” Corporal Marvel said, walking over to her. “What do you think will happen to them?”

“I don’t know Freddy. I just don’t know.”

***

EPILOGUE 1:

The home of Scott & Jerrica Trevor…

Jerrica Trevor sipped a glass of wine. Steven had been fussy and refused his nap. After much playtime and a warm bottle, he had finally drifted off to sleep.

“What do you think is happening?” Murray Spaulding asked. Murray also drank a glass of wine and was seated on the couch with Kimber. Kimber’s wounds were healing, but her arm was still in a sling.

“I don’t know. It’s been weeks since Scott has spoken to his mother. I wanted to go to Paradise Island with him, but he said he’d rather go alone.”

“What about Steve? What about Tom Tressor?” Kimber asked as she refilled her glass.

“Steve moved out of their Beverly Hills home and back to Virginia. Diana returned to Paradise Island after she came home and found his wedding band on their nightstand.”

“Wow, pretty heavy stuff.” Murray commented.

“Yeah. Tom seems to have vanished. I know he is an IADC agent—one of the best. If he doesn’t want to be found, he won’t be.” Jerrica replied.

“I still can’t believe what Rio did….to me.” Kimber said. “He used to be so nice—“ she started to cry remembering how he brutally attacked her and kidnapped her nephew.

Murray comforted Kimber as she regained her composure.

“Scott told me that Duela Dent preferred he remained in S.T.A.R. Labs custody. Hopefully they can get him the counseling he needs. From what Donna has pieced together, Ares broke him out of the mental hospital in Japan and made him even sicker. I wish Scott would call me…” Jerrica added as she looked out the window.

***

PARADISE ISLAND…

Queen Diana sat on a marble bench beside a bust of her mother, Hippolyta.

“I swore I’d never disappoint my children---that I’d never fight with them the way we often did. Now, I have failed them both, my husband too.” She looked out over the ocean and the beautiful capital city. The sun was beginning to set and Paradise Island looked a lot like Washington D.C. this time of the day. She remembered how she found Steve Trevor on the beach, hovering near death. She remembered defying her mother to become Wonder Woman and travel to man’s world. The perfect life she had always wanted—a wife, mother, and career woman had fallen apart. She found it funny that she was more at home in man’s world than here on her beautiful island.

“Mother, I wish you were to tell me what to do.” Diana sighed.

“Maybe she told me what to do.”

“Scott! Oh Hera, are you alright? How is your fa—how is Steve?” she caught herself. She had to fight the urge to run to her son, to hug him.

Scott Trevor walked over to his mother and sat next to her on the bench. Both were silent for what seemed liked hours. Finally he spoke.

“Mother, why did you keep this from me? I had a right to know. So did Mr. Tressor.”

Diana waited a few moments. “I…I had no right to keep this from you. Perhaps I am being punished for all those years fighting crime, spouting off about Amazon ideals. About truth.”

“Mother, you told me about how you and grandmother often quarreled. I do not want that for you and I. I want Steven to know his grandmother and to be at home here. I….I’ve thought about this. I do not agree with what you did, but I think I understand. When I became a father, I felt different. Like I would do anything in the world to protect my son. I know now that is what you thought you were doing for me.”

Diana started to cry. “It looks like I did something right after all. I raised a good man.”

Scott and his mother both cried and hugged each other.

“Now, if I only I could talk to your father. If only I could get him to understand. He is your father. He raised you. He was there for you. No matter what he is your father.”

“I know, that has not changed. He is Steven’s grandfather too.” Scott added, flashing his million dollar smile.

“I don’t know what to do. He won’t return my calls….”

“Maybe he would prefer to see in you person.” Came Steve’s voice.

“Steve! Oh Steve!!” Diana cried, running to her husband. He hugged her.

“Scott and I had a very long talk. I understand what you did and why you did it. It still hurts…..but I forgive you.”

Diana sobbed at his words.

“I know you didn’t intentionally want this to happen.” Steve continued.

The three of them talked and walked along the beach.

“What are you going to do about Tom?” Steve asked his son.

“Well, I know some people don’t have a dad. I guess I am lucky that I have two.”

Diana and Steve smiled at the mature man that was their son. Later that evening, they watched him depart in the invisible jet.

“He has come a long way, hasn’t he?” Steve asked his wife.

“He has. From a shallow model to a wonderful husband and father. We did good Mr. Trevor.”

“Yes we did, Mrs. Trevor.” Steve said before kissing his wife. The summer breeze washed over them as day turned to night over Paradise Island.

***

Epilogue 2:

Croatia…

Scott Trevor entered a crowded bar. “Finally! I found him!” he thought.

Weeks had passed and he had been searching for Tom Tressor, who proved very difficult to find. Scott was very nervous as he approached the man who was his birth father. He took a deep breath and started to say something. Before he could out the first word, Tom spun around.

“Your mother would be disappointed. She would have found me in less than a day.” He smiled.

“Mr. Tressor—I—“ Scott stammered.

“Calm down, kid. It’s ok. I’m not avoiding you. I thought it might be better for you if I disappeared.”

Scott sat down at the bar and ordered a jack and diet coke. He noticed Tom was drinking the same thing.

“Mr. Tressor, this has been a lot for me take in. A lot for my entire family to sort out.”

“I understand. To be honest, I thought you wouldn’t want to find me. You’ve been tracking me for some time.”

“How did you know??” Scott gasped.

“I’m a good agent. I know when I’m being followed. You didn’t stop, so I figured you wouldn’t give up. I always liked this bar and thought you would too. “

Scott smiled. “Mr. Tressor—“

Tom interrupted him. “You can cut the Mr. Tressor crap. Call me Tom or whatever you want.”

“Ok….Tom. I would like for you to get to know me, my wife, and your grandson.”

Tom’s face lit up.

“It’s important to me.”

“What about your mother and Steve? They probably wish I weren’t around.”

“This is my decision, whether they like it or not. And for the record, I am here with their blessing.”

The two men talked about laughed for hours. Tom told Scott all about his days at the Department of Meta Human Affairs and how he figured out Diana Prince and Wonder Woman were one and the same. Last call was announced and the two of them made their way to Tom’s hotel.

“Jerrica and I have a room here too. Tomorrow, we’d like you to spend the week with us and Steven. He is looking forward to meeting his other grandfather.”

Tom smiled. “You know, Scott. Your parents raised you well. Better than I could have. I think I am going to like this…being a dad and granddad all at once.”

Scott replied, “I think I am going to like it too.”

***

EPILOGUE 3:

Steve and Diana Trevor’s Beverly Hills Home…

Diana Prince looked through the scrap book she had kept of her son’s modeling career. She came across his first cover as her daughter Mindy entered the living room.

“Mindy. How are you, daughter?”

“Fine. I hear Scott and Dad have forgiven you. So, I guess I have to as well.

Diana sensed the anger and tension in her daughter. “That’s up to you.”

“Mother, I don’t get it. You betrayed our family in the worst way and yet, they both up and forgive you. Scott is even partying it up across Europe with his “new” father. You and Dad are ok with this? I swear I do not understand this family! But it makes sense now that I think of it. Scott is your favorite.”

Diana threw her wine glass across the room, shattering it. “Damn it Mindy! Yes, I guess I did favor Scott. I thought I was protecting him. I didn’t want him to know how he was brought into this world. Maybe if you ever become a mother you will understand! I will do anything to protect my son!!”

“That’s just it mother! You betrayed our people! Our way of life! You became one of….them!”

“Them? Let me tell you something right now! You are one of ‘them’ as well! Great Hera, Mindy I do not know what to do with you. You never wanted to come to the states, always screaming to stay on Paradise Island to study with Nubia and the others. Not even Donna could get you to accept this part of your life. I don’t know you Mindy, and Zeus knows I have tried! And you are part of man’s world whether you want to admit or not! Do you realize how badly you hurt your father with your dislike of everything here??” Diana screamed. She noticed Mindy’s eyes tearing up.

“Mindy, I didn’t mean that, I’m sorry.”

“No, mother it’s ok. We needed to talk like this. All this time, I’ve blamed you for the way I felt. Always left out.”

“I didn’t realize you felt that way. It was always like you didn’t want to be part of us.”

“Maybe it was a combination of those things, mother.” Mindy said as both women sat on the plush, white couch.

“I came here to tell you something. I have taken a job with the IADC.”

“What? But, I thought your job as an entertainment reporter was what you wanted—a good way to keep your identity secret.”

“Mother, I want to understand you. I want to learn more about man’s world and why it is so important to you. I need to know more about these people you became a part of.”

“I understand, and I think you have made a good choice.” Diana said.

For the first time in a long time, Mindy hugged her mother. They spent the afternoon together and talked more than they had in years.

A couple of weeks passed. Mindy arrived at IADC headquarters. She wore glasses and her hair was in a tight bun. Her uniform hugged her body and many heads turned as she walked to her first official meeting. She would find out who her training partner would be today and she was a bit excited. She entered the room and found a tall, blonde man.

“Excuse me, sir. Agent Trevor reporting for duty.”

The man spun around and smiled. “Hello Agent Trevor. I am your Field Supervisor, Agent Tom Tressor.”

Mindy was shocked. “Sir, I assume your relationship to my family will not interfere with our professional relationship.”

“Relax, Trevor.” He said, noticing how much Mindy looked like her mother. “All business here.” He added as the two of them sat down and started going over files.

Mindy noticed how handsome Tom was as they went over various assignments.

“Hmmm. Maybe being part of man’s world won’t be so bad after all.” She uncharacteristically thought to herself and adjusted her glasses.


The End!