Titans of Justice Unlimited #98 - “Trust Undone Part 2”
Written, Edited, & Maxi-micros by: Power Guy


Deep space aboard the Green Lantern ship…

The Huntress had just finished explaining to the group of assembled heroes how Knightvision had been raised from the dead by Kitty Kat and Barbara Gordon via one of the Lazarus Pits and then posed as being Tim Drake’s son while being given the code-name of the new Red Robin. The team had formed a semi-circle around the Huntress and Kitty Kat, curious for more details.

“What the heck were you two thinking?” demanded Starman. “Messing with that black magic?”





“Knightvision never should have died in the first place!” hollered back Kitty Kat, pointing her index finger in the cosmic avenger’s face. “You and your team should have prevented the Legion of Doom from killing him but you FAILED and I had to make good for it!”





“Watch your tongue, woman!” spat Champion, getting in the feline fury’s face. The tall, imposing woman was wracked with guilt over being forced to watch the Legion brutally murder Knightvision and Batgirl in front on her, Power Guy, Green Lantern, and Storm Surge. “The rest of us were severely injured and bound. None of us were in any shape to take on the Legion after what they had done to us.”





“I remember, I was there……….watching from above in the rafters!” revealed the modern-age Catwoman. “But what about Starman and the others? They didn’t show up until it was too late! Someone had to right this wrong……”

Sonic Boom then piped up, “Helena, I know how much you cared…….I mean, care about Brendon but this is extreme, even for you! Using a Lazarus Pit to revive him!?!?”





“I…..I didn’t know about it until after he was back,” explained the purple and black-clad heroine. Many of you saw what a wreck Barbara Gordon was when we broke the news to her about Brendon’s death. After she and Kitty Kat revived him, they made me promise not to tell anyone, mostly out of fear that the Legion of Doom would get word and try to do a better job of making sure Brendon was gone for good. I didn’t keep this from you all to deceive you but to keep Brendon safe. I failed him last time……” The Huntress said as her eyes welled up with tears.





Sonic Boom pulled her best friend into a tight hug and replied with, “I understand. I think we all do,” she said glancing around at the crowd.

“Well, I for one, have no regrets about what I did,” Kitty Kat said, firmly.

“How much do you know about the Lazarus Pits?” barked Starman. “Those pits are full of corruption and evil, and using one of them to bring back Knightvision was obviously a huge mistake. He not only killed two-thirds of the Batman Family but now, the Super Friends are in jeopardy as well. You should have left well enough alone, lady!”

“Why you….” hissed Kitty Kat as she lunged for the leader of the Titans of Justice until Hawkgirl grabbed on to her.

“Cool it, girl……” urged the Thanagarian thrasher. “What’s done is done for now………..we’ve got to get back to earth and save our young friends before it’s too late.”





“It’s going to take us at least a few hours to get back home at top speed,” advised Daniel Jordan.





“Lilith,” can you use your telepathy to contact the Super Friends and warn them?” asked Apotheosis.





“I’m sorry but we’re too far away,” denied the pretty red-head. “My powers don’t have that kind of range.”





“Sargona - how about a teleportation spell?” asked the Flash?





“Unfortunatley, it’s the wrong season in the mystic atmosphere for someone of my skill-level to pull one those off, frowned the daughter of Sargon and Zatanna. “Now if Dr. Fate were here, he’d probably be able to whip up one of those kind of incantations but I’m nowhere near his level yet.”





“I can fly at top-speed and be back to the Hall in under a half-hour,” suggested Power Guy, looking at Starman for approval.





“Do it!” agreed the best friend of Goldbug.

“Vince! Wait……..you can’t go alone. This is Brendon you’ll be dealing with….” pointed out the Huntress.

***

The Hall of Justice…

The Super Friends were in the midst of their training session, Red Robin leading the pack. They had been at it for over an hour now. Adrenaline was rushing through their veins and they were all nearly out of breath.

“Excellent work, Conjura!” cheered on Constellation as the Egyptian heroine completed a new maneuver with near-perfection.





“Looked half-@$$ to me,” grumbled Blue Dolphin as she jumped out of one end of the olympic-sized pool, soared through the air and landed in the other end.





“And people think I’m rude,” sneered Power Lad.





“You are………but you’re improving,” winked Constellation at her cousin.

On the other side of the room, the Ray and Honey Bee were involved in offensive combat against the Wonder Twins. The two teams of two were tasked with snatching up a floating disc before the other team could grab it.

“Quick Jayna! The Ray is almost on top of the disc!” cried out Zan. Knowing what her brother was thinking, Jayna raised her right fist and slammed it into Zan while the two shouted in unison, “Wonder Twin powers - activate!”





“Shape of - a cheetah!”

“Form of - freezing mist!”

The twins raced into action with Jayna racing along the ground while Zan used his mist like form to coat both the Ray and Honey Bee’s goggles with ice, impairing their vision.

“Can’t see…..” mumbled Honey Bee as she flew along at bee-like size. She then reverted to normal size out of panic and abruptly crashed into the Ray.





“Ouch………Latavai!” shouted the light-based hero as he dropped from the sky.





Seconds later, the Wonder Twins declared victory as Jayna snatched the disc in her cat-shaped mouth.

Meanwhile, high above Air Wave and Bullet Boy worked together to get through and energy-maze.

“Not even my pure-sound form can pass through these energy walls,” advised Air Wave.





“And just brushing up against them stings even my metallic-form!” noted the best friend of Corporal Marvel.





As the two heroes pressed forward, Air Wave thought of an idea. “I just thought of something. Perhaps if I send some sound spheres out, they can lead us to the other opening of the maze. Every one of the spheres except one will hit a dead-end wall but the one that doesn’t will be our guide through the maze!

Minutes later, the two young heroes soared through the opposite end of the maze feeling a huge sense of accomplishment with Air Wave’s plan having worked.

On the ground, Hot Flash and Goldbug were tasked with making their way through an obstacle course. Goldbug's ill-timed sense of humor was getting on Hot Flash’s nerves and making it hard for her to concentrate.

“So does your costume have air conditioning for when your hot flashes fire up,” giggled the legacy of both the Blue Beetle and Boo$ter Gold.





“Hmmmph……” grumbled Hot Flash who then replied with “Does your face-mask come with a zipper to silence you when your big mouth fires up?” Hot Flash then entered the speed of sound, leaving a cloud of dust in Goldbug’s face.





Red Robin observed the group waiting for just the right moment to unleash the Joker-gas he had prepped to come out of the Hall’s ventilation system. “Any minute now and they’ll be worked up so much that they won’t be able to stop themselves form breathing in the gas and I can time it just right to put on my rebreather mask so that it the gas will make me pass out but not cause me any permanent harm. The Titans will think I got lucky and the rest of these punks will meet their maker with a huge smile on their faces!” He then pulled a device from his belt and pressed a button on. Seconds later, Joker-gas came pouring out of the vents.





A short while later, Power Guy entered the Hall of Justice. He had brought the Huntress along enclosed in his indestructible cape.

“Thanks for the lift. Boy, that was a cold ride,” the Huntress said as she secured her sense of balance.

The two heroes raced for the training room as Power Guy said, “I told you it wouldn’t be comfortable but at least it got us here ahead of the rocket.” The two heroes made their make to the training room door and yanked it open only to see all of their young friends lying still on the ground.

“Great Krypton! We’re too late!” gasped Power Guy in horror.


TO BE CONTINUED!


***


Tales of the Titans Starring: Champion
Written, Edited, & Maxi-micros by: Power Guy


Paradise Island(several weeks ago)…

Mindy had just come from Daniel Jordan and Di Di Queen-Jordan’s wedding. She had returned to the island to drop off her gown that she wore to the celebration. Mindy had a small apartment in Gateway City, leaving room for only for a few things beyond necessities so she kept most of her formal clothes at her home on the island. A quick ride in the Invisible Jet and she could grab items when she needed them. Just as she finished changing into a fresh set of clothes, a knock came at her door. “Come in,” offered the daughter of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor. Champion smiled as she greeted her best friend, “Lyta! What an unexpected surprise. I didn’t think you’d be up this late.”





The daughter of Circe greeted her dear friend with a hug and replied with, “I was taking a walk through the courtyard and saw the light on in your room. Today was your friends Green Lantern and Sonic Boom’s wedding, right?”





“Yes, it was. It was a very small but nice celebration,” answered the modern-age Amazing Amazon.

“Was HE there?” asked the purple-haired girl.

“Who? Tom?”

“No………that man that killed my mother,” corrected Lyta.

Mindy frowned, knowing how upset her close friend still was over her mother’s passing so she answered gently with, “Yes, he was there but Lyta, dear, don’t give him another thought. He made a very difficult decision that day.”

“How can I not? He killed my mother! I know that my mother and I never had the best relationship. Heck, your family raised me for the most part but mother always came to see me on holidays and on my birthday. I know that she’d done some terrible things in her life but she was still my mother.”

“I understand, Lyta but Apotheosis didn’t have a choice,” reinforced Champion. “Your mother went through a period of several years in which we thought she had turned over a new leaf and that is why my mother permitted her to see you but all of that changed when she kidnapped my nephew and tried to use him as a sacrifice to Ares. Sad to say, I think your mother was playing us all along.”

“No………you’re wrong…..” dismissed Lyta. “I saw the look in her eyes. My mother had become a good person. Ares must have blackmailed her or something.”

“Lyta, my mother has told me many stories of Circe’s evil doings from the past and this last plot of hers mirrored some of her previous ones all too well. Circe was always known for being a trickstress and it seems she pulled one over on all of us until this last caper of hers.”

Lyta just remained quiet for a minute, not knowing what to think. Finally, she spoke up again, “Mindy, I need you to do me a favor.”

“What is it?” asked the Amazon princess.

“I want you to bring this Apotheosis to justice.”

“But Lyta, he acted completely within the law and sadly, appropriate at the time. Your mother had seriously injured several of my teammates and was going to kill Steven.”

“Whose side are you on here, Mindy?” Lyta screamed, getting in Champion’s face. “We’ve been friends since I can remember and now you’re taking the side of this guy you’ve known for less than a year?”

“Mindy, when all of this went down, I chastised Apotheosis for what he had done but now, looking back, I realize that if he hadn’t done what he had done, your mother would have killed Steven.”

“No! No! No! You’re wrong, Mindy! And if you’re not going to do anything about this, I’ll see to it that someone else does!” declared Lyta as she stormed out of Mindy’s quarters, enraged.

Mindy knew how much pain her friend was going through but sadly, she was probably the last person who could do anything to help at the moment. Tears dripped from her eyes as she looked out her window, watching as Lyta made her way through the streets, vanishing into the darkness of the night.


The End!(for now….)