Young Justice #4

#4
November 2000

Uninvited Guests
by Paul A. Hahn

Chicago is known as the windy city. And believe this writer, that city does get really windy. But when Red Tornado bursts into action...things get really, really windy.

"Query fleeing," a robotic voice came out of a young man standing on the ground, watching. "Companion in pursuit."

Though one might not understand why he was talking so strangely, his companion was indeed in pursuit. Her arms shape shifted to wrap around the Red Tornado's body, and no matter how much he thrashed about, he couldn't shake her.

"What is the meaning of this?" Red called as he flew about, attempting to shake his attacker. Only moments ago he had been having a pleasant evening with his 'wife' and 'daughter' at their home when two strangers knocked on the door. Seconds later, they attacked!

"We are Phalanx," the woman replied, hugging the Tornado tightly. "Surrender yourself to us and our transmode virus. Resistance is futile."

"Perhaps," Red Tornado replied. He picked up speed and flew himself straight into a building. He emerged on the other side only slightly damaged...but the 'woman' had been knocked off. He turned around to head back to his wife's house, fearing what the other Phalanx might to do them. As he approached, however, he discovered what the young man had been up to...he was waiting for a chance to strike!

Morphing his hands into lasor cannons, he began blasting away at Red.

As Red dodged the blasts, he noticed a growing number of people moving towards the scene of the battle.

"Attention!" Red called out to them. "This area is dangerous...please leave to the safety of your homes!"

The crowd kept growing and getting closer.

"Why do you not listen?" Red Tornado asked. It was then that he saw it...the glow in their eyes. Their almost...mechanical way of moving. "Perhaps I should call in back-up..."

Happy Harbor, Rhode Island. The secret mountain base of Young Justice.

"Y'know, we're kinda pathetic," Cissie sighed.

"How so?" Cassie asked. The two, also known as Arrowette and Wonder Girl, sat across from each other in Cissie's bedroom.

"Well, we're all teenagers," she explained, "and I think we've all got, like, raging hormones. You're, like, in love with Superboy...he's in love with Linda...Sam and Jen can barely keep their hands off each other..."

"And then there's you and Rob," Cassie pointed out.

"If someone were to be writing about us, I think they'd be better off calling the story 'Young Heroes in Love'," she sighed.

"So how is that pathetic?" Cassie asked. "We're teenagers, like you said! We're supposed to be like this...right? Besides, what girl wouldn't want to be with Kon?"

"Anyone who realized that he was torn up about Linda," Cissie frowned.

"Well, you don't know Rob's real name!" Cassie retorted. "And you don't even know what he looks like without his mask on."

"I'm wearing him down," Cissie grinned back. "He can't stay so secretive forever. I'm curious as to why else he might be called the Boy Wonder."

Cassie giggled. "Speaking of Rob, he left this morning, said he had some personal business to attend to or something. But he was still in costume, of course."

"Probably some crazy errand Batman ordered him to do," Cissie shrugged. "I don't get why Rob does what he does...he's more than prepared enough to be a super hero in his own right, not just some side kick..."

"Everybody," the voice of Sam Guthrie came in over the comm unit. "Suit up and meet by the Super Cycle...we just got a call from Red Tornado. He needs us now!"

Gotham is only one small part of the enormous city of New York. It's also the area that Batman operates out of. His reputation calls him the World's Greatest Detective. Unfortunately for Batman, someone wants that reputation for himself...and that someone is the Moon Knight!

The cloaked figure swung from on building to another on a series of launched ropes. Though he was always careful, he didn't know he was being watched.

Been tailing this guy for days...Robin sighed. Only Batman, his mentor and teacher, knew his real name, Chuck Barnes. As one of the rules of being Robin, he had to keep his identity a complete secret. Even though he was leading Young Justice and they had all trusted him with their names, he couldn't tell them his. He couldn't even remove his mask...let alone even think of becoming a close friend, or more than a friend to anyone. In that aspect, Chuck hated being Robin. But then again, for all the bad stuff that went with the job, it was still a thrill. He was being trained by the Batman, and he was saving lives...actually making a difference.

Batman's been occupied lately...*

*(That's an understatement...check out the latest issues of Batman for more on that! - Paul)

So, it leaves it up to me to take this guy down...

Deciding that he had been waiting long enough, Robin finally made his move. Focusing his eyes, he grabbed a robinwing from his belt and flung it with incredible persision. It pierced one of Moon Knight's ropes, and the would-be Moon God fell.

Robin leapt into action, launching a rope of his own from a device Batman had given him, and he swung towards the downed man. Landing swiftly, Robin flung himself around to see Moon Knight quickly standing up.

"Ah, boy wonder, we meet at last," Moon Knight said. "I suppose beating you would be the first step in telling Batman that he's not so great after all!"

"Maybe," Robin spoke quietly but surely. His hand squeezed a small object in his right hand. By applying the right amount of pressure, the small object extended into a large staff.

Moon Knight stared back at Robin. Neither could see each other's eyes. If the sight of Robin standing their so boldly made Moon Knight eyes flinch, he didn't know.

Robin glared. "Maybe not."

Moving in a fluid motion, Robin planted his staff into the ground and used it to push himself over Moon Knight's head. He landed in a crouched position and turned quickly, nailing Moonie in the back of the leg with his staff.

MK recovered quickly, planting a kick in Robin's chest. The Boy Wonder dodged a punch and jammed his staff into Moonie's stomach.

"Oomph!" the white-cloaked assailant moaned. Temporarily winded, he left himself open to another kick from Robin.

"Time to end this," Robin said. He pulled a gas pellet from his belt and tossed it into the opening in Moon Knight's costume. "When you wake up, remember this: You weren't beaten by Batman. You weren't even beaten Young Justice. You were beaten by me. Robin. The Batman-in-training."

Chicago.

Red Tornado twisted and turned, using his power to his full extent as he fought against an army of unknown foes. However, he wouldn't have to fight alone much longer.

Cannonball smiled as he rocketed across a group of strange robotic beings. His blast field made him invulnerable and his rocket propulsion allowed him to hit his enemies at incredible speeds with incredible force.

Arrowette had no problem cutting loose with her electroshock arrows. She stood her ground and picked out targets randomly, firing rapidly.

Wonder Girl and Superboy, the team's heavy hitters, flew into large crowds and began pounding away. Wonder Girl's invulnerability and strength were granted from Odin himself. Superboy's powers, though still mainly a mystery, gave him the ability to command and control tactile telekinesis, giving him flight, invulnerability, and the chance to open up a can of 'Whoop-Ass' on whoever he felt like.

Magik was the woman who got the team where they needed to be. Her ability to teleport was handy, but so was her body armor and 'Soulsword'. Impulse could move faster than he could possibly think. Together, with Impulse carrying Magik and Magik carrying her sword, they mowed down the Phalanx with ease.

Jade let herself hover slightly in the air, using her will power to create battering rams and giant mallets of green energy to pound on their attackers.

"This is kinda easy," Jade grinned, happy with her work.

"Tell me about it," Cannonball replied.

"You will be assimilated!" a Phalanx yelled as it leapt onto Wonder Girl.

"Ahh!" she yelled. She grabbed it and flung it off her body.

"Don't get too excited now," Superboy smirked.

"R-right!" Wonder Girl replied. Yeah, Cassie, that'll impress him...scream when someone attacks you.

"Young Justice," Red Tornado called. "I do not know much about these beings...they call themselves the Phalanx. They appear to be robotic, but can shape-shift, at least to take the form of normal humans. Be cautious."

"I can easily identify them," Magik said. "I can sense...these Phalanx have no souls."

"Whoa, souls exist?" Impulse asked, stopping from running the two of them around.

"Of course!" Magik smiled. "That's what makes us human. But we can discuss that later..."

"Come on, Imp," Superboy said, "I'll make it simple for you. Bad guys. Hit them."

"Like I needed it broken down," Impulse rolled his eyes. He ditched Magik and went on his own way, speeding past and punching Phalanx.

"Where did they come from?" Cannonball asked.

"I do not know," the Tornado replied.

"Well, if you knock 'em unconscious, heard 'em towards me," Jade called out. "They seem to be able to repair themselves...so I can lock them up in a solid cage."

"Good thinking," Superboy said. Seeing a small group of Phalanx gathering together for an assault, Superboy flew down into the ground in front of them, smashing his fist down and causing a miniature shockwave to trash the Phalanx.

Jade's jaw dropped. "Holy crap! They're walking out of my cage!"

"How?" Arrowette asked, dodging an attack and nailing another Phalanx with an arrow. However, this time, the Phalanx shrugged off the electroshock. "Oh...I see. They're adapting to our attacks."

"Oh, that's just dandy," Sam sighed.

"Keep fighting!" Superboy called. "I doubt they could adapt to me or Wondy's super strength...or Magik's sword. Or Imp's lack of brain power!"

Impulse didn't hear the crack, he was too busy swinging his fists around at incredible speeds, pummeling Phalanx.

"Gotta change it up," Arrowette said. She reached into her quiver, looking for just the right arrow. Puke arrow won't do it...gas arrow won't do it...regular arrows won't do it...fire arrow! That might do it! She pulled the arrow out of the quiver and placed it into her bow. Concentrating, she let the arrow go. As it launched, the piece of nonflammable waxy covering on the arrow head flew off. Exposed to the air, the tip of the arrow burst into flame. Upon hitting it's target, the arrowhead was pushed back slightly, igniting a small firebomb inside the arrow's shaft. The Phalanx burst into flame. God, I love that arrow.

"We've gotta find a way to end this soon," Sam called out. "If they keep adapting, we're dead!"

"Jade, use your powers to lift everyone who can't fly off the ground!" Superboy called. "I've got an idea!"

"Though that scares me, I'll do it," Jade said. With a flick of her wrist, green lassos went out and picked up her fellow teammates.

Sam Guthrie picked up Magik and took her into the air.

"Sam," she said. "Look! Two Phalanx are escaping into the sewers!"

"We'll grab 'em," Sam replied. "Whatever Superboy's doin' should handle these guys!"

So as Superboy flew straight up, Sam and Magik followed into the sewers after the Phalanx.

With the ground clear, Superboy flew straight down. Again attempting a shockwave attack, this one was much more forceful and much more out of control. He destroyed several of the Phalanx at 'ground zero' and the resulting shockwave floored most of the other Phalanx. Unfortunately, it spread a bit too far, causing minor earthquakes into the city.

The Tornado frowned. "That was unnecessary."

"Kicked some ass though, didn't it?" Superboy asked.

"And it destroyed private property!" a man called out. He, a tall black man wearing a white suit, approached with a shorter asian man in a black suit. "I'm Agent Fite. This is Agent Maad. We're with SHIELD."

"Here to thank us for clearin' these guys outta the way?" Jade asked.

"Nope," Maad said. "We're here to place you under arrest."

Cannonball and Magik chased the two robotic beings through the dark sewers, relying on Magik's glowing Soulsword for light.

"We're gainin' on 'em!" Sam said.

"Let's make this easier," Magik said. She teleported the two of them into a chamber ahead of the Phalanx. As the two approached, Magik focused again and opened several portals, scattering pieces of the Phalanx into several different locations.

"Good goin', girl," Sam smiled.

"Thanks," Magik grinned. "But hey, where are we?"

"Ah...eh?" Sam spun around as he saw a large group of strange, deformed people standing behind him.

"I am Callisto," a woman called. "These are my Morlocks. And you are in our alley..."

Next Issue: What will YJ do with Fite 'N' Maad? Why did the Phalanx attack? And you don't wanna miss the first appearances of the Morlocks! But first, be sure to check out Young Justice Secret Files #1, coming out next week! Then, in two weeks, YJ #5, continuing this story. And in three weeks, YJ's first Annual! And, in one month, a bonus issue (#6), as Young Justice begins it biweekly schedule! December is Young Justice month, so don't miss it!