Robin...Wonder
Girl...Superboy...Arrowette...Impulse...Jade...Cannonball...Magik. Together,
under the guide of Red Tornado, they are the next generation of heroes. They
are:
Young Justice
Distant Rumblings
by Paul A. Hahn
Prologue: Suffering Harm
Prologue.
March, 1999. A quiet,
normal house in a quiet, normal suburb of New York City.
"We have to do
something, Burt. We have to get him help, take him to a therapist, to..."
"It's not going to do
any good," Burt sighed. He and his wife Ellen were sitting at the dinner
table alone once more. They had almost gotten used to it. Almost. "You
don't understand, Ellen. I've looked into his eyes...I've seen what's in there.
He's lost to us. All we can do is pray that he walks out and never comes
back."
"He's our son!"
Ellen exclaimed. "He's only seventeen! He just needs a firm hand! You've
always been afraid to discipline him! To be the strong father he needs!
To--"
"Afraid?" Burt
cut in. He pulled on his shirt collar to refresh his wife's memory. "Of
course I'm afraid. He gave me this scar! An inch closer would've severed my
jugular."
"He was only
eleven!"
"That's the point,
Ellen," Burt sighed. "That's the..."
The door to their son's
bedroom creaked open. A voice from within spoke. "I thought you'd want to
know I'm going out. You can breathe a sigh of relief if you wish."
"You can do
this," Ellen whispered, placing a reassuring hand on her husband's arm.
"You can."
Burt stood up. He cleared
his throat. "Your curfew is eleven pm. I want you in by eleven."
"I'm sorry,
what?" his son asked, stepping out into the kitchen.
"I said..." Burt
sweated, "You're to be in by eleven."
"Father...I allow you
and mother to live," their son spoke. He opened to front door and stepped
through it. As he was closing it, he said, "Don't press your luck."
Burt was shaking with fear.
Slowly, he collapsed back into his chair. He had lost his daughter...and was
losing his son. He hugged his wife. "I'm sorry..."
Happy
Harbor, Rhode Island. Inside a mountain sat the hidden headquarters of the
brand new youth super hero team called Young Justice!
"Let're rip,
Arrowette!" Superboy called. "I'll catch one of those arrows if it
takes me all night..."
Arrowette tensed and
released yet another pair of arrows. They sped towards Superboy, who reacted
with incredible speed to catch them. But all he actually did was let them
bounce off his telekinetic body shield.
"Jeez," Superboy
muttered. "Again!"
"I'm running out of
arrows," Arrowette sighed, sliding another pair into position.
"We can always pick up
some more later," Superboy replied. "Come on...again!"
Again, Arrowette let two
arrows fly. Only this time, the team's mysterious leader, Robin, leapt in front
of Superboy and caught both arrows.
"Whoa," Arrowette
breathed out.
"I know you're
practicing, but could you move it out of the communications center?" Robin
asked, handing the arrows to Superboy. "I was trying to get some work
done."
"Sure," Superboy
shrugged. He looked at Arrowette. "Beginner's luck."
"You wish," Linda
grinned at Kon. "Anyway, Rob...what're you up to? Anything we can help
with?"
"Not really, no,"
Robin shrugged. "I've been following up on a few news reports of a new
super villain in the city, supposedly calling himself Harm."
"Original name,"
Superboy said sarcastically.
"Some could say the
same about Superboy," Linda grinned. "Why do you think I changed my
name to Firebird instead of Supergirl? Well, besides the fact I got fire
wings..."
"What little I've
found out about him makes me worry," Robin continued. "He seems to be
an incredibly skilled fighter and swordsman whose not afraid to kill. He's been
challenging low-level and young super heroes wherever he can."
"That's a little
weird," Arrowette pointed out.
"I'll keep an eye on
him," Rob shrugged.
"Well, now that that's
settled," Impulse said, speeding into the room, "what're we getting
for dinner?"
"Dinner?" Linda
asked. "I thought Jen and Cassie already went to pick it up."
"Did they go to that vegetarian
and tofu bar again?" Superboy asked. "If I have to eat one more
veggie burger and frozen yogurt..."
"I know!" Bart
exclaimed. In a split second he was gone. Five seconds later he came back.
"I need money..."
Robin sighed. "There's
a fifty on the table."
"Oooo, big
money," Impulse grinned. In another split second he, and the money, was
gone. Ten seconds later he returned with three large pizzas. "Got
dinner!"
Jen and Cassie walked in
through the other door. Cassie grinned, "We've got...hey! You knew we were
bringing home dinner!"
"But they got
pizza," Jen grinned. She flew over to the pizza boxes. "I'm eatin'
this."
Cassie shrugged and dropped
her tofu and veggie burgers. "Pizza's fine by me."
And soon, the team gathered
around their briefing table to eat dinner and enjoy some healthy conversation.
"So, what's Batman
like?" Linda asked. "Is he all scary and deformed?"
"No!" Robin
replied. "He's nothing like that...he's a really nice guy...it's just,
when he's in costume, he's got a reputation. And he plays the part. You don't
wanna get in his way. He could probably take down someone like Captain
America."
"You lie,"
Superboy said casually, defending his idol.
"But what's it like
being trained by the World's Greatest Detective?" Cissie Jones-King, or
Arrowette, asked.
"It's
interesting," Rob shrugged. "I'm learning things that I would have
never known before, and it's really helping me."
"But doesn't it stink
to have your life controlled by him?" Cissie asked again. "You're not
allowed to be seen in public, and even when we're lounging around here, you
can't take off your mask...can't even tell us your name!"
"It is a little hard
to follow the rules sometimes," Rob shrugged, "but I'm used to it.
Sooner or later he'll have enough confidence in me to let me be my own hero and
not just a side kick. He hopes that YJ will be a big step in the right
direction."
"Speaking of YJ,"
Superboy said, "when are we gonna get some action? We've been around for
over a week now and haven't really done anything but train. It's so
boring..."
"Define 'getting some
action'" Linda asked casually while letting a grin spread across her lips.
"I'm sure what he
meant was fighting crime," Robin said.
"What else would he
mean?" Impulse asked obliviously.
"Nevermind,"
Linda grinned.
Superboy exchanged a glance
with Linda and grinned back.
Cassie frowned.
Impulse leaned over and
whispered, "You look pretty torked...what's wrong?"
"I'm fine," she
replied angrily. "Who asked you?"
"Yeesh," Bart
replied, sitting back in his chair.
"In answer to Kon's
question," Robin said, "I think it's a little early to be worried
about inactivity. There's plenty of crime for us to fight...and I'm sure we'll
be longing for these quite days soon."
Interlude.
"Burt, are you...are
you sure about this?" Ellen asked. She was pulling on her jacket after she
finished zipping up her suitcase. "Maybe I should be here..."
"Billy and I simply
need time to work things out, man to man," Burt replied. "So you go
to your mother's for the weekend. It'll be fine, Ellen. Everything will work
out, you'll see. I promise."
"But...but I'm not
sure that..."
"Look, you wanted me
to handle it, and I'm prepared to do just that," Burt sighed. He opened the
front door and his wife stepped into it, lugging her suitcase behind her.
"But you'll just have to trust me that I'll handle the job."
Ellen leaned over and
kissed her husband on the cheek. "I trust you. Good luck."
Burt stood there and
watched his wife walk down to her car, get in and drive off. Slowly, he closed
the door. He was beginning to cry. He lost his daughter...that was hard enough
to get over. It was even harder to accept that his own son might have been her
killer. But now...he couldn't bear the thought of what had to be done. But he
knew he had to do it. There was no other way...
Later that
night, back at Happy Harbor.
Impulse moaned. He was
sprawled out across the team's briefing table.
"I toldja you'd feel
sick," Superboy grinned. "One frozen yogurt's enough to make me feel
a little sick. Two, I'll puke for sure...but you ate seven! At light speed! Not
even your metabolism'll save you from that."
"I'm gonna
puke..." Bart moaned more.
Linda laughed as she walked
into the briefing room.
"Too bad the others
are busy training," Kon grinned. "They'd love to see this."
Impulse moaned again and
rolled onto his side.
"Don't you dare puke
on my chair!" Kon yelled.
Then, suddenly, the
computer behind the table kicked to life and an alarm went off. "Harm
sighted! Coordinates scrolling across screen now..."
Linda tapped her comm unit.
"Rob, get everyone up here...that Harm guy you've been tracking? The
computer just got a fix!"
And later, aboard the
team's transportation, the Super Cycle...
"I still can't believe
we're calling this the supercycle," Jade rolled her eyes.
"I still can't believe
we're finally getting some action!" Superboy grinned.
Impulse moaned, "I
can't believe I ate the whoooole thing..."
"Hang tight,
guys," Robin said. "The Cycle's tracking Harm's movement...but he's
moving fast...probably in a car. And, watch yourself so Bart doesn't blow
chunks on you."
"Eeewww," Cissie
muttered, sliding herself away from Impulse.
"I've got a
visual!" Robin replied. "See that sleek, black car down there? That's
our boy. Wonder Girl, Superboy, Firebird, Jade...jeez we've got a lot of
fliers...get Harm's attention."
"Right!" Firebird
replied. Instantly her wings flashed out, not that she needed them to fly, but
she took off. The others followed and flew above the car.
"Hey, bozo!"
Superboy called. "You're speeding! Pull over!"
Without any warning, a pair
of coils flung out from the car's trunk and grabbed one leg of Superboy and
Wonder Girl. The coils began swinging them around, knocking them into each
other, Jade and Firebird, as well as the ground.
"That's not
nice!" Jade called. She used her power to create a pair of giant scissors
and cut the coils off. She flew in lower to get a hand on the car to find the
driver. But as she did, the driver slammed on the breaks and she went flying,
smacking right into Firebird.
"Impulse,
Arrowette!" Robin ordered. "We've gotta get down there and
help!"
"Right!"
Arrowette replied. "Impulse, get me down there! Er...Impulse?"
"Oomphug!" he puked
over the side of the cycle.
Arrowette blinked.
"Gross..."
Superboy flew at the back
of the car, smashing his right fist into it and knocking it forward. To his
surprise, he barely dented it, and the car bolted forward.
"Crap!" Firebird
exclaimed. She grabbed Jen and flew up out of the path of the speeding car.
Superboy and Wonder Girl
flew after the car as Robin landed the cycle.
"You two okay?"
he asked.
"Fine," Jen
answered.
"Impulse puked all
over the seat," Arrowette frowned.
"Did not!" he
defended himself. "Just got a little there...most of it went over the edge
of the cycle and landed over there."
He pointed, and Robin
smacked his head. "Come on, back in the cycle...we've gotta catch up to
Kon and Cassie!"
And as they were getting
ready to follow in pursuit, their other two members were already there.
"Careful, Wondy,"
Superboy said. "Watch out for another coil..."
"Right," she
replied. If I could just take my eyes off of you for a few seconds...come on,
Cassie! Get it together..."Whoa!"
Wonder Girl flew right into
a low, brick bridge and stopped herself halfway through it.
"You alright?"
Superboy asked, stopping in mid air.
"Sure...fine...just
humiliated," she sighed. "Just go! Don't lose him!"
And so, once again, the
chase continued. Superboy went off solo, relying on his big ego to protect him.
As he got closer, he noticed the car slowing down.
What's the deal here? he
thought. Maybe this guy's finally ready to get his butt whooped.
And as Kon-El got above the
car, it exploded!
"Holy crap!" He
exclaimed, though he knew he'd be protected by his tactile yadda yadda yadda...
He lowered himself down to
explore to blown up car. Using his telekinesis, he slowly smothered the fire
and looked for a driver. "He's...gone?"
The cycle landed next to
the car.
"What'd you do?"
Robin asked.
"I didn't do
anything," Superboy shrugged. "The car just exploded and he
disappeared."
"He couldn't have
disappeared," Robin thought. "Impulse, if you're feeling better,
could you run around the car and suck out all the oxygen feeding that
fire?"
"Sure," Impulse
shrugged. He then did as told, creating a whirlwind to put out the fire. Three
seconds later, it was done.
Robin approached the car
and looked it over. "The car reached it's final stop over a sewer...and
the bottom of the car's gone. He jumped into the sewer to ditch us."
"Why?" Arrowette
asked. "It's not like we were actually posing him a threat..."
"I'm not sure,"
Robin shrugged. "Maybe--"
When all of a sudden, two fists
smashed through the street from below and grabbed the legs of Arrowette and
Wonder Girl, pulling them down and smashing them through into the sewer.
"Jesus!" Robin
exclaimed.
Superboy instantly tried to
follow, but found some sort of force field had sealed up the hole.
"What?"
"We've gotta break
it!" Firebird said. She started pounding it with her telekinesis, but it
didn't budge.
"Look," Robin
pointed through the invisible force field. "He left some sort of device
that's generating it...but I doubt it can stretch across the whole sewer.
Impulse, Firebird, Superboy, break into the sewer at another point and try to
follow...I'll monitor him from the cycle!"
The four took off, doing as
one had ordered. Robin moved the cycle as he tracked Harm's movement.
While, underground...
The villain Harm finally
revealed himself!
He planted a kick into
Wonder Girl's chin, smashing her into the wall, and he caught the arrow fired
at him by Arrowette.
"How?" she asked,
surprised.
"I'm going to be the
best super villain ever," Harm grinned. "Catching arrows is child's
play."
Wonder Girl recovered
quickly and dove for Harm's legs, who responded by pulling out a sword and
slashing at her. He did connect, and managed to knock off...her wig?
"Ack!" Wonder
Girl yelled, realizing that her wig was off and her blond hair was showing.
"Gimmie that back!"
She managed to connect a
punch to Harm, but not a second.
"You're blond?"
Arrowette asked. "Why did you wear a wig?"
"Well...I dunno,"
she shrugged, grabbing her wig and putting it back on. "but come
on...let's kick this guy's butt!"
He laughed. "You're
giving yourself too much faith in your abilities."
He charged forward and
punched Wonder Girl again and tackled Arrowette. He recovered quickly, grabbed
her leg, and flung her into the recovering Wonder Girl.
"Too easy," he
laughed. He looked up at the ceiling. "Not gonna catch me off
guard..."
He leapt up through the
ceiling, smashing into the street and grabbing Jade by the neck.
"Hello."
He grinned wickedly and
tossed her into Superboy.
Impulse sped forward,
smashing his fists into Harm and succeeding in knocking him back several yards.
"You, Impulse, might
actually give me a challenge," he said, facing his foe, "unless I
didn't know better."
"Oh yeah?" Impulse
asked, ready to move.
"Yup," Harm
grinned. He pointed, "Look! Tella Tubbies!"
"Eh?" Impulse
turned to look. And Harm smashed him upside the head with both his fists.
In the next instant, he
found himself being slammed into the ground. He only saw Firebird hovering in
the air and glaring.
"Right...telekinesis..."
Harm thought. He moved his tongue around to find something in his mouth.
"Whoop de doo."
He took a deep breath and
blew. A miniature dart flew out of his mouth and nailed Firebird in the neck.
She yelled in pain, grabbing it with her hand. Which, in turn, disrupted her
concentration to allow Harm to get up.
"What'd you do to
her?" Superboy asked as he punched Harm in the face.
"Took her out of the
fight," he answered, swinging his sword up against Kon's body.
"Crap!" He
exclaimed. "If not for my --"
"Tactile Telekinesis,
yeah, we know," Jade said. "Here's how we end this!"
Jade acted quickly,
creating a solid green bubble prison to capture Harm in. She lifted him up into
the air. "This fight's been going on for long enough."
"You're right,"
he grinned. He pulled a button off his costume and it instantly exploded,
causing a bright flash of light that blinded Jade and Superboy, causing her to
drop her ball and allow him to escape. "Too easy."
Harm next felt a quick blow
to his chest. He looked up to see Robin standing before him, clutching his bo
staff and frowning angrily.
"The Boy Wonder,"
Harm grinned. "The only real challenge in all of Young Justice."
"I'm here to put you
down," Robin frowned.
"I'm sure you'd like
to believe that," Harm grinned. "And maybe you might have a chance at
stopping me. But not tonight."
He tossed a pair of smoke
bombs onto the ground in front of Robin. Before the World's Greatest
Detective-in-training could react, Harm was gone.
"Rob?" Arrowette
asked as she and Wonder Girl climbed out of the sewer.
"He's gone," Rob
shook his head. "And this is the reason we've been training all week. He's
one guy and he nearly beat us. We'll track him again when we're ready...but
now, we're going home."
"We can't just...let
him walk away!" Superboy protested.
"I said we'll track
him down later," Rob sighed. "When we're better prepared."
Epilogue.
"I saw you on
television."
"Oh. Did you."
"Why...are you doing
this, Billy?" Burt asked, sighing, sitting behind the kitchen table.
"Because I'm going to
be the greatest villain of all, father," Harm replied. "And right
now...practicing. Practicing on the heroes who are my 'peers,' and frankly, I'm
not impressed. I admit, I'm self-taught...but I'm learning fast."
"And you think I'm
just going to allow this to happen?" Burt asked.
"What are you going to
do, dad?" he asked, taking a drink out of the fridge. "Get me thrown
in jail? Trust me, I'll escape."
His father stood up as he
walked towards his room. Harm opened the door. "Or maybe you'll just
ground me." The door closed. "Oooh, I'm so Terri--"
BLAMM!
Silence for the briefest of
moments. A hole in the door. It swung open, Billy stepped out, clutching his
chest as the blood poured out.
"I'm...Bleeding?"
the realization was a shock. He collapsed to his knees. "Why am
I...bleed...?"
He collapsed to the ground.
"I...promised your
mother I'd handle it," Burt said, holding the gun nervously.
"She's...counting on me...I'm...I'm so sorry, Billy...but this is...it's
for the best. For everybody's best."
"D...dad..."
Billy choked on his own blood. "Don't..."
Burt shivered as he aimed
the gun once more. The tears were welling in his eyes. He closed them. He
couldn't watch as he did it. "God...there's blood all over the
linoleum...your mother's going to kill me..."
BLAAM!
The End
Author's
Note: The Prologue, Interlude and Epilogue were written by Peter David and
published in Young Justice #'s 4 and 5. I used them without permission, but I
do not claim them to be my own and use them for no profit.
Chapter One: From The Ashes...
Two days ago.
"This
is Trish Tilby, reporting for CNN. The story tonight, as many viewers of many
television and radio stations around the country have heard, took place little
over an hour ago in Central Park in New York, New York. For years now, the
world has been aware of the presence of not only super powered heroes...but
super powered villains. Tonight the world witnessed what may eventually spell
doom for human society.
"The
picture you're watching was taken soon after the fight began. The sky had
already begun to darken, as you can tell from the picture...but this fiery
blast of light from the center lit up the night. Our advanced computer imaging
systems at CNN were able to clear up the picture here. You can easily identify
what appear to be large, fiery wings...almost like that of an eagle or a hawk,
yet purely unnatural. Some jumped to conclusions by calling it a 'Phoenix.'
"There
appears to be a young woman...with apparent blond hair, who the wings grew out
of. The unknown woman who, for the time, officials are referring to as a
'Firebird', proceeded to destroy most of Central Park in a showdown with the
Avengers Junior league, better known as Young Justice.
"It
was a battle those young, inexperienced heroes lost.
"By
the time we at CNN were on the scene, Young Justice had already fled after
their defeat. Eye witness accounts say that all of the junior team had been
taken out, others say one figure that they did not recognize gathered the team
and took them to safety. Even the former Avengers League member and YJ sponsor,
Red Tornado, was seen taken down.
"The
Firebird, after defeating Young Justice, apparently flew off and disappeared in
the night sky. With YJ unavailable for comment, we can only speculate what this
fight was actually about...and can only wonder if the Firebird will return to
wreak havoc once more.
"Trish
Tilby, for CNN."
One Day Ago.
Westchester
country, New York New York.
"Ah
just...Ah'm not sure," Sam Guthrie shook his head.
"The
New Mutants are done, Sam," Illyana Rasputin said. "Done,
gone...probably forever. There's no one left to teach us...and not much of a
roster to deal with."
"Ah
just can't believe they'd all leave," Sam sighed. "Ah mean, we were
the foundin' members...we'd had others before, but now it was back down to the
five of us. But we hit trouble, and they all go their separate ways. Dani and
Feral just up an' quit. Still, that don't shock me half as much as what Bobby
did."
"He
made his choice," Illyana shrugged. "His father was a member of the
Hellfire Club...upon his death, the offer was extended to Roberto. He could
have easily refused...but he didn't."
"But
the Hellfire Club represents everythin' wrong in this world. Between the
Hellions and the Inner Circle...Ah just can't believe it. First
Mastermind...now Sunspot."
"Martinique
went because her father's there. But who knows? Maybe Roberto can become a
conscience for the Club. Maybe he'll even have some sway in the Inner
Circle."
"Maybe,"
Sam puffed, blowing his bangs out of his eyes. "But then Ah'm still not
sure 'bout this new team."
"We
should be happy to be excepted," Illyana frowned. "Red Tornado didn't
have to accept us. After all, we're mutants...Young Justice isn't."
"Ah
just don't think we'll fit in. 'Specially not me. Ah've been leadin' this team
since it started...and now Ah'm gonna have to sit back and take orders from
someone else? Ah mean, their leader won't even let himself be seen in public
because he's supposed to be some 'urban legend'. And their base? Inside some
mountain off a harbor? How is that gonna keep 'em safe and secure?"
"Just
relax, Sam," 'Yana smiled. "You'll probably meet some pretty girl and
forget all about your troubles."
"Ah..."
Sam frowned. "'Yana...you know Ah--"
"I'm
joking with you," she smiled. "Although that Superboy is quite a
hunk..."
"Oh
lordy..."
The Present.
Happy
Harbor, Rhode Island. The secret headquarters of Young Justice.
"I
don't think there's anything to discuss!" Jade exclaimed. "We track
her down anyway we have to...find out what's causing her to act that way, and
put a stop to it!"
"It's
not that simple," Robin sighed.
Jennifer
Lynn-Haden and Chuck Barnes were long standing members of their team, and had
been known to disagree now and then. She, especially because of her noticeable
green skin, wasn't concerned with a secret identity. All the members of YJ, and
even normal, everyday people knew her name. He, on the other hand, was as
secretive as possible. While he led the team, they didn't even know his real
name, nor what he looked like without the mask. The public wasn't even sure if
he existed.
"It
is that simple!" she yelled in reply. "Linda was my best friend! For
heaven's sake, Kon's in love with her! She helped found this group! We owe it
to her."
"I'm
not saying we're giving up," Robin frowned, "but right now there's
not much we can do. We're not even in good enough condition to try to search
for her. Firebird was a member of this team, and it was my responsibility, as
leader, to look out for her. I failed...you think that doesn't hurt me?"
"You're
worried about your reputation? Have you seen Kon? For the past two days he's
been limping around base, mumbling and being all depressed! He hasn't even
mentioned his tactile telekinesis once."
A
red and yellow streak burst across the room. "Why is that a bad
thing?" Impulse asked upon slowing down enough to be visible to the naked
eye. "He goes on and on and on about that..."
Robin
smacked his head and shook it, sighing.
"Where
is the Kid, anyway?" Impulse asked. "Since he's totally down, I was
gonna try and cheer him up."
"Please
don't try," Robin sighed. "You know it'll only make him angry."
"He
flew off," Jade shrugged. "Cassie chased after him."
"Oh,"
Impulse said. "Well, then, I'm gonna go play Doom! I got to level
sixty-seven yesterday!"
"Wait
a moment," Red Tornado's voice filled YJ's meeting room. Even though he
was a robot, he still commanded the respect and (most of the time) the
attention of his team. "I would like you to meet our two newest
members."
"New
members?" Jade raised an eyebrow.
"Meet
Cannonball and Magik," the Tornado motioned to the two.
Sam
stood tall, wearing the gold and blue flight jacket he had worn as a New
Mutant, complete with the goggles. Magik stood in a t-shirt and jeans.
"Hi,"
she waved. "My real name's Illyana...Illyana Rasputin."
"Sam
Guthrie," he nodded.
"They
were members of the New Mutants," Tornado explained. "After their
team disbanded, their school arranged for them to join here to continue their
training."
"Training?"
Impulse asked. "I thought we were here to have fun?"
"I
didn't think you thought," Jade grinned, allowing her concerns about her
friend to slip away for a moment.
"Don't
mind them," Robin shook his head. "I'm Robin, YJ's leader...welcome
to the team."
"Thanks,"
Magik grinned.
"That's
Jade, he's Impulse," Robin pointed. "Or Jennifer and Bart."
"Ah
heard you just lost a member," Sam said, "and Ah'm sorry for
that...but...is this it?"
"Nope,"
a woman called as she entered. She wore a red spandex marksman's outfit,
complete with a bow in hand and a quiver slung around her shoulder. "I'm Arrowette...my
name's Cissie Jones...but don't call my Cissie...I hate that name."
"Superboy
and Wonder Girl complete the roster," Tornado nodded. "But I'm not
sure where they are..."
Central Park.
His
name was Kon-El. But no one really called him that. Sometimes it was 'Kid'.
Most of the time it was Superboy...and that boy had a dream. A dream to one day
fight alongside the living legend, Captain America. He wanted to be the
ultimate super-hero, just like Cap. Kon even went so far as to have a photonic-'S'
shaped shield built into his red gloves. It was more symbolic than
anything...his tactile telekinesis* gave him all the protection he needed.
*Want
an explanation about his powers? Believe me, give him a chance and he'll go on
and on and on and on... - Paul
Her
name was Cassie Sandsmark. And no one really called her that. Mostly because
she grew up being called a dork, or a geek, and never had too many friends. She
preferred the name Wonder Girl...because when she was in costume and under that
name, people respected her and guys paid attention to her. Despite the fact she
wore a black wig...tight red spandex pants...and hero-like goggles as opposed
to dorky glasses. She followed Kon, because she had feelings for him. It could
have been just a normal teenage crush...maybe she just thought he was really
cute. But she was attached...but she wasn't so blind as to not see his feelings
for Linda Danvers, their recently lost teammate Firebird.
The
two sat on a tree branch, relying on the leaves to keep them hidden from
passersby.
"So...how
are you?" Cassie asked quietly. Stupid question! He's so down! Same as
he's been since the fight with Linda two days ago...
"Fine,"
Superboy said, just like any teenager would. He watched people in the park, no
real expressions waving over his face.
"You've
been...er...quiet lately. Y'know...since..."
"I
just miss her is all," Superboy said, sitting up straight. "But I'm
not all that worried. We'll get her back...I know we will. Just a matter of
time."
"Yeah,"
Cassie sighed. "Matter of time."
Superboy
sighed and continued his watching.
"So...wanna
tell me about your tactile telekinesis again?" Cassie asked. Kon didn't
say anything. Oh man...he is really out of it.
*Running
gag, anyone? - Paul
"I'm
just gonna go back to base," he sighed.
"Oh,"
Wonder Girl said. "I'll go, too."
The
two flew off towards home.
Home...later.
After
the introductions had been made, the team actually ate dinner together. It was
different for Sam...yet remarkably similar. Young Justice functioned like a
family...just like the New Mutants had. It was something, he had decided, that
he could get used to.
"So...Ah'm
almost afraid to ask," Sam said, "but Ah think Ah should. Firebird.
What happened?"
The
members of Young Justice silenced. Finally, Robin spoke.
"Firebird...or
Linda Danvers, was a founding member of the team. She was a trusted friend and
teammate...and, many of us had no trouble recognizing that she was easily one
of the most powerful people in the world. She was just still in training. Super
strength, flight, invulnerability, telekinesis...her powers were many. The most
important one, however, were her wings. It's how she got the name Firebird in
the first place. They were always small...not too powerful. In recent weeks,
that began to change.
"Something
was happening to Linda...her powers were increasing drastically...she was
flying faster, using her telekinesis with more force, taking and dishing out
more damage. She wouldn't talk to us about it...she was almost drifting
away."
Superboy
cut in. "Look...someone was messing with her mind. We don't have exact
proof...but I've had suspicions. Met a man named Jason Wyngarde...and she and
him were developing some kind of bond. As far as any of us knew, this jerk came
out of nowhere. I don't know if he was boosting her power levels or not, but I
know he was what turned her against us.
"Five
days ago, she blew out half our mountain base and fought and defeated Cissie
and Imp," Superboy continued. "We tracked her down, unsure of what to
do. Two days ago, in Central Park, the seven of us found her and fought her.
She tore us apart with incredible ease. Rob was the only one of us left
standing."
"As
she flew off, I saw Wyngarde," Robin took over. "He laughed...and
said that the 'Earth Born Angel' now belonged to Hellfire."
"Hellfire?"
Illyana raised an eyebrow and looked over at Sam.
"That
mean something to you?" Superboy asked.
"Means
a lot," Sam nodded. "Hellfire Club is the full name."
"What
is it?" Jade asked.
"It's
bad news," Illyana said.
Sam
nodded again. "There's a lot of history there...but it's definitely
something you should hear."
Robin
nodded. "Go on...tell us about this...Hellfire Club."
Chapter Two: Private Circles
Five Days Ago.
"Ah,
hahaha!" she laughed. Evilly. Loudly. She laughed, and as she did, she
extended her glowing orange wings to an amazing length. Blasts of telekinetic
energy knocked those around her to their butts and to the floor.
"Linda?"
Superboy asked quietly.
Robin
catapulted himself off his staff and launched into a kick. Flying into action,
Kon-El intercepted him and knocked him down.
"What're
you doing?" Robin demanded an answer.
"You
can't attack Linda!" Superboy yelled.
"So
what, we just sit back and let her kill us?"
The
wings spread more and more, tearing apart the concrete, steel and rock that
made up their hidden base. A blast of telekinetics punctured through the
ceiling.
"There's
gotta be something we can do," Kon pondered. But as he looked into her
cold, uncaring eyes, he knew there was nothing. The woman they had come to
depend on as a trusted teammate...the woman he had come to love...was gone.
And
things would never be the same.
The Present. Inside the New York City branch of the Hellfire
Club. Beneath the luxurious building and in a private training center.
"Move,
move, move!" he ordered. Christopher Aaronson held back, as always. Even
with his powerful mind-damaging abilities as King Bedlam, he preferred to sit
and watch his team go to work. Especially when training against Hellfire Club
guards.
Tarot
stood close to him, ever faithful, and also preferring to avoid the fight. Her
powers were much more suited to avoid open conflict.
Magma's
body glowed furiously with orange, red and yellow. A pair of fissures in the
ground burst open, springing liquid hot magma ontop of black-spandex clad
guards.
Bevatron
and Thunderbird, using their superior muscle, jumped into the center of their
attackers and pounded away. Roulette tossed around bad luck discs, ensuring
that the guards would be kept from becoming too successful, while Empath did
his best to keep their spirits low and their minds down.
Firestar
took the small air space just below the ceiling and poured out waves of heat
energy.
Within
moments, the Hellions had the Hellfire Club guards on the run. However, it only
took a split instant for a psionic bolt to tear across all their minds,
dropping them to their knees.
A
woman stood tall, her long blond hair flowing and her white lingerie her only
covering. She spoke harshly. "For all your might, you still leave
yourselves wide open for a telepathic assault. Bedlam, you are this team's
leader for a reason. You scramble our opponent's minds the first chance you
get. Just because you are facing Hellfire guards, don't presume you're only
dealing with flat-scans."
"Yes,
White Queen," Christopher mumbled as she released her telepathic grip on
the group.
"Where
are the others?" Emma Frost demanded. "I was told Linda, Roberto and
Martinique would be joining you today."
"Beats
me," Firestar shrugged.
"I
will find out," Emma sighed. "Continue your training."
The
White Queen of the Hellfire Club's secret Inner Circle was also the teacher and
founder of the Hellions, the club's team of young mutants, to be used for their
purposes.
Walking
slowly, she soon passed a room where two voices were arguing. She stuck her
head in the room to see what was going on.
"Perhaps
you're having second thoughts?" Contessa asked. She didn't move from her
hover chair, at least, as far as anyone knew. Legs crossed and always imposing,
she had a way with most men.
"I'm
not having second thoughts," Roberto DaCosta angrily replied. He was a
mutant who could absorb solar energy and turn it into strength. For a time, he
ran with the New Mutants and called himself Sunspot. That time has passed.
"I'm just disagreeing with this."
"Disagreeing
with what?" Emma asked as she stepped in.
"It's
not your concern," Bobby frowned.
"I
do believe a dispute between two members of the Inner Circle concerns me in
every way," she said.
"Forget
it," Bobby said. He stormed out.
"You
handled that very well," Contessa said sternly.
"Quiet,"
Frost replied harshly. "Who peed in his cheerios?"
"Probably
Klarion's cat, Teekl," Contessa replied.
"You
forgot the bum bum BUM part," Emma said.
Contessa
sighed. "The boy is just upset. He knew things weren't on the up and up
long before he joined...he just doesn't believe our Black King's plan is
right."
"The
fool. He'd rather die with the blind masses than survive to rule."
"We
should let 'Jason' have his way with him," Contessa grinned evilly.
"Then I'm sure he'd see things our way..."
He smiled as they shook hands and parted ways.
"Senator
Gene Ha, another unsuspecting ally?" Lady Tessa stood by her 'master's'
side.
Sebastian
Shaw grinned. "At this rate, I'll control the majority of the House and
senate in a matter of months. I already have the funding to produce the
project's weapons, I just need the government's say so to use them
legally."
"Though
having approval has never stopped you before," Tessa replied.
"True,"
Shaw nodded. "But if no one has legal jurisdiction to stand in my
way...not only will I be able to eliminate mutants who would stand against me,
but I'd be able to have them strike on an unsuspecting populace."
"Project:
Wide-awake," Tessa sighed. "If only we could be sure the ends would
justify the means."
"Oh,
it will," Shaw grinned evilly. "The steps I take will not matter...so
long as I end up on my throne, atop the world."
Linda Danvers sighed quietly. Her blonde hair flew about her
in the cool breeze, her blue eyes gleaming with the bright sun. She sat on the
edge of a balcony on the third floor of the club's headquarters.
"Good
afternoon, my love."
She
smiled warmly at his entrance. Jason Wyngarde was the man she loved. When she
was around him, nothing else mattered. Her past with Young Justice...her
feelings for Superboy...none even entered her mind. All she knew was that she
loved him, and he loved her. That was all she needed.
Jason
was a master manipulator. His reasons for Linda's joining the Hellfire club
were purely personal in every way. Besides having a hot young blonde on his bed
every night, 'Jason' knew of her extreme powers. He knew that, with a little
tweaking, she could become the most powerful being on the planet. And with her
at his side...he could rule all. Jason Wyngarde, not Sebastian Shaw.
"How
are you feeling?" he asked her.
"Good,
now that you're here," she grinned again. In some ways, that was the most
torturous for her. Because somewhere, deep down, a part of her was
disgusted...was hurt...was torn, knowing that something wasn't right. However,
it was only one small part, buried deep down. Not nearly enough to resist.
The
two kissed.
From
beneath the balcony and far away, a young woman watched with relative disgust.
Her name was Martinique Wyngarde...Jason's daughter. She knew that was not her
real last name...but circumstances forced her to keep it.
Like
her father, she had the ability to create illusions. Illusions so real that no
one could tell them apart from reality. A power that she believed her father
was abusing, especially in his love affair with a woman barely a year older
than she was.
It
just disgusted her. But she had no choice other than to sit back and
watch...right?
Happy Harbor, Rhode Island.
Red
Tornado stood tall, watching the large monitor before him. Images, and video
clips fluttered before him. Images of his 'wife', Kathy Sutton, and his
'daughter', Traya.
Yes,
he was a robot. Yes, they were real. But he was slowly becoming more
human...and his 'family' welcomed him back with open arms. Was it possible?
Perhaps. Was it probable? Definitely not. But did this robot want his humanity
more than anything else? You betcha.
Sam
Guthrie and Jen Lynn Haden watched him quietly from behind a staircase.
"What's
he doing?" Sam asked in a whisper.
"He
does this every once in awhile," Jen replied, her green skin almost glowing.
"Just...watches stuff about his family. He's kinda like Data, from Star
Trek...always seeking to be more human."
"Nice
analogy," Sam said, still watching.
"So,
what you told us about the Hellfire Club?" she asked, turning to face him.
"That's all true?"
"Yup,"
Sam nodded, turning to face her as well. "Ah know Ah'm still new t o YJ,
but the second ya'll wanna go after Firebird, Ah'll be more'n ready to
help."
"Come
on, let's leave Reddy alone," she said, grabbing his hand. The two walked off,
leaving the red robot to stand and ponder.
"Keep it up," Superboy said.
"Whatever
you say," Impulse continued. "Well, not whatever..."
Impulse's
fists of fury moved faster than the eye could see, pounding upon Superboy's
photonic 'S' shield.
"It's
still holding perfectly," Superboy realized.
"Definitely
made of some stern stuff," Robin replied, watching closely. "I bet
Cap would be impressed."
"Yeah,"
Kon said.
"So
long as you didn't go into a long speech about your powers," Impulse said,
continuing. Superboy bopped him on the head, and he stopped. "Okay,
okay...jeez."
"So,
when will we get to see some action?" Magik asked. She, Arrowette and
Wonder Girl were across the room, hanging out.
"Soon
enough, I guess," Arrowette shrugged. "To tell you the truth, after
our last battle as a team, I'm not too eager to go at it again."
"No
kidding," Wonder Girl said. "We're so unprepared. You and Sam are
still new...Jen's worried about losing her best friend, Rob's worried about
losing a member of his team, Kon's upset because we lost Linda..."
"And
you're upset because the Kid's so upset over Linda," Arrowette cut in.
"That
was mean," Wonder Girl frowned. "He and Linda went good
together...she made him happy. So of course I'm concerned...his heart's been
broken."
"Attention,
Young Justice," Red Tornado's voice poured out over the loud speakers in
the base. "Cannonball and Jade need your assistance immediately. They are
under attack!"
Chapter Three: Trouble With A Capital
"H"!
Three days ago, in Central Park.
"Linda,
please!" Superboy pleaded as he used his photonic shield to deflect a
chunk of debris. "Talk to us! Talk to me!"
He
flew towards the being that was in the process of tearing Young Justice apart.
Her name was Linda Danvers and she was once a great friend and well-respected
member of said team. As Firebird, she was always the most powerful member of
the team. Only this time, she had turned against them.
"Talk?"
Linda asked. "The only thing I need to do with you...is bury you!"
She
extended her fire-red wings outward and, accompanied by a telekinetic blast,
through Kon-El down into Wonder Girl and Jade.
"Umm,
Rob?" Impulse asked.
"What?"
the team's leader replied angrily.
"We're
getting our butts whooped," Impulse answered.
"I
know," Robin sighed. "But what are we supposed to do? We can't hurt
her!"
"Well,
if we don't stop her," Jade cut in, "someone else will!"
"'Of
Mice and Men'," Robin sighed. "Alright. We've got to take her here
and now...or she doesn't get taken!"
The Present, just outside Happy Harbor, Rhode Island.
"We
don't want anything from you," Christopher Bedlam sneered, pointing at
Jade. "If Sam surrenders and comes with us willingly, you won't be
hurt."
Standing
behind Bedlam, whose mutant power allowed him to disrupt anyone's thought
process, were the Hellions. Magma could control the earth's tectonic plates and
cause lava to erupt from the ground. Bevatron could generate bio-electric
energy blasts from his hands. Firestar could generate microwave energy and
shoot fire from her hands. Empath's telepathic abilities allowed him to
subjugate others to his will. Tarot's cards could cause great harm to those she
directed their magiks to. Thunderbird's strength was paralleled by few.
Roulette had a habit of making those around her have some really bad luck.
"You'd
be better off agreeing," Thunderbird said. "You don't want to take on
all eight of us."
"Well,
Jimmy," Sam said, "Ah didn't expect to run into you again...'least
not with the Hellions."
"Sam
told me all about you guys," Jade said. "You and the Hellfire club.
You've already done enough to Young Justice. You won't lay a hand on him."
"We
gave you a choice," Bedlam shrugged. "Hellions--"
Before
Bedlam could give his order, a red and gold streak moved around the ground.
Shortly after, every Hellion tripped and fell.
"Impulse?"
Sam asked.
"I
tied their shoelaces together," he grinned proudly. "Everyone's on
their way."
"Speedy,
you won't get a second chance at that!" Empath called. He unleashed his powers
on Impulse.
"Er..."
Impulse said. "Are you gonna do something? 'Cause I hate waiting
around."
"My
powers!" Empath exclaimed. "They don't work on him!"
"Who
cares?" Magma said. Seconds later, two pillars of lava exploded from the
ground, sending the trio fleeing. Soon the Hellions had untied and retied their
shoes, allowing them the chance to take the offensive.
Cannonball
rocketed forward, hitting Thunderbird hard in the chest with his fists.
"Sorry, Jimmy...but I knew you hadda be taken out quick."
Firestar
poured her fire blasts down against Jade. The emerald heroine simply created an
emerald shield to withstand the attack, relying on her force of will to create
anything she needed.
A
blue disc raised from the ground, and when it disappeared, the rest of Young
Justice had arrived: Robin, Superboy, Wonder Girl, Arrowette, and the team's
teleporter Magik.
"Looks
like a fair fight now," Arrowette said, pulling two trick arrows out of
her quiver and into her bow.
"You
kidding?" Superboy said, bringing his humming shield to life with a flick
of the wrist. "These bozo's don't know what they've gotten themselves
into!"
Roulette
grinned when Superboy flew himself into a light pole, her bad luck discs
working wonders.
"Hey!"
Wonder Girl yelled. "That's not fair!"
Wonder
Girl flew at Roulette, only to be intercepted by Bevatron, who fired off a
round of electric blasts at her. He, on the other hand, was quickly put out of
the fight by two gas arrows from Arrowette.
Magik
called upon her Soulsword, which instantly covered her body in armor as well as
gave her a weapon. She charged forward and knocked the cards out of Tarot's
hands.
"Non!"
she exclaimed.
"Enough,"
Bedlam replied. He sent his powers out in a flash. Though it affected the
Hellions as well, he knew that his powers would be enough to take YJ out of the
fight. Soon, he was the only one standing. That is, except for Impulse.
"What?"
Bedlam asked. "First you evaded Empath's abilities...now mine. How is it
possible?"
"I
know what Superboy would say," Impulse shrugged, "but I don't like
that very much. So how about I say this? Goodnight!"
Impulse
rushed forward and knocked Bedlam out with one punch. Slowly, the Hellions and
Young Justicers shook off Bedlam's attack.
"Good
work, Bart," Robin said. "Now, Hellions...did you wish to continue
this fight? Or can you respect a draw?"
"I
suggest the Hellions retreat," Tarot said. "The rest of this
fight...well, the cards do not look kindly on it."
"Next
time, Sam," Magma frowned.
"Whatever,"
Sam replied. Moments later, a teleportation disc brought the team back to base.
Chicago.
The
Red Tornado flew through the evening skies, his winds helping to make sure that
Chicago earn the nickname of the 'Windy City'. He had come to this city only a
few times since his 'return' to 'life'. The only reason he came at all was
because of the two people with whom he might still share a shred of humanity
with. Kathy and Traya Sutton, the woman who, in another life was his wife, and
the girl who, in another life, was his daughter.
"Daddy,"
Traya whispered to herself as she noticed the trees start to wave far more than
usual. She looked away from the window and to her mother.
Kathy
smiled. "John..."
Soon
after, a brief knock came to the door. Kathy opened it, and smiled a little
more at the man--robot, who stood in the doorway.
"It
is...good to see you again," Red said.
"Good
to see you, too, John," she replied. He stepped in and almost bumped into
the excited Traya.
"Hi
daddy," she smiled.
"Hello,
Traya," he replied. "Thank you both for having me once again."
"We
enjoy having you over, John," Kathy said. "I'm just glad it doesn't
bother you that it's always for dinner...even though you...don't need to
eat."
"It
is quite alright, I--" Red stopped as another knocking came to the door.
"One moment."
Red
Tornado slowly opened the door and found a young man and woman behind it.
"May I help you?"
"Yes,
you may," the woman said.
"More
than you know..." the man grinned.
YJ's hidden HQ. The pool.
Jade
dove into the swimming pool, splashing playfully. "Come on in, Sam...it's
great!"
Sam
hopped over the pools edge and into the water.
"What,
no cannonball?" Jade asked.
"Too
predictable," Sam replied. "But this water is nice."
"You
guys have a pool at your old base?"
"We
had a lake," Sam replied. "But Ah didn't go swimming much. But, Ah
got a question for you."
"Shoot,"
she grinned, swimming closer to him.
"Is
it true you were a model for awhile?"
"Yup...a
short while, anyway. Why?"
"No
reason, Ah guess. Ah just can see why."
She
grinned and splashed water at him.
"Bad
move," Sam replied. "'Cause that means war!"
Elsewhere in the HQ.
Robin
sat at a computer screen, going over the fight. "Hmmm..."
"Find
something important?" Arrowette asked as she walked over to him.
"Oh,
hey Arrowette," Robin replied. "And no, not really."
"Hey,
it's Cissie when I'm in my civvies," she replied. "Not that I really
like my name, or anything...but you're the only one of us who doesn't have a
real name to share."
"You
know it's not my call," Robin replied. "I'm not big on the fact that
I have to hide everything about me from you or the rest of the team."
Cissie
sat down in the chair next to Robin and pushed it closer, looking at the
monitors on the wall. "What's the point of analyzing the fight?"
"So
I can see what we did wrong," Robin replied. "The best way for me to
help you all, and myself, improve, is to see our mistakes and correct them in
training sessions."
Cissie
nodded. "So, Rob...if you're so used to watching our technique...how's my
figure...there?"
Rob
turned to her, only to find Cissie looking straight into his masked eyes, their
faces barely inches apart. "I...er..."
"Rob?"
Wonder Girl called.
"Yes?"
he asked, jumping out of his chair.
"Er...sorry
to interrupt," she replied. "Umm...er...it's not important.
Sorry."
Cissie
sighed, got out of her chair and walked off with Cassie.
"Thanks
a lot," Cissie sighed.
An alley in New York City.
Two
figures slowly approached a third. Two of the three were totally covered in
trench coats, the third walking casually in normal dress.
"So
you got my message?" the woman who was waiting asked.
"Yup,"
the normally dressed woman replied.
"Good,"
the woman replied. "Call me Grey Lady."
"Danielle
Moonstar," one replied.
"Feral's
fine," said the other.
"I've
got a sweet deal for you ladies," Grey Lady grinned. "I'm starting a
group called the Point Men. I think our goals concerning mutant life might
interest you. You remember the MLF, right?"
"Mutant
Liberation Front?" Dani asked. "Who could forget. A bunch of fools
caused way to much trouble for us."
"Well,
don't harbor feelings that are too bad," the Lady continued. "Because
we're gonna be operating somewhere along the same lines. People need to
understand that mutants aren't gonna keep taking the same crap they've been
taking. Forget what you two were learning as the X-Men's understudies...people
won't accept peace. They need to be forced to have peace. That's what we're
gonna do."
"Good,"
Feral grinned. "It's about damn time."
"Come,"
Grey Lady said. "Meet the others who will support our case."
Chapter Four: Uninvited Guests
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..."
Chapter Five: Neighbors in the Alley
"Young Justice...you're under arrest."
Agents
of SHIELD, Fite 'N' Maad, had just arrived on the scene. Only minutes ago, the
team was in a fight for their lives against an attack by a group of unknown
robotic beings calling themselves the Phalanx.
Young
Justice. A team of young heroes training for a future where they will be the
world's protectors. Currently present: Wonder Girl, given by the all-father
Odin, the powers of flight, invulnerability and super strength. Superboy, whose
tactile telekinesis allowed him the same powers, and the addition of a photonic
shield gave him a symbol to fight behind. Arrowette, whose accuracy with a bow
and arrow was unparalleled. Impulse, the boy who moved faster than he could
possibly think. Jade, whose green skin, hair, and eyes affected her personality
not one bit, as she relied on her own strength of will to create any object she
wanted. And lastly present, the team's mentor and leader, the robotic Red
Tornado, who could create tornadoes with ease.
The
Phalanx. Out of nowhere they came, and struck with such intensity that, for a
few moments, the team wondered if they could actually succeed. That is, until
Superboy caused a miniature shock wave that took them all out, as well as part
of Chicago. While two Phalanx escaped, the two mutant members of the team, Cannonball
and Magik, gave chase.
"Under
arrest?" Arrowette asked.
"You
can't be serious!" Jade exclaimed. "We just saved the city!"
"By
causing an earthquake?" Agent Fite asked. "You've got some twisted
logic."
"These...Phalanx
things were adapting to our powers!" Superboy said in defense.
"Unless we took 'em out quickly, they would've overwhelmed us!"
"You can tell it to a judge," Maad replied. "Don't resist. It'll
only cause more trouble for yourselves."
"Agents,"
the Red Tornado spoke. "I am responsible for this team. I called them here
when I was attacked. Without there help, it is true that this city would have
been in grave danger."
"Mister
Tornado," Fite replied, "While your testimony on their behalf is
appreciated, it doesn't change anything. Young Justice has been operating for
only a short while, and it has already caused far too much danger to public and
private property. We're taking you in."
"You
and what army?" Superboy asked.
"Like,
yeah," Impulse added, pointing.
"Come
quietly before you're hurt," Maad said, his hand on his gun holster.
"One way or another, you are under arrest and you will be brought
in."
"Let's
blow this joint," Superboy said. He picked up Arrowette and took off,
flying. Wonder Girl and Jade took off as well, followed by Impulse on foot.
"They're
making a mistake," Fite said to Red.
"With
all due respect, agents," the Tornado said as he began to take off after
them, "so are you."
Happy Harbor, Rhode Island. YJ's secret base.
"Yes
Oracle," Robin spoke to no one, standing alone in the team's briefing
room. He hadn't gone on the mission against the Phalanx, as he was occupied
with a little activity of his own. "Moon Knight went down, and the police
got him. Batman won't have to worry about him anymore. No, I didn't hear about
anything called the Phalanx. What? Young Justice was just fighting them? But
they're coming back here? Good. Gotta go, Oracle. They're coming."
"Hey
Rob," Impulse said as he rushed inside. The others were, of course, behind
him.
"You
missed a weird little battle," Arrowette said, smiling as she pulled off
her mask.
"So
I've heard," he replied. "Phalanx?"
"Yeah,"
Wonder Girl answered, pulling off her goggles. "How'd you know?"
"Probably
some bat-computer file," Superboy answered. "Batman knows everything.
He's still not as good as Cap, though."
"But
I take it you won?" Robin asked.
"Yup,"
Superboy nodded.
"We
need to analyze their possible threat," the Tornado spoke, entering last.
"They
can shape-shift and look like normal people...they could pose a serious threat
to national or world-wide security."
"I'll
start analyzing all available data," Robin said, "And I'll forward
some of it to Batman, if he's got the time to look it over...which I doubt. But
I'll do it anyway."
"Hey,"
Jade called out. "Ummm...aren't we still missing two people?"
"Yeah,
where did Sam and 'Yana go?" Kon-El asked.
"They
went after some escaping Phalanx," Cissie remembered.
"I
can track them from here," Robin shrugged. "Through the comm units,
it's easy to find any of our members. Just gimmie a few minutes."
"Take
your time," Cassie sighed. "I'm taking a shower..."
"Good
idea," Cissie nodded.
"You
think Sam is okay?" Jen asked.
"I'm
sure he's fine," Robin answered. "Why don't you hit the showers,
too...when you're done I'll have a fix on his location and we can get the two
of them."
Jen
nodded and walked off.
"Robin,"
Red Tornado said after everyone had left.
"Hmm?"
he asked.
"When
I scanned the Phalanx, I found life signs," he answered. "They're not
just artificial intelligence or another robot...they are living beings."
"Well
then, that begs a frightening question," Robin sighed.
"Oh?"
"Yup.
Where did they come from?"
Beneath New York city there is an elaborate system of
underground tunnels. Some believe they were built in the 1950's as a place to
evacuate New York in case of nuclear war. Some believe they were built by
someone or something other than the human race. But what they really were, at
least to one group of people...was home.
"I
am Callisto," a woman called. "These are my Morlocks. And you are in
our alley..."
Sam
Guthrie and Illyana Rasputin were mutants, people gifted or cursed with powers
and abilities that made them different from normal humans. As Cannonball and
Magik, the two were founding members of the New Mutants, and currently found
themselves as members of Young Justice. They had ventured into these tunnels
tracking two Phalanx. They succeeded in stopping them, only to find themselves
not alone.
"Er...Ah'm
Sam," Cannonball said, a bit startled by their sudden appearance.
"This
is Illyana..."
"Pretty
names for ugly upworlders," one man muttered.
"Who
are you?" the woman who identified herself as Callisto asked. "What
is your purpose here?"
"We're
members of Young Justice," Illyana spoke. "We came here tracking two
beings that were causing trouble. We defeated them, but they had led us
here."
"They
lie," another Morlock mumbled.
"Here
to kill us," another spoke.
"No,"
one said. He stepped forward. His appearance was hideous...he was tall and
skinny, yet hunched over and completely albino. His face was deformed and his
eyes were big and yellow. "Caliban senses...that they are mutants, like
us."
"Oh?"
Callisto asked, stepping closer to the two. "And that means we should
instantly trust them, right? Wrong...they've admitted they live on the
surface...and look at them! Wearing clean clothes...pretty faces...clean hair.
You can't tell them apart from normal humans. They're probably in league with
them."
"What
are you talkin' about, girl?" Sam asked.
A
girl, most likely the age of Sam, stepped forward. She was not disfigured at
all. In fact, if she had the chance to take a shower and get clean clothes, she
would most likely be very pretty. "Callisto...they came here by accident.
They don't want trouble, and neither do we."
"Quiet,
Skids," Callisto frowned. "Do you know where you are?"
"I'm
guessing the sewers in Chicago?" Illyana asked.
"Chicago?"
Skids asked, surprised. "You're under New York."
"How
is that possible?" Sam asked.
"I
teleported the Phalanx...not us," Magik frowned. "Didn't I?"
"We
don't know how you got here," Callisto replied, "but we don't like
strangers."
"Caliban
senses no hostile intentions," the one called Caliban said quietly.
"...Very
well," Callisto said. "You are in the place we call the Alley. Home
to us...mutants who have been cast aside by humanity, whose physical
appearances cause people to not only hate and fear us, but to want us dead.
Home to the Morlocks. Here we have formed our own society...we live in peace
with each other. It's not a good life...but we have no other choice."
"There
are people out there who are working to promote peace between humans and
mutants," Illyana replied. "There's a school upstate that takes in
mutants to train them in the use of their powers. Mutants don't have to live in
fear..."
"Says
the pretty one," one very disfigured Morlock stepped forward. "Maybe
if you look like us you won't think that way, eh? Maybe Masque can help
you..."
"Ah'm
not lookin' for a fight," Sam said. "Hopefully y'all ain't
neither."
"You
are mutants," Caliban spoke. "Morlocks are mutants. Morlocks welcome
you."
"That's
good to know," Sam nodded.
"How
many of live here?" Illyana asked.
"We
don't keep count," Callisto said.
"Some
of us don't know how to count," Masque said angrily.
"We
could take you to that school I mentioned," Illyana said. "You don't
have to live in these tunnels..."
"And
who're you to decide what we have to or don't have to do?" Callisto asked.
"We live just fine here...we don't need to associate ourselves with
upworlder scum. We don't belong there and we don't need to be there! The Alley
is where we belong."
"We're
not gonna change 'em, 'Yana," Sam said, touching her arm. "And it's
not our right to. Callisto, Ah'm sorry we busted in here like that. But if you
don't want to be known about, that's fine. Your secret is safe with us. We
won't have you do anything you don't want."
"We
could arrange for food and supply transports," Illyana said, pushing
herself away from Sam's grasp. "I mean, the Ninja Turtles lived better
than we do...and they lived in the sewers! We could--"
"'Yana,
stop," Sam shook his head. "Callisto, we're goin' now. But if you do
need to ever find us..."
"Caliban
can sense other mutants," Callisto replied. "In the...however
unlikely event that we may want to contact you...we will find you."
Sam
nodded. "Let's go, 'Yana."
Reluctantly,
she complied. A moment later the two disappeared.
"Come,
Morlocks," Callisto frowned. "There is still much to be done
today."
And
as the Morlocks began leaving, Caliban paused. He turned and looked. He
squinted into the far darkness. After a few moments, he decided it wasn't worth
it. He left quickly to follow his friends.
And
once he was gone, a figure broke from the darkness. Too bloody close...he
thought. That Caliban can sense mutants...I'm gonna have t'be more careful
if I'm gonna stay hidden...
YJ's secret HQ.
"Sam!"
Jen exclaimed as he and Illyana appeared inside the base. "You're
okay!"
"Yup,"
he replied.
"I'm
fine, too," Illyana sighed.
"What
happened?" Robin asked.
"Well,
somehow 'Yana 'ported us to the sewers under New York," Sam explained.
"We
don't know how, though...'cause she never attempted to."
"We
stopped the Phalanx," Illyana continued, "and then found ourselves in
some weird tunnel with all these people behind us."
"There's
a group of mutants calling themselves the Morlocks who live beneath New
York," Sam took it back. "They consider themselves outcasts from
society. So they live by themselves in their own little society. They call us
upworlders. They definitely don't seem to like people who don't live down
there."
"Interesting,"
Robin pondered. "I'll have to note that for future investigation."
Elsewhere in New York.
"You're
ready for this, right?" Danielle Moonstar asked.
"Of
course I am," Feral replied. "I'm more worried about you chickening
out."
"I
won't," Dani frowned. "I joined the Point Men for the same reason you
did. It's about time we make people see that mutants exist and that we deserve
every right and freedom that they have."
The
Grey Lady's voice came over their comm unit. "Meet in the garage. We're
ready to move."
"You
heard the lady," Feral said.
Dani
nodded. "No turning back now..."
The saga of the Point
Men will unfold in Young Justice: In Deep.
THE SECRET FILES
Enter Code Name: MAV
Enter Password: ********
ACCESS GRANTED
Login date: 12/02/2000
Access Code: YJ04-05
The following information is classified and for
SHIELD eyes only.
ROBIN
Real Name: Unknown
Occupation: Vigilante
Base of Operations: Gotham City, others presumed
Group Affiliation: Young Justice
Ht: 5'3"; Wt: 120 lbs.
Eyes: Opaque lenses in mask
Hair: Black
First Appearance: Batman #3
Very little is known about Robin. It is yet to be confirmed if he truly exists,
as no one has truly discovered any serious information about him. Like Batman,
he is an urban legend. He is believed to be a highly trained martial artist,
armed with an expandable bo staff among other equipment. He also appears to be
leading Young Justice, proving himself to be a master tactician at most times,
despite YJ's track record of destroying things in their wake.
IMPULSE
Real Name: Bart (last name unknown)
Occupation: Vigilante
Base of Operations: Unknown
Group Affiliation: Young Justice
Ht: 5'1"; Wt: 110 lbs.
Eyes: Yellow
Hair: Brown
First Appearance: Young Justice #1
While there have been, and currently are, many speed heroes, this one is
relatively new and unknown. Despite an early attempt at a solo career, Impulse
joined up with the youths in Young Justice and has stayed with the team. His
top speed appears to be near the speed of light, and he appears to think only after
he acts, if ever. He could prove to be a dangerous liability...
SUPERBOY
Real Name: Kon-El
Occupation: Vigilante
Base of Operations: Unknown
Group Affiliation: Young Justice
Ht: 5'7"; Wt: 130 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
First Appearance: Young Justice #1
Information on Superboy is classified and top secret. His power of tactile
telekinesis give him the abilities of flight, super strength and
invulnerability. His photonic shield is an homage to his apparent idol, Captain
America. Information concerning his origin requires level Alpha clearance.
RED
TORNADO
Real Name: Has gone by different alias in the past, but no known real name
exists in record
Occupation: Mentor of Young Justice
Base of Operations: Unknown
Group Affiliation: Young Justice
Ht: 6'1"; Wt: 225 lbs.
Eyes: None
Hair: None
First Appearance: Young Justice #1
One of the very few heroes from the Lost Generation that is still active. As a
Robot, little is known about his personal life. It is believed that he has a
wife and daughter, Kathy and Traya Sutton, but it is unknown how he got into
that relationship. Like his name describes, he can create tornadoes and is
believed to be powerful enough to generate wind forces designated F5.
Currently, for unknown reasons, he is the mentor of Young Justice, guiding the
heroes of tomorrow today...but whether or not he is getting the job done
remains to be seen.
WONDER
GIRL
Real Name: Unknown
Occupation: Vigilante
Base of Operations: Unknown
Group Affiliation: Young Justice
Ht: 5'1"; Wt: 105 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Black
First Appearance: Young Justice #1
Rumor has it that Wonder Girl was given her powers from the King of the Norse
Gods, Odin. While I would normally dismiss such notions, the existence of
beings such as Thor and Loki beg to differ. Though what this Odin could see in
her, we don't know. She appears to be a very young teenage girl, and even
appears weak and even scrawny at first glance. Yet, it is known that she has
powers similar to those of Superboy, only without the telekinesis. She has the
abilities of flight, super strength, and invulnerability.
ARROWETTE
Real Name: Cissie King-Jones
Occupation: Vigilante
Base of Operations: Unknown
Group Affiliation: Young Justice
Ht: 5'7"; Wt: 107 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blond
First Appearance: Young Justice #1
Arrowette is yet another descendant of a whole family of masked, bowmen heroes,
the first female of the line. Her motives are obvious: to carry on the family
tradition. She has, quite possibly, one of the most accurate eyes in the world.
Armed with a whole assortment of trick arrows, she proves that she doesn't need
any super powers.
FIREBIRD
Real Name: Linda Danvers
Occupation: Ex-Vigilante, currently unknown
Base of Operations: New York City
Group Affiliation: Formerly of Young Justice, currently unknown
Ht: 5'6"; Wt: 112 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blond
First Appearance: Young Justice #1
Linda Danvers was a founding member of Young Justice, and the first to leave.
Her powers allowed her flight, super strength and invulnerability, as well as
limited non-tactile telekinesis. One interesting development in her powers, and
thus her codename, were her large, glowing, fire-like wings. When she
originally debuted on the scene, she showed no sign of such wings and even
called herself Supergirl for a short time. Every time she appeared since
getting her wings, they appeared to be growing bigger, and she more powerful.
She is believed to be the foe who attacked and defeated Young Justice
approximately one week ago in Central Park. Why she turned on her teammates is
unknown, but it is believed that she has resurfaced as a normal civilian inside
New York's famous Hellfire Club.
JADE
Real Name: Jen Lynn-Haden
Occupation: Vigilante
Base of Operations: Unknown
Group Affiliation: Young Justice
Ht: 5'8"; Wt: 115 lbs.
Eyes: Green
Hair: Green
First Appearance: Young Justice #1
As her skin, eyes and hair are green, she could not hide her name or her
abilities from the public, let alone SHIELD. Her force of will allows her to
create anything and sustain it as long as she wished. The objects were often
used to fight crime, something she became good at. She also appears to have the
ability to fly. However, she was adopted and her family history is completely
unknown.
CANNONBALL
Real Name: Sam Guthrie
Occupation: Vigilante
Base of Operations: Unknown
Group Affiliation: Young Justice, formerly of the New Mutants
Ht: 5'8"; Wt: 130 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blond
First Appearance: Young Justice #1
Information on the New Mutants is strictly classified. However, this much can
be told: Sam Guthrie was a founding member of said group, believed to be a
training group for the outlaw X-Men. His mutant powers allow him to rocket
through the sky at incredible speeds. He is then protected by a blast field
that makes him virtually invulnerable. It is rumored that he is immortal and
part of a group of mutants called the Externals...but it has not been
confirmed.
MAGIK
Real Name: Illyana Rasputin
Occupation: Vigilante
Base of Operations: Unknown
Group Affiliation: Young Justice, formerly of the New Mutants
Ht: 5'4"; Wt: 110 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Blond
First Appearance: Young Justice #1
A Russian mutant and another founding member of the New Mutants, Magik can open
portals from one spot to another. It is theorized that when traveling, she must
stop somewhere else in-between point A. and point B. It is further theorized
that there is far more to her than known, because of her apparent ability to
create a sword and body armor out of midair whenever she gets involved in a
battle. She is currently sought after by SHIELD agents for more information.
All
other information is highly classified. Session terminated.
Originally published in Young Justice #1-5, and
Secret Files #1 at DC/Marvel: The Merging. May not be reused or republished in
any way without the permission of the author.
DC/Marvel: The Merging is a fanfiction site, and is not affiliated with nor endorsed by DC Comics or Marvel Comics, nor any company that owns these characters. All of the stories here are written for fun, and the authors are not making any profit from them, and do not intend any harm to the original creation. This site is for entertainment purposes only. DC/Marvel: The Merging concept created by Chip Caroon, developed by Chip Caroon and Ritchie Filippi.