TITANS TOMORROW #11

[Glippernip]

TITANS TOMORROW #11

WHERE IS DONNA TROY

part 3: Fury and Fuhrer

Written by Joel Sawyer


He strode across the cold marble floor and gazed at the six beings in front of him. They were not dressed in their ‘work clothes’, though they had bathed and eaten. If nothing, their new boss would be a good host. They shuffled their feet, and their leader, Catherine Zeta Casey, approached their new employer, who wore a brown three-piece suit.
“Are you ready for us?” Casey asked.
“Are you?” Phobos answered with a smile.

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Now that he was here, he didn’t know what next.

His name was John Calloway, currently living in upstate New York. He was adopted into the Calloway family as a small child. He didn’t really remember his biological father, and no one seemed to really know who his mother was. Its like she didn’t exist. Orange-red hair just a touch curly, he also wore a thick moustache. Before becoming a Calloway at two-years old, his last name had been Long, son of Terry Long, once a high-school teacher living in the Metro New York area.

Yesterday, John had suddenly felt a strange, compelling urge to drive. Taking a couple of days off work, he had driven for 18 of the last twenty-four hours. Now he was here wondering why he had done this.
Why had he driven to Opal City?

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They had been preparing to leave the San Francisco Titans Tower when the show began. Suddenly the entire floor seemed to melt, transform into a structure that reflected ancient architecture and space-age building materials. Suddenly they were joined by a much younger Starfire, Cyborg, Supergirl, and possibly a Green Lantern. Ever helpful, Tara Markov pointed out The Red Tornado and Jade. Battalion approached Vic Stone, and the entire scene transformed back to its normal appearance.

“Troy had created a team to go out into space during one of the Crisis’,” Terra explained, “I think that’s what we just saw.”

“Man, I hope they find her and stop these phantoms,” Battalion snapped.

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They made a strange, yet symmetrical squad. Hauptmann Englande, the large, muscular blonde leader in blue, white, and maroon standing to the front. To his left, an arm linked with his, stood Formschieber, a beautiful blonde woman in a costume with the same color as his but with a bird emblem across her chest. She also had slightly pointed ears and bare feet, but a swastika headband circled her voluminous hair, which fell to her calves. To Hauptmann’s right stood Mariposa Mentalle, in flowing deep pink and lilac that clung to her curvaceous legs. Blitzkrieger stood next to Mariposa in a blue costume with yellow trim, the only flesh showing being his nose, mouth, and chin. A Swastika made of lightning bolts slashed across his chest. By him stood his best friend Vormund in a black and red bodysuit and similar mask. Near Formschieber stood the strange Nachtmann, his outfit also red and blue, the top looking much like a military band leader’s jacket. Lean and strong, Nachtmann’s face and hair were the same midnight blue color, and his fingerless gloves revealed only two elongated fingers and opposable thumb. Lastly, a small, hooded figure in blue lurked behind the team, a ‘creature’ called Kattenschattze.

Of course, the group of current and classic Titans stood in sharp contrast. Starbolt and Fusion looked clean in their costume and armor respectively, and Raven appeared regal in her flowing blue robe and bird-like hood. Starfire stood in a simple black one piece that accented her still attractive curves a bit too much. Animal Man wore a purple and white costume that looked twenty years old. Wally West, The Flash, wore the famous full red body suit with yellow lightning slashes decorating it.

Wallace, Raven communicated silently to Flash, these are not like Justice Machine. They are enforcers. If they cannot capture us, they will kill us.

Let the others know, Wally thought back. He started, “Hauptmann, I’m not sure what crime you think...”

“No one gave you permission to speak,” the blonde woman barked.

“No crime is required,” The Hauptmann said, “You are supers in an unprotected area, and we found you first. You are coming with us.”

“No,” The Flash stated.

“Lightning Force, engage,” Englande ordered.

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Much like the earlier fight with The Justice Machine, everyone exploded into movement all at once. The skinny, blue skinned man launched himself at Wally, leaping 15' per jump on long, strong legs. “I noticed how fast you go,” Nachtmann gushed, “That will make you a glorious opponent!” Nachtmann grinned, his white teeth including intimidating long canines.

Nachtmann possessed superhuman reflexes as well, as Wally barely dodged a kick aimed precisely at his head. Wally fired back with several punches, wishing for the first time in years that the Speed Force was still with him. He connected with his last punch, however. Nachtmann flipped backward and landed on his feet like an acrobat, his skinny tail (?) helping him balance.

“Wunderbarr, Herr Amerikan,” he laughed, “You are indeed quicker than I, but I am more of a highly trained fighter!”

Wally shot forward, taking Nachtmann by surprise and punching him again. Is he covered in fur? he asked himself as Nachtmann again landed on his feet. Then, in a murky cloud and a sound like a weight thumping onto grassy yard, Nachtmann teleported next to Wally and kicked the speedster squarely in the chest. Flash rolled back, his speed bouncing him up in a second. Nachtmann grinned ear to ear.

“Do you understand, ‘Whizzer’?” I am your superior, of pure German stock no matter my demonic appearance. You cannot win.”

Wally then smiled. “We’ll see who is faster.” They both charged, and the race was on.

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Starbolt saw Hauptmann Englande coming, and prepared himself. Hauptmann threw a monstrous punch, but Starbolt shot into the air. Hauptmann rocketed after him. He can fly, Starbolt thought, chastising himself at his surprise. If this is a duplicate of Superman, I’m in trouble.

Hauptmann grinned as he pursued. “You don’t even look like an Earthling. The penalty of an extra-terrestrial on Earth without clearance is death.”

“Where I’m from,” Ryand’r retorted, “Hitler committed suicide when he knew he had lost. The coward even took his girlfriend with him.”

Hauptmann snarled, ”The first Fuhrer brought peace to all of Europe. I will kill you myself for your speech!”

Ry replied by hitting him with a Psi-bolt.

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Mariposa Mentalle shook her luxurious black hair as she approached Raven. “I can sense that you are the greatest threat. My allies may not be up to the task of defeating you. But we should not fight. You are of superior stock, I can tell. Turn your companions in, and you may even hope to join Lightning Force.”

“That will not happen,” Raven simply stated.

Mentalle’s eyes turned white, and a purplish force erupted from them, taking a vaguely butterfly shape. Raven felt the telepathic onslaught immediately. “You have nearly as much experience as I,” Mentalle said telepathically, “This may be the biggest challenge I’ve had in years.”

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Mariposa Mentalle

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Vormund came at Fusion with both fists, and he was an expert. Fusion found herself backing away and taking glancing blows to her defense screen. He left himself open and she nailed him once, twice. He seemed dazed, so she ran in a circle and ran directly into him. The pressure that blasted into her when she struck made her bite her tongue and threw her back into an old wooden structure of unknown use.

“I can redirect kinetic energy used against me,” Vormund explained, “You cannot defeat me physically."

He’s certainly not the right dance partner, Fusion told herself while swallowing her own blood.

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Vormund

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Blitzkrieger


Blitzkrieger found himself a bit overmatched. He attacked the green man with his best electrical attacks, and found himself missing every time. The green freak could transform himself into animals so quickly and flawlessly, Blitzkrieger could not predict his movements or strike effectively. The one time he did land a perfect shot, an electric eel with wings flew at him from the blast, changed into a ram, and knocked him down.

Formscheiber fared no better, having chosen Starfire as her target. Formscheiber could change her shape as well, but Starfire’s blasts kept the blonde at a distance. When she did get past her opponent’s starbolts, she found Koriand’r of Tamaran just as formidable at short range.

“Fraulein,” Blitzkrieger shouted, rising toward his team-mate, “I think we are better suited for each other’s opponents.” As an example, he crackled electricity across Starfire’s frame, her muscles spasming in pain.

“Danke,” Formschieber called alluringly. Turning into a bestial werewolf-like creature with sharp claws, she dropped down at Animal Man. She was surprised when the smallish male human morphed into a Diplodocus, using its head and long sauropod neck to drive her into the ground.

Changing into a hawk, Logan thought to himself, Once upon a time, I would be throwing pick-up lines at her like nothing. Now, I just hope this doesn’t hurt too much tomorrow!

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Hauptmann Englande, Formschieber, Nachtmann, and Kattenschatze

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In a scene so busy that George Lucas would have been impressed, only a truly trained eye could possibly follow it all. The Flash in red and Nachtmann with his bluish-black fur tried to intercept each other, one’s speed matching the other’s teleportation abilities. The one that tired first would lose. Vormund was certainly a better fighter than Fusion, not allowing her to connect. Mariposa Mentalle pushed Raven back through sheer psionic force. Animal Man and Formschieber dueled in a hundred different forms. Starfire and Blitzkrieger traded energy blasts.

Animal Man using the power and dexterity of a tiger in a very unusual manner, rolled onto his back and flipped the charging dog creature over (most of Formschieber’s shapes were anthropomorphic creatures, not a pure animal form). As Formschieber slammed into the gravelly ground, a pale ghostly figure rose from the earth and through Garfield Logan. Dressed in royal blue top with winged sleeves, matching boots, and pale blue leggings, Logan looking into the face now staring back at him. No hair, sunken features, eyes yellowed and sickly, a star of David branded on her forehead, she looked dessicated and almost mummified. She also looked familiar, like someone he had met over the years.

“KITTY?” Animal Man gasped, regaining human form, “Dear Lord, Kitty, what happened to you.”

“I died,” she said, kneeling and touching him gently on the chest.

Every pain receptor in Logan’s body fired suddenly, and he screamed loud and long. Then his heart stopped.

Raven felt the change. “Koriand’r, Garfield is injured and I cannot defeat this woman.”

Starfire’s reaction was instant, performing a diving roll away from Blitzkrieger and firing. Mariposa heard Raven’s telepathic call but didn’t know who would respond, so the starbolt caught her flatfooted even as she looked for a new attacker. Raven appeared instantly before Kattenschatze, with Animal Man on the ground between them.

“I’m sorry,” the wraith stated, “I do not like to kill, but I must.”

“Tortured soul,” Raven said sympathetically, “What horrors you have been through. If you wish, I can dispel the force that keeps you here.”

Hope flickered in Kattenschatze’s eyes. Raven kissed the girl on the forehead, and she quietly faded away. Raven knelt down to help Animal Man.

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Starbolt nailed Hauptmann Englande with a fifth Psi-bolt. The bruiser winced, but kept coming. The only thing Ry really had going for him was that he was a more maneuverable. Except that could only go so far. Englande feinted left, then shot a knee into Starbolt’s ribs. Just as quickly, he headbutted the youth, then spun and elbowed Ry in the back of the head.

Starbolt fell from the sky, bleeding profusely from his mouth and nose.

“NO!” Fusion cried. She blinded Vormund with her spectrum and disengaged, covering the distance and catching Ryand’r. She could see that his face was misshapen. “No,” she whispered, a rage building.

“Since you are in a rush to protect him,” the Hauptmann told her, “You will be next.”

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Formschieber saw Raven with Logan’s head in her lap and changed into a strong antelope with razor sharp horns. Even as she charged forward, Flash ran by, grabbing the antlers and throwing the blonde into some ruined stonework. Raven stood up suddenly as Nachtmann appeared near her.

“I would certainly like to play with you more than the runner,” Nachtmann said lustfully, “Perhaps, Fraulein, when this is over...”

“I do not play,” Raven replied sternly, raising her hand in the air.

Feelings and emotions forced their way into Nachtmann’s mind. In an instant, Raven pulled the fuzzy elf’s memories of the atrocities he had committed in the name of his Fuhrer, then downloaded emotional and physical pain she had absorbed into herself for years directly into his psyche. Nachtmann fell to his knees, tears suddenly gushing from his eyes, the misery etched on his face. “Mein Gott, what have I done,” he whispered over and over.

Starfire flew towards Fusion and Starbolt, blasting Hauptmann Englande full in the chest and launching him backward. Kory flew by, and Fusion blinded the pursuing Blitzkrieger with her spectrum. Wally smashed his fists into Hauptmann, which really hurt the speedster more than it did the muscleman. The Flash continued to pepper Hauptmann with punches while dodging the bruiser’s attacks.

Vormund’s vision cleared, and he saw a bad scene. Nachtmann, Mariposa, and Kattenshatze were down or no longer on the field, Formschieber was standing but obviously weak, Blitzkrieger apparently couldn’t see, and Hauptmann had three opponents preparing to attack.

“<Code Twenty-Seven>,” Vormund called in German.

“No,” Englande bellowed as his hand missed hitting the Flash yet again, “I can defeat them!”

“That is not your decision,” Vormund stated.

Englande grimaced. “Fine,” he barked. The Hauptmann grabbed his sister Mariposa, Formschieber assisted Nachtmann. And Vormund helped Blitzkrieger. Another glowing door appeared, and Lightning Force was gone.

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Flash dropped to his hands and knees, breathing terribly hard. Raven glanced at him with concern as she moved toward Starbolt.

“Stay back!” Fusion warned, and edge to her voice, “He’s hurt. I can’t wake him.”

Starfire landed next to them. “Raven has saved all of our lives at some point,” she told Fusion, “You will step aside or I will clear Raven’s path.”

For just one moment, Fusion wanted to fight her. That’s his mother, you idiot, her inner voice screeched, Stand down, that’s an order (and yes, her conscious did sound like a drill sergeant)! Fusion stood and walked away. Raven settled in to heal Starbolt.

Barely able to stand, Animal Man stumbled over to Wally. “Are you okay,” he asked.

“I haven’t (Huhn!) had to run like that (Huhn!) in a while. I’m out of (Huhn!) shape.”

“I know what you mean. I have to practice shape-changing every day to keep ready.”

Wally cracked a smile, “Don’t make me laugh. I‘m trying to catch my breath.”

“I’m not joking. Its getting harder and harder to do this. That’s why I satisfy myself in Markovia instead of active Justice League status.”

“What did she do to you,” Flash asked.

“I don’t know. Raven said I’m virtually uninjured. The girl just caused me more pain than I ever remember feeling before, then stopped my heart.”

Starbolt awoke with a start, looking up into Raven’s eyes. He watched as mottled purple bruises on her face faded to yellow and then disappeared. Raven sighed as Fusion helped Ry to sit up.

“We cannot stay here,” Raven whispered, obviously not recovered from taking Logan and Ryand’r’s pain into herself, “Hauptmann plans to bring reinforcements.”

“They also suggested that others may come for us,” Wally added.

“Can you do it,” Kory asked, “Do you need a place to rest?”

“I must do it,” Raven replied, “I will follow Donna’s psychic trail to another place, then get my bearings there.”

Reluctantly, the group gathered around her and she resumed their journey.

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Raven felt the presence touch her soul-self. “Donna, is that you?” she asked.

“No, not Donna,” the force replied, “Betty. You need help?”

“Thank you, but..."

That was all Raven communicated before a force suddenly grabbed her and dragged her to another location. She was too weak to really fight.

The six landed in a grassy field, perfectly cut and landscaped, with a large glass building nearby and a great city in the distance. Five colorful figures approached. The Titans sighed and prepared themselves for an attack.

“Let me guess,” Logan said irritably, “We’re under arrest?”

“No, friend Changeling,” the African-American woman with green flaming hair replied, “You’re with friends.”

“I remember you,” Wally said, “You’re Jet.”

With Jet stood Extrano, colorful master of magic in flowing purple robes; Gloss, a Chinese woman in a green, skin tight, and revealing outfit; RAM, a Japanese man encased in a greenish, pure silicon shell, and Floro, once known as Jason Woodrue, the Floronic Man.

“They’re The New Guardians,” Wally explained.

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[Glippernip]

He strode purposefully through his true home in Opal City, a stone structure that used to house a VFW Hall but had fallen to disuse. He had purchased it twenty years ago and had lived here off and on ever since.

It is time, he thought. With the discovery of the Firestorm Matrix, he needed no other power sources, not even the electric boy. He was ready.

He would show them all. Now, when the world had fewer ‘heroes’ then any other time in the last hundred years, it was time for a new power.

He stood in the turret at the top of his temple and through willpower and ancient magic, he accessed the energies far below him. He could feel each item he had accumulated: The Orb of Ra, The Medusa Mask, a Yellow Power Ring, The Avatars of Vishnu, and the true Crown of Zeus. There were also the living powers: The Firestorm Matrix, the pink djinn sometimes known as Thunderbolt, and the formidable psionic known as Psimon. And, of course, a fifty pound block of Kryptonite for just such an emergency.

“You will obey my commands, Earth,” Phobos hissed, losing his handsome, formidable form and reverting to his true shape, a grotesque trollish visage with a huge hooked nose, sharpened teeth, heavy eyebrows, and a sloping forehead. His hands and feet oversized, he pushed with all of the power he could muster.

Shrieking in silent protest, the ground obeyed. Slowly, the land that Phobos’ home stood on grew to a mound, then a hill, then a mountainous tower rising 100 foot taller than any other structure in Opal. Phobos began to sweat, but only due to his concentration; the forces at his command did all the work. His few artistic talents came to play, reworking existing waterworks to feed his temple, creating a road and stairway for access, and forming additional chambers and doorways. The landscape for a mile around changed, and though Phobos had chosen a spot away from downtown Opal, the upheaval still caused millions in damage.

When finished, Phobos assumed his ‘handsomer’ visage and grinned. They would be coming soon.

He would defeat Wonder Woman.

He would defeat Captain Marvel.

He would defeat Superman.

He would even destroy Lord Ares if he must.

You should have accepted me, Father, Phobos mused, You are the only being in existence I would have place higher than myself in the new pantheon. Your champions could never do what I’ve done.

“Citizens of Opal City,” he bellowed, his voice mystically transmitted throughout the community, “I am Lord Phobos, The High God on New Olympus, and Opal City has the honor of becoming my Capitol on Earth.”

To Be Continued...