Post by lawrenceliberty on Jun 9, 2017 18:14:52 GMT
Young Justice:
1
On a bright summer day in a small backyard in Midvale, three teen girls waited somewhat awkwardly on their hosts to emerge from within a small suburban home.
Cassie Sandsmark, the tallest girl, was sixteen years old. She had long blonde hair and a very pretty face. She wore a red mini dress with black hosiery and matching ankle boots. She moved with the grace of a trained athlete or a highly skilled warrior. In addition to her striking good looks, she was also a smart girl with a good sense of humor. She moved knowingly over to a second blonde teen and smiled in a teasing manner.
“Deena, I know you like to read but I can’t believe you brought a novel to a party! This kind of thing could ruin you socially!” she joked.
Nadine “Deena” Allen looked up rather sheepishly and removed a stylish pair of glasses. She had long blonde hair as well but she wore her hair pulled back into a rather girlish ponytail. She wore a white polo shirt and jeans.
“Sorry, Cassie. I didn’t mean to be rude. Since we have a few seconds until the Shakespeares bring out the refreshments, I thought I’d finish Bleak House!” she said as she slipped her reading glasses into a small purse.
Cassie laughed as she said, “Yeah, I forgot. I guess you surely qualify as a speed reader!”
Deena laughed as well and she said, “Books are a novelty to me! I mean, solid books like this, are new to me! In my time, we only have holo literature! Actually holding a book in my hands is so cool!”
Deena Allen came from a possible 30th century. Cassie’s comment about Deena’s ability as a speed reader was a joke based on the fact that as the daughter of the late hero known as the Flash, Deena possessed both her father’s keen scientific mind and his super human speed! As Kid Flash, she was being trained as a heroine by Wally West the current Flash.
Deena enjoyed living in Blue Valley with Wally’s parents and she relished her time in costume as a new heroine. She wanted to help others and she wanted to carry on her father’s heroic legacy. She missed her mother Iris who had been forced to return to her own home in the future due to the sudden development of “chronomyaligia” a disease that made it painful for some frequent time travelers to continue to live outside their normal era!
Cassie knew about odd backgrounds. She was the daughter of a brilliant archaeologist Professor Helena Sandsmark and the Olympian known as a Zeus! She had super powers all her own as well as a magical lasso given to her from her Olympian patrons. She had been trained in a timeless dimension by the centaur Chiron and she was a remarkably capable heroine in her own right as Wonder Girl! With the approval and support of both Wonder Woman (Nubia) and Artemis (Donna Troy Long), she was forging a name for herself in the modified red and white costume once worn by Donna Troy herself.
Cassie looked over to where the third teen girl was sitting rather demurely in a long pink skirt with a white blouse. The red haired teen was very shy and had good reason for her insecurities. Megan Morse (M’gann M’orzz) was a Martian who had been forced to pose as an older heroine named Supergirl as part of a plot by her uncle and other renegades in a secret society called the Red Brotherhood. Megan had displayed the heroine’s cool but outgoing personality while living as the Kryptonian heroine; however, once she was freed from the brainwashing that had been imposed upon her, she resumed her normal bashful and girlish demeanor. She had defied her uncle and aided Superman himself in defeating the alien plot. Now, she was truly alone on Earth although both the kindly Man of Steel and the Martian Manhunter had embraced her and worked to make her feel at home as herself!
Megan looked like a typical if slightly old fashioned school girl but she had the wide array of super powers that had made the Martian Manhunter a true champion. She could easily alter her shape, fly, use various alien senses, or simply rely upon incredible strength and speed! Now, as she sat rather forlornly with her legs crossed and her hands folded demurely over her knees, she seemed more like someone from the distant past than from an alien world! Superman himself had urged her to come to this party.
“It will be good for you to meet some other super powered youngsters! I know I’d appreciate it if you’d be extra nice to Kent. He’s having a rough period of adjustment to changes of more than one kind!” he had said.
Megan was desperately eager to please Superman. She felt as though her unwilling role in the plot to fool him was her fault and she wanted to make up for it although he had explained more than once that he had no ill will toward her.
Deena followed Cassie as they approached Megan and sat down on either side of her.
“Megan, do you enjoy music? I see the Shakespeare’s have a nice tape player!” said Cassie as she gestured toward a small walkman and a few cassettes.
Megan nodded eagerly and said, “Oh yes! I have discovered Elvis! I think he is most talented!”
Cassie nodded and she replied, “Yeah, he was pretty cool when he was young!”
Deena frowned as she shuffled through the tapes.
“Odd. Out of all these artists, only Betty Gilson’s legacy lives on in my era. She will dominate the charts for the next thirty years! I can’t say I have heard of Barbarella’s Band or Mike George!” she said.
Cassie said, “You are kidding? I think Mike George is great! He’s really hot!”
At that moment a young teen with dark hair and a thoughtful expression came out of the patio doors with a tray of snacks.
He was smaller than the three girls but he was also younger. He was a bit nervous too. Clearly, like any boy of thirteen, he was impressed by his older and very attractive guests!
“I hope you are hungry! Mom makes a pretty good cake!” he said eagerly.
Cassie said, “Sure, Kent! I think my Amazon training has given me a real appetite although Mom says I always was a big eater! I’ll kill you if you repeat that to anyone though!”
Kent smiled as he lowered the tray and pulled out a chair. He was a very special boy in more ways than one. He was the child of the alien beings known as Bizarro Superman and Bizarro Lois Lane. Unlike these imperfect duplicates, he had the normal appearance (and in the case of Superman -the super powers of the originals from whom the Bizarro’s had been created.) He had been adopted by the Shakespeares and they had moved to the Metropolis suburb a few weeks ago. Superman had been instrumental in helping the boy come to terms with his super powers, his odd heritage, and more particularly a sudden age spurt that had changed him from a child to a thirteen year old.
Deena smiled kindly and said, “Kent, I love your Dad’s comic strip! It must be wonderful to make so many readers laugh each day!”
Kent grinned and he said, “Thanks. I actually like Edwards and Locke better! Don’t tell Dad or I’ll lose my allowance!”
Megan clapped her hands and she said, “I like that one too. That stuffed monkey is so cute!”
Before the kids could touch the snacks, a high pitched sound echoed through the sky and a strange crash shook the ground!
Megan jumped up and said, “It is a spacecraft! It landed in those woods over the hill!” She had detected it with her Martian vision!
Kent said, “We better check it out! I don’t want our neighbors to learn my secret. The aliens may be looking for me! A lot of space men had a grudge against Superman!”
The kids changed into the colorful costumes they wore in her heroic roles and they raced into the woods at super speed! All of them were capable of that kind of motion so no observer could have detected their actions.
Superboy (Kent) wore a familiar red and blue costume with an “S” insignia and cape like much like the one worn by Superman himself. He jumped forward in a series of bounds since he didn’t want to outdistance the others and he was uncertain how many of them could fly!
Wonder Girl (Cassie) wore the red leotard and black high heels boots her predecessor had made famous although she had altered the top so that it revealed her stomach. She followed eagerly but with a bit more of caution than the rest because of her training as a warrior!
Kid Flash (Deena) wore a yellow cowl that covered her upper face while leaving the top of her head and her lower face uncovered. Her blonde hair streamed out of the mask into a pony tail Her yellow top had a red lightning bolt emblem in the center and she wore red shorts and winged yellow ankle boots.
Her costume had been made from material her father had left in the future. She knew he was always prepared for almost any crisis but even she didn’t know if he had ever imagined his child would carry on his heroic career.
Miss Martian (Megan) had returned to her customary green complexion and her red hair framed her delicate features. She wore a blue cape, blue pleated mini skirt, blue boots, and a red and white top that ended with short sleeves. She was flying as well and she struggled to reconcile her inexperience with the memories of her career as the fake Supergirl!
The kids make their way through the woods until they emerged in a clearing where a small rectangular craft had landed.
“It is an alien ship but the markings indicate that it is in fact a prison ship!” said Miss Martian.
Superboy stepped protectively in front of the girls as several weird aliens emerged from the craft.
Kid Flash said, “I don’t think we’re about to be arrested for disturbing the peace with those cassettes!”
Wonder Girl said, “No, in fact, those goons look like escaped cons from Planet X to me!”
2
The first being to emerge from the craft had an inhumanly gaunt body and the only hair on his head rose in an odd tuft from the very top. He wore a blue jumpsuit as did all of the aliens.
He smiled as he spotted the kids and his neck elongated away from his thin body like a rubbery snake.
“We have a welcoming committee! This means we do not have to hunt them down!” he said.
The blue skinned man next to him nodded smugly and he replied, “Heroes of all ages naturally come running when they fear innocent lives are in peril. They were bound to find us in time!”
His hands crackled with energy as he rubbed them together.
A pale woman with long black hair drawn tightly back in a bun nodded in agreement. She had pointed ears and stood taller than all of the men. She carried a large axe.
“These striplings will not be worth the time of a battle maid of the Quazars!” she said with a sneer.
A stocky man in a helmet followed in her wake. He scowled as he placed both hands on the odd device he wore on his head.
“They are alone. This is perfect timing. We must take them before any of their mentors realize what has occurred!” he said.
The final fugitive was covered with green scales and he moved with a reptilian grace. He said nothing as he glanced at each of the teens.
Miss Martian realized that they could understand the aliens because each one wore a universal translator built into his or her prison uniform. It made it easier for guards to understand the captives from countless worlds.
She said, “Do not come closer! I recognize your uniforms. You are from Kronis the Prison Planet!”
Wonder Girl said, “Don’t worry, we can handle this bunch!”
“Handle this, girl!” cried the Quazarian as she hurled the black axe at Wonder Girl.
Wonder Girl twisted to one side as the axe barely missed her chest. She started to move forward when the blade miraculously returned from where it had landed and hurled itself straight at her back!
Kid Flash reacted first and tackled Wonder Girl so that the flying weapon missed them again as it returned to its owner’s hand.
“Thanks! I almost got the Billy Idol look from that thing!” said Cassie.
Before the girls could get up, the blue alien generated a barrage of electricity at them!
Wonder Girl covered Kid Flash with her body and used her bracelets to deflect the bolts of crackling energy!
“I owe you! Of course, you could have probably dodged those energy bolts on your own!” said Wonder Girl.
The first criminal reached out for Superboy with hugely enlarged hands but the Boy of Steel stood his ground and then caught the elastic man by the wrists and slammed his wildly stretching body against the other criminals!
“That should buy us some time! It will take a while for them to untangle themselves from that copycat of Stretch Strongarm!” he said.
Miss Martian used her Martian breath to bowl over the Serpent Man and the man in the helmet as well.
She gasped in pain as Molnir the Mentalist, as the helmeted man was known, used his weapon to create a mental bolt that struck her and brought her to her knees.
She cried out again as he closed in on her and she curled up in a fetal position for a moment before she suddenly jumped up and knocked him out with one punch that cracked his Mind-Helm into fragments.
“I’m sorry about fooling you but I know how to shield my thoughts as any Martian child would do! Your helmet can’t equal my natural ability!” she said in an almost apologetic tone of voice.
As Elasti-Man enveloped Wonder Girl with his now round body, she found herself being contained in an ever smaller living sphere!
She brought both high heeled boots up in the air and drew her knees closer to her chest before kicking out with enough sheer force to cause her captor to release her! Before he could attack again, she flipped him through the air and into Superboy’s path!
“Freeze him!” she yelled.
Superboy nodded and used his super breath to coat the startled alien with a sheath of ice that held him in place in spite of his malleable form.
Margaxe the Quazarian had charged at Kid Flash but before the hulking warrior woman could do more than blink, the Teen Speed Queen had whirled around her in a tightly focused circle that drew all the air away from her and caused her to collapse.
Kid Flash dusted herself out and smiled down at the beaten woman.
“Not a bad tactic at all!” she mused.
The Electric Crook was staggering backward toward Beriak the Serpent Man but they were cornered.
Superboy slapped the blue skinned dynamo with one finger and he fainted in a shower of sparks!
Beriak swayed back and forth silently as his tongue extended and seemed to feel the air currents.
Kid Flash frowned and she said, “Hypnosis! Don’t look at him!”
She spun around and sent a cloud of dirt cascading over the Serpent Man! As it was buried beneath the dirt, Wonder Girl danced forward and connected with a stunning punch of her own!
“Snakes! I hate snakes!” she quipped.
Superboy said, “They weren’t so tough! I guess they escaped from jail like Miss Martian said!”
Kid Flash said, “From what we heard them say I think they were looking for us though!”
Miss Martian cried out a warning seconds before a bizarre green colored energy being rocketed out of the ship and passed directly through all of the teens!
They fell to the ground as an evil looking man with long red hair and a beard emerged and grinned diabolically.
“There will be one less Kryptonian to kill when I finish with you, boy! Then, I’ll kill the girls for pleasure!” said Amelek the infamous Kryptonian Killer!
He frowned as a powerful message crackled through the communicator he wore on his belt.
“You will kill no one until I say you may do so! I have plans for these children!”
Amelek was crazy but he was smart enough to recognize superior power.
“I defer to your wishes for now!” he said as he began to gather the stunned heroes.
Moments before the small ship lifted off into the sky with the escaped villains and the fallen heroes, an agile young boy slipped aboard unseen and thought, “Just made it in time. This may burn out my inviso-unit but I can’t let them detect me until I free the kids!”
3
Superboy groaned in pain as he opened his eyes and blinked through a cloud of pain.
“What a headache! That green thing hurt me! Is it made out of Kryptonite? It moved like a living person!” he thought.
He frowned as he looked down to see that his hands were bound together by a pair of cuffs that were linked by a glowing chain.
“I don’t have my powers! I can’t see or hear across the distance! My strength is gone too! Did that green creep do it to me or is it due to these cuffs?” he thought.
He saw Wonder Girl slumped over nearby and noticed that her hands were contained in similar cuffs.
The same could be said for Kid Flash and Miss Martian. Both of the girls wore glowing handcuffs.
“The cuffs suppress your powers. Don’t worry though. You’ll be fine once I get you free!”
The words came from thin air. Miss Martian frowned as she could neither detect the speaker’s concealed form nor read his mind. She felt blind within these power dampening cuffs.
Suddenly, the air shimmered and a young boy appeared before them!
“Drat! My invisio unit burned out!” he muttered.
“Robin?” cried Wonder Girl in surprise!
The black haired boy wore the famous red and green costume of Robin the Boy Wonder although his cape was black on the backside and yellow on the interior. His green pants were long and matched green boots.
“Yes, I’m Robin!” he said softly. “Sort of!” he thought.
He bent over each of the teens and deftly opened their cuffs with a small tool he had removed from his utility belt.
Superboy smiled and extended his hand to the masked youth.
“Thanks, pal! I’ve heard a lot about you!” he said.
Miss Martian frowned as she thought, “So have I and one of the things I heard was that the second Robin was really a Martian spy. Of course, members of the general public do not know that. I only know because Superman told me! This boy is no Martian but his gear seems too advanced for Earth technology!”
Kid Flash watched him as well. “His costume looks like Robin’s as shown in history holo tapes but we know so little about this era. There is some mystery about the Robin legacy. No one knows exactly how many people wore that costume in this century. Some rumors say a girl was Robin at one period but there is no evidence to confirm that! He’s certainly no girl but something seems odd about him!”
Robin said, “I followed you here and managed to slip by the guards. We have to get you out of here fast!”
Wonder Girl said, “We can take them in the fight. We’re ready for that green thing now! It won’t take us by surprise again!”
Miss Martian said, “Those criminals are not alone. I sense another alien. His mind is powerful but shielded. I sense he is damaged in some way and yet is more dangerous than any of the villains we faced in the woods!”
Robin nodded as he deftly overrode the computer code that secured their cell door.
“These escaped cons are merely pawns! Their boss is someone mysterious and deadly. I’ve seen how they fear him although he only talks to them via communications devices!”
Kid Flash said, “Why did they want us?”
At that moment Amalek appeared and blocked their progress with his green hued Syntho-Spine!
“Why? Speaking for myself, I only want to kill you all! I hate Kryptonians and have vowed to kill every one I find. I mean to slay the boy and finish you all off for the sheer joy of it!”
Superboy said, “You won’t hurt my friends! I won’t let you!”
Suddenly, a short, stocky man with an oily black beard came into view. He wore a bright green costume and stared at them with two malicious eyes.
“More to the point, I won’t allow you to harm them since I have plans for them!” he said.
“Who are you?” cried Kid Flash!
“I am Warlord Zogg of Liquel II and you may call me your master!” said the smiling alien tyrant.
4
As the young heroes watched the sudden confrontation between their alien captor Zogg and his rebellious lackey Amalek, Robin took decisive action!
“Follow me quickly!” he said as he hurled a pellet that he had removed from his utility belt!
As a dark smoke filled the passageway of the alien ship, Robin led the others down a narrow corridor with an unerring certainty.
“I have my own ship docked outside! It will be a tight squeeze but it should get us back to Earth!” he said.
Superboy said, “I didn’t know you and Batman had your own spaceship!”
Robin said, “It is a long story!”
The passage suddenly began to glow with a sickly green as the strange energy being called the Syntho Spine flew in pursuit of the young heroes!
Superboy said, “You guys go on! I’ll hold that thing off!”
While he was younger and far less experienced than his mentor, Superboy was every inch a hero and he threw himself forward with no regard for his own safety even though he found the bizarre creature to be more than a little frightening.
He grabbed a metal wall panel and ripped it free and tackled the green creature! The thing struggled wildly but could not pass through the metal!
Superboy grunted as the creature’s frantic movements enabled one of its limbs to strike his face.
He twisted around and managed to pin the Syntho-Spine beneath the metal!
“I can’t hold it! It can’t fly through metal but it is like some kind of bucking bronco!” he thought.
Wonder Girl suddenly joined him and brought another sheet of metal down over the being!
She flashed a quick smile at the boy as she brought her own strength to play against the inhuman energy beast.
The Syntho-Spine was trickier than they thought since it suddenly compressed itself into a thin wire and slipped free of their grip!
However, when the thing first appeared, Miss Martian had assumed the same form as the creature and had flown backward to confront Amalek and the other criminals!
She smashed into the red bearded maniac who bellowed, “Stop! I command you to stop! Return to me!”
At the mental command of its master the real Syntho-Spine rocketed into view and entered Amalek’s body!
Miss Martian shifted to her normal form and struck him with all of her considerable might!
She may have been shy to the point of being excessively demure but she still possessed all the power of a Martian. Amalek’s creature was stronger than any normal human but the so-called Kryptonian Killer was far more fragile himself!
Megan’s friends hurried back to help her. They were a loyal bunch! She thought she might like spending time with them!
The Electric Crook crackled with power as he approached Megan but she merely dodged him and then kicked him from the side.
He grunted in pain and then frowned as he realized his foe had vanished by turning invisible!
Before he could react, Megan reappeared behind him and used her Martian telekinesis to levitate the lightning charged fiend and spin him around in the air!
Meanwhile, the rubbery Elasti-Man bounced from side to side in pursuit but yelped as he was caught in a hurricane of carefully projected super speed generated winds from the spinning Kid Flash!
His body expanded like a sail caught in a storm and he crashed into the furious Margaxe as she tried to strike the Teen Queen of Speed!
Robin swung forward and blocked Beriak the Serpent Man. While the scaly thug was bigger than the Boy Wonder, he lacked the youth’s combat skills! Robin ducked his lunge and spun around to connect with a series of kicks that sent the reptile reeling backward.
Robin brought a small pellet upward in an upper cut that shattered the capsule against his foe’s face!
A Freon-like chemical coated the reptile man and his movements grew sluggish until a final punch from Robin brought him crashing to the ground.
Margaxe emerged from under the elastic felon and shrieked with anger as her armor, her weapon, and her dignity were swiftly stripped from her by Kid Flash!
“Space Amazons do have tan lines!” she quipped as she dropped her furious foe with a dozen super -fast punches delivered in a second!
Superboy had been busy dealing with a dozen other convicts. While they seemed to lack super powers like Zogg’s seemingly elite group, they were ruthless!
The Boy of Steel merely grinned and blew them together in a heap with a blast of super breath!
When the crooks had fallen into a heap, Superboy dug his fingers into the ground and ripped up the metal floor until he had folded it over them until it contained them within a large but roughly shaped sphere!
“That’ll hold them!” he said with a smile.
Zogg walked forward and clapped his hands as he approached.
“Well done, children! You have made your mentors proud!” he said in a mocking tone.
Wonder Girl jumped forward and aimed a high kick at the alien dictator but her battle prowess failed as her leg suddenly bounced off his body and she landed on her back!
He lowered his hands and lightning crackled out to strike the Blonde Amazon.
She gasped but she was not helpless! She merely swung her lasso outward and allowed its magical properties to absorb the energy!
Kid Flash darted forward but her lithe form abruptly lost all motion as she stiffened and froze in a hypnotic trance!
Zogg reached forward and caressed Deena’s face.
“I am much more adept at using hypnosis than the snake man ever was! For that matter, I am more skilled with all their associated powers!” he said smugly.
Robin frowned as he helped Cassie up.
“You used those cons like human batteries! I bet some of them were less capable than usual when we fought because you were already draining their super powers!” he said.
Warlord Zogg said, “Indeed, Boy Wonder! I needed these dolts to help me escape from Kronis and in turn, I casually cobbled together a device that allowed me to absorb their myriad of powers!”
Superboy said, “We beat them and we can stop you too!”
Zogg gestured and flames ignited around Miss Martian who screamed as her powers deserted her.
Superboy blew them out but then he gasped as Zogg knocked him backward with a casual blow.
Zogg said, “This need not continue. I did not know all of you existed until my scanners on this craft enabled me to determine this junior Superman existed! I decided to investigate and I realized when I saw you all together and my devices registered that you possessed super powers, that I could use you all to force your mentors into helping me reclaim my lost throne on Liquel I!. It seems a fair proposition since Supergirl cost me my power to begin with!”
Superboy said, “We won’t let you use us that way! Not even that energy thing can stop us!”
Zogg said, “Really? We shall see!”
He began to glow and the Syntho-Spine he had drained from Amalek, began to emerge from his body although unlike the red bearded murderer, Zogg seemed to be in pain as he released the energy being!
At that moment, Robin produced a small device from his belt and fired it at the green hued Zogg!
Suddenly the green glow broke down into an alternating yellow and blue glow that flickered around the alien tyrant’s body!
The moment the blue hue became more dominant than the yellow glow, Superboy, Wonder Girl, and Miss Martian punched him in the face!
Zogg collapsed and resumed his normal coloration!
Superboy said, “Great job! We really worked together! Miss Martian plucked the thoughts from Kid Flash and transmitted them to us!”
Kid Flash said, “I could not move under his hypnotic control but I could still think. I guessed I figured once he boasted about having stolen power from those convicts that he had also gained a Syntho-Spine of his own from Amalek! That’s what that energy double is called by the way- a Syntho-Spine!”
Robin said, “Superboy goaded him into using the green colored spine and my spectrum laser broke it down into component shades of yellow and blue! Blue was apparently the shade that happened to counter his powers. Had blue not worked, we would have tried the other shades of the spectrum until something worked!”
Wonder Girl asked, “Why did that matter since he had gained so many new ones?“
Miss Martian said, “Just like he had Amalek’s symbiotic control of the Spine, he also absorbed Amalek’s vulnerability to anything that might hurt the Spine. The Spine is an alien energy being and being altered in any manner be it in color or composition damages it and thus, also hurts its master!”
Kid Flash said, “Which means, he’ll be up any second! We better contain him!”
Robin said, “There are a few stasis chambers on the ship!”
Superboy scooped up the fallen villain and flew to where the Boy Wonder directed. At super speed, he placed Zogg within such a stasis chamber.
Robin said, “Okay, with the other cons subdued as well, we can just pilot this craft back to Earth. My ship is linked to it anyway!”
Miss Martian said, “I’m sorry, but when we connected mentally I picked up on the thoughts that are troubling you so much! Please share them with us! I just know everyone will agree to help you!”
Kid Flash said, “You aren’t really Robin are you? I mean, you aren’t the Robin we’ve all heard of and read about.”
He sighed and then said, “No. I come from the year 3050. Inspired by footage of the Batman and Robin of this era, my Uncle Brane and I became crime fighters. We adopted their names and costumes and even worked with the original Dynamic Duo a couple of times. Things were really going well for us when…something happened.”
Wonder Girl placed one hand on his arm in support.
“It is okay. You can talk to us. We owe you our freedom!” she said.
Robin said, “Thank you all! Batman just disappeared! My era has no other heroes. I managed to take one time machine and get back here but the machine was flawed. It is a miracle I made it back here. I figured I could come here to ask the original Batman to help me find Brane. He’s the greatest guy I ever knew! I can’t let him die! I won’t!”
Superboy said, “I’m sure sorry. We’ll help if we can!”
Robin said, “Thank you! I’ve been out of my mind with worry.”
Wonder Girl said, “If someone I loved was in danger, I’d go pretty crazy too!”
She added, “I am sure Wonder Woman would help you too! The Amazons have studied time travel as well!”
Kid Flash said, “My dad did too. He had a device called the cosmic treadmill that enabled its user to travel through time!”
Superboy said, “Sure! And Superman can do almost anything! “
Later, after they had returned to earth and been reunited with their heroic mentors who had been searching for them the young heroes listened intently as Superman and Batman questioned Robin and conferred with Wonder Woman, Flash, and the Martian Manhunter.
“Ricky, we’ll do anything we can to help you find Brane. Try not to worry!” said Batman. If he was startled by the sight of another Robin his stoic demeanor failed to show it. Of course he knew Ricky Taylor but he had lost the second Robin in a sense and he still felt the loss keenly. It could not be easy to see yet another teen hero in that colorful costume.
Nearby, Wonder Woman said, “I am impressed by how well you handled those aliens. I turned them over to the proper authorities. They will likely end up back at Kronis the Prison Planet!”
Wonder Girl smiled and said, “ We worked well together like a real team!”
Why don’t we stick together as a team too? We could be a sort of Junior Justice League!” said Superboy.
Wonder Girl said, “Or a Young Justice League? Young Justice, maybe?”
Flash said, “I think it could be good for you all. I mean, being with the other Teen Titans was always a real blast when I was a kid!”
The Martian Manhunter nodded. He wanted to help Miss Martian in any way he could but he was not entirely comfortable in the role of mentor since he still blamed himself in part for the loss of his former JLA pupils Vibe and Gypsy. He hoped the sensitive girl would not misunderstand his hesitation.
Superboy leaned over to Robin and said, “You can rely on them. They’ll find your Batman. In the meantime, you’re welcome to hang around with us. “
Robin said, “Thank you. I guess this wasn’t much of a birthday for you!”
Superboy grinned and said, “I don’t know. I think it might be the start of something pretty cool!”
The End
1
On a bright summer day in a small backyard in Midvale, three teen girls waited somewhat awkwardly on their hosts to emerge from within a small suburban home.
Cassie Sandsmark, the tallest girl, was sixteen years old. She had long blonde hair and a very pretty face. She wore a red mini dress with black hosiery and matching ankle boots. She moved with the grace of a trained athlete or a highly skilled warrior. In addition to her striking good looks, she was also a smart girl with a good sense of humor. She moved knowingly over to a second blonde teen and smiled in a teasing manner.
“Deena, I know you like to read but I can’t believe you brought a novel to a party! This kind of thing could ruin you socially!” she joked.
Nadine “Deena” Allen looked up rather sheepishly and removed a stylish pair of glasses. She had long blonde hair as well but she wore her hair pulled back into a rather girlish ponytail. She wore a white polo shirt and jeans.
“Sorry, Cassie. I didn’t mean to be rude. Since we have a few seconds until the Shakespeares bring out the refreshments, I thought I’d finish Bleak House!” she said as she slipped her reading glasses into a small purse.
Cassie laughed as she said, “Yeah, I forgot. I guess you surely qualify as a speed reader!”
Deena laughed as well and she said, “Books are a novelty to me! I mean, solid books like this, are new to me! In my time, we only have holo literature! Actually holding a book in my hands is so cool!”
Deena Allen came from a possible 30th century. Cassie’s comment about Deena’s ability as a speed reader was a joke based on the fact that as the daughter of the late hero known as the Flash, Deena possessed both her father’s keen scientific mind and his super human speed! As Kid Flash, she was being trained as a heroine by Wally West the current Flash.
Deena enjoyed living in Blue Valley with Wally’s parents and she relished her time in costume as a new heroine. She wanted to help others and she wanted to carry on her father’s heroic legacy. She missed her mother Iris who had been forced to return to her own home in the future due to the sudden development of “chronomyaligia” a disease that made it painful for some frequent time travelers to continue to live outside their normal era!
Cassie knew about odd backgrounds. She was the daughter of a brilliant archaeologist Professor Helena Sandsmark and the Olympian known as a Zeus! She had super powers all her own as well as a magical lasso given to her from her Olympian patrons. She had been trained in a timeless dimension by the centaur Chiron and she was a remarkably capable heroine in her own right as Wonder Girl! With the approval and support of both Wonder Woman (Nubia) and Artemis (Donna Troy Long), she was forging a name for herself in the modified red and white costume once worn by Donna Troy herself.
Cassie looked over to where the third teen girl was sitting rather demurely in a long pink skirt with a white blouse. The red haired teen was very shy and had good reason for her insecurities. Megan Morse (M’gann M’orzz) was a Martian who had been forced to pose as an older heroine named Supergirl as part of a plot by her uncle and other renegades in a secret society called the Red Brotherhood. Megan had displayed the heroine’s cool but outgoing personality while living as the Kryptonian heroine; however, once she was freed from the brainwashing that had been imposed upon her, she resumed her normal bashful and girlish demeanor. She had defied her uncle and aided Superman himself in defeating the alien plot. Now, she was truly alone on Earth although both the kindly Man of Steel and the Martian Manhunter had embraced her and worked to make her feel at home as herself!
Megan looked like a typical if slightly old fashioned school girl but she had the wide array of super powers that had made the Martian Manhunter a true champion. She could easily alter her shape, fly, use various alien senses, or simply rely upon incredible strength and speed! Now, as she sat rather forlornly with her legs crossed and her hands folded demurely over her knees, she seemed more like someone from the distant past than from an alien world! Superman himself had urged her to come to this party.
“It will be good for you to meet some other super powered youngsters! I know I’d appreciate it if you’d be extra nice to Kent. He’s having a rough period of adjustment to changes of more than one kind!” he had said.
Megan was desperately eager to please Superman. She felt as though her unwilling role in the plot to fool him was her fault and she wanted to make up for it although he had explained more than once that he had no ill will toward her.
Deena followed Cassie as they approached Megan and sat down on either side of her.
“Megan, do you enjoy music? I see the Shakespeare’s have a nice tape player!” said Cassie as she gestured toward a small walkman and a few cassettes.
Megan nodded eagerly and said, “Oh yes! I have discovered Elvis! I think he is most talented!”
Cassie nodded and she replied, “Yeah, he was pretty cool when he was young!”
Deena frowned as she shuffled through the tapes.
“Odd. Out of all these artists, only Betty Gilson’s legacy lives on in my era. She will dominate the charts for the next thirty years! I can’t say I have heard of Barbarella’s Band or Mike George!” she said.
Cassie said, “You are kidding? I think Mike George is great! He’s really hot!”
At that moment a young teen with dark hair and a thoughtful expression came out of the patio doors with a tray of snacks.
He was smaller than the three girls but he was also younger. He was a bit nervous too. Clearly, like any boy of thirteen, he was impressed by his older and very attractive guests!
“I hope you are hungry! Mom makes a pretty good cake!” he said eagerly.
Cassie said, “Sure, Kent! I think my Amazon training has given me a real appetite although Mom says I always was a big eater! I’ll kill you if you repeat that to anyone though!”
Kent smiled as he lowered the tray and pulled out a chair. He was a very special boy in more ways than one. He was the child of the alien beings known as Bizarro Superman and Bizarro Lois Lane. Unlike these imperfect duplicates, he had the normal appearance (and in the case of Superman -the super powers of the originals from whom the Bizarro’s had been created.) He had been adopted by the Shakespeares and they had moved to the Metropolis suburb a few weeks ago. Superman had been instrumental in helping the boy come to terms with his super powers, his odd heritage, and more particularly a sudden age spurt that had changed him from a child to a thirteen year old.
Deena smiled kindly and said, “Kent, I love your Dad’s comic strip! It must be wonderful to make so many readers laugh each day!”
Kent grinned and he said, “Thanks. I actually like Edwards and Locke better! Don’t tell Dad or I’ll lose my allowance!”
Megan clapped her hands and she said, “I like that one too. That stuffed monkey is so cute!”
Before the kids could touch the snacks, a high pitched sound echoed through the sky and a strange crash shook the ground!
Megan jumped up and said, “It is a spacecraft! It landed in those woods over the hill!” She had detected it with her Martian vision!
Kent said, “We better check it out! I don’t want our neighbors to learn my secret. The aliens may be looking for me! A lot of space men had a grudge against Superman!”
The kids changed into the colorful costumes they wore in her heroic roles and they raced into the woods at super speed! All of them were capable of that kind of motion so no observer could have detected their actions.
Superboy (Kent) wore a familiar red and blue costume with an “S” insignia and cape like much like the one worn by Superman himself. He jumped forward in a series of bounds since he didn’t want to outdistance the others and he was uncertain how many of them could fly!
Wonder Girl (Cassie) wore the red leotard and black high heels boots her predecessor had made famous although she had altered the top so that it revealed her stomach. She followed eagerly but with a bit more of caution than the rest because of her training as a warrior!
Kid Flash (Deena) wore a yellow cowl that covered her upper face while leaving the top of her head and her lower face uncovered. Her blonde hair streamed out of the mask into a pony tail Her yellow top had a red lightning bolt emblem in the center and she wore red shorts and winged yellow ankle boots.
Her costume had been made from material her father had left in the future. She knew he was always prepared for almost any crisis but even she didn’t know if he had ever imagined his child would carry on his heroic career.
Miss Martian (Megan) had returned to her customary green complexion and her red hair framed her delicate features. She wore a blue cape, blue pleated mini skirt, blue boots, and a red and white top that ended with short sleeves. She was flying as well and she struggled to reconcile her inexperience with the memories of her career as the fake Supergirl!
The kids make their way through the woods until they emerged in a clearing where a small rectangular craft had landed.
“It is an alien ship but the markings indicate that it is in fact a prison ship!” said Miss Martian.
Superboy stepped protectively in front of the girls as several weird aliens emerged from the craft.
Kid Flash said, “I don’t think we’re about to be arrested for disturbing the peace with those cassettes!”
Wonder Girl said, “No, in fact, those goons look like escaped cons from Planet X to me!”
2
The first being to emerge from the craft had an inhumanly gaunt body and the only hair on his head rose in an odd tuft from the very top. He wore a blue jumpsuit as did all of the aliens.
He smiled as he spotted the kids and his neck elongated away from his thin body like a rubbery snake.
“We have a welcoming committee! This means we do not have to hunt them down!” he said.
The blue skinned man next to him nodded smugly and he replied, “Heroes of all ages naturally come running when they fear innocent lives are in peril. They were bound to find us in time!”
His hands crackled with energy as he rubbed them together.
A pale woman with long black hair drawn tightly back in a bun nodded in agreement. She had pointed ears and stood taller than all of the men. She carried a large axe.
“These striplings will not be worth the time of a battle maid of the Quazars!” she said with a sneer.
A stocky man in a helmet followed in her wake. He scowled as he placed both hands on the odd device he wore on his head.
“They are alone. This is perfect timing. We must take them before any of their mentors realize what has occurred!” he said.
The final fugitive was covered with green scales and he moved with a reptilian grace. He said nothing as he glanced at each of the teens.
Miss Martian realized that they could understand the aliens because each one wore a universal translator built into his or her prison uniform. It made it easier for guards to understand the captives from countless worlds.
She said, “Do not come closer! I recognize your uniforms. You are from Kronis the Prison Planet!”
Wonder Girl said, “Don’t worry, we can handle this bunch!”
“Handle this, girl!” cried the Quazarian as she hurled the black axe at Wonder Girl.
Wonder Girl twisted to one side as the axe barely missed her chest. She started to move forward when the blade miraculously returned from where it had landed and hurled itself straight at her back!
Kid Flash reacted first and tackled Wonder Girl so that the flying weapon missed them again as it returned to its owner’s hand.
“Thanks! I almost got the Billy Idol look from that thing!” said Cassie.
Before the girls could get up, the blue alien generated a barrage of electricity at them!
Wonder Girl covered Kid Flash with her body and used her bracelets to deflect the bolts of crackling energy!
“I owe you! Of course, you could have probably dodged those energy bolts on your own!” said Wonder Girl.
The first criminal reached out for Superboy with hugely enlarged hands but the Boy of Steel stood his ground and then caught the elastic man by the wrists and slammed his wildly stretching body against the other criminals!
“That should buy us some time! It will take a while for them to untangle themselves from that copycat of Stretch Strongarm!” he said.
Miss Martian used her Martian breath to bowl over the Serpent Man and the man in the helmet as well.
She gasped in pain as Molnir the Mentalist, as the helmeted man was known, used his weapon to create a mental bolt that struck her and brought her to her knees.
She cried out again as he closed in on her and she curled up in a fetal position for a moment before she suddenly jumped up and knocked him out with one punch that cracked his Mind-Helm into fragments.
“I’m sorry about fooling you but I know how to shield my thoughts as any Martian child would do! Your helmet can’t equal my natural ability!” she said in an almost apologetic tone of voice.
As Elasti-Man enveloped Wonder Girl with his now round body, she found herself being contained in an ever smaller living sphere!
She brought both high heeled boots up in the air and drew her knees closer to her chest before kicking out with enough sheer force to cause her captor to release her! Before he could attack again, she flipped him through the air and into Superboy’s path!
“Freeze him!” she yelled.
Superboy nodded and used his super breath to coat the startled alien with a sheath of ice that held him in place in spite of his malleable form.
Margaxe the Quazarian had charged at Kid Flash but before the hulking warrior woman could do more than blink, the Teen Speed Queen had whirled around her in a tightly focused circle that drew all the air away from her and caused her to collapse.
Kid Flash dusted herself out and smiled down at the beaten woman.
“Not a bad tactic at all!” she mused.
The Electric Crook was staggering backward toward Beriak the Serpent Man but they were cornered.
Superboy slapped the blue skinned dynamo with one finger and he fainted in a shower of sparks!
Beriak swayed back and forth silently as his tongue extended and seemed to feel the air currents.
Kid Flash frowned and she said, “Hypnosis! Don’t look at him!”
She spun around and sent a cloud of dirt cascading over the Serpent Man! As it was buried beneath the dirt, Wonder Girl danced forward and connected with a stunning punch of her own!
“Snakes! I hate snakes!” she quipped.
Superboy said, “They weren’t so tough! I guess they escaped from jail like Miss Martian said!”
Kid Flash said, “From what we heard them say I think they were looking for us though!”
Miss Martian cried out a warning seconds before a bizarre green colored energy being rocketed out of the ship and passed directly through all of the teens!
They fell to the ground as an evil looking man with long red hair and a beard emerged and grinned diabolically.
“There will be one less Kryptonian to kill when I finish with you, boy! Then, I’ll kill the girls for pleasure!” said Amelek the infamous Kryptonian Killer!
He frowned as a powerful message crackled through the communicator he wore on his belt.
“You will kill no one until I say you may do so! I have plans for these children!”
Amelek was crazy but he was smart enough to recognize superior power.
“I defer to your wishes for now!” he said as he began to gather the stunned heroes.
Moments before the small ship lifted off into the sky with the escaped villains and the fallen heroes, an agile young boy slipped aboard unseen and thought, “Just made it in time. This may burn out my inviso-unit but I can’t let them detect me until I free the kids!”
3
Superboy groaned in pain as he opened his eyes and blinked through a cloud of pain.
“What a headache! That green thing hurt me! Is it made out of Kryptonite? It moved like a living person!” he thought.
He frowned as he looked down to see that his hands were bound together by a pair of cuffs that were linked by a glowing chain.
“I don’t have my powers! I can’t see or hear across the distance! My strength is gone too! Did that green creep do it to me or is it due to these cuffs?” he thought.
He saw Wonder Girl slumped over nearby and noticed that her hands were contained in similar cuffs.
The same could be said for Kid Flash and Miss Martian. Both of the girls wore glowing handcuffs.
“The cuffs suppress your powers. Don’t worry though. You’ll be fine once I get you free!”
The words came from thin air. Miss Martian frowned as she could neither detect the speaker’s concealed form nor read his mind. She felt blind within these power dampening cuffs.
Suddenly, the air shimmered and a young boy appeared before them!
“Drat! My invisio unit burned out!” he muttered.
“Robin?” cried Wonder Girl in surprise!
The black haired boy wore the famous red and green costume of Robin the Boy Wonder although his cape was black on the backside and yellow on the interior. His green pants were long and matched green boots.
“Yes, I’m Robin!” he said softly. “Sort of!” he thought.
He bent over each of the teens and deftly opened their cuffs with a small tool he had removed from his utility belt.
Superboy smiled and extended his hand to the masked youth.
“Thanks, pal! I’ve heard a lot about you!” he said.
Miss Martian frowned as she thought, “So have I and one of the things I heard was that the second Robin was really a Martian spy. Of course, members of the general public do not know that. I only know because Superman told me! This boy is no Martian but his gear seems too advanced for Earth technology!”
Kid Flash watched him as well. “His costume looks like Robin’s as shown in history holo tapes but we know so little about this era. There is some mystery about the Robin legacy. No one knows exactly how many people wore that costume in this century. Some rumors say a girl was Robin at one period but there is no evidence to confirm that! He’s certainly no girl but something seems odd about him!”
Robin said, “I followed you here and managed to slip by the guards. We have to get you out of here fast!”
Wonder Girl said, “We can take them in the fight. We’re ready for that green thing now! It won’t take us by surprise again!”
Miss Martian said, “Those criminals are not alone. I sense another alien. His mind is powerful but shielded. I sense he is damaged in some way and yet is more dangerous than any of the villains we faced in the woods!”
Robin nodded as he deftly overrode the computer code that secured their cell door.
“These escaped cons are merely pawns! Their boss is someone mysterious and deadly. I’ve seen how they fear him although he only talks to them via communications devices!”
Kid Flash said, “Why did they want us?”
At that moment Amalek appeared and blocked their progress with his green hued Syntho-Spine!
“Why? Speaking for myself, I only want to kill you all! I hate Kryptonians and have vowed to kill every one I find. I mean to slay the boy and finish you all off for the sheer joy of it!”
Superboy said, “You won’t hurt my friends! I won’t let you!”
Suddenly, a short, stocky man with an oily black beard came into view. He wore a bright green costume and stared at them with two malicious eyes.
“More to the point, I won’t allow you to harm them since I have plans for them!” he said.
“Who are you?” cried Kid Flash!
“I am Warlord Zogg of Liquel II and you may call me your master!” said the smiling alien tyrant.
4
As the young heroes watched the sudden confrontation between their alien captor Zogg and his rebellious lackey Amalek, Robin took decisive action!
“Follow me quickly!” he said as he hurled a pellet that he had removed from his utility belt!
As a dark smoke filled the passageway of the alien ship, Robin led the others down a narrow corridor with an unerring certainty.
“I have my own ship docked outside! It will be a tight squeeze but it should get us back to Earth!” he said.
Superboy said, “I didn’t know you and Batman had your own spaceship!”
Robin said, “It is a long story!”
The passage suddenly began to glow with a sickly green as the strange energy being called the Syntho Spine flew in pursuit of the young heroes!
Superboy said, “You guys go on! I’ll hold that thing off!”
While he was younger and far less experienced than his mentor, Superboy was every inch a hero and he threw himself forward with no regard for his own safety even though he found the bizarre creature to be more than a little frightening.
He grabbed a metal wall panel and ripped it free and tackled the green creature! The thing struggled wildly but could not pass through the metal!
Superboy grunted as the creature’s frantic movements enabled one of its limbs to strike his face.
He twisted around and managed to pin the Syntho-Spine beneath the metal!
“I can’t hold it! It can’t fly through metal but it is like some kind of bucking bronco!” he thought.
Wonder Girl suddenly joined him and brought another sheet of metal down over the being!
She flashed a quick smile at the boy as she brought her own strength to play against the inhuman energy beast.
The Syntho-Spine was trickier than they thought since it suddenly compressed itself into a thin wire and slipped free of their grip!
However, when the thing first appeared, Miss Martian had assumed the same form as the creature and had flown backward to confront Amalek and the other criminals!
She smashed into the red bearded maniac who bellowed, “Stop! I command you to stop! Return to me!”
At the mental command of its master the real Syntho-Spine rocketed into view and entered Amalek’s body!
Miss Martian shifted to her normal form and struck him with all of her considerable might!
She may have been shy to the point of being excessively demure but she still possessed all the power of a Martian. Amalek’s creature was stronger than any normal human but the so-called Kryptonian Killer was far more fragile himself!
Megan’s friends hurried back to help her. They were a loyal bunch! She thought she might like spending time with them!
The Electric Crook crackled with power as he approached Megan but she merely dodged him and then kicked him from the side.
He grunted in pain and then frowned as he realized his foe had vanished by turning invisible!
Before he could react, Megan reappeared behind him and used her Martian telekinesis to levitate the lightning charged fiend and spin him around in the air!
Meanwhile, the rubbery Elasti-Man bounced from side to side in pursuit but yelped as he was caught in a hurricane of carefully projected super speed generated winds from the spinning Kid Flash!
His body expanded like a sail caught in a storm and he crashed into the furious Margaxe as she tried to strike the Teen Queen of Speed!
Robin swung forward and blocked Beriak the Serpent Man. While the scaly thug was bigger than the Boy Wonder, he lacked the youth’s combat skills! Robin ducked his lunge and spun around to connect with a series of kicks that sent the reptile reeling backward.
Robin brought a small pellet upward in an upper cut that shattered the capsule against his foe’s face!
A Freon-like chemical coated the reptile man and his movements grew sluggish until a final punch from Robin brought him crashing to the ground.
Margaxe emerged from under the elastic felon and shrieked with anger as her armor, her weapon, and her dignity were swiftly stripped from her by Kid Flash!
“Space Amazons do have tan lines!” she quipped as she dropped her furious foe with a dozen super -fast punches delivered in a second!
Superboy had been busy dealing with a dozen other convicts. While they seemed to lack super powers like Zogg’s seemingly elite group, they were ruthless!
The Boy of Steel merely grinned and blew them together in a heap with a blast of super breath!
When the crooks had fallen into a heap, Superboy dug his fingers into the ground and ripped up the metal floor until he had folded it over them until it contained them within a large but roughly shaped sphere!
“That’ll hold them!” he said with a smile.
Zogg walked forward and clapped his hands as he approached.
“Well done, children! You have made your mentors proud!” he said in a mocking tone.
Wonder Girl jumped forward and aimed a high kick at the alien dictator but her battle prowess failed as her leg suddenly bounced off his body and she landed on her back!
He lowered his hands and lightning crackled out to strike the Blonde Amazon.
She gasped but she was not helpless! She merely swung her lasso outward and allowed its magical properties to absorb the energy!
Kid Flash darted forward but her lithe form abruptly lost all motion as she stiffened and froze in a hypnotic trance!
Zogg reached forward and caressed Deena’s face.
“I am much more adept at using hypnosis than the snake man ever was! For that matter, I am more skilled with all their associated powers!” he said smugly.
Robin frowned as he helped Cassie up.
“You used those cons like human batteries! I bet some of them were less capable than usual when we fought because you were already draining their super powers!” he said.
Warlord Zogg said, “Indeed, Boy Wonder! I needed these dolts to help me escape from Kronis and in turn, I casually cobbled together a device that allowed me to absorb their myriad of powers!”
Superboy said, “We beat them and we can stop you too!”
Zogg gestured and flames ignited around Miss Martian who screamed as her powers deserted her.
Superboy blew them out but then he gasped as Zogg knocked him backward with a casual blow.
Zogg said, “This need not continue. I did not know all of you existed until my scanners on this craft enabled me to determine this junior Superman existed! I decided to investigate and I realized when I saw you all together and my devices registered that you possessed super powers, that I could use you all to force your mentors into helping me reclaim my lost throne on Liquel I!. It seems a fair proposition since Supergirl cost me my power to begin with!”
Superboy said, “We won’t let you use us that way! Not even that energy thing can stop us!”
Zogg said, “Really? We shall see!”
He began to glow and the Syntho-Spine he had drained from Amalek, began to emerge from his body although unlike the red bearded murderer, Zogg seemed to be in pain as he released the energy being!
At that moment, Robin produced a small device from his belt and fired it at the green hued Zogg!
Suddenly the green glow broke down into an alternating yellow and blue glow that flickered around the alien tyrant’s body!
The moment the blue hue became more dominant than the yellow glow, Superboy, Wonder Girl, and Miss Martian punched him in the face!
Zogg collapsed and resumed his normal coloration!
Superboy said, “Great job! We really worked together! Miss Martian plucked the thoughts from Kid Flash and transmitted them to us!”
Kid Flash said, “I could not move under his hypnotic control but I could still think. I guessed I figured once he boasted about having stolen power from those convicts that he had also gained a Syntho-Spine of his own from Amalek! That’s what that energy double is called by the way- a Syntho-Spine!”
Robin said, “Superboy goaded him into using the green colored spine and my spectrum laser broke it down into component shades of yellow and blue! Blue was apparently the shade that happened to counter his powers. Had blue not worked, we would have tried the other shades of the spectrum until something worked!”
Wonder Girl asked, “Why did that matter since he had gained so many new ones?“
Miss Martian said, “Just like he had Amalek’s symbiotic control of the Spine, he also absorbed Amalek’s vulnerability to anything that might hurt the Spine. The Spine is an alien energy being and being altered in any manner be it in color or composition damages it and thus, also hurts its master!”
Kid Flash said, “Which means, he’ll be up any second! We better contain him!”
Robin said, “There are a few stasis chambers on the ship!”
Superboy scooped up the fallen villain and flew to where the Boy Wonder directed. At super speed, he placed Zogg within such a stasis chamber.
Robin said, “Okay, with the other cons subdued as well, we can just pilot this craft back to Earth. My ship is linked to it anyway!”
Miss Martian said, “I’m sorry, but when we connected mentally I picked up on the thoughts that are troubling you so much! Please share them with us! I just know everyone will agree to help you!”
Kid Flash said, “You aren’t really Robin are you? I mean, you aren’t the Robin we’ve all heard of and read about.”
He sighed and then said, “No. I come from the year 3050. Inspired by footage of the Batman and Robin of this era, my Uncle Brane and I became crime fighters. We adopted their names and costumes and even worked with the original Dynamic Duo a couple of times. Things were really going well for us when…something happened.”
Wonder Girl placed one hand on his arm in support.
“It is okay. You can talk to us. We owe you our freedom!” she said.
Robin said, “Thank you all! Batman just disappeared! My era has no other heroes. I managed to take one time machine and get back here but the machine was flawed. It is a miracle I made it back here. I figured I could come here to ask the original Batman to help me find Brane. He’s the greatest guy I ever knew! I can’t let him die! I won’t!”
Superboy said, “I’m sure sorry. We’ll help if we can!”
Robin said, “Thank you! I’ve been out of my mind with worry.”
Wonder Girl said, “If someone I loved was in danger, I’d go pretty crazy too!”
She added, “I am sure Wonder Woman would help you too! The Amazons have studied time travel as well!”
Kid Flash said, “My dad did too. He had a device called the cosmic treadmill that enabled its user to travel through time!”
Superboy said, “Sure! And Superman can do almost anything! “
Later, after they had returned to earth and been reunited with their heroic mentors who had been searching for them the young heroes listened intently as Superman and Batman questioned Robin and conferred with Wonder Woman, Flash, and the Martian Manhunter.
“Ricky, we’ll do anything we can to help you find Brane. Try not to worry!” said Batman. If he was startled by the sight of another Robin his stoic demeanor failed to show it. Of course he knew Ricky Taylor but he had lost the second Robin in a sense and he still felt the loss keenly. It could not be easy to see yet another teen hero in that colorful costume.
Nearby, Wonder Woman said, “I am impressed by how well you handled those aliens. I turned them over to the proper authorities. They will likely end up back at Kronis the Prison Planet!”
Wonder Girl smiled and said, “ We worked well together like a real team!”
Why don’t we stick together as a team too? We could be a sort of Junior Justice League!” said Superboy.
Wonder Girl said, “Or a Young Justice League? Young Justice, maybe?”
Flash said, “I think it could be good for you all. I mean, being with the other Teen Titans was always a real blast when I was a kid!”
The Martian Manhunter nodded. He wanted to help Miss Martian in any way he could but he was not entirely comfortable in the role of mentor since he still blamed himself in part for the loss of his former JLA pupils Vibe and Gypsy. He hoped the sensitive girl would not misunderstand his hesitation.
Superboy leaned over to Robin and said, “You can rely on them. They’ll find your Batman. In the meantime, you’re welcome to hang around with us. “
Robin said, “Thank you. I guess this wasn’t much of a birthday for you!”
Superboy grinned and said, “I don’t know. I think it might be the start of something pretty cool!”
The End