Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2015 6:32:48 GMT -5
The Titans of Justice Chapter 16 - "A Common Goal Part 5”
Written by: Power Guy
Co-conspirator: Scotty2Hotty
Editor: Marcus Mebes
Paradise Island….
Fausta was a bit confused by what she saw. While she recognized Fury and Miss America, the three others were unknown to her. She quickly grew suspicious of them as one of them was wearing a costume similar to Hippolyta’s. In a rage she demanded, “Who in himmel are you supposed to be? Where is Hippolyta hiding???”
“I am Diana, daughter of Hippolyta,” said Wonder Woman defiantly. “The people of man’s world call me Wonder Woman.”
“Lies!” shouted Fausta. “I demand the real Wonder Woman grant me an audience!!”
“Hippolyta will not be granting you an audience today or any other day as she is dead,” advised Wonder Woman.
“What?? Impossible! The animal man Cheetah advised me that she was at a United Nations conference and that she would be returning shortly.”
“It’s true Fausta. My mother is dead,” confirmed Troia. “She was killed over 20 years ago in a great battle against invaders from space.”
In spite of being unfamiliar with those who were speaking to her, Fausta could tell they were not lying by the sincerity in their voices. “No! It cannot be! I was supposed to be Hippolyta’s killer. I have waited over sixty years for this moment and it has been stolen from me! The Cheetah has lied to me. He has been lying to me all this time. Curse him! Curse him! I am going to kill HIM instead!” Fausta turned around ready to go find the Cheetah.
***
Meanwhile, aboard Fausta’s U-boat, the Cheetah was reveling in delight over capturing Wonder Man and having Villainy Inc. do his bidding in overtaking Paradise Island.
In his head came a familiar voice—the voice of Priscilla Rich. "You have done well Michael. You have made me proud. Taunt your prey—torture him! Revel in your moment, my precious boy!!"
He spoke to the still-chained Wonder Man. “Soon, my allies will take control of Paradise Island. Once your mother returns, she and Fausta will battle… which will most likely result in the death of one of them and the other will be so exhausted from the battle, she will quickly fall before me. As for you my boy, once your mother and your aunt are dead, I will grant you a painful, bloody death and the legacy of the Cheetah will reign supreme!”
“You’re beyond twisted Cheetah. My friends and family will find a way to stop you!” countered Wonder Man who was struggling again to break free from his chains.
“Trying another futile struggle?” inquired the Cheetah. “Go ahead, waste your strength by all means.”
Then a whispering voice was heard in Wonder Man’s ear. Unknown to the Cheetah, Nucleus had made his way onto Fausta’s U-boat and discovered his errant teammate.
“Wonder Man, stay calm. It’s Nucleus,” informed the near microscopic hero. “We’re going to get you out of here buddy. Just relax….” With that, Nucleus made his way down Wonder Man’s left arm down to the chains that had shackled his wrists.
Wonder Man gazed at the Cheetah but remained quiet so as to not alert him to the other presence in the room.
“My grandmother and I have orchestrated the perfect plan. There is no way we can lose,” gloated the Cheetah. “Soon, I will have everything I deserve and then some!”
Priscilla's voice came to Michael again. "Michael, something is wrong…"
“Damn right Cheetah!” agreed Wonder Man as the chains on his wrists fell the floor. Nucleus had crawled inside the cuffs and unlocked them from the inside.
The Cheetah was stunned. He could not figure out how Wonder Man had gotten free but it made no difference. His objective was still clear.
He could hear his grandmother's hissing voice in his head. "You fool! Don't just stand there, get ready to fight! Don't hold back—Rip that b@stard to shreds! What are you waiting for? MOVE!”
“How did you get out?” demanded the Cheetah of his adversary. “Wait… don’t answer that. It won’t matter in a few minutes when I’m eating your spleen.”
“Bring it, fur-ball!” challenged Wonder Man as he jumped straight at the Cheetah. Adrenaline was flowing through his body from the built-up rage of being beaten and held captive. His fists flew like hammers into the Cheetah’s skull and stomach. Blow after blow struck the Cheetah. He had never been hit that hard in his life.
Despite Wonder Man's stunning blows, The Cheetah could hear his grandmother yelling at him. "D@mn it boy! Get up!! Fight-FIGHT!!"
Though stunned, the Cheetah was not about to hold back either. His claws raked Wonder Man’s chest, ripping open some previous wounds.
“Argh!” cried Wonder Man as blood started to poor. While in pain, he was far from incapacitated. Grabbing the Cheetah’s wrists to prevent any more scratches, he lifted his foe into the air and fell backwards causing the Cheetah to slam his head into the floor.
The Cheetah's head was pounding and his vision blurred. "Grandmother, help me,” he muttered. “Tell me what to do!" But this time Priscilla was silent.
While the two enemies continue to brawl, Nucleus made a quick call to Wonder Woman on his communicator. “Wonder Woman—mission accomplished. Your son is free,” he advised.
***
In the royal throne room….
“Thanks Nucelus,” exulted a grateful Diana.
Before Fausta could exit the room to exact her revenge on the Cheetah, she was ensnared by Wonder Woman’s magic-lasso. “Not so fast Fausta. You won’t be killing anyone ever again.”
“You dare challenge me? Has your mother not told you how powerful I am? I am bequeathed with the abilities of the Gotterdammerung!” Fausta started tugging on the lasso thinking she could easily overtake her opponent.
Diana gave a firm tug back and revealed, “And I am bequeathed with the gifts of the Greek gods. From what I understand, Fausta, you were more powerful that my mother… but now you face your equal!”
“Do not make me laugh, falsch Wonder Woman!” Fausta said as instead of pulling away from Wonder Woman, she started to run towards her.
Diana was ready for Fausta and met her head-on. The two god-gifted powerhouses collided in a fury of fists. Wonder Woman struck Fausta in the face while Fausta countered with a blow to the shoulder. Diana then backhanded Fausta, knocking her off her feet.
The other members of Villainy Inc. were surprised to see someone finally get the upper hand on Fausta; however, they too had a mission to complete.
“Come on girls, we’re not going to let some stupid heroes get the best of us, are we?” Zara challenged to her teammates. The other members of Villainy Inc. took the queue to attack the female heroes.
“Fury, you little slut! You cannot hide behind Hippolyta’s skirt any longer,” threatened Zara as she fired a stream of flames at gold-clad heroine.
“I don’t need Hippolyta to protect me from your scientific trickery Zara!” Fury said, leaping out of the way.
Zara fired another steam of flames at Fury hoping to make contact this time.
Instead of being immolated, Fury ducked, just missing the wave of fire. She then ran towards a large curtain in the room.
Zara continued to fire blast after blast struggling to try and make contact with Fury. Luckily, Fury was too quick for Zara to hit her.
Fury then leaped up and pulled the giant curtain from its rod, throwing it on top of Zara. The villainess soon found herself entangled in the curtain. In a state of panic, she tried to burn her way free.
Fury ran over by Zara and pushed her down on the floor and then proceeded to push her forward, turning the flame-wielding villainess into a human roll-up. “Don’t bother trying to burn your way free Zara. That curtain is fire-proof.”
Several feet away, Artemis found herself facing Dr. Poison.
Dr. Poison, with her demented grin on her faced, challenged Artemis, “Come on girl, let’s dance!”
Dr. Poison tried to spray Artemis with a deadly nerve-agent but Artemis quickly fanned it away with the help of the shield she was carrying. She then pulled out her bow and fired four arrows at Dr. Poison with each one of them aimed at one of the villain’s arms or legs; snagging the drooping robes that Dr. Poison surrounded herself with. Dr. Poison had been pinned to a wall.
“You can’t do any harm if you can’t reach your sinister devices,” taunted Artemis.
Miss America took to the air to confront Lady Lunar.
“Ah, yes. The fabled Miss America,” commented Lady Lunar. “Shouldn’t you be in a nursing home by now, you old hag?”
“Do I look like a senior citizen?” questioned Miss America.
The two ladies were trying to distract each other while they finalized their attack plans.
Lady Lunar made the first move, using her gravity powers to take control of several swords on display in the throne-room and sending them flying straight towards Miss America.
Miss America just chuckled and said, “Heh! You obviously know my name but not much else!” as she transmuted the swords into flowers.
Lady Lunar became frustrated. “Make a fool out of me will you?” She then used her powers to make a large section of the roof so heavy that it started to collapse on Miss America.
Miss America made short work of the roof, turning it into tissue paper, which she easily tore through. “Done yet?” she asked. “I think so!” she stated as she encased Lady Lunar’s head in a bubble of sleep-gas.
Lady Lunar started pounding on the bubble as she started coughing and inhaling in the gas. “Cheater! You… cough… can’t… cough… do this… cough… to me…” she grumbled as she passed out.
Paranoia realized that the heroes were getting the best of teammates so she started to run.
“Ah ah, Paranoia,” chided Troia. “You’re in this for the long haul,” she said, tossing her magic-lasso around the fear-inducing villainess.
Paranoia realized there was no breaking out of the lasso so she focused her mental powers on Troia. “You could have let me go but now you will destroy your teammates for me. Can you feel the paranoia setting in? Fury will soon take your place as Wonder Woman’s partner. She, Miss America, and Artemis are all conspiring against you. Destroy them before they get the best of you!”
“You’re right…” agreed Troia. “I’ve got to stop people from trying to get the best of me… starting with you!” she said as she pulled the roped Paranoia towards her punched the oncoming villainess out cold as soon as she was within reach. Paranoia had failed to realize that with Troia holding her Lasso of Truth, manipulating her perception was impossible.
Meanwhile, Fausta and Wonder Woman had determined they were near equals in terms of power and skill. Both of them were bloody and bruised from their battle yet neither was letting up.
Fausta then commented, “You fight well daughter of Hippolyta. Even better than your mother. However, I am not about to concede defeat!”
“Give it up Fausta. Your teammates are defeated, my son is free, and the Cheetah has lied to you,” countered Wonder Woman.
“She’s right Fausta,” came a voice from behind the Nazi villainess. It was Green Lantern. Behind him stood the rest of the recovered Titans of Justice.
“You can’t possibly beat all nine of us,” said Sargona with a smirk on her face.
Fausta muttered under her breath, “The animal man will pay for this most dearly.” Fausta realized she was out-numbered and would soon face capture if she did not act quickly. She then punched a nearby pillar that connected the floor of the palace to the roof. The pillar shattered upon the impact, causing the roof to start giving way and also making the building start to shake. The roof wouldn’t have given way so easily if Lady Lunar hadn’t damaged part of it earlier.
“Lantern!” Sargona called out to her teammate, hoping he would take the cue and save them all from being crushed by the falling chunks of stone.
Green Lantern shot out an emerald beam from his ring, patching up the roof while Wonder Woman, Troia, and Fury each headed for opposite walls of the structure and used their strength to brace the building in an attempt to stop it from shaking.
Once the shaking had stopped, the various heroes looked around for Fausta but she had slipped out during the commotion.
“It appears that Fausta got away,” declared Troia.
“I think you’re right Donna, I don’t see her anywhere,” confirmed Wonder Woman. “We must pursue her. She’s far too deadly to let walk free.” With that, the nine heroes exited the palace in search of the dastardly villainess.
***
Moments later aboard Fausta’s U-boat, Wonder Man had emerged as the victor from his battle with the Cheetah. “Had enough? Well I haven’t!” shouted Wonder Man giving the Cheetah one last punch to the forehead. “Get up. I’m taking you in!”
Priscilla spoke to Michael, finally. "Since you have ruined everything, just lie low and do what this fool says. Be ready to strike when I tell. You may not disappoint me after all."
The Cheetah realized Wonder Man had gotten the best of him and he decided he would cooperate until Wonder Man let us guard down and deliver a killing blow in order to turn the tide of the battle.
Nucleus took to the air and landed on Wonder Man’s shoulder. “You took him down hard and fast. I take it he and his pals really messed you up earlier?”
“That they did,” affirmed Wonder Man, “but never again.”
The door to the room burst open. It was Fausta and she was obviously very angry. “Animal man! You lied to me! Hippolyta has been dead for decades!”
Priscilla's voice echoed through the Cheetah's ears. "D@mn, the Nazi is on to us! Tell her Hippolyta is alive—that the Amazons are using trickery and deception!"
“No Fausta… I had no idea,” the Cheetah said tried to worm his way out of the new trouble he had found himself in.
“Liar!” screamed Fausta. “You must pay for this treachery!” condemned the angry villain. Fausta grabbed the Cheetah by the throat and lifted him high up into the air. “Donar – strike!” Instantaneously, a bolt of mystical lightning came down and stuck the Cheetah. The electricity shot though his body, burning his fur and skin. “And again! And again! And again” ordered Fausta as the lightning continued to come down. She failed to realize that the sparks from the lightning had set her ship on fire.
Nucleus, noticing the flames, advised his teammate, “Wonder Man—we’ve got to get out of here!”
“Good call!” agreed Wonder Man as he carried Nucleus, exited the burning ship and jumped to shore. Running several hundred feet up the shore away from the boat, he watched as it continued to burn.
Fausta was so wrapped up in her revenge on the Cheetah that she had ignored the flames even as they grew hotter and more wide-spread.
The Cheetah, on the other hand, had noticed the flames and was in a state of panic.
"Michael! Tell her to let us go! We've got to get out of here! She's crazed and doesn't realize what is happening!! Hurry boy!" Priscilla said, her voice growing more and more faint.
“Fausta, let me go or we’ll both die!”
Fausta continued with her demands to Donar “Blitz Donar! Strike!” A few moments later… BA-BOOM!!! The boat had exploded from the flames reaching the engine’s oil lines. Fire and ash spewed outward in all directions.
Wonder Man and Nucleus watched in amazement as the ship was blown apart. Then the two of them heard a familiar voice.
“Wonder Man, Nucleus! You’re both okay!” It was Sargona along with the search party.
“Sargona! GL! Am I happy to see you guys!” said Wonder Man with a look of relief on his face.
“Scott! My sweet boy! You’re hurt!” shouted Wonder Woman as she made her way through the heroes and embraced her son.
“Mom… calm down! I’m okay…” wheedled Wonder Man.
Troia soon joined the two of them for a comforting family hug.
“Aunt Donna! It’s good to see you. I’m so glad you’re here right now.” Wonder Man said contently.
“Where else would I be?” she asked. “But where did that explosion come from?”
“Fausta called down the power of Donar to punish the Cheetah and the lightning set her ship on fire. She kept saying the word ‘blitz’… Nucleus and I made our way out just in time to watch the ship blow up. I think we now have two less villains to worry about.”
Venus then approached Wonder Man. “Glad to see that you’re okay, tiger,” she said. “Blitz means ‘lightning’,” she added almost under her breath.
“Venus, you’re here too! You all risked your lives to save me?” Wonder Man asked in astonishment at the fact that so many people cared about him. “By the way, where did you learn German?” Wonder Man asked inquisitively.
“I don’t know,” answered Venus with a confused look on her face. “Hopefully, you can help me find out once your back on your feet.
“We were all worried about you,” Thunderstorm said with the first smile on her face that the Titans of Justice had seen.
“Wow… the ice-woman cracks a smile,” commented Sargona. “This really is an island of miracles”
“Please… you make me sound as bad as Fausta,” stated Thunderstorm.
“No comment,” Sargona said sarcastically.
***
An hour later after the group had journeyed back to the royal palace on Themiscyra. Wonder Man walked into the throne-room to join the others.
“Scott? Did you call your father?” Wonder Woman asked.
“Yes Mom. He was just about to send the entire United States military over here to help in the battle against the Cheetah and his group.”
“Your father cares for you very much as doI” affirmed Wonder Woman with a compassionate look on her face. “Please, give up your identity of Wonder Man and stay here on the island.”
“Now you’re starting to sound like how you say grandma used to talk to you,” Wonder Man said, becoming irritated. “I had one misfortune and you expect me to hang up my suit and call it quits?”
“I would like that very much if you did Scott,” confirmed Wonder Woman.
“It’s not going to happen so just stop right now,” requested Wonder Man. “I’ve made my decision and I’m going to stick with it.”
Before the two of them could argue any more, Troia interrupted. “Scott, your grandmother is calling you from the well of souls. Apparently, she would like to speak with you.”
“WHAT? I’m on my way!” Wonder Man said as he raced out of the room. He soon made his way to the well of souls and gazed upon Hippolyta, who was waiting for him.
“Scott – you are all right?” Hippolyta asked.
“Yes, Grandma. I made it out okay.” Scott’s words were meant to calm worried grandmother.
“I heard from Aphrodite that you fought quite well today. Earlier, I had begged Zeus to let me come back to the mortal world to save you from Fausta… but he denied my request. I see now that he must have known of this outcome. You are thankfully safe.”
“Yes, I’m fine,” confirmed Wonder Man. “I beat the Cheetah just like you did his grandmother back in World War Two.” The two of them began to change the subject to Hippolyta’s stories of her battles during the war.
***
Back in the throne-room, Sargona turned to Thunderstorm and asked, “Hey Thunderdog, why did you call out Black Vulcan’s name earlier? I thought Black Lightning was your dad?”
“He is, Sarcasta,” stated Thunderstorm, “but there was a time when he had amnesia and took on the identity of Black Vulcan. That’s when he first joined the Justice League with Apache Chief and Samurai. As for why I called out his name earlier, it’s part of a mantra-exercise that I use to turn into my energy form. Besides, it’s a good name. In fact, you all can call me Black Vulcan from now on..”
“Oh, you’re just changing your name becase you’re sick of me calling you Thunderdog….” smirked Sargona sarcastically.
“Exactly, Sarcasta,” replied the new Black Vulan.
Written by: Power Guy
Co-conspirator: Scotty2Hotty
Editor: Marcus Mebes
Paradise Island….
Fausta was a bit confused by what she saw. While she recognized Fury and Miss America, the three others were unknown to her. She quickly grew suspicious of them as one of them was wearing a costume similar to Hippolyta’s. In a rage she demanded, “Who in himmel are you supposed to be? Where is Hippolyta hiding???”
“I am Diana, daughter of Hippolyta,” said Wonder Woman defiantly. “The people of man’s world call me Wonder Woman.”
“Lies!” shouted Fausta. “I demand the real Wonder Woman grant me an audience!!”
“Hippolyta will not be granting you an audience today or any other day as she is dead,” advised Wonder Woman.
“What?? Impossible! The animal man Cheetah advised me that she was at a United Nations conference and that she would be returning shortly.”
“It’s true Fausta. My mother is dead,” confirmed Troia. “She was killed over 20 years ago in a great battle against invaders from space.”
In spite of being unfamiliar with those who were speaking to her, Fausta could tell they were not lying by the sincerity in their voices. “No! It cannot be! I was supposed to be Hippolyta’s killer. I have waited over sixty years for this moment and it has been stolen from me! The Cheetah has lied to me. He has been lying to me all this time. Curse him! Curse him! I am going to kill HIM instead!” Fausta turned around ready to go find the Cheetah.
***
Meanwhile, aboard Fausta’s U-boat, the Cheetah was reveling in delight over capturing Wonder Man and having Villainy Inc. do his bidding in overtaking Paradise Island.
In his head came a familiar voice—the voice of Priscilla Rich. "You have done well Michael. You have made me proud. Taunt your prey—torture him! Revel in your moment, my precious boy!!"
He spoke to the still-chained Wonder Man. “Soon, my allies will take control of Paradise Island. Once your mother returns, she and Fausta will battle… which will most likely result in the death of one of them and the other will be so exhausted from the battle, she will quickly fall before me. As for you my boy, once your mother and your aunt are dead, I will grant you a painful, bloody death and the legacy of the Cheetah will reign supreme!”
“You’re beyond twisted Cheetah. My friends and family will find a way to stop you!” countered Wonder Man who was struggling again to break free from his chains.
“Trying another futile struggle?” inquired the Cheetah. “Go ahead, waste your strength by all means.”
Then a whispering voice was heard in Wonder Man’s ear. Unknown to the Cheetah, Nucleus had made his way onto Fausta’s U-boat and discovered his errant teammate.
“Wonder Man, stay calm. It’s Nucleus,” informed the near microscopic hero. “We’re going to get you out of here buddy. Just relax….” With that, Nucleus made his way down Wonder Man’s left arm down to the chains that had shackled his wrists.
Wonder Man gazed at the Cheetah but remained quiet so as to not alert him to the other presence in the room.
“My grandmother and I have orchestrated the perfect plan. There is no way we can lose,” gloated the Cheetah. “Soon, I will have everything I deserve and then some!”
Priscilla's voice came to Michael again. "Michael, something is wrong…"
“Damn right Cheetah!” agreed Wonder Man as the chains on his wrists fell the floor. Nucleus had crawled inside the cuffs and unlocked them from the inside.
The Cheetah was stunned. He could not figure out how Wonder Man had gotten free but it made no difference. His objective was still clear.
He could hear his grandmother's hissing voice in his head. "You fool! Don't just stand there, get ready to fight! Don't hold back—Rip that b@stard to shreds! What are you waiting for? MOVE!”
“How did you get out?” demanded the Cheetah of his adversary. “Wait… don’t answer that. It won’t matter in a few minutes when I’m eating your spleen.”
“Bring it, fur-ball!” challenged Wonder Man as he jumped straight at the Cheetah. Adrenaline was flowing through his body from the built-up rage of being beaten and held captive. His fists flew like hammers into the Cheetah’s skull and stomach. Blow after blow struck the Cheetah. He had never been hit that hard in his life.
Despite Wonder Man's stunning blows, The Cheetah could hear his grandmother yelling at him. "D@mn it boy! Get up!! Fight-FIGHT!!"
Though stunned, the Cheetah was not about to hold back either. His claws raked Wonder Man’s chest, ripping open some previous wounds.
“Argh!” cried Wonder Man as blood started to poor. While in pain, he was far from incapacitated. Grabbing the Cheetah’s wrists to prevent any more scratches, he lifted his foe into the air and fell backwards causing the Cheetah to slam his head into the floor.
The Cheetah's head was pounding and his vision blurred. "Grandmother, help me,” he muttered. “Tell me what to do!" But this time Priscilla was silent.
While the two enemies continue to brawl, Nucleus made a quick call to Wonder Woman on his communicator. “Wonder Woman—mission accomplished. Your son is free,” he advised.
***
In the royal throne room….
“Thanks Nucelus,” exulted a grateful Diana.
Before Fausta could exit the room to exact her revenge on the Cheetah, she was ensnared by Wonder Woman’s magic-lasso. “Not so fast Fausta. You won’t be killing anyone ever again.”
“You dare challenge me? Has your mother not told you how powerful I am? I am bequeathed with the abilities of the Gotterdammerung!” Fausta started tugging on the lasso thinking she could easily overtake her opponent.
Diana gave a firm tug back and revealed, “And I am bequeathed with the gifts of the Greek gods. From what I understand, Fausta, you were more powerful that my mother… but now you face your equal!”
“Do not make me laugh, falsch Wonder Woman!” Fausta said as instead of pulling away from Wonder Woman, she started to run towards her.
Diana was ready for Fausta and met her head-on. The two god-gifted powerhouses collided in a fury of fists. Wonder Woman struck Fausta in the face while Fausta countered with a blow to the shoulder. Diana then backhanded Fausta, knocking her off her feet.
The other members of Villainy Inc. were surprised to see someone finally get the upper hand on Fausta; however, they too had a mission to complete.
“Come on girls, we’re not going to let some stupid heroes get the best of us, are we?” Zara challenged to her teammates. The other members of Villainy Inc. took the queue to attack the female heroes.
“Fury, you little slut! You cannot hide behind Hippolyta’s skirt any longer,” threatened Zara as she fired a stream of flames at gold-clad heroine.
“I don’t need Hippolyta to protect me from your scientific trickery Zara!” Fury said, leaping out of the way.
Zara fired another steam of flames at Fury hoping to make contact this time.
Instead of being immolated, Fury ducked, just missing the wave of fire. She then ran towards a large curtain in the room.
Zara continued to fire blast after blast struggling to try and make contact with Fury. Luckily, Fury was too quick for Zara to hit her.
Fury then leaped up and pulled the giant curtain from its rod, throwing it on top of Zara. The villainess soon found herself entangled in the curtain. In a state of panic, she tried to burn her way free.
Fury ran over by Zara and pushed her down on the floor and then proceeded to push her forward, turning the flame-wielding villainess into a human roll-up. “Don’t bother trying to burn your way free Zara. That curtain is fire-proof.”
Several feet away, Artemis found herself facing Dr. Poison.
Dr. Poison, with her demented grin on her faced, challenged Artemis, “Come on girl, let’s dance!”
Dr. Poison tried to spray Artemis with a deadly nerve-agent but Artemis quickly fanned it away with the help of the shield she was carrying. She then pulled out her bow and fired four arrows at Dr. Poison with each one of them aimed at one of the villain’s arms or legs; snagging the drooping robes that Dr. Poison surrounded herself with. Dr. Poison had been pinned to a wall.
“You can’t do any harm if you can’t reach your sinister devices,” taunted Artemis.
Miss America took to the air to confront Lady Lunar.
“Ah, yes. The fabled Miss America,” commented Lady Lunar. “Shouldn’t you be in a nursing home by now, you old hag?”
“Do I look like a senior citizen?” questioned Miss America.
The two ladies were trying to distract each other while they finalized their attack plans.
Lady Lunar made the first move, using her gravity powers to take control of several swords on display in the throne-room and sending them flying straight towards Miss America.
Miss America just chuckled and said, “Heh! You obviously know my name but not much else!” as she transmuted the swords into flowers.
Lady Lunar became frustrated. “Make a fool out of me will you?” She then used her powers to make a large section of the roof so heavy that it started to collapse on Miss America.
Miss America made short work of the roof, turning it into tissue paper, which she easily tore through. “Done yet?” she asked. “I think so!” she stated as she encased Lady Lunar’s head in a bubble of sleep-gas.
Lady Lunar started pounding on the bubble as she started coughing and inhaling in the gas. “Cheater! You… cough… can’t… cough… do this… cough… to me…” she grumbled as she passed out.
Paranoia realized that the heroes were getting the best of teammates so she started to run.
“Ah ah, Paranoia,” chided Troia. “You’re in this for the long haul,” she said, tossing her magic-lasso around the fear-inducing villainess.
Paranoia realized there was no breaking out of the lasso so she focused her mental powers on Troia. “You could have let me go but now you will destroy your teammates for me. Can you feel the paranoia setting in? Fury will soon take your place as Wonder Woman’s partner. She, Miss America, and Artemis are all conspiring against you. Destroy them before they get the best of you!”
“You’re right…” agreed Troia. “I’ve got to stop people from trying to get the best of me… starting with you!” she said as she pulled the roped Paranoia towards her punched the oncoming villainess out cold as soon as she was within reach. Paranoia had failed to realize that with Troia holding her Lasso of Truth, manipulating her perception was impossible.
Meanwhile, Fausta and Wonder Woman had determined they were near equals in terms of power and skill. Both of them were bloody and bruised from their battle yet neither was letting up.
Fausta then commented, “You fight well daughter of Hippolyta. Even better than your mother. However, I am not about to concede defeat!”
“Give it up Fausta. Your teammates are defeated, my son is free, and the Cheetah has lied to you,” countered Wonder Woman.
“She’s right Fausta,” came a voice from behind the Nazi villainess. It was Green Lantern. Behind him stood the rest of the recovered Titans of Justice.
“You can’t possibly beat all nine of us,” said Sargona with a smirk on her face.
Fausta muttered under her breath, “The animal man will pay for this most dearly.” Fausta realized she was out-numbered and would soon face capture if she did not act quickly. She then punched a nearby pillar that connected the floor of the palace to the roof. The pillar shattered upon the impact, causing the roof to start giving way and also making the building start to shake. The roof wouldn’t have given way so easily if Lady Lunar hadn’t damaged part of it earlier.
“Lantern!” Sargona called out to her teammate, hoping he would take the cue and save them all from being crushed by the falling chunks of stone.
Green Lantern shot out an emerald beam from his ring, patching up the roof while Wonder Woman, Troia, and Fury each headed for opposite walls of the structure and used their strength to brace the building in an attempt to stop it from shaking.
Once the shaking had stopped, the various heroes looked around for Fausta but she had slipped out during the commotion.
“It appears that Fausta got away,” declared Troia.
“I think you’re right Donna, I don’t see her anywhere,” confirmed Wonder Woman. “We must pursue her. She’s far too deadly to let walk free.” With that, the nine heroes exited the palace in search of the dastardly villainess.
***
Moments later aboard Fausta’s U-boat, Wonder Man had emerged as the victor from his battle with the Cheetah. “Had enough? Well I haven’t!” shouted Wonder Man giving the Cheetah one last punch to the forehead. “Get up. I’m taking you in!”
Priscilla spoke to Michael, finally. "Since you have ruined everything, just lie low and do what this fool says. Be ready to strike when I tell. You may not disappoint me after all."
The Cheetah realized Wonder Man had gotten the best of him and he decided he would cooperate until Wonder Man let us guard down and deliver a killing blow in order to turn the tide of the battle.
Nucleus took to the air and landed on Wonder Man’s shoulder. “You took him down hard and fast. I take it he and his pals really messed you up earlier?”
“That they did,” affirmed Wonder Man, “but never again.”
The door to the room burst open. It was Fausta and she was obviously very angry. “Animal man! You lied to me! Hippolyta has been dead for decades!”
Priscilla's voice echoed through the Cheetah's ears. "D@mn, the Nazi is on to us! Tell her Hippolyta is alive—that the Amazons are using trickery and deception!"
“No Fausta… I had no idea,” the Cheetah said tried to worm his way out of the new trouble he had found himself in.
“Liar!” screamed Fausta. “You must pay for this treachery!” condemned the angry villain. Fausta grabbed the Cheetah by the throat and lifted him high up into the air. “Donar – strike!” Instantaneously, a bolt of mystical lightning came down and stuck the Cheetah. The electricity shot though his body, burning his fur and skin. “And again! And again! And again” ordered Fausta as the lightning continued to come down. She failed to realize that the sparks from the lightning had set her ship on fire.
Nucleus, noticing the flames, advised his teammate, “Wonder Man—we’ve got to get out of here!”
“Good call!” agreed Wonder Man as he carried Nucleus, exited the burning ship and jumped to shore. Running several hundred feet up the shore away from the boat, he watched as it continued to burn.
Fausta was so wrapped up in her revenge on the Cheetah that she had ignored the flames even as they grew hotter and more wide-spread.
The Cheetah, on the other hand, had noticed the flames and was in a state of panic.
"Michael! Tell her to let us go! We've got to get out of here! She's crazed and doesn't realize what is happening!! Hurry boy!" Priscilla said, her voice growing more and more faint.
“Fausta, let me go or we’ll both die!”
Fausta continued with her demands to Donar “Blitz Donar! Strike!” A few moments later… BA-BOOM!!! The boat had exploded from the flames reaching the engine’s oil lines. Fire and ash spewed outward in all directions.
Wonder Man and Nucleus watched in amazement as the ship was blown apart. Then the two of them heard a familiar voice.
“Wonder Man, Nucleus! You’re both okay!” It was Sargona along with the search party.
“Sargona! GL! Am I happy to see you guys!” said Wonder Man with a look of relief on his face.
“Scott! My sweet boy! You’re hurt!” shouted Wonder Woman as she made her way through the heroes and embraced her son.
“Mom… calm down! I’m okay…” wheedled Wonder Man.
Troia soon joined the two of them for a comforting family hug.
“Aunt Donna! It’s good to see you. I’m so glad you’re here right now.” Wonder Man said contently.
“Where else would I be?” she asked. “But where did that explosion come from?”
“Fausta called down the power of Donar to punish the Cheetah and the lightning set her ship on fire. She kept saying the word ‘blitz’… Nucleus and I made our way out just in time to watch the ship blow up. I think we now have two less villains to worry about.”
Venus then approached Wonder Man. “Glad to see that you’re okay, tiger,” she said. “Blitz means ‘lightning’,” she added almost under her breath.
“Venus, you’re here too! You all risked your lives to save me?” Wonder Man asked in astonishment at the fact that so many people cared about him. “By the way, where did you learn German?” Wonder Man asked inquisitively.
“I don’t know,” answered Venus with a confused look on her face. “Hopefully, you can help me find out once your back on your feet.
“We were all worried about you,” Thunderstorm said with the first smile on her face that the Titans of Justice had seen.
“Wow… the ice-woman cracks a smile,” commented Sargona. “This really is an island of miracles”
“Please… you make me sound as bad as Fausta,” stated Thunderstorm.
“No comment,” Sargona said sarcastically.
***
An hour later after the group had journeyed back to the royal palace on Themiscyra. Wonder Man walked into the throne-room to join the others.
“Scott? Did you call your father?” Wonder Woman asked.
“Yes Mom. He was just about to send the entire United States military over here to help in the battle against the Cheetah and his group.”
“Your father cares for you very much as doI” affirmed Wonder Woman with a compassionate look on her face. “Please, give up your identity of Wonder Man and stay here on the island.”
“Now you’re starting to sound like how you say grandma used to talk to you,” Wonder Man said, becoming irritated. “I had one misfortune and you expect me to hang up my suit and call it quits?”
“I would like that very much if you did Scott,” confirmed Wonder Woman.
“It’s not going to happen so just stop right now,” requested Wonder Man. “I’ve made my decision and I’m going to stick with it.”
Before the two of them could argue any more, Troia interrupted. “Scott, your grandmother is calling you from the well of souls. Apparently, she would like to speak with you.”
“WHAT? I’m on my way!” Wonder Man said as he raced out of the room. He soon made his way to the well of souls and gazed upon Hippolyta, who was waiting for him.
“Scott – you are all right?” Hippolyta asked.
“Yes, Grandma. I made it out okay.” Scott’s words were meant to calm worried grandmother.
“I heard from Aphrodite that you fought quite well today. Earlier, I had begged Zeus to let me come back to the mortal world to save you from Fausta… but he denied my request. I see now that he must have known of this outcome. You are thankfully safe.”
“Yes, I’m fine,” confirmed Wonder Man. “I beat the Cheetah just like you did his grandmother back in World War Two.” The two of them began to change the subject to Hippolyta’s stories of her battles during the war.
***
Back in the throne-room, Sargona turned to Thunderstorm and asked, “Hey Thunderdog, why did you call out Black Vulcan’s name earlier? I thought Black Lightning was your dad?”
“He is, Sarcasta,” stated Thunderstorm, “but there was a time when he had amnesia and took on the identity of Black Vulcan. That’s when he first joined the Justice League with Apache Chief and Samurai. As for why I called out his name earlier, it’s part of a mantra-exercise that I use to turn into my energy form. Besides, it’s a good name. In fact, you all can call me Black Vulcan from now on..”
“Oh, you’re just changing your name becase you’re sick of me calling you Thunderdog….” smirked Sargona sarcastically.
“Exactly, Sarcasta,” replied the new Black Vulan.