Titans of Justice Unlimited # 72 – “Trust”
Written, Edited & Maxi-Micros by: Power Guy

***THE FIRST SEGMENT OF THIS STORY TAKES PLACE BETWEEN CHAPTERS 66 AND 67 OF TITANS OF JUSTICE UNLIMITED


The Clock Tower(former headquarters of the Birds of Prey), Gotham City…

A collective of the Batman Family had been summoned by Red Robin to the long-vacant building including Batwoman(Kate Kane), Azrael, Black Bat(Cassandra Cain), the Spoiler, Robin(Carrie Kelly), Harper Row, and the Red Hood.

“Thanks for busting me out of Arkham,” the Red Hood turned and said to Red Robin.





“No problem, Jason, you deserve to be here with the rest of the family with what’s about to go down,” replied the Huntress’ new partner. He then continued, “I know most of you have been retired for several years, heck I’m surprised to see you all still have your costumes but nonetheless, I’m very grateful to you all for coming tonight. The circumstances we face are quite possibly, much greater than we’ve ever faced before.”





“Just tell me who to break and I’ll get on it,” vowed the man otherwise known as Jason Todd.

“I was hoping you’d say that,” smiled Red Robin. He then turned to Batwoman and asked, “Kate, where’s Bette?”

“In Hawaii with our Aunt Kathy. They’re staying on some remote island for a few weeks and I couldn’t reach her.”





“That’s a shame. She should really be here for this but the rest of you will have to do.”

“Enough of this idle chatter, tell us what’s going on,” Azrael demanded, his patience growing thin.





Wasting no time, the new Red Robin honored the one-time Batman’s request. “The situation is this. Punchline has allied himself with the person responsible for the civil war between the two Titans teams. Once they’ve captured all of the Titans of Justice, they plan on locking them in a room and filling it with Joker-venom. Thanks to a few augmentations by Ebenezer Faust and Dr. Natas, even the Kryptonian and the Amazon will be killed within seconds of the venom making contact. Nearly three-fourths of the Titans of Justice have already been captured leaving just a few to be rounded up. We’ve got to go to Washington D.C. and rescue them before Punchline makes his move.”

“What are we waiting for?” challenged the Red Hood as he turned around, readying to race out.

“Jason – WAIT!” shouted Red Robin. “We can’t take any chances of our rebreathing devices getting damaged in battle. We'll be facing super-villains of Superman-level strength such as Zy-Kree and folks such as the Gored Ox are no joke either. Before the Huntress gave me my orders, she came up with an antidote for the new Joker-venom. We each need to down one of these pills before we head out,” he said presenting a bottle of capsules and handing one to each of the Bat-Family members present.

“That Helena is a smart one…….must have gotten it from her dad,” noted Batwoman as she and the others swallowed their pills.

The team of urban vigilantes began to head out but within seconds all of their bodies began to tense up. They began to experience heart-failure as their facial features contorted into Joker-like grins with Red Robin being the only one unaffected.

“Y…..y…….you! Y…………………..y………………………………you’re behind this,” the Red Hood struggled to say as he managed to grab one of Red Robin’s legs, noticing the red and black-clad hero was the only one unaffected in the room. The man known as Jason Todd then grabbed a knife from one of his pockets, ready to stab his would-be assassin but Red Robin quickly kicked the knife from the Red Hood’s hand.

“Are you kidding me?” smirked the partner of the Huntress as he knelt down besides the man who was once the second Robin. “Not only are you old and out of practice but you’re going into catatonic shock. Even if you would have nailed me with your knife, I may have bled a little but that’s it. You would die today either way! All of you will and you know why? All of you are nothing more that usurpers to the originals. Pretenders making a half-@$$ attempt to secure yourself a place in the Bat-Family legacy. Red Robin walked over to Black Bat and kicked her in the stomach as her body was shutting down. “What were you? Batgirl number three? Or was it four?” He then made his way over to the Spoiler and stabbed her in the heart with a Batarang, putting her out of her misery while saying, “You were one of the worst – hijacking both of my parents’ original identities at one point.”





Red Robin then looked around the room as its other inhabitants took their last breaths. “Some of you may have come back from the grave at one time or another but not this time. The pills I gave you were not only filled with Joker-venom but a special brand of acid that will dissolve your entire bodies within twenty-four hours. There will be barely enough left for a DNA test. The original Batman Family will live on……..along with that loser Tim Drake but only because I need him for my cover story of being his kid. Oh, and don’t worry, your deaths won’t be in vane. This will set Helena on a quest to take down Punchline once and for all being that his signature poison and fragments of your costumes will be all that’s found at the scene of the crime. It will be just like old times but with a modern twist! The daughter of the Batman going all hardcore to take the son of the Joker down! And I’ll be right there as her partner to witness that crazy clown find out that the joke is on him!”

The boy also known as Brendon Grayson made his way out of the building and boarded his Red Robin-cycle. Before starting it up, he pulled a device out of his belt and said to himself, “Ooops…..almost forgot to turn the security system back on. Mom should find out what happened within minutes and spread the word like wildfire! Now, I’d better get to D.C. and see what’s going on with the Titans.”

***

Now – The Bat-Cave…

“And that’s how Dick, Barbara, your mother, and I found them,” concluded Bruce Wayne.





“But how could Punchline have gotten them to ingest the Joker-venom?” asked the Huntress. “They were all so smart and resourceful.”





“We don’t know yet, dear,” replied Selena Kyle-Wayne. “All we know are the victim’s identities and the fact that they were killed by Joker-venom. With the Joker and Harley still locked in Arkham, only one other person has access to that substance, besides the samples we keep here in the Cave, of course.”





“Punchline has gone too far this time!” shouted the Huntress as she pushed over the Giant Penny situated behind her. “Mother, Father…..I’m sorry I didn’t make him more of a priority like I should have.”

“It’s alright, Helena,” offered Bruce as he hugged his daughter tightly. “We all know how much Brendon’s death and resurrection has kept you preoccupied.”

“Ever since I came back, you’ve been spending the majority of your time helping me get re-established as Tim Drake’s son to everyone outside of the Family. Plus, the recent events with the Titans have taken up just about every minute of spare time you’ve had. Don’t beat yourself up for this. You were helping rid the world of that madman Celsius when this apparently happened. We’ll find Punchline and bring him to justice for his.”

“Yes, we will!” vowed the daughter of the Dark Knight. “Punchline and his Society of Insanity have just pushed their way up to the top of my priority list!”

After a few minutes of telling their daughter how much they loved her, Bruce and Selena made their way up to the mansion. Selena began brewing a pot of espresso as she said to her husband, “Oh, Bruce, what happened to the more simple days of guys like the Kite-man trying to rob Wayne-tech?”

“I don’t know, Selena…..it seems like as the years go by, the crazier things get. Maybe it’s time for the Batman to un-retire?”

Selena dropped her coffee mug in horror and shouted, “There’s no way I’m letting you do that! No way at all! I almost lost you too many times!”

“I know, it’s just that first Brendon was killed. Then Barbara becomes overcome with grief and partners up with Kitty Kat to resurrect him with a Lazarus Pit. Now, most of my old partners and protégés are killed one foul swoop. What if Helena would have been there with them?”

“But thankfully she wasn’t,” reminded the retired Catwoman. “Helena will catch Punchline. She’s our flesh and blood after all. You know she won’t rest until he’s been stopped.”

***

Down in the Bat-Cave…

The Huntress was working diligently on determining Punchline’s location. While working away, she asked Red Robin, “Are you sure you don’t want to tell the Titans who you really are?”

“Not yet!” denied the former Knightvision. “Not until we’ve rounded up the entire Legion of Doom. It’s too risky in case one of them gets captured and tortured or has their mind probed. For now, we stick with the story that you, my mother, Tim, and I came up with.”

“I’ll respect your wishes but only because I’m so happy to have you back, Brendon,” the Huntress replied as she got up and hugged the man who was like a brother to her. “Especially after what happened to the family tonight.”

***

Star Labs Medical Facility…

Illumina walked into Power Guy's recover room. She noticed he was standing up, observing himself in a mirror. "How are you feeling today, Vince?" asked the daughter of the second Dr. Light.





"Those solar treatments you gave me have done wonders," replied the modern-age Man of Steel. "I still have scars on my hands but other than that, I'm feeling as good as new."





"I'm happy to hear that," commented the woman otherwise known as Imako Hoshi. "I have your release papers here. If you would like to sign them, you can be on your way."

"You're going home today?" came the voice of Constellation and she and Power Lad entered the room.





"I sure am, Sherry!" smiled the former leader of the Titans of Justice at his cousin.

"Sweet! We can go cruising for chicks tonight!" hollered Power Lad.





"Or not," replied Power Guy shaking his head back and forth. "I know that you miss Wonder Girl and I miss Sargona, but I don't think either one of us is ready to rush into a new relationship just yet."

"Who said anything about commitments?" smirked Power Lad.

"You can be a complete jerk sometimes, Ali," Constellation said, in disgust. "You know, PeeGee, sometimes I have a hard time believing you boys came from the same parents."

"Ha! Ali here is more bark than bite so don't be too hard on him." Power Guy said as he adjusted his cape.

"We have Jake tied to a post outside. I'm sure he can't wait to see you." offered Constellation.

"That was sweet of you guys to bring him along. I've missed him too." Power Guy said as he and his family exited the room.

The trio made their way to the exit of the building as Power Lad asked, "So was it really Celsius that was behind the whole mess with the Titans of Authority and the government?"

"Sadly, yes," confirmed the elder son of Power Girl and the original Star Spangled Kid. "Poor Colin has become so diluted from when we first met him. He's so focused on revenge now."

"You talk as if he's still around but I thought you said that Black Orchid killed him?" asked Constellation.

"Well, we thought he died when we fought him at the Doom Patrol's old mansion but he came back so I'm nowhere near counting him out," pointed out Power Guy.

"Let him come back again and I'll take good care of him," vowed a feisty Power Lad as he untied Power Pup from the post he was tied to.





"Ali, I don't like hearing you talk like that, especially about a friend of ours," scolded Power Guy. "Colin used to be a good man. Something obviously happened to him to disturb his mind. If he does come back, we should be focused on trying to help him before beating him to a pulp."

"You're too nice sometimes, PeeGee," grumbled the teen Kryptonian. "Oh, and I heard that punk Superboy has thrown in with the Titans of Authority and handed some of our boys over to the IADC during that mess. He better hope I don't see him anytime soon, that stinkin' traitor!"

"Let it go, Ali! Everyone needs to move past this ordeal with Colin and rebuild our lives," Power Guy said firmly as he, Power Pup, Power Lad, and Constellation took to the air to return to Earth 2.

***

An abandoned warehouse in Gateway City…

A man woke slowly from a faint tickling on his neck. As his eyes opened, he noticed that his vision was restricted partially around both eyes. He soon realized that something was over his face. He tried to move his arms to remove whatever it was but found he was restrained by ropes to the chair he was sitting on. Alarm and panic filled his mind as he began screaming.

“Is that how she screamed?” came a female voice from behind. Soon the woman speaking made her way around to the front of the man where he could see her through the holes in the apparatus on his head. It was the current version of The Mask, looking sexy, seductive, and sinister, all at the same time.

“Boris Bludhaven,” began the Mask, “For years, your wife Natasha suffered at the hands of your cruelty. You regularly verbally and physically abused her. Just about every night you got home from what you called a hard day at work, the insults flowed from your mouth, degrading her to feeling completely worthless. After a few drinks, she became your regular punching bag. Black eyes, bloodied fat lips, and large bruises often adorned her body but that wasn’t enough for you, was it?”

Boris’ heart was beating out his chest by now in astonishment of how the Mask knew who he was and what he had done to Natasha. He struggled to get free of his bonds but they were tied too tightly to make any leeway.

“On the day you were fired from your job, you came home in a frenzy,” continued the Mask. “All Natasha tried to do is comfort you but you would have none of it. Instead, you took out your rage and anger out on her again. This time, she stood up for herself and tried defending herself from you but that only made you even madder. You punched her so hard that not only did you break her nose but you severed several blood vessels that lead to her brain, killing her almost instantly. You are a sick, despicable man who deserves to pay for his crimes.”

“Oh no! Oh no! It was the alcohol…….it was the alcohol…..” screamed Boris in desperation. “How do you know all of this?” He asked, trying to stall the mysterious woman.

“You can thank the mental midget know as Dr. Psycho for lending me that technology. That’s about all that putrid pig was good for…………..once I find a suspected abuser, I put one of my masks on him which allows me to probe his inner-most thoughts. You are guilty by your own admission. There can be no greater proof!”

“Then take this mask off of me now. I’m sweating profusely under here!” pleaded Boris, thinking if the woman could see his face, she could see his face and he could persuade her to release him.

“You would like me to take the mask off?” repeated the fishnet wearing woman. “Well then, so be it!” she smiled as she pulled a device from her pocket, pressed a button on it, causing the mask to explode, taking Boris’ head clean off his body.


The End!