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Issue Seven
By Barry Reese
TWO DAYS AGO
Ra's Al Ghul rose from the steaming Lazarus Pit, rejuvenated once more. He was nude, his face showing the ecstacy that always came with renewal. Holding his arms out wide, he waited as attendents brought forth a robe and draped it across his shoulders. He wished his daughter Talia were here, at his side, but she had betrayed her father for the last time and had been cast out, until such a time as she was willing to admit her errors.
Ra's adjusted his robe, staring forth at the colorful assemblage that waited impatiently for him to finish the renewal. "You should count yourselves amongst the lucky, my friends. Few in the world have witnessed the glory of the Lazarus Pit."
"I'm sure it's quite an honor -- but we're more interested in why you've brought us here and how much it pays." The woman who spoke was dressed in tight blue leather, her snow white skin standing out in stark contrast to the blue-haired mohawk she wore.
Ra's strode past them, ignoring the fact that each of them possessed enough firepower to slay most of his attendents and guards in a heartbeat. He felt no fear of them, nor of any human. He was the Demon's Head. The villains followed him into a computer room, watching as he pointed to screens showing various members of the Outsiders -- Batman, Geo-Force, Black Lightning, Metamorpho, Katana and Halo. "These are mutual enemies for some of us. Agents of the Bat, they have wreaked havoc with my operations over the past week. First in London, then Singapore, finally last night in Kyoto. It has to end." Ra's turned to face them. "Batman is playing a game with me, sending his lessers to irritate me like the stinging of a gnat. I shall match him in this, for a challenge of the wits with my old foe is always pleasing... and that is where you come in."
New Wave, leader of the Masters of Disaster, nodded. This part she understood. "You want us to destroy the Outsiders? With pleasure," she sneered. "They stole my sister from me and humiliated me again and again. I might even cut you a discount on this one."
Ra's laughed softly. "How kind of you. I will supply the mission's scope and direction -- you and your followers will carry it out to the letter. Understand?"
"Loud and clear." New Wave examined the reactions of her teammates, noting that all of them seemed fine with the mission at hand. Shakedown, the new Cryonic Man, Count Vertigo and Lady Clayface... a bit different from the original lineup, but with Windfall's betrayal and the terrible fate of Coldsnap and Heatwave, it was the best New Wave had come up with. With a pounding heart, she made a fist in the air. "I'm going to see every last one of them broken and bleeding... especially that little witch, Halo!"
DC LEGENDS PRESENTS
Part Three
"MARKOVIA"
"I want to know the truth, Tatsu. Why does Gaby look and act so much like she used to?" Brion Markov, crowned ruler of Markovia, stood behind the desk in his personal office, staring hard at his friend and partner, Katana.
Tatsu frowned for a moment, not turning away from Brion's gaze in the least. "She's been through a lot -- and she's not ready to be confronted with the recent past. Just accept the fact that she is alive and well."
"No. I won't accept that. I love her like a sister... and all of us, including the Batman, is concerned about this sudden reversal in her personality. Jeff asked her the other night about her time spent in Marissa Baron's body--"
"What did she say?" Tatsu leaned forward, concern evident in her eyes.
Brion hesistated. "She changed the subject almost as quickly as you usually do." Geo-Force moved around the desk, kneeling next to his old friend and touching her arm supportively. "What awful secret are the two of you hiding? You know you can trust me...."
"It's not that." The samurai rose, moving over to the window. Markovia was almost fully recovered from the Millenium Giants and the Kulak uprising, but the Outsiders still had plenty to do in helping the local people. Right now, Tatsu could see Metamorpho and Halo working together to restore the steeple to the local church. "She's so happy now. Just like...."
"Just like she used to be?"
Tatsu sighed. When she turned back to face Brion, her face was once more reserved. "This is between Gaby and I. Either accept it or don't, I don't care which."
Brion made no move to stop her as she left his office, but he did clench one fist at his side. He moved over to his phone and pressed a button. "You heard?"
The Batman's voice rang out from the speaker-phone. "I did. I'll begin looking into it. You were right to bring me into this, Brion."
"I hope so. Good luck to you, Batman." Brion severed the connection, feeling guilt begin to creep through his veins. The Batman was going to spy on one of the Outsiders, look into her recent past and see what secrets lay beyond the veil. Why won't you tell us, Tatsu? What could possibly be so terrible that you don't think your friends could forgive you?
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI
The young woman sat slumped against the brick exterior of the police station, her head hanging between her knees. She was dressed in a soiled white t-shirt and shabby jeans, her short black hair looking matted and unclean. A few tears rolled down her cheeks, landing wetly on the ground below.
"You ready?"
She looked up into the face of her only companion, a handsome but unsettling young man known only as Faust. He peered at her from behind his dark glasses. "Where are we going?" she asked, wiping at her eyes with the back of a hand.
"Someplace away from here. Look," he said, his voice softening. "Don't run off again or I'm not stopping to bail you out of jail or something. Okay? We're in this together."
She rose unsteadily, accepting his helping hand. "But why can't I remember....?"
Faust looked away for a moment. When he looked back, he squeezed her hand in his. "Remember this... Your name is Marissa. Beyond that... Well, let's just say that your past is what you make of it."
"But... What does that mean?"
"It means you have a clean slate. Some people wish a lifetime for that. Now let's go."
MARKOVIA
Jeff Pierce ran with a fluid motion, his athletic body covered by a thin sheen of sweat. The temperature was rather chilly this time of year, but he didn't mind -- the cold made him feel even more alive. Between his various teaching tenures and his stints as a superhero, Jeff had managed to stay in shape as well as possible -- and often it was while on one of his long runs that he felt most comfortable and at peace.
About a mile up ahead, Jeff could see the capital city with the large palace looming over all. It still boggled his mind that he'd taken up the costume again so readily... What had possessed him? Because they're your friends, that's why. Through thick and thin, they've been there for you. Who else can you say that about?
Jeff felt his foot splash down in a puddle, catching him by surprise. He came to a halt, looking at the puddle lying in the midst of an otherwise dry path. Something about it seemed odd, though he wasn't sure exactly what it was that set off his instincts.
Suddenly he felt a great twisting and wrenching of his leg, where the water had splashed against his skin. Crying out in pain, he looked down to see the water solidifying, taking shape. The female visage which smiled at him was frighteningly familiar. "New Wave?!"
"You remember me? How sweet." The rest of the puddle suddenly rose up, merging with the fluid form on his leg, and shoving him off his feet. He hit the ground hard, already rolling out of her grip. He charged up his hand and threw a bolt of electricity, which just missed her.
"You picked the wrong Outsider, little miss Wave. I can fry your behind, remember?"
"Who said she came alone, my friend?" Count Vertigo stepped from behind a tree, unleashing his powers.
Black Lightning felt like his entire world had been turned upside down. Incapable of keeping his balance, he hurled several lightning bolts high into the air. Finally unable to stand, he fell to his knees.
At that moment he felt chilling cold envelop him as the Cryonic Man fired his liquid nitrogen guns at the hero. Jeff could barely make out the man's form, but he recognized him easily enough -- or at least the uniform. The original Cryonic Man had died in his initial encounter with the Outsiders, but this fellow was obviously a successor, as he was far too tall and dark skinned to be the original.
His teeth chattering from the cold, Jeff found himself wondering what could bring together so many supervillains at once. But of course, he knew the answer to that -- Batman had warned them that Ra's would strike back.
Suddenly the vibrating that Jeff felt grew much, much stronger. Having seen New Wave, he had no doubt that this was the doing of her simple-minded partner, Shakedown. When he could take no more, Jeff collapsed into unconsciousness.
Lady Clayface moved to the fore, her muddy complexion shifting and changing until it matched the handsome features of Jeff Pierce. "How do I look?"
New Wave grinned. "Perfect. On to phase II, Masters."
Less than an hour later, Jefferson Pierce strode into the Markovian Palace. Lady Clayface's acting skills might allow her to fool the Outsiders briefly, but she knew her time here was limited. According to New Wave, she was to find the team's lair and neutralize whatever defenses they might possess.
"Jeff?"
Lady Clayface paused. She turned to see Halo flying towards her, a big grin on her naive little face. No wonder New Wave hates her. Pretty, blonde and perky... Gag me. Making sure to deepen her voice, she mumbled "Hmm?"
"We're supposed to meet the others down in the meeting room. Wanna come with me?"
Nodding, Lady Clayface followed the young girl, both pleased and distressed at this turn of events. She was glad to find the lair so easily but could she fool the full team?
"Did you have a good run?" Halo inquired.
Lady Clayface smiled and made an affirmative motion, hoping that the girl would shut up soon. Otherwise, she would be forced to reveal herself, throwing the plan into disarray. She waited next to Halo while the girl tapped in a command code, forcing the door to the group's basement headquarters to open. Halo zoomed in quickly and Lady Clayface found herself suddenly faced with Katana's sword point at her throat. Behind the samurai stood Metamorpho and Geo-Force, while Halo hovered in the air, a triumphant grin on her face.
Katana's voice was cold and deadly. "Make any sudden moves and your lungs shall be in a bucket. Understand?"
Lady Clayface considered her options -- with her shapeshifting abilities, she might be able to handle most of the team, but....
As if reading her thoughts, Metamorpho started to shimmer into another form. "C'mon, darlin'... Any time you want to test me, you go right ahead."
Lady Clayface sighed, losing her form and reverting to her true self. "How the hell did you know?!"
Halo spoke up first. "Me and Rex saw Jeff's lightning blasts earlier. When I flew closer to see what was going on, I recognized New Wave and knew something was up! We've been waiting for Ra's Al Ghul to come after us."
Katana pressed the blade harder against Clayface's throat. "And now you are here, with us... and you're going to help us turn the tables on your comrades and get Black Lightning back safely...."
"Where is she?!" New Wave cursed loudly and kicked at the ground, while her teammates watched her impassively.
Cradling a small flower in his hand, Shakedown muttered "I w-w-wish that W-w-windfall were here."
New Wave rushed towards Shakedown, transforming into a menacing wall of water. "Don't ever mention that little sneak to me again! Understand?!"
"Leave him alone," the Cryonic Man said. "We should worry less about your little sister and more about why Lady Clayface isn't back yet."
"He's right," Count Vertigo said. He was standing atop a nearby hill, staring down at the royal palace. "If she's been captured, we could be in a lot of trouble."
New Wave reformed, looking down at the bound and unconscious form of Jefferson Pierce. "Even if they attack, we have the upper hand. They won't dare strike as long as we have a hostage..." New Wave's jaw dropped suddenly as Jefferson Pierce dissolved into thin air. "No!
The villains looked skyward, where the Outsides hovered in the air, Katana riding in a makeshift air balloon formed out of Metamorpho's body. Jeff Pierce floated next to Halo, who grinned teasingly. "Forgot my little illusion aura, huh? You remember -- where I can make it look like somebody's someplace they're not?"
Geo-Force pointed at New Wave, addressing her as the leader of the Masters of Disaster. "If you're wise, you're going to surrender. If not... I can't be held responsible for the actions of Katana."
New Wave's eyes flicked towards the samurai, who brandished her sword before her. The look in the woman's eyes spoke of violence and bloodshed. Unfortunately, New Wave was unaffected. "Bite me, Geo-Force! Masters -- this is your opportunity to earn your pay!"
Halo made sure to set Jeff down safely before flying towards New Wave. "Where's Windfall? Do you have her with you?"
"That brat's probably off on some commune somewhere, girl -- and she better hide 'cause I'll kill her if I find her!"
Halo dodged New Wave's water attack, striking back with a heat blast. "How can you talk about your own sister like that? No wonder she ran away!"
Geo-Force concentrated his attack on his fellow nobleman, Count Vertigo. The Markovian monarch felt a wave of nausea hit him, momentarily causing him to lose his flight path. "Vertigo! How can you do this... You are of noble birth! You should use your powers for something besides this!"
"I seek power in a different way from you, Markov -- and in the end, you'll see that only through force can you maintain the throne!"
Katana did an acrobatic flip out of Rex's balloon shape, landing nimbly near the Cryogenic Man. "You chose the wrong person to emulate... the last Cryonic Man was a foolish man with a warped sense of responsibility."
"Then I'll have to make sure I do a better job won't I, babe?" The villain fired his liquid nitrogen bursts, but Katana dodged them with grace. She slashed out with her blade, neatly slicing the delicate tubing that led from his wrist gauntlets to the freezing machinery on his back. Cold ice spewed into the air as the Cryonic Man staggered back.
"You're not off to a good start," Katana murmured.
Metamorpho elongated an arm around Shakedown, forming his fist into a sledgehammer in the process. "Listen, pal, I don't want to hurt you and I'm sure you don't want to get hurt -- so let's make nice, okay?"
Shakedown raised both hands, projecting vibratory waves at Metamorpho. The Elemental Man felt his arm nearly break apart from the strain, but he still managed to bring the blow down upon Shakedown's skull.
Geo-Force found himself on the ground, blood streaming from his nose and ears as Vertigo turned up the level on his powers. He pictured Denise trying to hold the kingdom together without him... and found the strength within himself to to activate his gravity powers. Vertigo found himself suddenly weightless, lifted high into the air. The shock caused him to lose his concentration, bringing blessed awareness back to Brion. Geo-Force raised up on his heels and fired a lava blast, striking Vertigo full force.
In the end, only New Wave and Halo remained in pitched battle. The evil leader of the MoD was mericless, but found her every attack blocked by the more powerful and experienced Halo. Finally, New Wave seemed to reach her breaking point, screaming "You damned little witch! You stole her from me, took her from me! I killed my own parents but I spared her and she left me for you!"
Halo set her jaw and hovered for a moment, lost in emotion. "When I first became human, I wanted a family more than anything... and then, when I found Violet Harper's parents, they were killed right in front of me. It took me a long time to realize that Tatsu and the Outsiders were my new family.... After all that, all that pain and searching, I know how important love is -- and you threw it away. You killed your own parents, abused your little sisters... You're sick!" Halo flared brighter than ever, her power-oriented auras shifting so quickly that she looked like a living rainbow. Energy rocketed out, bathing New Wave in a burning embrace. The villainess howled, arching her back in agony before being reduced to an inert puddle as she fell into unconsciousness.
The heroes took stock of themselves, each gasping with exertion. Katana moved to Jeff's side as he began to stir. "Jefferson?"
"Tatsu...? The Masters of Disaster...."
"Are taken care of. Rest, my friend."
Geo-Force reached up, pushing his mask back away from his face. "Well done. I will contact the Batman -- I am sure he'll want to conduct the interrogations himself."
Metamorpho grinned. "Yeah, don't want to steal all of Bats' fun."
Katana put an arm around Halo's shoulder as she spoke. "Ra's Al Ghul will strike again. We have to remain vigilant."
Rex nodded. "You betcha. But if you ask me, the guy better lay low for awhile... I mean, we just kicked the collective butts of his little strikeforce....."
Ra's Al Ghul savored the wine before swallowing, staring at the reams of data that was coming forth to him. Each member of the Masters of Disaster was wired with a variety of scanners and recorders, allowing him to study the Outsiders at length. The Masters of Disaster were doomed to lose, of course -- their type always found themselves undone at the end -- but their information could be crucial in the coming days.
The Bat had chosen his soldiers well, but for Ra's they were nothing more than a passing trifle. For now, Ra's would allow them to live... until such a time as he elected to snuff out their existence.
Next Issue: Batman takes center stage as he comes face-to-face with Faust and Marissa! Plus: Looker uncovers a world of darkness, far more sinister than she ever expected! And the identity of the mysterious beings from two issues ago revealed! "Lifeblood" will be presented in Brave & the Bold # 8, so mark it on your calendar and be here.
AUTHOR'S NOTES
We actually got a letter! Here are some comments from Gary Halpin:
Hi Barry,
I just read the first two issues of your Outsiders stories in The Brave & The Bold, and really enjoyed them. I have fond memories of the Outsiders (although I was more of a fan of volume 2) so I'm glad to see them back.
I was surprised to see Black Lightning and Metamorpho back, as I do not consider them Outsiders any more, but I liked the fact the team's reunion was so simple. These characters are friends, so they do not need a world dilemma to get them all in one place. I also like their new status quo, as it makes them effectively Batman's strike force. It's unique but fitting, and gives scope for lots of new adventures.
I was a big fan of the new Halo, so I'm not sure if I like her being back to teenaged girl, but I'm intrigued as to how it came to be. I'm looking forward to seeing that plotline developed.
My favourite part of the new series has to be Looker though. I thought her becoming a vampire was one of the most inspired decisions in volume 2, and I really want to see where you're going with the prophesy. Is Bennett from "I, Vampire"? I vaguely remember reading a Brave and the Bold team-up years ago with him in it, if he is the character I'm thinking about. Any chance of some information about him in an upcoming issue?
Thanks for the comments, Gary. I'll try to address all of your points, but feel free to write again if I don't explain things well enough.
I was a fan of Batman and the Outsiders from day one, following both volumes of Outsiders that came later as well. As such, Jeff and Rex are core Outsiders in my mind -- I really, really missed them (esp. Jeff) in the volume 2 series. Though I've had a retro vibe going on here so far, you will eventually see some of the volume 2 members -- Faust has already been mentioned as having played a part in the revitalization fo Halo, so he'll be along soon.
I liked the new Halo, as well -- but, as I said last issue, I still missed the "real" Halo. Hopefully by the end of the storyline, you'll be pleased with what I've come up with.
Looker has always been a strange one for me -- I loved the storyline that introduced her, but too often she came across as so shallow as to be totally unlikeable. The vampire storyline was actually one of my least favorite events -- it added another layer to a character that was already pretty powerful. However, I decided not to undo it as I didn't want to go overboard in "restoring" the Outsiders. Instead, I'm going to use it in a big way. You'll see Looker return next ish.
And, yes, this is the same Andrew Bennett from "I, Vampire." I promise to deliver more info on him in the future.
Thanks for reading and commenting!