ISSUE #9: "Odds and Ends"

Previously: The damaged body of the Red Tornado sent half the team back through a time rift to ancient Egypt. The rest of the JSA went on a dimensional scavenger hunt, trying to find the missing Thunderbolt.

Both teams succeeded in their tasks, but there are still a few loose ends to deal with..

Three days ago...

The Red Tornado stood on the rooftop, looking out over the city. His cape fluttered in a breeze not of his making. He was a unique creature. A robotic shell containing the essence of a powerful elemental air being. A mix of science and magic.

He sighed. Of late, the Red Tornado had found himself felling a bit lost, a bit disconnected from the world. He’d been acting as mentor/chaperon to the team ‘Young Justice’, but they had reached a point where they’d all felt a need to move on. The current branches of  the Justice League of America contained nearly none of his old team mates.

He was aware that he’d reached a turning point in his life, but was unsure of where his place in the world was.

“Perhaps I’m having a ...mid-life crisis?” He asked himself. “Though, being practically immortal, it’s hard to judge where the mid point  is.”

The Red Tornado expelled blasts of air through the vents in the bottom of his boot soles and flew off.

“If there was someone I could talk to,” he murmured, as he flew. “  my old team mates are scattered and busy with their own lives. I wonder... my friends may be unable to advise me, but maybe this is a matter requiring family...” 

He reached up and tapped at his temple, activating a search of his memory banks and its link to the JLA data base. “Ah, he does have several ‘lairs’ in the area.”

Red Tornado made a wide arc in the air and zoomed off.

 

Located below the old Hidalgo Trading building in Hub City was the secret lab of the criminal genius, T.O. Morrow.

He was a middle aged man, gray at the temples. His eyes were sharp and bright and his mustache was pencil thin. His white lab coat was a bit thread bare and sported several stains, two coffee, one acid and a scorch mark from a quantum oscillator.

He was currently staring intently at a machine in the center of the room that resembled a mix of a satellite dish, X-ray machine and a play station game console. The machine sprouted wires from numerous ports that connected to numerous computer banks and half a dozen car batteries.

“Let’s see, probability matrix has been recalibrated, omni-temporal dampeners online, I’ve reversed the polarity of the neutron flow...”

Then a large section of the ceiling crashed in and the Red Tornado floated down into the room.

“Hello, Professor Morrow,” the android said. “ I was hoping we could...”

“No!” Morrow shouted. “Not now! Why do you people have to hound me, just when I’m on the verge of a breakthrough!?”

He leapt behind of bank of computers and came out with a weapon that looked like a bazooka strewn with christmas lights. It fired a beam of blue energy that shot past the Red Tornado, missing his head by inches and scorching the high collar of his cape. The Tornado raised a hand and a miniature tornado whirled out from his palm, snatching the weapon away from Morrow, and sending it clattering across the room.

“Drat!” The mad scientist muttered, patting his coat pockets for another weapon.

The Red Tornado flew across the room, landing in front of his creator.

“I was hoping we could talk, actually.” The android said.

“Aha!” Morrow exclaimed, pulling out a laser pistol from his coat pocket. “You’ll never stop... hang on.... what did you say...?”

“I was hoping to talk to you,” he repeated. 

“About what?” Morrow asked, suspiciously.

“I’m going through a bit of a... I guess, you’d call it a ‘transitional phase’  was looking for someone to talk to, and since you are the closest thing I have to a family....”

“Why do all my androids develop emotional issues?” Morrow asked, the laser pistol now held limply at his side. Shaking his head, he wandered over to a stool, by a tall bank of machinery. He put the pistol on a nearby work bench and then reached over and hit a switch on the machinery. There was a hum, and a martini appeared in a small alcove. 

“Ah, got the vermouth ratio just right,” Morrow said, after a healthy sip. “Now, my prodigal son, due to the sheer novelty of having you come here with no intention of beating me senseless and dragging me to jail, I’ll set my project aside and have a quality ‘father and son’ chat. What’s on your mind?”

 “I’ve come to a point where I’m on my own and feeling a...” Red Tornado shrugged.

“Bit adrift, eh? In between noble teams of heroes are you?”

“Yes, while my other team mates have private lives to return to, I don’t really have one. I did for a brief while, but was dragged back into being a hero, then was deactivated and awoke to find myself... changed. I  have to relearn who I am and what I’m capable of...”

“Etc., etc. and the cycle starts over again,” Morrow nodded, taking another sip. “Yes, I know a bit about that sort of thing. Sounds like all you need is a change, my boy.”

“Change?”

“You know, go somewhere new. Meet some new people, that sort of thing. Instead of going ‘on patrol’, go see a movie, visit a friend, chat up a pretty girl at a Star bucks or something. Do you a world of good.”

“Could it be that simple?” Red Tornado mused, scratching his chin, thoughtfully. 

“Course it is,” Morrow grumbled, finishing his drink. “The hard part is making the decision to change.”

“Physician heal thyself,” The Tornado said, looking about the cluttered lab, then back at his creator.

“What...?”Morrow asked, then looked around. “Ah, well, this... is not what it looks ...”

“Really?”

“Okay, it’s actually  what it looks like. Now, I don’t want you to think I’m being hypocritical, because I’m not. I too, have had a bit of an epiphany about my life, mostly that I despise prison food, and am taking steps to bring about a change.”

“You shot at me with a laser when I arrived.” The Red Tornado pointed out. “ That seems like the old behavior to me.”

“Reflex. Anyway, what I’m trying to explain, is I too have reached a bit of a crossroads in my life. I’m tired of my work in the science part of  ‘mad scientist’ being interrupted by fisticuffs and jail time. Let’s be honest, I am a genius , but I’ve done enormous damage to my reputation by my dalliance with megalomania.”

“Dalliance? Interesting word choice. Are you trying to say you are planning on turning over a new leaf?”

“I won’t be trying out for the Justice League, if that’s what you mean. More likely, somewhere with a steady paycheck. Just need to take care of a few obligations...”

“Such as that?” The Tornado asked, pointing towards the contraption in the middle of the room.

“Ah, well, would it be at all convincing to say ‘it’s not what it looks like’?” Morrow asked. “Didn’t think so. Let me explain...”

Morrow  was interrupted by an odd, crackling whine and at three points around the room, the air began to shimmer, forming three glowing disks of light. Each one disgorged a trio of men in heavily armored, black military uniforms. They immediately began firing at Morrow and the Red Tornado. The android deflected the first barrage, with a tornado projected from  his hand. Realizing he was at a serious disadvantage, with the odds against him and the limited space to maneuver, he dodged laser bolts and reached for Professor Morrow. 

“Come on,” he shouted to the wide eyed mad scientist. “We need to get out of here.”

Morrow’s reply was cut off, as a shot glanced off his temple, and he sagged to the floor. The Red Tornado held him up, but realized he had no free hand to fight off the soldiers and all nine rifles were now pointed directly at him.

“This is not how I had hoped to spend my day,” he muttered, taking to the air.

No matter how he flew and dodged, the android couldn’t avoid getting caught in the crossfire and was soon struck down, scorch marks crisscrossing his body.

The Red Tornado landed in a heap, at the base of the machinery in the center of the lab, his artificial body smoking.

T.O. Morrow stammered, indignantly for several moments, before being clubbed senseless by a futuristic looking rifle butt. Eight of the soldiers converged on Morrow’s device and began detaching it from it’s base. Wires were untangled and pipes twisted free. The ninth guard stood to the side, his rifle slung over his shoulder as he tapped away at the  buttons of his wrist band. A light blinked and he nodded to himself, and then gestured at the two nearest of his comrades. He pointed at the Red Tornado’s body, and they bent down to lift it up.

The leader then tapped another button and a forth portal shimmered in the air. With almost casual movements, the soldiers tossed the Red Tornado’s body into the portal.

While stunned and immobile, the Red Tornado still had a sliver of awareness. He could feel his body falling and the sensation of temporal energy sparking against the surface of his artificial skin. There was a rough impact and he found himself lying face down in the sand.

Time passed as the android’s self repair systems struggled against the damage done, he experienced blank outs. He heard foot steps approaching. Heavy footsteps and a hum that sounded like machinery.

Something metal jabbed him in the side and he was flipped over. Once his eyes adjusted to the harsh sun light, the Red Tornado could make out the massive armored form that stood  looking down at him.

“Inquiry: subject is not of this chronal period?” It said, absently, as though talking to itself rather than the Tornado.

“Um... what...?” The Tornado replied. “I don’t under...?”

“Subject is sentient. Interesting, but irrelevant to self’s recreational plan.” With a shrug of its massive shoulders, the creature raised its metal staff to strike.

Creating a whirlwind around his legs, the Red Tornado flew away, seconds before the staff struck. While his attacker was struggling to pull the staff free from the ground, the Red Tornado  looked over his surroundings.

“Nothing but sand...?” he muttered. “How did I get from the middle of the city to the desert?”

He swooped and flew towards the armored creature. His attacker stopped trying to pull his staff out of the ground and instead touched one of the many button-like protrusions on its metal surface. Energy crackled from the tip of the staff and the air began to swirl.

“Wind?” The Tornado said. “You’re going to fight me with wind? Any other time, I’d appreciate the irony, but now, I just want this over, so I can figure out how to get home.”

Twin mini-tornados blew out from the android hero’s hands.

Rather than staggering the massive armored being , they seemed to be merely absorbed into the growing sand storm forming around his opponent.

The sand storm continued to swirl and grow, until  both combatants were lost to view, and the Red Tornado was having trouble staying aloft. He was buffeted by shrieking winds and sand began to pour into his mouth and eye slots and force its way into the seams of the robotic shell that contained his elemental form....

 

---

 

“ ...At about the same time,I became too heavy to fly, the sand caused my systems to shut down and go into self repair mode again,” The Red Tornado explained. He was sitting on a work bench in the JSA’s new headquarters.  “That’s the last thing I remember before waking up and getting punched by Wildcat.”

“Yeah, sorry bout that,” Wildcat mumbled, rubbing his knuckles. “Reflexes. You sat up kind of quick....”

“Anyway,” Jessie Quick interrupted. “That at least explains how you ended up in ancient Egypt.”*

*(Waaay back in #6 when all this craziness started- Trav)

“Still leaves a lot of questions” The Red Tornado said. “ Who were those men that abducted my... Professor Morrow? Why go to such elaborate lengths,  creating a time rift to get me out of the way...?”

“I don’t know, but we’ll check into it,” Jessie reassured the android hero. “First we need to see about Jay and the others. Don’t feel good knowing they could end up tangling with Black Barax.”

“He was no push over,” Wildcat nodded. “I remember when we tangled with him. Late 45 I think it was... weird character.”

“ ... and powerful,” Jessie added, racing away at super speed and reappearing seconds later with her laptop computer. A few seconds of super speed typing got her the information she wanted. “ That last time it took nearly the whole JSA to stop him.”

“We gonna call the others back and go play calvary?” Wildcat asked, eagerly cracking his knuckles.

“I don’t know...?” Jessie fretted. “Not sure what we should... how’d I end up in charge? I  thought guarding the fort  meant answering the phone and stuff... not sure if I’m up to this...?”

“You over think things,” Wildcat told her. ‘take a breath and we’ll figure it out.”

“Does that blinking red light mean anything important?” Red tornado asked, gesturing over towards Jessie’s lap top computer.

“Oh my god!” She gasped. “That’s the motion sensors we put around the time rift! I forgot to check it! Something’s coming through!”

The next minute she was gone and Wildcat and the Red Tornado found themselves assailed by a blizzard of papers tossed about by Jessie’s super speed exit.

“Geez!” Wildcat said, batting papers away from his face. “That kid needs to switch to decaf.”

“We must hurry,” The Red Tornado said, generating a swirling column of wind around the lower half of his body. He flew across the room and promptly crashed on the floor.

“My self repair is not complete,” he muttered, struggling to raise himself up.

“Ya think?” Wildcat asked, helping him up. “Take it easy, Reddy. You’ve been shot, tine traveled and pumped full of sand. Might take more than five minutes to get back into fighting shape. Lean on me. We’ll get you there.”

 

---

 

They arrived at the basement room containing the rift. Hourman, Flash and Power Girl came tumbling out. The trio of prodigal heroes were dirty and tired. Hourman was missing his cowl and cape. Power girl was also capeless, gloveless, bootless and her white leotard had been reduced to a dirt smeared two piece.

‘”Are you guys okay?” Jessie asked.

“Fine,” Flash replied.

“Nice outfit you’re almost wearing, PG,” Wildcat smirked.

“You don’t want to push me, pussy cat,” Power Girl growled as she pushed passed him. “I need a shower and a gallon of coffee. Nobody call me unless it’s the end of the world.”

“She’s had a hard day,” Flash said, tilting his helmet back. “We all have, but the crisis seems to be over. We fought Black Barax, you remember him, Ted, that time traveling...”

“Yeah, we kinda know about that. What happened to him?”

“Once we beat him he did a kind of fade out. No way we could track him.” Flash explained. “Any word on Carter and the others?”

“No, nothing yet,” Jessie said. “But, maybe we should... what?”

She was interrupted by the ringing of an alarm.

“What’s that?” Hourman asked.

“Outside alarm!” Jessie and Flash announced at once, and then they were gone. The back draft caused everyone left in the room to stumble. Wildcat caught Red Tornado before he fell again, and Hourman sat down hard on a nearby  crate.

“I’ll go,” Wildcat said, setting the android down on another crate. “You guys relax. Catch up when you can.”

He then raced out of the room, leaving the Tornado and Hourman sitting and staring at each other.

“So,” Hourman said.” How you doing?”

“I am currently functioning at 42%.”

“You and me both,”

 

---

 

Outside, Flash and Jessie arrived in time to see a multihued storm cloud form over the Perisphere dome. It sprouted pink lightening.

“What in the world...?”Flashed muttered.

“This is the craziest day...!” Jessie added.

The cloud rumbled, flashed lightening, and then suddenly burst with a boom that made the ground tremble. Where it had been, there now floated the Thunderbolt. He was giant sized and sparking with pink energy.

“See...!” He announced, reaching down to the ground.” I told you I could get you back.!”

He opened his fist and Green Lantern and Hawkgirl flew out. The Thunderbolt shrunk to normal size as the two heroes landed in front of their team mates.

“Hey, Jay!” Green Lantern exclaimed. “You’re back! How’d it go?”

“Long story, but everyone’s fine and back in one piece. How about you guys? Where’s Carter?”

“and Kiku?” Jessie asked, anxiously. “Is she okay?”

“Will be soon!” The Thunderbolt announced. “Be on my way! Thanks for coming to get me!”

With another near blinding flash he was gone.

‘”What else has been going on?” Green Lantern asked.

“Red Tornado’s awake,” Jessie said. “ but, nothing else has happened, so we may get five minutes recovery time.’

“Thank god,” Hawk girl muttered.

“Hey guys, you’re all back!” Wildcat shouted, jogging up to them. “ Sorry it took me a minute to get here. Phone was ringing. Who wants to check out a Solomon Grundy sighting?”

 

---

 

Meanwhile, in Fate’s Tower...

Nabu, Lord of Order and Hawkman stood in the Tower’s library. Nabu, who now appeared in the form of a white bearded Egyptian wizard, glared at Hawkman, who was picking up some books from the floor and replacing them on shelves.

“Sorry about that,” Hawkman said. “The Thunderbolt can be a bit over-enthusiastic.”

“And how long, exactly will the Djinn and the mortal girl be staying here?” Nabu growled.

“You heard the Thunderbolt, the link should be reformed within a day or two. We’ll say three to give her time to recover and then you can have the place to yourself.”

“I shall only be alone until my champion returns,” Nabu said.

“That’s another thing,” Hawkman said, sternly. “If Fate is coming back and it is connected to some ‘bad thing that’s coming’ you need to stop playing it mysterious and aloof and give us actual, helpful information. No games.”

“I play no games, my Pharaoh,” Nabu said. “Rather I tell all I can. What is to come is not known to me as a full tapestry, but rather what I see are individual strands, that if drawn together in the right way will knit with others to form...”

“All right, no more knitting metaphors,” Hawkman interrupted. “ What can you tell me about what’s going to happen?”

“Before the coming of my champion, a dreamer will return and the wandering soul among you will go questing for answers. When these have occurred, we will talk again, my pharaoh.”

With that, the lord of Order crossed his arms and faded away.

“Well, that was helpful.” Hawkman muttered.

 

---

 

Elsewhere in the tower of Fate, Kiku Thunder found herself scooped up and hugged by the Thunderbolt.

“You’re back!” she exclaimed, hugging him back. “Now put me down, I’m getting nauseous.”

“Of course ‘Oh my mistress!” Thunderbolt grinned, setting her back down on the specially set up hospital bed. “ I’m glad you’re okay. I worry about you mortals.”

“I like having you around too, you big goof. Does this mean I can go home now?”

“Not yet,” Thunderbolt said, perching on the edge of her bed, tucking his lightening tail underneath it. “Hawkman and I think you should stay here for another day or two, while the bond between us heals and you get back on your feet. The Tower is a good mystic atmosphere for that. What’s the problem? Nobody Tivo’d your fave shows? Can’t get pizza delivered?”

“Well, I don’t think ... what’s his name... Nabu doesn’t like me...”

“He doesn’t like anybody, don’t take it personal.” Thunderbolt reassured her. “ He’s one of those serious and stodgy omnipotent immortals. Not happy go lucky like me.”

“Great, except it’s real easy to get lost here and if that other guy hadn’t come by, I’d still be wandering the halls trying to find my way back from the bathroom...”

“What other guy?” Thunderbolt interrupted.

“I dunno,” Kiku shrugged. “ I was pretty groggy... still am... and I’d gone to the fountain(yawn) to get a drink, then the rooms moved... and he steps out from one of the side doors and steers me back to my bed. Tall guy in an old fashioned kind of suit. Had a hat and...  some kind of mask. Didn’t talk. Man, I’m feeling draggy. You be okay if I take a nap?”

“Hmm... what?...oh, of course... get some rest. I’m not going anywhere.”

The Thunderbolt, floated above Kiku’s bed, tucking her in and giving her a staticy kiss on the forehead.

Kiku smiled and soon her breathing became deep and rhythmic.

“I wonder who the guy in the suit was...?” he muttered, stroking his chin in thought.

 

---

 

Next issue: the team splits up again, as half go on a Grundy hunt that doesn’t go as expected while the the rest investigate what happened to T.O. Morrow!