Blüdhaven

The modified motorcycle raced across the rooftop. The rider pulled back on the handles, raising the bike on its rear wheel. When it hit the edge of the roof, the vehicle soared across before landing on the opposite building, the brakes squealing as they brought it to a sliding stop.

The rider removed the purple helmet and shook out her long, dark hair. A mask which matched the color of her bike and helmet, concealed her face. Her blue eyes scanned the area and she sighed.

“Late, as always.”

“Nice entrance.”

The woman looked up to see a young blond woman dressed in a form-fitting blue top with a matching skirt and a red cape that flapped in the wind. Her thin arms were crossed over her chest, obscuring the red and yellow shield emblazoned on her top. She offered a slight smile as she lowered herself to the rooftop, her red boots touching down as lightly as a feather.

“You must be the Huntress,” she said. “I'm—”

“Supergirl, I know,” said the Huntress. “You hardly need an introduction. Surprised Nightwing was able to rope one of you squeaky-clean types into this kind of operation.”

“This is a clean operation, or else Nightwing wouldn't be behind it.”

“Know him so well, do you?” asked Huntress.

Supergirl was about to respond, but Huntress interrupted her. “We're not alone.”

“What do you mean?” asked Supergirl.

“You don't feel the pressure in the air?”

“Damn, guess I've been found out.”

Seemingly out of nowhere, a being formed into existence, looking like he was constructed from clay with pale skin and an appearance that matched a figure familiar to the two young women.

“Metamorpho?” asked Huntress.

“Not quite,” said the new arrival.

“Shift, meet Huntress,” said Supergirl.

“All the powers of Metamorpho, but twice the charm,” said Shift, offering his hand. The Huntress just stared at it in response and Shift awkwardly withdrew it.

“So what's your relation to Metamorpho?” asked Huntress. “Distant cousin? Clone? Severed body part that gained sentience?”

“None of the above, as far as I know,” said Shift. “Not quite sure what my relation to Metamorpho is.”

“Is this it?” asked Huntress.

“Not if my hearing is correct,” said Supergirl. “Two more arrivals, coming up as we speak.”

As if on cue, from the fire escape rose a young Japanese woman with short, black hair. Draped in red and yellow with a katana sheathed at her side. Next to her was a black man dressed in blue and gold, a matching domino mask covering his eyes.

“Nice to see you again, Lightning,” said Supergirl.

“You too,” said Black Lightning. He motioned to the woman. “Everyone, say hello to Katana.”

“These are the Outsiders?” asked Katana.

“Except for Nightwing,” said Huntress. “Late, as usual.”

A bright spotlight fell over the rooftop. The gathered heroes looked up to see a craft slowly lowering from the skies. “Did...did anyone else know that was there?” asked Shift.

A hatch opened and a man swung down from a rope, dressed in black and blue. The man who gathered all of them together. “I see you've all got a chance to meet each other. That's good. Saves me the trouble of making introductions.”

“I take it back,” said Supergirl with a grin at Huntress. “That's a nice entrance.”

Nightwing grinned back. “Come on up, I'll show you around.”

	Taking You Outside Your Little Box... OUTSIDE THE BOX Part II: War-Torn
OUTSIDERS #2 May, Year Seven	by Dino Pollard

NIGHTWING	BLACK LIGHTNING	KATANA	SUPERGIRL	HUNTRESS	SHIFT	MANCHESTER BLACK

“I remember you,” said Shift. “Vera's brother, right?”

“And you were Terrific's stooge,” said the man, eyes narrowed. “The name's Manchester Black and you're lucky I don't lobotomize you after what you and your old pal did to her.”

“Hey, I never had any say in that,” said Shift.

“Nah, but you consented to it,” said Manchester. “Makes you every bit as culpable in my eye.”

“Shut it, both of you,” said Nightwing.

“What's he doing here anyway?” asked Shift.

“I chose the five of you specifically because of your own skills and histories. But our benefactors at the Elysia Foundation wanted their own man on this team,” said Nightwing. “That's Black's role on this team.”

“Yeah but how much do we know about him?” asked Shift.

“More than we know about you,” said Manchester Black. “I'm London's Superman, you ponce. They've put me face on knickers. You're a walking law suit. Next time you want to find a superhero to rip off, try picking one a bit less obscure than Rex bloody Mason.”

A lightning bolt flew between the two men. Black Lightning took a step forward. “The next one will fry one or both of you. We can continue the pissing match later. Right now, I'm more interested in listening to Nightwing tell us more about this operation.”

“With pleasure,” said Nightwing. “This is the Pequod. It's a fairly large craft with a number of cabins as well as a mess hall and a small gym. I want you to think of it as your home away from home. Follow me.”

He led the team through the ship, leading to the upper level. There was a fairly spacious bridge with enough seats for everyone. “The ship's run by a fairly sophisticated piece of artificial intelligence,” said Manchester. “It takes care of the flying and all that fun stuff.”

“And how is this thing powered?” asked Supergirl.

“By an extra-dimensional energy source,” said Manchester.

“How did Elysia get their hands on something like that?” asked Black Lightning.

“Not my department, mate,” said Manchester. He stepped over to the wall and pressed a button. A compartment rose, revealing what looked to be seven ear pieces. He took out each one and handed it to each member. “These are called pepods, they're how we'll stay in contact.”

The Huntress put hers in first. As soon as it was set in her ear, it slimmed down, sliding inside her head. “What the hell?” She tried to use her finger to dig it out but couldn't locate any trace. “What's going on? What is this? Some kind of trap?”

“Haha, hardly,” said Manchester. “Elysia's got some of the most advanced technology on the planet. The pepods are made of special materials that allow it to merge inside your head. It allows us to stay in constant communication without worrying about anyone else hacking into our network.”

“Like telepathy?” asked Supergirl.

“Something like that, yes,” said Manchester. “Also, the Pequod can lock onto any of your positions and transport you directly to the ship. Should come in handy for assembling the team or if someone falls behind enemy lines.”

“And how do I get it out?” asked Huntress. Suddenly, she felt the pepod in her ear again and reached in, pulling it out.

“You just did,” said Manchester. “It responds to your thoughts. You want it out, it'll be out. But I advise you to keep it in.”

Katana stared at hers. “Where does this technology come from?” she asked.

“Need-to-know basis, love,” said Manchester.

“Have we heard from Orr?” asked Nightwing.

“Yup, and we do have something brewing. Down in South America,” said Manchester. “Nasty civil war going on.”

“Is this the sort of thing we should be involved in?” asked Supergirl. “Taking sides in civil wars?”

“In this case, yes,” said Manchester. “Especially when the ruling government has just unleashed a powerful form of bio-technology on his populace. Something he definitely should not have access to.”

“What country are we talking about?” asked Black Lightning.

“Small island off the western coast, called Nuqa,” said Manchester. “We get in, take out the tech, and get out. Let them fight each other over the land. We're just there to level the playing field.”

He drew a Silk Cut cigarette and lit it, the smoke wafting through the bridge. “Have a look about your rooms, make sure you get those pods inserted before we reach the drop zone. We'll be there in about two hours.”

“If these pods can teleport us from anywhere, why can't we just teleport right to Nuqa?” asked Huntress.

“Because they're basically just locators, without something to lock on to, the teleporters are only good for short-range transport. Otherwise, there's no way to ensure you don't end up inside a wall,” said Nightwing. “We'll provide you with something you can keep wherever you like so you can easily be teleported home again after a mission.”

“And how do we know you won't transport us whenever it suits you?” asked Katana.

“You'll always get a call first, give you time to prepare,” said Nightwing. “Right now, we've got two hours. So get settled in, take a nap, whatever you like to pass the time.”

In his cabin, Nightwing went over the equipment he carried in the compartments on his gauntlets and boots. The cabins weren't much. A small closet and a desk with a computer linked to the Internet via satellite as well as a bed. The walls were white and the floor a cold tile.

The equipment he brought was mostly the usual fare—nightarangs, flares, smoke bombs, taser, lock pick, flash grenades, things of that nature. And, of course, his escrima sticks with their built-in grapple hooks. He wondered if it would be enough. As he began replacing the equipment, putting each piece in its proper location, he heard a knock on the door. “Come in.”

The door opened and Supergirl entered, closing the door behind her. Nightwing smiled once he noticed her. “Hey Kara.”

“When you asked me to come with you, I agreed to for one reason—you said this was your team,” she said.

“And it is.”

“Then why do I get the impression that Black is calling the shots?”

“He's not,” said Nightwing. “He was just giving you the run-down of the operation and the details on the first mission we received from Elysia.”

“How do you know you're not being used?” asked Supergirl.

“You're the one with superhuman hearing,” said Nightwing. “Notice any irregular heartbeats?”

“I—no,” she said. “That doesn't mean this isn't fishy. Could be he's withholding information. Maybe you should have brought your own telepath onboard.”

“Wouldn't do much good, Black's one of the most accomplished psionics on the planet.”

“I chose this team specifically, each member hand-picked by me,” said Nightwing. “Lightning has experience, Katana has the mystical connection, Shift can do virtually anything, Huntress is good at stealth, and you provide raw power.”

“And Black.”

“He's Orr's man. But I've looked into his background and he hasn't given me reason to doubt him,” said Nightwing.

“You said it yourself, he's one of the best psionics,” said Supergirl.

“Your point?”

“I'm not sure I can trust that you're not being manipulated.”

Nightwing smiled. “Kara, I've been trained by the best. Do you really think I'd get into a situation like this without having all the bases covered?”

“I honestly can't say, Dick.”

“You think I'm being manipulated, that Black's done something to my mind. And that's definitely a legitimate concern, and one I want you to remember. And I want you to think about this.” He stood and approached her, removing his mask as he did. “How do you know I'm not manipulating them?”

Supergirl returned his smile. “You're an interesting man.”

Manchester Black sat on the bridge, puffing away on a cigarette as he watched the scenery flying by. The air suddenly felt very static and Black could detect the thoughts of a second person joining him. “Evening, Mr. Pierce.”

“Excuse me?” asked Black Lightning.

Black turned his chair to face the veteran Outsider and tapped his forehead. “Telepath, mate.”

“Are you going to make it a habit of traipsing about our minds?”

“Not at all,” said Black. “But sometimes, some thoughts scream out loud enough that I can't help but pick up on them. You've got one like that now, all about your former profession. Teacher, right?”

“Yes,” said Black Lightning. “And what about you? You told Shift you were England's Superman. But I've never heard of you and I've been doing this for quite some time.”

“Used to lead a team of British heroes called the Elite,” said Black. “Probably never heard of me because you Yanks rarely pay attention to what's going on outside your borders. That goes double when it comes to metas. Unless it involves the Justice League, might as well be completely invisible to you. Hell, bet that goes for many of the heroes inside your borders as well.”

“I want you to know something,” said Black Lightning. “Fancy ships and limitless budgets don't impress me. I don't like that I've never heard of this Elysia Foundation or you and I don't like that it seems Nightwing is under your thumb.”

“Appearances can be deceiving, mate.”

“Regardless, I will be watching you. Very closely.”

Black smiled. “Wouldn't have it any other way.”

Black Lightning turned and left the bridge. Manchester looked out the window again, the smile still present. “Look at me, making friends. Mum would be so proud.”

When Black Lightning returned to his cabin, he found Katana standing in the corner, keeping a stoic look on her face. “How did it go?” she asked.

“Like a charm,” he said. “Batman was right, as long as I focus my thoughts on something else and increase the electrical activity in my brain, I can throw off Black's telepathy.”

“So he knows nothing?”

“Only my real name, which is an acceptable sacrifice in the larger scheme of things,” he said. “What about you?”

“The souls trapped within my blade share a mental link with me. Should Black try to scan my mind, he would not be able to discern one consciousness from another.”

“Then everything's going according to plan,” said Black Lightning.

Nuqa

The Pequod's short-range teleportation worked like a charm, transporting the Outsiders right onto the outskirts of Nuqa's capital city. Nightwing scanned his team before issuing the orders: “Okay, here's the situation. We know this bio-technology is most-likely somewhere in the capital. So we fan out. Shift, your powers make you our best choice for recon. Search as many buildings as you can, let us know if you find something.”

“Roger, boss.”

“Supergirl, concentrate on aerial sweeps, scan with your x-ray vision and also watch our backs.”

She nodded.

“Lightning, I want you to find the phone lines and tap into them. Let us know if you pick up any interesting chatter and relay it to Manchester, who's going to find some military types and figure out what sort of codes they're using, if any.”

“What about the three of us?” asked Huntress, referring to herself, Katana and Nightwing.

“We lay low out here for now,” said Nightwing. “Try and disrupt any sort of attacks that may come to or from the capital. If the rebels attempt a raid, they'll be killed by whatever the government's got their hands on and if the military moves out, we know they're ready to make their last stand against the insurrection.

“You've all got your assignments. Move out.”

The Huntress sat perched atop a tall tree, a pair of binoculars held in front of her eyes. She scanned the front entrance of the city and saw no unusual activity. “Nothing from up here,” she whispered, knowing the pod would be able to register the sounds and transmit them with crystal clarity to the rest of her unit.

{Katana here. Nothing from the southern road.}

{East and west are clear as well,} said Nightwing.

“Any word from the others?” asked Huntress.

{Nothing yet. Whatever this weapon is, they're hiding it pretty well,} said Nightwing.

“Let's hope we find something soon, my leg is starting to cramp,” said Huntress. “And I haven't hit anything in hours.”

“Lucky for you, babe—”

Huntress turned her head just a moment before a pair of booted feet connected with her jaw, knocking her from the tree. She fired off a grapple hook from her crossbow to slow her descent and although she still landed hard, it was enough to ensure that nothing was badly bruised or broken. Her assailant fell behind her, landing on his feet.

“—wishes just happen to be horses today.”

“This is Huntress, I've got trouble.”

She reached for her thighs, removing the two staves that assembled to form a staff. Her assailant was hidden, covered with a ratty cloak. They circled each other, although he didn't appear to have a weapon just yet.

“Nice little stick you got there,” he said. “Too bad it won't do you much good against me.”

“We'll see about that,” said the Huntress. She leapt forward, bringing the staff down. The assailant sidestepped so it missed its marked and he grabbed her weapon. He swung her with it, before she lost her grip and flew into a tree.

“Toldja,” he said. “Now c'mon, I haven't had a decent fight in weeks.”

“Oh don't worry, we'll accommodate you!”

The voice came from Nightwing, flying overhead as he flung several nightarangs at the cloaked man. He deflected some of them, leaping and dodging about. He ducked just as one struck a tree. It caught his attention. “Those look familiar...”

Cold steel came towards him next, and he threw the staff around to guard himself against Katana's attack. With every swipe of her sword, he was able to deflect it with the Huntress' staff. He used the staff and maneuvered Katana, her sword striking a tree and then he spun around, hitting the back of her head with it.

“Nice moves,” said Nightwing. “Now you've got me to take on.”

“With pleasure, kid.”

“I don't think so, Nightwing,” said the Huntress, barreling into him from behind. “I'm not done with this creep!”

“...Nightwing?” the assailant whispered as he fell face-first into the ground, the staff now out of reach.

“That was for knocking me out of the tree,” said Huntress. She raised her crossbow. “And this is for taking my staff.”

She fired the arrow, but the assailant moved quickly, throwing his cloak off and firing with an uncanny speed. All Nightwing could think of was that this guy was faster than Roy.

And then he knew why.

The assailant's cloak was gone, a quiver full of hand-made arrows hanging from his side. And in his arm, he held a crude bow. The arrow Huntress fired had been split in two by one of his own. His blond hair was shaggy and he had a full beard, but Nightwing knew there was no mistake about who this man was. His posture, his speech, his fighting style meant that it could only be...

“...Oliver Queen?!”