JLU 2001 Fanfiction - Outsiders #4

Space, a frontier never fully explored, yet many bask in its beauty. On the Pequod, the team known as the Outsiders flew in pursuit of the Girl of Steel who had left sometime ago. Her reasons as of yet unknown. Dick Grayson stood in the gym, on the balance bars with his long bangs hanging down. Sweat dripped from his brow as he tried to remain in the handstand position. Across from him, Katana performed her katas to remain razor sharp for whatever battles may lie ahead.

"You - all right," said Dick, "you seem a bit distracted."

"I am all right," said Tatsu, as she finished the last of her practiced movements. "You should focus on keeping the team in order."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Tatsu walked to the doorway, and then turned to him. "Whatever is bothering you lately, let it go."

He looked her way as she walked out the door, and then set himself down on the floor.

	*Taking You Outside Your Little Box...* Space Cowboy
OUTSIDERS #4 July, Year Seven	by Mick Edwards


NIGHTWING	BLACK LIGHTNING	KATANA	SUPERGIRL	SHIFT	MANCHESTER BLACK

Jefferson watched as Rufus shifted the molecular structure of his hand into over several different non-lethal elemental combinations. While doing this, he broke down the molecules of his drink in his other hand, and altered its molecular structure as well.

"Don't ever feel tired, or thirsty?" asked Jefferson. "Hungry even?"

"No," he said, "I can't explain it, but I always feel the same."

"The same?" said Jefferson. "How so?"

"I feel like I am one with everything," he said. "I can feel unity with every molecule around me, and beyond."

Manchester came in quietly, and leaned against the doorway with a beer in hand. He watched them talk until he sensed something on the edge of his consciousness.

Nightwing

Dick boinked his head on the faucet upon hearing Manchester's voice in his head; the bar of soap lingering in his grasp.

What is it?

I found Kara, and something else...

I'll be right there.

He washed the soap out of his hair, and quickly dried up before fetching a fresh body suit.

On the way down the hall, he met Tatsu who was already fully dressed with her sword sheathed on her back, and its partner resting on her hip.

"Ready?" asked Nightwing.

"Yes," she said.

Kara floated before a giant kaleidoscope of colors that were emitted from the core of a large space ship. The colors held her in a trance from which she didn't notice the tentacles that grabbed hold of her. As she was being drawn in, she could almost swear she could hear the voice of her friend and surrogate cousin, Kal-El.

Everyone met in the war room, and took their seats. A large metallic table separated them from the holographic emitter in the center. With a press of a button a map of the galaxy showed up on the holographic grid. From that map, the team could see Kara's communicator signal.

"She's not much further from where we are," said Katana.

"Yeah, but what is that she is inside of?" asked Shift.

Manchester pressed a few buttons, and the holo-grid singled out the ship, which Supergirl was inside of.

"It's a space ship of some kind," said Black Lightning.

"Those symbols," said Nightwing, "they look Kryptonian."

"Do you know that for sure, mate?" asked Manchester.

"Yeah," said Nightwing, "I've seen Kryptonian technology before, and Batman taught me their language."

"Who did Batman learn their language from?" asked Shift.

Nightwing raised an eyebrow, and sky wrote a big S.

"Ah, yes that would make sense."

"There was something else I learned, but it wasn't from Batman, it was from Superman," said Nightwing, as he examined the image of the space ship more closely.

"What is that?" asked Katana.

"What we are dealing with," he said.

"Vera Black?" asked the man outside her cell.

She got off her cot, and noticed he was no ordinary stranger. He had a brown mustache, and low cut brown hair that accentuated his intimidating features. He wore sunglasses that hid the color of his eyes, and carried a silver trim brief case in his right hand.

"What do you want?"

"I came here with something from your brother," he said.

A nod to the guard, and the man was let inside. The guard walked away once the man was alone with Vera.

"Well, what did my brother send me?" she asked.

"This," he said, as he opened the silver trim suitcase.

Inside was a million dollars to pay her debt to society.

"It's not clean," she said.

"I assure you it is."

Vera turned her back to him, her arms folded across her chest. "You expect me to believe after being in jail for almost 2 years my brother comes to get me out?"

"Yes," he said.

"Sod off tossa," she said.

The man lowered his head, "My name is Mister Orr, and your brother is doing a great service for me. In exchange I promised to get you out of here by any means necessary."

"Good luck, because I am staying right where I am," she said.

Orr closed the suitcase, and called the guard. When the guard arrived, he turned to Vera, "He said you would be a pain in the ass."

Vera smirked and laid back down on her cot, as Orr left.

Kara lay upon a flat bed as drones performed all kinds of tests on her. In the corner the Eradicator watched the approaching Pequod, and its eyes glowed with solar energy.

"So, they come to prevent me from completing my mission," it said. "I'll have to put a stop to these Outsiders."

The Eradicator plugged itself into the network, and the entire Kryptonian space vessel came alive. Bodies of Kryptonian clone troopers were being groomed in large gestation pods. And one particular clone was now hatching, while a servant drone brought it a uniform.

"It's called the Ark," said Nightwing. "It was a space vessel that was launched prior to the destruction of Krypton."

"As in Noah's Ark?" asked Black Lightning.

"Yes," he said, "Superman read about it in the Kryptonian archives contained within the Fortress, and as far as he is aware there is only one."

"What's inside of it?" asked Shift.

"I don't know," he said, "the records were unclear as to the contents."

"I think we all will be facing strong opposition," said Katana.

"I echo that, luv," said Manchester, "I can sense a lot of mental activity from that ark."

"That's not good," said Nightwing.

"No, it's not," said Black Lightning.

"Computer, hun," said Manchester.

Amber responding...

"I need a flight plan to the nearest access port of the ship," he said.

Affirmative... Accessing data available...

Flight plan mapped, course set... access port on left rear side... location 32 longitude and 52 latitude.

"Thanks doll," said Manchester.

"A pet name?" asked Nightwing.

"Nah, it's the product name, mate," said Manchester, as he pointed to the red digital eye above them. "Elysia Foundation has several of these AI piloting computers."

"I see..."

"All right, everyone gear up because we are goin' in," said Manchester.

"Hey Black," said the guard.

"Leave me alone, Henry."

"C'mon, you know you're lonely."

"Not that lonely," she said, "and not with you."

Henry opened the cell door, and came in. He was heavyset with graying hair. In his hand was a nightstick, which he slapped lightly against his hand. Vera raised up in her cot, a smile on her face.

"You sure you want to do this?" she asked.

"You either play nice with me, or I will mess that pretty little face up," he said.

"Come on then, hun."

He walked toward her, while sliding his nightstick into its holster on his belt. She grabbed his hands, and unexpectedly kicked him in the nether regions. His eyes bulged, and he yelled out in pain.

"Told’ja, fatso," she said, as he leaned onto her shoulder for support. "You should have listened."

She brushed him off onto the floor, as the other guards came to contain her, and help Henry out of her cell.

"Bogey coming in," said Manchester, "and from the readings I’m getting it's not a friendly."

"It's also very high up on PM readings," said Black Lightning.

"We got weapons on this ship?" asked Nightwing.

"Naw, the Pequod wasn't built for a fight," said Manchester.

"Then what are we going to fight our opponent with?" asked Katana.

"Me," said Shift, and the team looked at him. "Trust me, I know what I am doing."

"I don't know what you are planning," said Nightwing, "but if you think you can pull a miracle then do it."

Shift nodded his head, and went to the telepad. From the view screen the others could see him appear adrift outside the Pequod, and it was with this new freedom that he changed into a ball of plasma that Manchester telekinetically shoved at their enemy. When he struck the incoming attacker, his energy form dispersed, and reassembled on its back. A close look showed that he was clinging to a Kryptonian clone that looked like Superman, but bore differences in facial features.

I don't know who you are pal, but this'll hurt me more then it does you!

With hands made of Kryptonite spikes, Shift killed the Kryptonian, and halted his momentum. The others watched as the dead body slowed down to float right outside the Pequod, his blood unable to stay fluid due to the oxygenless and moisture deprived environment. Nightwing turned his head, upon seeing what looked like one of his mentors.

"I'm beaming Shift in now," said Manchester, "and resuming course for the ark."

The Eradicator clenched its fists, and looked to the body of Supergirl after being alerted to the completion of the tests run on her. As it went over the data, Supergirl began to open her eyes finding herself nude, and in the presence of a dark purple, and black clad figure. Alarmed by what she saw, she broke her shackles, and flew up into the air. Her eyes glowed with the heat of her star born power.

"Whoever you are," she said, "you're going to let me go!"

The Eradicator raised its head up, and looked at her; his data correlation incomplete.

"So, you are awake," said the Eradicator. "I had thought the drugs I used would have kept you under much longer."

Supergirl narrowed her eyes, the heat building up in front of them. "You drugged me, and you kidnapped me; were you also the one who summoned me here?"

"Yes," said the Eradicator, "I had to be sure."

"Sure of what?" asked Supergirl, as she caught one of the tentacles that tried to grab her from behind. "That you could catch me by surprise again?"

"No," said the Eradicator. "I had to be sure. I had to be certain whether or not you were Kara Zor-El of Krypton."

"And?" asked Supergirl, as she threw the tentacle at the Eradicator's feet.

"You are not."

"If you are satisfied can I leave?" asked Supergirl, as she cautiously lowered herself to the floor.

"I--"

A large explosion rattled the ship interrupting the Eradicator from responding. Immediately the ark's defense systems were being activated. Several clone tanks were being drained, and the clones were being prepared for battle even though they were not one hundred percent ready. Supergirl took the chance to flee upon hearing the voices of her friends from the lower levels, while the Eradicator was lying on its face with debris on its back.

Nightwing slung two wingdings into a drone that came at him, and then leaped over it with his escrima sticks held out in front of him. Behind him Black Lightning was covering his back, while Shift covered Katana. Manchester stood in the rear using his telekinesis to wreck any drones dumb enough to come close to him, and his telepathy to keep constant contact with the team.

Watch out to yer left, Nightwing, you're about to be blindsided!

Nightwing ducked to his right and jammed his escrima stick into the drone's power coupling causing it to seize up. A blast from Black Lightning finished the job.

Appreciate the warning, Manchester, but I have been doing this for as long as I can remember.

Bloody well, then. I suppose you don't want to know about that drone behind you.

Nightwing turned barely in time to avoid the Kryptonian droid's laser from cutting him in half, and tossed his escrima stick into its visor busting its targeting sensor.

Good going, chap.

Nightwing looked at him, and then leaped back into the fray.

Shift expelled promethium blades from his body, which sliced through any drones that came at Katana from her unguarded side. When he was finished, he checked on Katana who was finishing off the last one that opposed her.

"Don't you think you're done, K?"

Katana made her last swipe, and then walked away from the drone as it fell apart.

"Now, I'm done."

The team gathered near the hatch, which led deeper into the ship when the naked Supergirl came flying through. Manchester's eyes widened and he smiled.

"Luv, all this for me," he said.

"Ew, no," she said.

"Kara," said Nightwing, "are you all right?"

"Yes," she said, "I was kidnapped by some purple robed figure with Kryptonian symbols on his vest."

Nightwing looked down the hall, and Black Lightning came up beside him.

"What's going through your mind?"

"We were attacked by a Kryptonian. What Kara says may mean there are more."

"Then," said Manchester, as he put his jacket over Supergirl's lean shoulders. "Let's not keep them waiting."

The Eradicator pushed the rubble off of itself with energy dancing at its fingertips. A single preliminary scan showed most of the ship's vital functions were failing, or were in the process of failing. So, the mechanized construct connected itself into the ship's mainframe hoping to repair the damage when a lightning bolt blew out the crystal port.

"Planning something?" asked Black Lightning.

Nightwing stood by his side with escrima sticks in hand. Behind them was Shift, Katana, and then Supergirl and Manchester Black.

"It is sad that all of this Kryptonian beauty was wasted for some one who is not a part of its great history," said the Eradicator. "All of these clones could have helped populate a new Krypton."

"The Eradicator," said Nightwing. "I should have known it was you since Superman has had nothing but trouble from you."

"I'm surprised I didn't know," said Supergirl.

"It doesn't matter now, the drainage tubes have jammed for the cloning tanks," said the Eradicator. "With them jammed, all of the radioactive chemicals are becoming unstable; soon this ship will go up like a miniature sun."

"EVERYONE OUT NOW!" yelled Nightwing.

The team ran until they were close enough for teleportation, and once they were on ship, the Pequod entered escape velocity. Not even a moment later, a bright luminescence marked the destruction of the Ark.

The Pequod flew above Metropolis with Kara and her packed bags in front of the hatch. Dick was in his casual wear, and sported a cut where a drone nicked him. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and smiled, if only briefly.

"It was great having you here, Kara," he said, "I'm sorry you feel you have to go."

"I wish," Kara said as she stepped closer, and took hold of his hands, “that I could stay and help you, but I need to figure out what I want, and who I am."

"I understand," he said, as he kissed her hand. "Remember, you always have a place on the team."

"I know," she said, as she grabbed her bags, and dropped out of the hatch.

"Miss her already?" asked Jefferson.

"Yeah," he said, "she's a good woman; even if she doesn't realize it.

Dick closed the hatch, and the Pequod went into cloak, as it flew off.

Next Issue: BREAKOUT!

Outside The Box:

I thought I would take this issue's column to explain why my previous issue was shorter, and this one is longer. You see I felt Dino had said all he had to say with the opening arc in his first two issues, which is why I didn't say much in issue three. That, and I had an upper respiratory infection that I just now got over.

So, from now on, unless I am sick, or phoning it in. I'm going to try and make my issues at least 8 pages in length.

I hope you enjoyed this issue, and if you have feedback my email is attached on the page link, or if it hasn't been updated it's nightwing45@atlantisgoose.com

-Mick