JLU 2001 Fanfiction - Outsiders #6

Taking You Outside Your Little Box...

Outsiders

'Breakout!'

Part 2 of 2

OUTSIDERS #6
September, Year Six

by Mick Edwards


NIGHTWING	BLACK LIGHTNING	KATANA	Vera Black	SHIFT	MANCHESTER BLACK

Nightwing sat on top of a ridge looking over Greywater Prison, which rested on the southern shore of the British Isles. A large bridge led from the mainland to the prison, and it was protected by sentries who stood in watchtowers that ran the length of the bridge. Nightwing rubbed his chin, just as Katana kneeled beside him.

"What is the plan?"

"A full on frontal assault would not be in our favor even with Rufus and Manchester's talents."

"Agreed," she said, "so we make a rear penetration."

"Yup," he said. "We can use The Pequod for that."

Black Lightning came over and kneeled on the other side of Nightwing, and cracked his knuckles. Nightwing looked at him, and smiled.

"Anxious?"

"Yeah," he said. "Once we get to the bottom of this I can go back to focusing on the kids in my class."

Nightwing gave him a light punch on the arm. "Don't worry; we'll find out exactly what the Elysia Foundation is up to."

Black Lightning nodded, and then went to speak with the others.

"I want you and Black Lightning to watch each other's backs," said Nightwing, after he turned to Katana. "I'll lead from the front."

"Understood," she said.

After Katana left, Nightwing lingered on the ridge a moment longer before catching up with the others.

The Elysia Foundation's main headquarters was a quarter of a billion dollars worth of architecture, built by the finest architects in the eastern hemisphere. The foundation's overall charities were numerous from helping war orphans to abuse victims to sponsoring scholarships for underprivileged youths with great potential.

On the top floor of the forty-two-floor building, in a private office stood a man who once considered himself above mortals, but his encounters with the Bat proved otherwise. It wasn't until he had a taste of sweet ambrosia that he felt the true essence of his Godhood take hold, and everything since then had come together. Elias Orr walked into the room, and kneeled right behind him.

"You called for me?"

Zeus turned around, and his brown eyes crackled with electricity. "How goes our plans with the unbelievers?"

"They accepted like you had predicted, my liege," said Orr, with his head low. "I have commenced with the rest of your grand vision."

"Good," said Zeus, as he turned to the windows, which overlooked Manhattan. "Eventually, my brother Hades will feel my wraith, but for now I will own the skies again."

The skies overhead clouded over, and it suddenly began to rain, and thunder. Orr kept his head low, but he couldn't hide his fear.

"Your fear is reassuring, my devoted follower, but I am a merciful god," said Zeus, as he remained glued to the sight of the storm that was building in intensity. "You have nothing to fear from me. Go and continue your work."

Orr nodded and left, but he couldn't shake the feeling that his very life was expendable.

The Pequod flew low over the water as it closed in on Greywater Prison. Nightwing stood by the gangway ready to be the first man into the fray with Shift behind him. Manchester stood in the back, psychically probing with his vast telepathic powers.

"Well," asked Nightwing, "how much resistance will we be facing?"

"Inside there is some forty guards," said Manchester, his eyes glowing with a darkish purple highlight. "Some of them are carrying anti-metahuman weaponry."

"Good, there's plenty to go around," said Black Lightning, as he tightened his gloves.

Once The Pequod came over the eastern wall, Nightwing leaped down with Shift behind him. Before the guards could react his escrima sticks went flying bouncing off their chins, and returning to his hands.

"That's two down," said Nightwing, as he leapt onto another prison guard, and tossed him over the wall into the water below. "And that makes three."

Shift turned into tear gas making it difficult for the other prison guards to get a bead on his teammates. As soon as Katana touched down, she was slicing up each and every gun that she came across making the prison guards on the yard defenseless.

Manchester lowered himself to the ground, and he could feel the stark confusion from the prison guards, as well as the pain from the ones who were being tossed around by his teammates. But, he pushed it aside, and narrowed his focus on his sister who was in northern corner of the prison. And that was where he levitated himself towards while Black Lightning provided cover with his electrical powers.

Vera, he mentally called out. Can you hear me?

Yes, you bloody bastard.

I'm using my telekinesis to deactivate the cybernetic locks that are blocking you from using your unusual talents.

Why did you come here? You don't give a damn about me. Manchester could hear gunfire, and the sounds of screaming. Still as blunt as ever I see, Sis.

And like you're so much better? A missile flew past him, and blew up, releasing a purple smoke that clouded the vision of the prison guards with anti-metahuman weaponry.

Sis, don't you know by now; I'm fuckin' Superman 'ere.

With a telekinetic shove, the prison guards were thrown down the hall, and slammed against the cell at the far end. Let's go. We have friends for you to meet.

I don't want to meet your friends, she turned to the west wall, and her arm became a laser cannon, which blew it down. I can do fine on my own.

Vera, wait. A bullet struck Manchester in the arm before he could give pursuit after his sister. He turned, and his telekinetic power lashed out, turning the gun that the lone warden wielded into scrap.

"Don't point things at people who can bend steel with their mind," he said, as he floated in the air. Ta-ta, mate.

The warden looked around wondering where that voice came from that was inside his head, and then looked at the fleeing figure clad in the union jack shirt, and leather jacket. He then wiped the cool sweat from his head, and walked back down the hall surveying the damage.

Outside, Nightwing, and the others were mopping up; but he began to notice that Manchester had not yet returned with his sister. He turned to Katana, and motioned her to come with him. She ran alongside him as they entered the prison, and began looking around seeing the destruction wrought.

"You think it was them?" asked Katana.

"Think, no," said Nightwing. "I know it was them."

He pointed to the far wall where there were burn marks in the rubble. The two raced out of the hall, through the hole, and onto the bridge where they found Manchester and Vera arguing.

Black Lightning and Shift both looked around at the pile of prison guards they disabled, and they began checking them over to make sure none of them were seriously injured when both noticed the identification badges each of them wore. Shift turned to Black Lightning who seemed to be shocked by the insignia on the badges, and the initials underneath.

"These men, all of them belong to the MDI," said Black Lightning.

"I've never heard of that," said Shift, "MDI, MID, MD, it's all the same to me."

"No, this is far worse," said Black Lightning, and Shift could see by the seriousness in his facial features that he was not joking. "The MDI is the Metahuman Defense Initiative put in place after the crisis that happened when the Justice League mysteriously disappeared. Some fearful, and retaliatory governments blame metahumans for the damage caused by the destruction, and pushed the UN into action."

"So?" asked Shift, "how bad is it?"

"We just stepped into some deep shit," said Black Lightning, as he dropped the prison guard in his hands onto the concrete floor. "We need to appraise Nightwing of this."

Vera let loose with a barrage of missiles, and laser beams, all of which Manchester blocked with his telekinesis. But, Nightwing noticed he was straining due to the pain from the gunshot wound. He turned to Katana who kept her hand on the hilt of her sword.

"Shall we intervene?" asked Katana.

Nightwing turned to Manchester who swatted several cluster bombs out into the far sea. "No, we let them work it out."

"If they can't?"

"Then we intervene," he said, his eyes narrowing, as he watched the display before him.

Vera, ya twit; you are acting like such a whining cuss.

Says you. You left me all alone, and then come back when I turned my life to shit. That doesn't fly with me.

That's not how it is at all! Manchester grimaced, as pain flared through his arm, and affected his concentration. Nightwing started to make a move, but he stopped suddenly, looked at Manchester, and nodded.

Manchester didn't even turn to see Nightwing's slow nod. He remained focused on his sister. Blood ran down his leather jacket, and stained the concrete of the bridge. Vera's blue eyes lowered to look at the blood, and then back into Manchester's own blue eyes.

Sis, you don't know everything; you think you do, but you really don't. If you will just come with me, I can explain everything. Manchester winced as he held out his blood soaked hand. Take my hand, and I promise I will explain everything to you, Sis. Please...

Time seemed to move slowly, and as if expected; Vera lowered her arms, which returned to their normal human appearance and function. She then walked over, and took her brother's hand, and leaned into him.

"You better not be lying t' me Manny," she said.

"I promise on our mother's grave," he said.

The Pequod flew overhead, and the gangway lowered. At the top stood Black Lighting who motioned them to come on.

"We have to go, now!"

"What's wrong?" asked Nightwing.

"I'll explain once you're all on board," he said.

Manchester closed his eyes, and levitated himself, and his sister up into The Pequod after Black Lighting moved out of the way. Shift stretched his arms down, and grabbed Katana, and Nightwing, and brought them inside.

"Amber, fastest speed out of International waters," said Black Lightning.

Affirmative, came the digitized voice.

The Pequod rose up into the skyline, cloaked; set for the distant horizon.

To Be Continued...

Next Issue: Good Intentions!

OUTSIDE THE BOX: I've gotten a lot of what the? kind of comments in regards to the Outsiders because no one has a single clue what I am doing with the book, and what direction I am taking it. When Dino sent me his notes, I gave them a good look over, and I admit my first issue wasn't great in resolving his first story arc. My second issue was decent in revolving his Supergirl story. My third was better because it partly deviated in a sense from his ideas. This one I think shows a different improvement, because I am building upon what loose ideas he had and using an often-mocked Bat-villain whom everyone considers a joke to do it. But, there is a twist in there somewhere, which you will find soon enough, as I build toward the end of my run. My overall goal, aside from following up Dino's set up is cleaning house, so that whoever takes over JSA, should it be available and knows the in-depth history of the characters doesn't feel like he has to do a massive ret-con to explain away their experiences in my first run. As seldom, and tedious as it may seem to some. I have seen newer writers who come along every once and a while, who have grown to become ad nauseum *name brands* in fan-fiction just throw up their hands when seeing a mess left for them, and use the ol' wrecking ball maneuver to clear up the trash they don't want even though some one else already explained it away, to an extent at least. So, I'm hoping this way. No one goes around and screws up Outsiders, and then trashes the foundation of JSA because of a hissy fit over my original run.

This is in no way a finger jab at anyone; it's just cynicism from my five years of experience in fan-fiction.

Also, need I forget, this allows me to properly explain in part why Vera Black was with the Outsiders, and why Manchester Black who is anti-hero was depicted as being an out and out villain in my original run.

Enjoy!

-Mick

6/14/09