SWOOOOOSSSH!

Starfire and Static soar overhead, tossing starbolts and electrical beams at a thick cluster of armored troops. FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!

BLIPP! Pulsade appears in a flicker of light. She cocks the stolen assault rifle in her grasp, kneels, and expertly lets loose with pot shots. BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Weapons are knocked out of the grips of multiple henchmen in time for them to take on the full brunt of Bard's fist and Simon's flaming gauntlets. WHAM! WHAM!

But the meta-heroes swiftly skid to a stop and run in the opposite direction just as a heavy squadron of hoverbots blaze their way with laser cannons blasting.

ZAP! ZAP! Z-Z-ZAP!

Waddling up with his hands jerking at the controls of a giant remote console, Professor Chang hisses and chuckles with steam-a-plenty. "Eh heheheheheheheh… …" He licks his slimy licks and summons more hoverbots to swarm down upon the intruders. "Fry! Fry like insectsssss. Hehehehe—"

Swish-Swish-Swish-Swish-CLANK! A birdarang sails sharply into the console.

"Augh!" Chang drops it and rubs his wrist, glaring through his foggy goggles. "Hey! That isn't fun—Oh, it's you."

Chiiing! Robin produces another fan of birdarangs and approaches the techno-madman, glaring. "I thought you were a meddling crook before, Chang. But being part of this torture/experiment wing? That's low. Even for you."

"Pleeeeease, Boy Wonderrrrr," Chang sneers and shuffles in a circle opposite of the caped crusader. "I'm just part of a mutual enterprise!"

"You tossed Red X into the merciless hands of an organization that has ripped the flesh of helpless youths apart in the name of bastardized science," the Titan leader sneers. "That's not an enterprise. That's a holocaust!"

"Oh pleasssse, I wasn't in it for the bounty of blood, birdy," Chang smirks. "That was all Booker's part of the ballgame! Eheheheh. He got his boys.. ….and I got my toys."

"Tell that to the judge," Robin grunts and readies to swing his projectiles.

"FEH," Chang suddenly frowns and reaches behind his back. "You're nothing but evaporation and feathers!" Swooosh! He whips out a Xenothium cannon and lets loose. "HA!" ZAAAAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAP!

Robin grunts and leaps the blast. The red stream sails across the battle-ridden corridor and smacks a hapless Mammoth into a crater-forming wall. CRUNCH!

"HAHAHAHA!" Chang cackles and traces the red-blasting energy beam after Robin.

The Boy Wonder sprints, sprints, sprints, and dives across the corridor.

"NNNGH!" Chang cocks his rifle one more time and aims at a wall of CO2 canisters right where the Titan lands—

KABLAAAAM!

Cold mist and steam billows up across the space.

Chang jolts back, wheezes, coughs, then exhales in a lasting chuckle. "Eheheheheheh… … …that should give you quite the cold snap! Hehehe----" He pauses. Blinks under his goggles. And peers up. "… … …"

Robin dangles overhead by a grappling hook embedded into the ceiling. Snkkkt! He extends his bo-staff.

"Ohhhh phooey," Chang mutters.

Thwoooosh! Robin drops straight down. "HAAAAAAAUGH!" He swings the staff straight across Chang's goggled face.

WHACK!

Meanwhile, across the corridor…

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! Hull fires magnums into the defense system, shattering cannon turrets apart and sending flame and debris flying every which way. BLAM! BLAM!

Toward his left, a henchman runs up with a rocket launcher, kneels, aims, and fires—SHOOOOOM!

The RPG flies straight at Hull.

Hull twirls the magnums, disappears them, flicks his left wrist, and aims a full-spread of silver-tipped fingers at the incoming projectile.

FWOOOOOSH-FLASH! The rocket soars into his palm and disappears.

Hull lowers his left hand. He turns. He aims his right hand out towards a company of soldiers.

FLASH! The rocket reappears and flies on an uninterrupted track into the floor. POWWW!.!.! The henchmen shriek as they're knocked off and slammed into a nearby wall.

Amidst the flame and chaos, Simon and Pulsade run up.

"As much as I hate to admit this….," Simon rubs his bald head. "…but I'm gettin' bored, dawg."

"Cry me a river."

"Simon's actually going somewhere with this.. ….," Pulsade grunts while firing pot-shots into the crowd. BLAM! BLAM! "The Teen Twits may be content with throttlin' these lads till they can be throttled no more, but we've got to beat the frozen duo to the children!"

"Not to mention talk some sense into our resident ice princess," Hull says as he produces a shotgun and wards off a hoverbot or two. POW! POW! Ch-Chtung! "Just what's gotten into Amy these days? Polar Menstrual Syndrome?"

"Bro, that ain't even worth it on Letterman."

"Oh go smoke a screwdriver."

"BOTH OF YOU!" Pulsade hisses. "I'm serious! We've got to get our arses in gear!"

"I'm all for it!" Simon clenches his gauntlet'd fists. "Just where did our targets run off to?"

"You're kidding, right?" Hull smirks and starts to march off. "Just follow the ice…"

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

CRASSSSSSSH!.!.!.!

The metal doors explode with a fountain of crumbling ice.

A groaning Gizmo and two dozen henchmen fly into the loft laboratory amidst the frozen chunks. Th-Th-Th-Thwump! THWUMP!

Mr. Freeze stands iron-still with his pistol raised. Glaring.

And Fraust….

TH-TH-THWISH! She twirls in the air, straightens her jagged body of cold-concrete armor, and sails down at Gizmo.

Gizmo—metal spiderlegs sprawling—snaps out of it and glances up. "Wha-Huh?"

"RRRRRRGH!" Fraust soars sharply down at him.

"AAAACK!" Gizmo fires his rockets—PHWOOOOMB!

Gizmo soars up and out of the way as Fraust lands hard.

CRUNNNNCH! A crater forms in the golden floor. Fraust kneels from the impact and looks up, frowning.

SHOOOOM! Gizmo sails up into the air, legs dangling from his jetpack.

Fraust takes a deep breath, clenches her hands together, summons a blue aura, rears back, jerks forward, and launches a wrist-flicking barrage of dozens upon dozens of tiny, ice daggers. Sw-Sw-Sw-Sw-Sw-Sw-Swissssssssssssh!

"Oh no you don't--!" Gizmo grunts and jerks at his pack's controls. WHURRRRRRRRRRR! His legs spin like a giant buzz saw around his puny person and deflect the myriad of projectiles. CL-CL-CL-CL-CL-CLAKKK! He hovers forward and readies a plasma launcher. Cl-Clackka! PHOOM! PHOOM! PH-HOOM!

Fraust grunts, readies a frozen shield, and strafes across the floor. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! She deflects the plasma attacks and dodges behind a table full of chemicals in time to avoid the brunt of Gizmo's pursuing offense. CRASSSSH! VROOOOM!

All of this, Booker watches in breathless shock. He has paused in his painful attack on Zillah, watching the metahuman battle before him with rapidly aging eyes.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

He glances up an to the side—

GRIP!

"Snnnkkkt-Snkkkkt!" Booker wheezes. His braced legs and arms twitch as he's suddenly strangle-held in the iron grip of Mr. Freeze.

The Gothamite raises the man up to his domed face. "… … …" He glares with stern, red eyes. "You shall release the children or I shall release your bodily organs."

"I…. …w-will.. ….d-do…. …n-no such…..thing….," Booker hacks and snarls. Dangling. "The.. …Headmistress needs.. …th-them.. …for the.. …snkkkt—EXPERIMENT…."

"What experiment, you insidious oaf?" Mr. Freeze drones. "The same torturous marathon you put the poor Amy through?"

Th-THWUMP! Mr. Freeze tosses the man to the ground.

Booker coughs, spits, and raises a braced wrist to his neck. He sneers up at the towering metahuman. "Jesus Christ, Fries! You're one to talk! We should be on the same side! We are both scientists who don't fear the blacker arts!"

"Do not even attempt to compare me to you," Freeze points. "You are a man of violence, Booker. I am a man of vengeance. And as such…" He sneers and raises a cybernetic arm. "… …I shall now deliver you the night of cold silence…"

Booker frowns and tightens his limbs—

THWOOOOSH! Mister Freeze slams his fist down.

CLAMP! Booker's hand grabs Freeze's knuckles and holds the fist in place.

Freeze's pale brow furrows.

Booker shakes. Fumes. "They…. …." WHURRRRRRR! He pushes Freeze's grip up and stands chest-to-chest with him, grappling. "…. ….are MY CHILDREN!.!.!" WHURRRRR! His metal braces roar to life and he wrestles the cold Gothamite against the walls and consoles of the laboratory. Clang! Whump! Whang! "RAAAAUGH!"

"Nnnngh!"

And Zillah…

Zillah starts to stir….

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

FL-FL-FL-FLASSSSSH! Starfire launches a starbolt storm at a line of gun-toting soldiers. The soldiers dodge and fire back with laser blasters. Static hovers besides Starfire and creates an electrical shield to absorb the lasers while Starfire stretches over him and launches another volley.

Bard and Robin are fighting back to back, surrounded by hoverbots being leveled by pistol shot and birdarang by the second.

Mammoth charges in and springs upon the cowboy and Titan Leader, leading into a threeway battle of colossal proportions.

I see it from a mound of debris, where I am finishing a slicing kill of two robot gun turrets. SLASSSH! SL-SLASSSSH! I kick the smoldering metal bits away, take a deep breath, and blur towards my two Titan partners—

THRIMPFT!

A pair of calm, red eyes rise up in my path.

I gasp and skid to a stop before the closing portal, blinking.

"… …. …." Kyd Wikkyd stares at me.

"… … …" I stare at Kyd Wikkyd.

"… … …" Kyd Wikkyd stares at me.

"… …. …" I stare at Kyd Wikkyd.

"… … … " Kyd Wikkyd stares at me.

I blink again. I bite my lip.

Okaaaaay… ….

Well….

I twirl Myrkblade, brace my legs, and swing hard at his skull. SWISSSSH!

THRIMPFT! He disappears.

I gasp and flail from my empty swing.

Whoah!

THRIMPFT! He rises up from a portal behind me and shoves me in the butt with his foot.

WHAM! I slam against a wall, wincing.

A mute snarl.

I spin around and swing Myrkblade diagonally upward.

SWOOOSH!

THRIMPFT! He's suddenly to my right side, yanking at my arm.

WH-WHOOOSH! I somersault awkwardly from his pull and collapse on my back like an overturned turtle. WH-WHAM!

I cough and wheeze.

Darn it all!

I stumble to my knees—

THRIMPFT! He appears in front of me—

I am already swinging a furious fist at his face.

He sidesteps, calmly unfurls his cape and reaches two hands up to grip my shoulder.

THRIMPFT! A dizzy sensation, and then I realize that I'm upside and on the ceiling in his teleported grasp.

…and he lets go.

Thwooosh!

DAAAH!

WHAM! I land chest-first fifteen feet below on the floor.

I wince and sting all over, my black eyes watering slightly.

THRIMPFT! I sense him standing over me now.

I shudder….shake…and push-up. I grit and grind my teeth. My black eyes reopen, frothing violently with murk and smoke.

Allright, stupid-head… …

Kyd Wikkyd raises his boot to smash over my head—

SLASSSSSSH! I leap up with an uppercut of Myrkblade.

Swisssssh! Kyd Wikkyd effortlessly slides back.

P-Plant! I'm on my feet. Stomp-Stomp-Stomp-Stomp! I'm running towards him. I twirl, twirl, twirl Myrkblade and hold it like a javelin before—SWISSSSSSSH! I launch it towards him.

He flinches and jerks to the side—

SWISSSSSH! Myrkblade screams through the air past him.

He stands back up with fists raised—but does a double-take to see me gone.

FWOOOSH! I teleport murkily behind him and raise my hand. GRIP! I grab Myrkblade in mid-flight, swing it around, and slam him across the skull.

WHACK!

Kyd Wikkyd stumbled forward—

FWOOOSH! I teleport in front of him, twirl, and swing my sword—

WHACKKK!

Kyd Wikkyd flies back—

FWOOOSH! I solidify behind him in mid-swing.

WHACKKK!

Kyd Wikkyd is knocked airborne—

FWOOOSH! I appear above him. WHACK!

He falls—

FWOOOSH! I appear beneath him. WHACK!

He flails and flails and—

FWOOOSH! WHACK! FWOOOSH! WHACK! FWOOSH! WHACK!

I teleport, solidify, murk, port, and blur all over and around him with my obsidian sword swinging, flashing, streaking, striking—

WHACK-WHACK-WHACK-WHACK-WHACKKKK!

Bruised, dazed, and reeling, Kyd Wikkyd flies upward one last time—

FWOOOSH! I teleport one last time on the ceiling and ready my sword like a bat.

WHAMMMM!.!.!

That's how you do it, you peace of fluff!

Fwoooooosh! The teleporter plunges to the ground and lands in a veritable crater in the debris-laden floor. CLANG!

I don't feel like I'm done yet.

Snarling, I twirl Myrkblade, propel murk through my ankles, and pulse down towards him in a suicidal dive. FWOOOOOSH! I stretch my blade down ahead of me.

Kyd Wikkyd, dazed, snaps out of it. Looks directly up. And stretches his arms out.. …frothing all over in a portal—

My black eyes widen.

Ah snap—

THRIMPFFFT! He grabs me and the two of us teleport suddenly to God-knows-where.

Which elicits a well-defined gasp from Bard in witness of my disappearing act.

"Ah jeez! Noir!"

GRIP! Mammoth grabs the cowboy by his pancho. "Hey! I ain't done playing piñata, tweedle-dee!"

SMACKKK! Bard whallops the H.I.V.E. student to the ground with a guitar to the face. "Well, El Kabong is, tweedle-dum." Bard spits and runs over to the spot where I've disappeared. "Noir? NOIR!" He spins around, furious. "Damn!"

Robin finishes handcuffing the dazed Mammoth and runs across the fray to join Bard. "What's wrong?"

"That mime in a Batman holloween suit just whisked away with my pal!"

Robin sweatdrops. "He's not the only one missing."

Bard spins around, eyes squinting Eastwoodesquely. "The Hell did our friends go?"

"I don't know, but it's high time we caught up with where the rest of the party's going," Robin readied a fan of explosive discs and launched them into a random spot on the floor.

Swisssssssssh-BOOM! A hole opens up in the floor. Robin whips out a grappling hook and runs towards it.

"I'm going in! Hold the fort here!"

"Like Hell, I will!" Bard punches his palm. "Static and Starfire have got these henchmen covered! In case you haven't noticed, they make a great team!"

"… … … …"

"Bossman--?"

"YES," Robin grunts. "I've noticed."

Bard helplessly sweatdrops.

"I am going down there to investigate Mister Freeze and the facility ALONE," Robin spits and points an angry finger. "And if you so much as disobey me again today, Bard, so help me God I'll—"

"Shhh," Bard raises a finger. "… ….you hear that?"

"… … ….hear what?"

"Like a bomb dropping."

"…. … ….yeah…."

Swissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssh---

Bard and Robin turn to look.

SWISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSH!

SMASSSSH-POWWWWWWWWWW!.!.!.!.!.!

Flaar body-slams down through two levels of Earth and lands in a massive, flame-erupting crater of green fury.

Bard and Robin shriek as they're tossed down the hole as one.

Henchmen and guards flail about as if in zero g.

Static and Starfire gasp and sprawl to the floor, with the latter looking up through a mat of tangled red hair and shuddering:

"F-Flaar?"

Flaar slowly stands up, glares up, and hisses while charging two fists of burning emerald. "Everyone.. … …prepare to burn."