Chapter Twenty-One:

"Rescuing Damian"

When Jon Kent slammed into the back of the interior of Batboat, he hit with such an impact after the explosion that it rendered him temporarily unconscious, but only a for few moments. He was the son of Superman, but his human side still left him susceptible to injury. He was also the son of Lois Lane, a human female. She was a strong woman, but not infallible.

He shook off the shock and looked around, the Batboat was in ruins from the impact, and water was starting to seep in from the broken haul. But that was not what concerned him at the moment. His main thought was: Where is Jason?

The concussion blast had sent Jon into the Batboat, and therefore, it should've done the same with Jason. But Jason had jumped towards him at the last second in a futile attempt to shield him from the explosion, so if he wasn't here, then he must be in the water.

Pounding a hole through the haul, he then dived in and began to swim through the water. When he saw Jason floating limp and immobile, he submerged further, grabbed his arm, and then pulled him to the surface and to shore. He swam into a hidden alcove and away from sight.

Removing Jason's helmet, Jon patted Jason's face to awaken him thinking the shock must've knocked him out. When that didn't work, he then checked for breathing. His helmet may have protected him from the blast, but not from sucking in water. With a careful series of up and down thrusts to Jason's chest, similar to CPR, Jason then spit out water, and coughed.

"Jason, it's okay," Jon said. "We're safe for the moment."

Jason coughed. "What the hell happened?" Jon told him about the explosive blast from Harvey Two-Face's guns. Jason nodded, remembering. "It must've been some of Jake Handles' photo-kinetic hard-light crap you told me about."

"But the explosives in the guns were real," Jon added. "I think we can be assured Harvey Two-Face is in league with Handles. You can duplicate a person's appearance with PKT, photo-kinetic tech, but you can't copy their brain patterns and personality."

"I'm not up-to-date on the latest technology of that sort, so I'm going to have to take your word for it," Jason replied.

"What now?"

"We stick to the original plan."

"But we don't even know Damian is here?"

"Whether he's here or not, Handles needs to he taken out. Whatever his game plan is, psychopaths always have an endgame."

"Like what?"

Jason explained that he once overheard Dick telling Barbara a story about his days in Spyral, even though it had nothing to do with the mission he was on at the time—Dick told Barbara everything, as if she was his therapist—and he had come across something called Operational Coral Castle. Later, Dick and Jake Handles, as agents of Spyral, had to go after some crazy scientist with a sinister weapon, that had the ability to control the weather, or some weird thing like that. Treasure Island was where Spyral stored all the devices and weapons the organization seized from their missions in secret.

"Operation Coral Castle?" Jon mused. "Wait a minute, that rings a bell. I read an article in an archaeology magazine about it when I was very, very bored, in a doctor's office, waiting for a flu shot. Some of those magazines in the waiting areas are so old, they're ancient. Anyway, Coral Castle, which is now a museum in Miami-Dade, Florida, is an incredible feat of structural engineering. The builder supposedly said he had tapped into the stone's harmonic-frequencies at the core to alter their density, therefore making them as light as feather to move them into position. The concept is so outdated now with the dawn of the meta-human. But in the early nineteenth-century, before the dawn of superheroes, it was super-human in its infancy."

"So, okay, what do you think he'd going to do? Move this entire island?"

Jon shook his head slowly. "But what if he has that technology here? This is Treasure Island, after all, with all of Spyral's secrets. What if, Operation Coral Castle, was someone else's idea, and Spyral stopped them, but now that technology is stored here? Jake Handles may now be in possession of it. It's the stuff of spies these days, but super-harmonic technology, or sub-harmonics, is invisible and deadly, and it can't be stopped by any conventional weapon. It can shatter buildings to their core through heavy vibration like an earthquake, and it can even cause human bone to explode at the correct resonance."

"But we've seen no instance of this technology being used," Jason said.

"Haven't we? Just because we don't recognize the signs doesn't mean it hasn't been tested: sudden collapse of buildings, people falling ill with rare diseases that have been extinct for a hundred years, sudden cancers, massive sink holes, hurricanes, tornadoes with lightning strikes, tsunamis hundreds of feet tall, wind storms that come out of no where, and other strange phenomenon. Sub-harmonics can affect it all and we wouldn't even know it. They call it Climate Change these days, but is it really? Pollution is a problem in the world, our oceans and landmasses, even our air, is all being affected. But what if something else is contributing to the planet's problems as well? The earth has its own magnetic poles and sometimes they shift causing strange things to happen, too. But every time Jake Handles uses his weapon—if he is—the earth becomes more and more unstable."

"What do you mean?"

"Think of my example like a volcano. The pressure builds, which then it eventually erupts, spewing massive amounts of lava and rock into the atmosphere, causing death and destruction. Using subharmonics affects the stability of the earth as a whole, causing the tectonic plates to shift, causing earthquakes, tidal waves, and climate affected weather phenomenon. In weaponizing it, he could kill whom he wants, when he wants, simply by pointing it like a gun at his desired target."

Jason mused in realization. "Perhaps that's why he wanted to take out Dick first, because he knew Dick would be the only one to figure out what he was doing if given the right circumstances in once being a member of Spyral. Pieces are starting to fit into place now. Why Dick was mysteriously targeted is starting to make sense. With Dick out of the picture, with amnesia, Handles could easily bring his plan to fruition and hold the world hostage, and there wouldn't be a damn thing anyone could do about it. Even the greatest superheroes would be no match for his weapon, even Superman."

Jon nodded. "As they say, it's diabolical!"

Jason swashed through the water and looked around the corner of the hidden alcove at the Batboat. It was almost completely submerged now, and when he felt around for his phone in his pockets, he knew he had lost it somewhere. Deep underwater when he was launched by the explosive blast, he figured. He was going to send Dick a text about what they discovered, but not now.

"We're the only two who can stop Handles now," Jason said. "Got any ideas?"

Jon thought for a moment. "Jake Handles will be looking for us on the surface, or in the water, the island is not that big actually. He probably has cameras everywhere, so, why not head where he can't see us?" Jon pointed to the rocky alcove. "We can go through and under. I'm Superman's son, I think it is time I used some of this super strength to good use."

"No arguments from me," Jason said. "Have at it, Superboy!"

Jon clenched both fists, and then with a solid punch, he smashed into the side of the rock face with one, and then with the other, grabbing chucks of rock and throwing it back behind him as he went, like a dog digging a hole, beginning to carve out a tunnel.

"Damn! I wish I had my phone with me," Jason said in awe. "A video of this on Instagram would go viral."

x x x

Damian was dropped on his stomach and the impact slowly brought him back to consciousness after Jake Handles had zapped him with his restraining binds. He was no longer bound, he felt, but as he listened, his eyes closed, he thought he heard the sound of a rushing waterfall in the distance.

He opened his eyes and confirmed it.

He was in what appeared to be a tropical paradise with a rushing waterfall jetting out of a rock face into a small pool. Surrounding it, was lush flora and fauna, spread about like some subterranean lost world. But there was little humidity. He could swear he heard the sounds of birds and then he saw two fly by his head and go into small holes in the walls.

They looked like small sparrows, but Damian knew they were not because sparrows didn't live in rock faces. If he had to guess, but without seeing them up close he couldn't be sure, he'd thought the might be Mountain Bluebirds, with their blue wings, white bellies and spread of tan around the head. They normally nest in mountain cavities and outcrops. These birds normally lived in areas across North America and in Alaska, they don't normally fly across the ocean to nest on secluded islands. Unless they were brought to an island and released into the wild?

There were other birds, too. But he was not an Ornithologist, so he couldn't identify them all. It wasn't uncommon for an island to have life living underneath its surface.

Looking around, Damian noticed the one thing this place did not have was an escape door; it seemed to have been built and enclosed within itself. But then how did he get here? Unless this was one of Handles' photo-kinetic illusions again?

Just then, the sound of a rock door pulling back was heard, and Damian jumped to his feet. From either side of the waterfall, behind it, emerged two sets of very young looking, thin, light skinned women—quadruplets—wearing next to nothing except for loincloths tried up at the side with string and similar coverings for their rather buxom breasts.

Damian felt his face immediately flush and gulped with a certain nervousness. "Tell me where I am!" he demanded.

"You are in the care of our Master," one woman said, as if it was a pre-programmed response. She was apparently the one to set apart from the rest, Damian thought, the leader of these quartet of lovely, half-naked maidens, even though they all looked alike. He had to admit, Handle had good taste, although he did prefer women with a more Middle Eastern flair like his Mother. Or, perhaps, because he had Middle Eastern blood flowing through his veins that that was more of a personal preference?

"And we have been requested to clean you," she added. "And our instructions are to cleanse you from top to bottom."

Damian froze. "Excuse me? I may smell a bit from sweat, but I don't need to be bathed by you! I can do it myself."

"The Master has ordered us to wash your uniform, as well," a second twin spoke. "So, it needs to come off. Please remove your tights." She had come out from the other side of the waterfall, similar to the first twin who spoke.

Damian watched the women as they approached and he took an involuntarily step back. Then another, until he hit the rock face behind him. He found himself surrounded by the quadruplets. They were a good foot and half taller than him, and their chests levelled inches from his face as they boxed him in. They wore nothing until their chest coverings and their breasts bounced.

His face felt hot. He had faced many adversaries in his time, but nothing like this. And no matter which way he turned, he was faced with the same view.

"I'm not removing my clothes. This is perverse! Your Master needs his head examined."

"We have our orders," said one twin. He lost track of which twin had spoken first and second. They all looked the same now.

When he tried to run, they were strong and grabbed him, and held him down, then started to strip him.

"No! Get off me!" he protested.

"We are here to give you a bath," said a twin.

Was this what Harvey Two-Face meant by to be "part of the adult world"? Was this a form of psychological warfare from Handles? This was way out of Damian's normal element.

Did they intend for him to get naked with these four women, have them bath him, and then ultimately—

"Hey, no! Let me go! Don't do that! Get your hands away from there!"

Damian struggled against their team up, but four against one was more than he could handle. They pulled off his upper tights. They yanked at his clothes like a bunch of ravenous women who hadn't seen a member the opposite sex in years. He tried to hide his dignity with one hand once they went after his leg tights. His uniform was tight, so he didn't wear any shorts under underneath.

But the women didn't listen and they stripped him bare. However, they didn't seem to care about other matters, only what they were told to do, as if only following programming. So, was he being subjected to Handle's photo-kinetic trickery again? Or was this for real? Everything appeared real when he was in the maze, too. Every sight and sound. He was getting so confused.

Two twins picked him up, grabbed him by the arms, and tossed him like a rag doll into the pool, buck-naked. He flailed about as he flew and then landed with a heavy splash, submerging, then surfacing just as quickly. The water was warm.

Then the two twins that had tossed him in walked down a set of stone steps into the pool, as a third retrieved a bottle of shampoo, a bar of soap, and other oils, from the back, returned, and then also entered the water.
The fourth left with his clothes. He protested to have them left, but he was ignored.

The three surrounded him, and Damian backed away, and found himself literally between a rock and hard place. The water clung to their clothes, saturating them down, showing what had not been visible before, and he blushed.
"Stay back! Don't come any closer! I know how to defend myself. And I'm not afraid to hit a woman!"

It was then they all pounced on him.

x x x

Jon Kent pounded furiously into the hard bedrock until his hands became raw and bloodied, but he refused to give up even though the pain was excruciating. He was determined to save Damian, to stop Jake Handles, and he knew he was the only one who had the power to do it. He and Jason Todd were partners right now, but Jon knew, when push came to shove, it would come to blows, and with his super strength, he could stop Handle's plans faster than a speeding bullet.

He knew it was taking longer to break through the rock than it would take his father, but he was still learning and developing his strength. He was only thirteen. Other thirteen year olds were goofing off with friends, or as young as they were, talking about girls, discovering them at least.

Jon liked the "Pixie" girl whom he saw at the hospital when he went to visit Dick Grayson, but never got to see. In their travels as the Super Sons, as some called them, Damian had started to take notice of the opposite sex, but Jon wasn't ready yet.

Jason followed along behind him, helping where he could, removing rocks and debris as they both went along. He was strong for a human. And yet, from what Damian had told Jon about Jason, and his history, Jason Todd was considered more of a meta-human. Jason could forge swords from his soul. They were called the All Swords and could nullify all magic, but they could only be used for short bursts, because they were such a tremendous drain on his soul energy.

Jon was exhausted, but he pressed on, and soon, with one final punch, he managed to break through…to an open cavern underneath the island with its own tropic paradise. He tripped, and landed on his hands and knees, as he stared at the beautiful scenery before him. It was like the island had its own private Idaho, as the saying went.

Jason looked past him and was also in awe. "Am I dreaming?"

"If you are, then we're having the same dream," Jon said back. He sniffed the air. "I smell water."

"You can't smell water, Jon."

"Okay, then I smell the freshness of water."

Jon stood on his feet and then looked at his knuckles, they were bruised and bloodied. He flexed his hands, but there was no restriction in movement.

Jason looked down at them. "You okay, kid? They look pretty bad."

"They don't hurt much, just sting a little. They'll heal soon. I am my father's son, after all."

Jason looked back at the tunnel Jon had made. "You are, indeed."

Jason suddenly heard a woman's giggling, and then more than just one, followed by a boy's laughter.

The pair gave each other a baffled look and then made their way through the flora and fauna to the smell of fresh water and then to the sound of a rushing water fall.
Peaking through a thicket, they both stared with shock and awe.

Damian was splashing playfully with three lovely maidens—triplets—in a water pool. His hair was wet and sprinkling clean, brushed back. He was also smiling gleefully and playing like an innocent kid in water, say nothing for the half-naked women with him. He didn't seem to mind either that he was naked. There was a used bottle of shampoo and a bar of soap was on a rock ledge, surrounding a pool for which the waterfall dropped down into. Other bathing oils of an exotic nature were also sitting near-by.

Jon put a hand over his face in embarrassment, while Jason didn't bat and eye in taking in the view.

This was a new side to Damian, more carefree. Damian was always so restrained, careful to act tough in front of people. Perhaps alone, he didn't need to erect that wall, and could be himself?

Jason looked at the three near-naked lovely ladies that seemed to having a great deal of fun with the young Wayne. He approved. They looked young, about in their twenties, and he immediately wondered if this was one of Handles' illusions. A place like this was too good to be true this deep within the island. It was known that even the strongest man could be reduced to his most primal instincts with the right settings. Damian was growing up.
Why Damian was here, would be a very interesting question to ask, and Jason bet, the answer would equally intriguing.

With no respect for Damian's privacy, Jason walked out into the open, taking off his helmet. He stood with his hands on his hips, took one quick glance around, and then cleared his throat. "Well, we come to rescue you, but it looks like you need anything but."

Damian snapped his head, his eyes wide, and gasped. Then he dived under the water.

The three women turned their attention to Jason, and suddenly, attacked him like she-devils. Jon's abashment quickly vanished, and he flew at each with record speed, and with each impact, their photo-kinetic image shattered like glass crystal.

The women were fake—was the environment, too?

Jason knelt down and cupped up some water and drank. Surprisingly enough, the water was real. Jon touched one of the plants and determined it was real as well. So, this subterranean paradise was in fact genuine. Probably a sanctuary for the master of the island when he needed to relax, and to engage in his own private fantasies…

Jason picked up a stone and then threw it into the water right where Damian was, hitting Damian. Damian gasped for breath as he emerged, and felt his head. "Ow! Damn it, Todd! What the hell?"

Jason folded his arms across his chest, and Jon came to stand next to him. "This should be an interesting story," he said. "Oh—What would your father say if he knew you were skinny dipping with three lovely older woman and enjoying it?"

"I was not enjoying it!" Damian scowled. He knew he is response didn't sound convincing, more defensive. "Oh, shut up, Todd! Nothing happened. Nothing of the sort you'd think of with your sick mind. They gave me a bath, nothing more."

"But you sounded like you were having a good time, Damian," Jon said. "And laughing, there's nothing wrong with that. I've rarely seen you laugh like that, so happy and care free."

"Hey, it's natural, we all experience our first at different times," Jason said, shrugging his shoulders. "Tell you the truth, I lost mine at a young age. She was this hot number in an alley. Our little Man Wonder is finally growing up. I can't wait to tell Dick about this."

"Don't you dare! And I didn't lose anything!"

Just then, a fourth woman emerged from behind the waterfall with Damian's costume. But before she could attack, Jason gave Jon a nod, and Jon destroyed her. Damian's tights, mask and boots, dropped to the ground.

Jason went over and picked up the tights. "So, nothing happened? Hey, it's even been dry-cleaned. This is fantastic service, in more ways than one," he said sarcastically. "This reminds me, after this is all done, I must get a full-body massage. I'm feeling a little stiff myself."

Damian rolled his eyes. "I'm never going to hear the end of this—Am I?"

Jason quickly became serious. "Get dressed, Damian. Enough kidding around, we have a situation here."

Damian emerged from the water. After he towelled off, he put on his Nightwing Junior costume. And was told how Jason and Jon survived the massive detonation and explosive concussion blast from Harvey Two-Face's gun bombs.

It was then Jason and Jon filled him in what they suspected Jake Handles was planning and that he may be testing some powerful weapon Spyral had acquiesce from a third party, used in what had been once called Operation Coral Castle—which originally suited the name implied, but not the current danger of its sub-harmonic technology and world wide implication use.

"I saw no weapon like that when I was caged in Handles main command lair," Damian said. "He mostly fiddled around with his photo-kinetic tech. But, it may've already been completed and hidden from sight?"

"We suspect he may still be in the trail runs of the weapon," Jon explained. "Once he plans to used it for real, the world will know. We have to stop him from using this weapon again."

With a fist slammed into a palm, much like he did when he was Robin, Damian said, "So, what's the plan?"

"Handles still thinks you're under adult supervision, so we use the element of surprise," Jason said.

"Do we go back the way we came?" Jon wondered.

Jason walked around the pool and behind the waterfall. A door was left open that seemingly was made to be part of the rock wall, the others followed. Beyond it was a corridor and an elevator, but the three stopped there.
"Handles won't use his weapon right now, he obviously needs more time to test it," Jason voiced. "He knows how destructive it is, so perfecting it is paramount. Handles is a genius, and like all psychopaths of his nature, they're also perfectionists, so he wants everything set to par before announcing his attentions to the world. We all know the mindset of megalomaniacs."

"So?" Damian voiced and shrugged. "Let's go get him!"

"No, we get some rest before we charge in," Jason said. "And no buts! When you're tried, you get sloppy, Damian. I've seen this from you. We rest. I'll take watch. You two get some Z's. If someone comes down looking for you, D, I'll immediately wake you."

Damian's tongue clicked against the inside of his teeth and it made a sound like Pfff, but it came out like Tt. He pouted, but he had to admit, he was suddenly feeling tired. And whether he liked it or not, he knew Jason had a point.
They would rest, for now.

To be continued...