80. Kara's Visitor part 6
"RAAUGH!!"
SM-SMACK!!!
Cyborg's fist flew through two Intergang thugs at once. They fell to the ground with their laser rifles tumbling and firing intermittently into the distances. Z-ZAP! ZAP!!
Cyborg charged a second row of gunmen who immediately took aim and fired on the android.
ZAP!!! ZAAAAP!!
Their lasers bounced off the titanium of his blocking forearm as he charged up a punch with his other arm and launched it at them with another yell.
Two men jumped out of the way, but a third was unlucky as Cyborg's fist plowed into his chest and sent him flying back and impacting the windshield of one of the two vans…forming cracks in the glass.
Cyborg recoiled and took on the remaining gunmen in his area.
In the meantime, Robin swung in by grappling hook under the last of the bridge supports and sailed in with his foot contacting the side of one thug's face. THWACK!!!
The Boy Wonder flipped forward, landed in a crouch, ducked laser fire from four Intergang gunmen in the distance, whipped out his staff, and jumped up to his feet. He proceeded to blitz the four men, twirling his staff about in a fashion so as to swiftly block and deflect each incoming laser blast.
ZAP!! Z-ZAP!! ZAAAAAP!!
CLANK!! CL-CLANK! CLANG!!
"Rnnnghh!!" Robin leapt, flipped through a spectrum of converging laser fire, and landed in the center of the four assailants. He lifted his lower body up into a handstand and spun the rod around in a fan beneath him. The four thugs were tripped instantly. As their bodies fell, he flung himself down and slid with two legs aimed outwards—impacting the airborn ribcages of two thugs and slamming them into the flailing bodies of the other two. THWUMP!!! The Boy Wonder then vaulted back up to his feet and engaged those still strong enough to step up from his punishment.
During all of this, Metallo and Beast Boy were locking arms and horns. Metal limbs met a constantly changing armada of Dinosaur prosthetic, mammalian claws, and reptilian teeth. The two were engaged in a tug-of-war match across the length of the bridge. A match that Metallo eagerly indulged in, as could be detected in the grin on his half-flesh face.
"RNNNNNGHHH!!!!" a green bull throated as it rammed head-on into Metallo.
The metal fiend gripped the changeling's horns and stood his ground. Metal heels dug into the asphalt and shot sparks as he was pushed towards the edge of the bridge but stopped barely before he could go over.
Metallo grinned. Two panels in his ankles opened and a pair of tiny rockets popped out. They aimed towards the changeling's side of the bridge and ignited. POWWWW!!! Metallo flexed his synthetic muscles and pushed against the green bull with his sudden unleashing of kinetic energy. The changeling's hooves grinded with the bridge's surface. The animal snorted and swiftly turned into a giant scaled beast with massive jaws. A T-Rex was suddenly looming over Metallo with a mighty roar.
Corbin cut off his engines and grinned up at the beast. "Skip right to it! I like that! RRRGHHH!!" His ankle rockets aimed directly upward and he was thrusted skyward with a raging fist.
SMACK!!!!
The T-Rex was uppercutted from underneath its chin. Its angular skull lifted and impacted hard with the metal framework of the top of the bridge.
CLANG!!!
The metal crossbeams bent and cracked. The dinosaur went reeling.
Metallo landed, sprung back, flexed his arms, and dove forward with a two-fisted shove.
THWUMP!!!
The jade creature teetered back.
Metallo stood casually, smiled, and charged forth two eye lasers.
ZAAAAAP!!!!
FLASH!!!
The changeling swiftly switched back to elf mode, upon which he moaned and collapsed like a sack of meat. His body was smoking.
Cyborg gasped as he saw it from his corner of the brawl. "B.B.!!!!" He growled and punched down his opponents, then swiftly turned around and ran at the fallen young Titan. He was almost there when---
SWOOOSH-SMACK!!!!!
Metallo blurred over with his ankle rockets and slammed his fist deep into the android Titan's side.
CLANG!!! Cyborg flew up against a metal crossbeam on the side of the bridge and winced. He glared up through a squinting human eye as Metallo stood in the way of him and his fallen pal.
"No playing medic today, Jr. Death doesn't take a holiday on my shift!"
"Has anyone ever told you that you're a real asshole?" Cyborg glared.
Metallo smiled. "Yes." He charged at the Titan with a fist. "RRRGHHH!!!"
SWOOOSH-CLAMP!!!
Cyborg gritted his teeth as he closed his fingers around Metallo's knuckles and swung his other fist at the villain's face.
Metallo ducked, shoved his shoulder into Cyborg's metal gut, then swung his hulking body over and into the other side of the bridge.
CLANK!!
More bulkheads bent. The entire bridge was starting to wobble. Two androids in battle was a recipe for disaster when it came to support structures.
Metallo charged.
Cyborg crossed his arms.
Metallo punched.
CLANK!
Cyborg blocked then swung his arms out. "RAAUGH!!"
Metallo stumbled back from the force.
SWOOOSH!! Cyborg lifted his leg and slammed Metallo hard in the chest. WHUMP!!!
The villain stumbled back, grunting.
Cyborg's leg came down on the ground and the rest of his body's weight catapulted forward.
WHAM!!!!!
A downward fist plowed Metallo's skull so forcefully that his body literally toppled over like a collapsing lever. He rested awkwardly on the ground head-first like a frightened ostrich.
"Assume the position, punk!" Cyborg spun around and swiftly kicked Metallo in the butt like an open invitation.
CLANK!!!
Metallo's body rolled across the bridge like a rag doll. He came to a moaning stop near the edge of the bridge.
Cyborg sighed, smiled, and turned to run towards Beast Boy's side--
ZAAAAP!!!!
Two eye beams flew into Cyborg's back. Forcing him hard to the ground. "OOF!!"
Metallo was chuckling. He stood up from his side, his head aimed in reverse. His body pivoted around to snap his head back into the correct position. He cracked his metal knuckles, unphased, and smiled: "So you are almost the real deal after all! This should be a fabulous fight indeed….my completeness against your half-hearted attempt at cybernetic perfection!"
Cyborg got up, winced, and frowned. "I'm not here to win any trophies…"
"My good man," Metallo winked. "You're about to become one." SWOOOOOSH!!!! His ankle rockets kicked into gear and he was at Cyborg's spot in under half a second with a fist flying up. SMACK!!!
"UGH!!!" Cyborg fell back over Beast Boy's still body and tumbled across the bridge.
Metallo ran, jumped, and flew down in a massive kick. "RAAAAUGH!!!"
Cyborg rolled out of the way at the last second.
SMASH!!!
A hole literally formed in the bridge from Metallo's trademark finishing move off target.
Cyborg got up—but just in time for Metallo to reclaim his footing and rush him with a flurry of punches.
"RRRRGHHH!!!"
CL-CL-CL-CL-CLANK!!!
Cyborg blocked each one with a massive titanium arm. He then deflected one punch of Metallo's up high and shoved his fist forward with a snarl.
But Metallo swiftly sidestepped the punch, twirled, grabbed the length of Cyborg's arm, twirled, and elbowed the Titan hard in the face.
CRACK!!!
Cyborg reeled back, and as he did so…Metallo pivoted his body, pulled on Cyborg's arm, and kicked the Titan's torso heavily with a high foot.
SMACK!!
CHTUNG!!!
Cyborg's arm snapped off as his body stumbled back from Metallo's blow and he fell on his rear.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Metallo waved the limb around and laughed. "So much for your love life!!"
Cyborg stood up and frowned. "So much for your head!" His red eye lit up.
The detached arm whirred in Metallo's grasp.
"Huh??" the villain looked over at the limb…which had remotely turned into a laser rifle aimed at the metal man's face.
ZAAAAAAAAAP!!!!!!!
The laser rifle flew to the floor as Metallo's body sailed over the bridge's edge and into the splashing waters of the August River below.
SPLOOOOSH!!!!
Cyborg took a deep breath as his arm 'walked' up to him on five fingers. He snapped it back into place, got up, and ran over towards Beast Boy's figure.
In the meantime, Robin was now alone with the dozen or so thugs. And he was making a show of it. He was in the process of flipping over a white fan, twirling his rod, deflecting laser shots in midair, and sailing down in a slide that tripped two thugs in one swish. He immediately spun around, knelt, and swung his rod twice to deflect a pair of laser pulses. He then jumped to his feet, blitzed an enemy, kicked his way through him, lifted his rod to the side to smack the face of another, ducked two shots, and jump-kicked a third thug. He used the impact of his kick to springboard him back, upon which he flipped, dodged three laser rifle blasts, and landed in a kneeling position. As guns were re-drawn at him, he whipped out a fan of birdarangs and flung them at the assailants.
SWISH-SWISH-SWISH-SWISH-SWISH-SWISH-CL-CL-CLANK!!!
The guns of the thugs fell out of their pained grips. They recoiled in shock an pain. Robin somersaulted over, leapt up in the middle of them, and spin kicked one across the face. "HIYAAA!!" SMACK!! The thug stumbled back. In the meantime, a mid-air Robin reached into his utility belt, pulled out a taser, pressed the trigger, and tossed it up in the air. When he came down, he smacked the skull of a second thug so that he teetered over face-down. SLAM!! Robin then spun and twirled his rod in time to smack the falling taser into the chest of a third thug. ZAAAAAAP!!! The man convulsed from shock and slumped to the floor. Robin finally spun, twirled his rod, and uppercutted the second thug who was still bent over. SMACK!!!!
All three were down for count.
Sweating, the Boy Wonder looked over. His eyemask widened as a whole throng of laser pulses sailed at him. In a single breath he deflated to the floor and wrapped his cape over his figure.
CLANK!!! CL-CLANK! CLANK!!!!
The lasers bounced off the high-density polymer of his article. He gritted his teeth, waited for the impacts to stop, blew the cape away, and dove at the thugs once again with a warcry. "RAAAUGH!!!"
In the meantime, Cyborg was huddled over a silent Beast Boy in the middle of the bridge.
"B.B.?! B.B.?!?! Come on, man! Say something!" he shook the green changeling.
"Nnnghh…," Beast Boy stirred and moaned. The Kryptonite he had uncovered was safely in a satchel on his side. "Sorry Ms. Stefani…I can't join your band….b-but you can still kiss me…"
Cyborg shoved Beast Boy hard in the side. WHUMP!! "Man!! You're not hurt at all!!"
Beast Boy rubbed his ribcage and winced with a slight smile. "Dude…I am now."
"Get your butt up and help me give Robin a hand!"
"What about Metallo?"
"I already kicked his butt! Now come on!!"
Beast Boy's green eyes lifted and glanced over Cyborg's head. He pointed. "Then how come he's—like—flying down at us?"
Cyborg's human eye bulged. He spun around.
Trailing water, Metallo came down from a massive leap and slammed through the top of the bridge with his feet first. SMASH!!!! "AAAAAUGH!!!"
"EEEP!!!" Beast Boy scurried out of the way.
Cyborg jumped backwards.
SMASH!!
Metallo's feet landed hard, unearthing asphalt. He let out a shout and swung both fists forward at the android Titan.
SWOOOSH—SWOOOSH-SMACK!!!
Cyborg was not able to dodge the last fist. It struck him back against the side of the bridge. CLANG!! A metal bulkhead snapped behind his head and fell down loosely between them. Metallo dove in with an knee flying upwards.
Cyborg jumped to the side.
Metallo formed a further dent in the bridge's structure. The entire road wobbled. He frowned and faced Cyborg. He bent down, picked up the metal piece of the bulkhead, and approached the Titan with the bludgeon held up. "What say I see what you're made of? Then bash it open like a good barbarian?"
Cyborg looked down. He found another broken piece of the bridge's metal structure. He picked it up and faced Metallo at weapon's length. "You talk too much to be worth your own weight in crap!"
Metallo smiled. "Well…you should know my saying by now! 'I speak softly…but I carry your ass ON A TRAY!!' RAAAUGH!!" He charged forward and swung the bulkhead down hard.
Cyborg grunted and blocked with the length of his metal piece.
CLANG!!!
Sparks showered.
Cyborg shoved forward with his piece.
Metallo stumbled back.
Cyborg ran and swung hard from the side.
Metallo ducked his head and jabbed forward with his bulkhead.
CLANK!! It smacked off the top of Cyborg's metal skull, showering sparks. The Titan growled and swung in a downward arc.
Metallo knocked his throw aside with his weapon and spun a three-sixty swoop that caught Cyborg hard in the side.
CLANG!!
Cyborg fell on his back.
Metallo leapt up, yelled, and swung his bludgeon down.
Cyborg rolled to the side, freed an arm, and turned it into a laser rifle aiming straight up at Metallo's skull.
ZAAAAAP!!!
Metallo's cranium recoiled from the blast.
Cyborg grunted and kicked an ankle out from under the villain.
Metallo teetered on one foot.
Cyborg jumped up, held his breath, and swung the full length of his metal piece into Metallo's side without mercy.
WHACK!!!!
Metallo and his bulkhead went tumbling across the bridge, bouncing like a rock against a pond's surface. He came to a groaning stop twenty feet away. As he stood back up, Cyborg was charging at the top of his lungs with his weapon overhead.
Metallo smirked, timed it just right, and uppercutted with his bulkhead right as the teenager came near.
CLANG!!!
Cyborg slid back from the blow, his heels forming sparks against the asphalt. He gritted his teeth, looked up, and gasped as he saw Metallo throw the bludgeon like a missile straight into his chest.
CLANK!!!!
Cyborg fell hard to the ground along with the two pieces of metal.
"Cy!!" Beast Boy scrambled to his side---
ZAAAAP!!
Metallo's eye beams knocked the changeling back.
"OOOF!!"
The metal villain marched over, grinned, and picked up the two pieces of metal.
In the meantime, a dazed Cyborg stood up and rubbed his head. "Nnnnngh…"
A whistle.
He wearily looked up.
Metallo had both bludgeons raised overhead. He smirked. "Nice duel, junior. Glad we could come together."
CLAMP!!!!
He sandwiched the android's ribs with both flinging bludgeons at once.
"Ughhhhh!!" Cyborg exhaled and collapsed back on the ground. His red light went out.
Beast Boy gasped. He got up wearily on two wobbly feet…and suddenly was lifted in the air as Metallo walked over and held him by the collar of his jumpsuit.
"You're green enough as it is, Keebler," Metallo grinned. He yanked the satchel with the Kryptonite out from the changeling's grasp. "No need to hog all the good stuff."
Beast Boy frowned in his grasp. "You won't get away with this! We'll get all the Kryptonite pieces before you do and—"
SMACK!!!!
Metallo knocked the elf unconscious with a fist and dropped him to the floor. "Right then….," he tossed the satchel up and down in his grasp and walked effortlessly away from the two downed heroes. "Who's next? Ah yes…"
Robin was panting. His lungs heaved as he fought desperately to knock out the last of the eight or so conscious Intergang thugs. His effort was a flurry of diving around and over laser fire while simultaneously flinging birdarangs and bolos and other desperate tools at fiends till he all but ran out. A half-dozen forward flips, kicks, and dives later…he collapsed against the side of one of the two vans—the white one—and held his rod out at ready. Sweat poured down his brown and danced around the edges of his eyemask. He gulped and panted some more.
"Deaf ears are becoming a high commodity these days…," Metallo uttered as he walked upon the scene with the satchel of Superman's bane in his grasp. "It was only yesterday I recall telling a certain bird-brained yahoo that I could blow up a good chunk of the Heartland if you so much as got in my way. Tell me, Robin, what got lost in the translation? Were you simply distracted by Supergirl's knockers? Or maybe Cyborg's?"
"You won't blow yourself up, Metallo," Robin glared. "You haven't got the guts!"
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!" Metallo laughed. "Please tell me that wasn't a pun, Boy Wonder! How low do your superheroes go nowadays anyhow?"
"Just who is it that you're gathering these rocks for?!" Robin demanded. "Intergang?! Luthor?!"
"Now now, Boy Wonder…you are in no position to make any requests from me…," Metallo glared. His eyes turned read as he trained two laser beams for deployment on Robin's forehead. "…St. Peter, on the other hand, would love to hear from you in about ten seconds—"
CREEEEAK!!!
The surrounding gunmen gasped.
Robin let out a cry as the van he was leaning against suddenly lifted from behind him.
Metallo's eyes returned to normal as he glanced up and his jaw dropped. "What???"
"Rrrrrrrrghhh!!!" Kara gritted her teeth and snarled. She was still in her casual getup, and was presently lifting the entire white vehicle over her head. "You want a ticket to the afterlife?! Open wide, ya fishtank!! YAAAAGH!!!" She tossed its hulking weight at him.
Metallo sighed. "Now this is getting monotonous—"
SMASH!!!!!!
The van plowed into Metallo, converged as one with his body in a shattering of aluminum, and tumbled with a SPLASH! into the August River.
Wind blew at Kara's blonde hair as she dusted her hands off, cracked her knuckles, and faced the eight gunmen.
The Intergang thugs exchanged glances, dropped their rifles, and ran off…screaming like schoolgirls on fire.
Kara glared. She wandered over and gave a struggling Robin a hand and pulled him to his feet. "Sorry I was late. I was busy with lemonade."
"Wish I could say the same," Robin brushed himself off. "Cyborg and Beast Boy got whooped pretty bad. The same would have been so for me hadn't you showed up."
Kara gasped and looked over at the bridge. "Oh no! A-Are they okay?!"
"I dunno. I gotta check."
"You do that," Kara pointed. She marched towards the river. "In the meantime, let me make sure our metal friend is down for the—"
SMASH!!!!
Metallo's body flew up out of the smashed, waterlogged van with his ankle rockets.
Kara winced and froze in mid-step. "--…..count."
Metallo smirked, waved, and rocketed off towards the north.
"He's getting away!!"
"Allow me to 'get away' with him," Kara frowned. She took off into the air.
"Whatever you do!! You must get that Kryptonite!!"
"Oh, like THAT'S gonna be easy!!"
"I'll run and assist you as best as I can!!" the Boy Wonder exclaimed, running to the dilapidated bridge. "Let me just check on my teammates first!"
"Take your time! Make sure they're okay!!" Kara called back as she flew off more and more. "I can handle a small load of Kryptonite by myself!!" She turned and looked at the distant image of Metallo blasting away from her. "I hope….," she muttered.
The wind kicked at her long blonde hair as the bridge shot out from under her and the Kansas landscape turned into a sea of green and brown, teetering beneath her. She took a breath, shot her fist out in front of her, and accelerated her superflight for all it was worth. Roads and farmland and barns blurred underneath her. The flickering flame that was Metallo's rocket thrust came closer and closer. A metal hand pivoted to look back and spot her. Then the flames flared brighter and Metallo increased his speed.
Kara gritted her teeth. "Not today, Joe." Her eyes squinted….turned red….then concentrated a pair of laser streams hot and searing. They soared through the air, zeroed in on Metallo's ankles, and impacted.
FLASH!!!!!!
The rockets on the villain's feet shorted out. Metallo let out a sound somewhat resembling a drowned jackal as he annoyingly found himself plummeting to the earth looming below. His metal limbs flailed and he nearly lost grip of the satchel of Kryptonite.
Kara let out a demented giggle of victory and then promptly gasped as she saw where Metallo was plunging.
The fiend's body twirled, careened, and struck the ground of a grassy knoll. His body slid—dragging a trail of dirt and debris—and crashed through a fence and into the midst of a country fair taking place to the north of town. Rows of crafts displays, tents, game galleries, and other assorted kiosks subtly occupied various spots across a green field dotted heavily with chattering, happy people. Children and parents. Families and friends.
Kara bit her lip. She flew out of view of the people, touched down to the ground when she knew nobody could see her, and slowly crept along the trail of Metallo's impacting body…searching for his elusive hide.
She stumbled through the broken fence and came to a stop behind two tents of crafts and salespeople. The trail in the dirt ended….but Metallo was missing.
Kara gulped. She walked out into the main grounds and found herself looking at the wandering bodies of hundreds of innocent people. Country music was playing from a stage in the center of the field where a few guitarists and violinists exchanged their talents under the angelic voice of a pair of talented, visiting singers.
Kara panted as her blue eyes darted around and about. In this sort of a crowd, a half metal and flesh robot wouldn't survive long without obvious notice. How come nobody was screaming or anything?
"Hey!" a middle-age woman exclaimed, rummaging around the rear of her arts and crafts display. "Where did my jacket go?!"
Kara glanced at her. She then looked back out at the crowd. Her eyes narrowed and—with the use of X-Ray vision—she looked through enough necks and heads to finally spot a shadowed figure with a jacket haphazardly thrown over his shoulder. The hood was up. And it hid a very thin and suspicious head.
Kara's fists clenched. She swam her way through the crowd and towards him. She disciplined herself so as to not to spontaneously exert her powers. To do so would mean 1) the possible injury of an innocent person and 2) the revelation of herself as Supergirl. She wasn't about to do that…not when the Titans had gone through so much to help her.
Kara's pace was nonetheless hurried. She winded in and around people. The jacketed figure appeared closer and closer. Craft vendors rushed by her hasty progression. The smell of fairground snacks filled her nostrils. Makeshift speakers erected and wired to the microphones on the center stage warbled country singing voices into her ear as she snaked through. She breathed intently, trying her best not to lose sight of the man.
And then she bumped into a little kid with a pair of balloons. The boy whimpered. Kara stopped, jumped up, grabbed the balloons by their string, and handed them to the kid. "H-Here you go…I apologize…"
He looked up at her with big doe eyes and took them meekly.
Kara smiled, patted his head, and wandered on again. But then she realized that she had lost sight of the metal man. "Dang it!!" she hoarsely whispered. She broke through the crowd and came out on the edge of the fairgrounds besides a small throng of trees. She sweatdropped and looked around. But there was no sign of him anymore.
"Nnghh!" she kicked an obnoxiously large hole in the ground with her toe and planted her hands to her hips. "Where did he go?!"
SWOOOSH—A body dove in from the trees and clamped a hand over her mouth.
"!!!!!" she struggled for breath and was just about to jab back into the foolish attacker with her Girl of Steel strength….when she realized the hand over her mouth was not metal.
"Mmmmmffff???" she hummed.
"Shhh!" came a soft breath. I turned her around and held a finger before my lips before motioning her into the woods.
"Jordan!" she whispered and huddled next to me. "You got here just in time! Did you return the green stuff to Ma and Pa's??"
I nodded.
"Good! Now you gotta help me! Metallo's nearby, but I've lost him! We can't let him esca—"
I motioned for her to be silent. I pulled out one of Cyborg's sensors.
Kara bit her lip. "Oh….of c-course. We can use that to track him down. He's got the Kryptonite after all."
I handed it to her.
She looked at it in her hand. "You want me to track him down?" She looked up. She blinked. "Jordan?"
I was gone.
She frowned. "Well, if that don't beat all."
She decided to shrug it off. She switched the sensor on. It started clicking rapidly…but not enough for her liking. She started walking out of the woods. Slowly, the sensor clicked faster. She held her breath and jogged alongside the rear of the line of tents and stands, following the faster and faster clicks of the device. She soon was proceeding into the fenced-in areas where contests were to be held for various crops and vegetables. Save for huge radishes, pumpkins, turnips, and the like—the place was abandoned. Everyone in the craft show and the contest were flocking over to the stage as a long-awaited lottery for a new tractor trailer was being given away. And that was all good and fine, for Kara's sensor was practically clicking a steady stream of noise.
"He has to be here…," Kara muttered to herself as she came to a stop behind a scarecrow. "Dang it…where are you??"
Suddenly, the 'scarecrow' swiveled around. A carefully concealed, skeletal robot leapt off of the crucifix-like support sticks and brought both fists down across the Girl of Steel's back.
THWAP!!!
"UGH!!" Kara fell forward into a briar of watermelons. She looked up from where she laid sprawled on her back and gritted her teeth.
Metallo lowered the hood down on his brand new jacket and smiled down at her. "Get a load of those melons!"
"Has anyone ever told you you're not half as bad as you are lame?!" Kara growled as she stood up and raised her fists.
"Ha ha ha ha!" Metallo laughed. "And has anyone ever told you that you're in over your head?"
Her blue eyes narrowed. "At least I've got a head…," and she proceeded to knock his off…
He smirked and pulled out the lump of Kryptonite from the satchel. He held it straight out in front of her.
Kara stumbled halfway through her punch. She teetered back, gasped, and held her position with ready fists. Panting.
"Heheheheh," Metallo chuckled. "I make it a point to leave a woman breathless."
"Cheater!" she hissed.
"'Cheater'?! Pfft! Whose septuple-teaming who in this grand charade of heroism and villainy across this nation's heartland?!"
"After you leveled Cyborg and Beast Boy…forgive me if I'm not so sympathetic," Kara exclaimed.
"Oh!! So now you notice the damage I've so easily done to them! Tell me, my fair lady, were you born yesterday??"
"Occasionally…," Kara sweat and grunted.
"Well, take one step closer, Missy," Metallo waved the Kryptonite before her eyes and winked a robot eye. "And I'll make sure you die before tomorrow…"
Kara's blue eyes wandered the scene behind Metallo. And suddenly she realized the true nature of her odds. She smiled. "You're too fatalistic, Metallo."
"Perhaps I am. What does that make you?"
"A romantic," Kara blinked. She tilted her head up. "JORDAN!! NOW!!!"
SWOOOSH!! I materialized into a dive with Myrkblade swinging down from above.
CLANK!!!!!
I knocked Metallo's arm down.
He let out a cry and dropped the Kryptonite.
I spun and slashed the broadside of my blade across his face.
CLANG!!!!
His robot head spun and he teetered back through a row of beets and turnips.
I gritted my teeth and flew into his chest with the entire weight of my being. Together we tumbled through a throng of tomatoes. Red juice squirted out beneath us as we struggled. Finally, he kicked me off.
I flew through the air, flipped, impacted my body with the wooden support for the missing scarecrow, blurred, and snapped the structure apart as I sprung off, flipped, and sailed down at Metallo with my sword swinging down.
He raised both hands up and gripped the length of it.
CLANK!!!
I struggled to bring the blade down onto his torso and he struggled to push it back.
Kara watched from a distant, not daring to come too close or else she'd be made vulnerable by the Kryptonite.
Eventually, I blurred the length of my blade, turned it and my upper body into smoke form, and teleported through Metallo's body till I was lying down among radishes behind him. I lifted my feet up and reverse-kicked him in the rear.
CONG!!
"Augh! Dammit!" he stumbled forward and fell through two watermelons. SPLORCH!!! "Yechh!"
I jumped up, twirled Myrkblade, and ran towards him…stabbing down.
He rolled onto his back and lifted his legs.
THWUMP!!
I was vaulted over him.
I twirled in mid air, landed on my feet, and slid down a row of outrageously huge pumpkins.
Metallo was up on his feet and charging me.
I raised Myrkblade lengthwise and braced for impact.
THUD!!!!
Metallo's forearms impacted my sword. I gripped hard to Myrkblade as the two of us slid across the patch and smashed through a large pumpkin behind me.
SPLUNK!!!
We stumbled through an explosion of orange slime and seeds. I nearly slipped and fell, but instead I gripped onto Metallo's shoulder with a free hand and flipped myself over him. I came down—my back to his—and reverse jabbed with Myrkblade.
STAB!!!
He stumbled forward from my thrust.
I immediately spun around and slashed his feet with my blade.
CLANK!!!
He went airborn in a trip.
I spun and jabbed my leg out—kicking his airborn body across the patch and sailed it into a huge contest entry.
SPLORCH!!!!
Metallo sat up in a pool of shattered pumpkin parts and seedlings. He spat some slime out of his dry-metal mouth and glared up at me.
I took a deep breath, twirled Myrkblade, and charged him. He grabbed a handful of slime and slung it at my face.
SPLAT!!!
I skidded across the ground as orange muck covered my shades. I gritted my teeth and tried wiping it off---
WHUMP!!!
Metallo was suddenly kneeling and punching me in the gut.
I exhaled.
He shot up with an uppercut.
SMACK!!
I was sent flying back. I stumbled reversely into a wooden fence. THUMP!! I leaned against it, panting.
Metallo stood up, picked up a huge pumpkin, and held it effortlessly over his head.
"Hey Jack!" he cackled. "It's about time someone smashed you for a change!!" He growled and tossed the ridiculously large crop at me.
I lunged forward with a diagonal slash of my sword upwards.
SLIIIIINK!!!
The pumpkin exploded into shreds and parted from my slash.
Metallo was already lifting an even larger one over his head.
"Strike two!!" He was about to fling it when---
ZAAP!!!!!
A pair of heated laser beams flew in and exploded the pumpkin on the top of his grip. He was instantly covered with blinding orange shards, seeds, and slime.
"Aaaaugh!!"
I rushed forward and slashed Myrkblade hard across his chest.
CLANG!!!
He flew back and smashed through a wooden fence.
I looked back.
Kara stood far away on the sidelines. Her eyes returned from red to blue as she smiled at me. "Couldn't let you have all the credit!"
I smiled, gave her a thumb's up, and charged the downed metal man.
Metallo grumbled and started to stand up---
SMACK!!!
I kicked him back with my boot.
SWOOOSH-CLANK!!!
I struck him so hard with Myrkblade across the head, his whole body spun.
THWACK!!!
I struck the broad side of the blade into his chest.
He tumbled back into a patch of grass full of barrels of fresh-picked fruit. His limbs flailed and his body careened as he smashed through a barrel of apples. CRUNCH!!! He fell amidst a flurry of apple filling and juices.
I jumped down and mercilessly jabbed into his figure.
THUNK!!!
He let out a cry of surprise as my blade stuck into his metal skin.
Gritting my teeth and pulsing murk through my limbs, I lifted him up with a rush of smoke energy and flung him into three barrels full of peaches.
CRASH!!!
He tumbled amidst entrails of fruit. He stumbled up and swiveled around to face me as I came down from another slash.
SWIIIIIIIISH!!!
His mouth opened wide…and clamped shut on the tip of my blade.
CLANK!!!
"!!!!" my black eyes bulged. I was suddenly in the awkward position of attempting to yank my blade out from the mangy machine's jaws.
As his teeth kept firm to the wooden sword's tip, his eyes narrowed and the flesh-like half of his lips curved upwards. He jerked his head to the side with surprising strength.
The entire length of Myrkblade wobbled and I was tossed off and through a barrel of pears. SMASH!!!
I tumbled amidst splinters and fruity mess.
"PTOOIE!!!" Metallo spat my sword out and wiped his mouth. "Bad year for swords…bleahh…" He stood up, cracked his metal knuckles, and smirked. "Let's see how much of a man is in that boy of you." He rushed forward.
I struggled to my feet--
WHUMP!!!!
His fist sailed into my stomach.
I wheezed.
SMACK!!!
He elbowed me in the chin.
My mouth bled and I stumbled back.
GRIP!!! He took me by the metal arm, laughed, and swung me wildly over his shoulder and into the ground like a caveman's club.
WHAM!!!!
I formed a dent in the soft grass of the earth and winced in pain.
THWUMP!!!
He kicked me hard in the side.
I tumbled like a ragdoll over to the side of the wooden fence. I coughed and sputtered. I reached in vain for Myrkblade which was across the patch of grass and splintered barrels.
THUD!!!
His foot stood over my fleshy right hand.
I let out a silent breath of pain and winced. I looked up at him through sweat-stained shades.
He smiled and his eyes glowed threateningly down at me. "Something tells me you're disqualified from this competition, boys. I'll make sure the worms eat you long after you've rotted…"
"H-Hey!"
Metallo looked up. "Hello?"
Kara stood across the patch. Her eyes were thin, her mouth was parted, and her body was limply struggling to stay upright. She seemed almost on the verge of death or a coma. In her arm dangled a familiar satchel with an even more familiar lump inside of it.
"Go on…," she wheezed. "Take it…"
"Oh…now isn't this charming?" Metallo grinned wide. "Now that I have your worthless partner here nearly beaten to a pulp, you finally try to become a brave girl and save his hide!"
"I'm not trying to save his hide…," she hoarsely uttered. "I'm trying to save all these people's. You've got a nasty bomb strapped inside of you…and I don't want to piss you off anymore to the point you set it off…"
"Mmmmmm….oh yes!" Metallo smirked. "The hydrogen detonator." He smiled down at me. "That would be a rather nasty predicament, now wouldn't it?"
I wheezed.
He stepped off of me and loomed over towards Kara. "Now…darling…I commend you for doing the right thing. Though I do admit…I partially enjoyed this little romp through the gardens! I'd enjoy it even more through your headstones….but still, there're many years left to be living and killing all the same, right??"
"Just take it…," Kara was about to collapse.
Metallo snatched the satchel from her. He smiled and slung it over his shoulder. "You were born yesterday, weren't you child?!"
Kara wobbled in her place.
Metallo saluted. "A pleasant harvest to you lot. I intend to visit another day and reap what you sew!"
He tried his ankle rockets. They were back online.
"Live long and fester! HA!!" he zoomed off and soared towards the distant horizon.
I stood up, wincing, and hobbled over to Myrkblade. With a defeated sigh I looked apologetically over at Kara and hung my head.
"Jordan…," she walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Don't be so gloomy. You did the best you can."
I rolled my black eyes under my shades and kicked frustratingly at a clump of shattered watermelon.
Kara shrugged. "Very well. I suppose now we go home." She turned around and walked off. A beat. "Oh…be a good gentleman and pick up that Kryptonite for me, please?"
I gasped. I jolted and looked over at where she pointed. Indeed—in plain sight there rested the same clump of green rock that we had so passionately fought for. I looked at Kara and gestured like mad.
She hugged herself and looked over at me with a sly grin. "Whaaaat? I gave Metallo just what he needs! Just what he needs to stay wholesome and healthy!!"
I blinked…..my body shook….I started to laugh breathily, silently.
Kara brought a hand to her mouth and giggled insanely.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
In mid flight, Metallo smiled proudly.
As the Kansas landscape blurred underneath him, he casually reached a hand into his satchel to feel the reward of his endeavors---
His robot eyes widened.
"What?!?!"
He hovered to a stop in mid air and frantically opened the satchel wide in front of him.
"WHAT?!?!"
He reached his hand in deeper and pulled out a large clump of dark green brussels sprouts.
His flesh and metal lips quivered. "N-No….," he dropped the green vegetables and shook angrily. "No!!" He tilted his floating body up to the sky and growled. "NOOOOO!!!!!"
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
Kara and I ran down a dirt road from the country fair.
I had a new satchel hanging from my scabbard as I blurred into a murk-charged sprint and Kara flew overhead.
The two of us were still snickering like gleeful schoolchildren.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
Back at the country fair, the sun was setting. A large group of happy, chattering locals were walking over towards the fenced-in gardens.
A community spokesperson walked backwards in front of them, smiling and gesturing to the group. "Wasn't that lottery exciting?! Mr. Redford and his family will be blessed indeed! And now, folks! For the moment you've all been waiting for! The Smallville Farming Joy Contest—"
His words trailed off as he heard gasps of shock from the crowd.
"????" the man twirled around. His eyes went as wide as the others.
The scene before them was a warzone of smashed contests entries. Exploded pumpkins, shredded watermelons, squashed tomatoes, and overturned and smashed barrels of fruits galore.
Slowly…gradually…a siren-like wail of pain and mourning erupted from the northernmost part of town….
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
At sundown, the T-Car was zooming down a dirt road. Robin was at the wheel. Cyborg had himself hooked up to the dashboard via flashy cords and conduit cables. Beast Boy sat in the back of the vehicle with an ice pack to his head.
"Well….I'll say this much," Cyborg managed a smirk. "Our vacation has never been funner!"
"Nnnnngh," Beast Boy moaned. "Why couldn't I have been an armadillo when he last hit me?! Elven skulls are toooooo soft!"
"Man…what're you complaining about?! It's just a bump on the head!"
"Dude! I'm a fragile being! When I'm in my normal form, I'm built for wooing the ladies not wooing the fist of some big bucket of bolts!!"
"Keep in good spirits," Robin at the wheel said. "This night isn't over."
Beast Boy whined. "Is isn't?! Why?!"
"There are still two more major pieces of Kryptonite to be found."
"Remember, B.B.?" Cyborg said. "Johnson's Recreational Park and Jacob's Plaza."
"Can't we do that tomorrow?"
"There's no time to waste…," Robin said. "And speaking of which…."
He pulled out a communicator with a free hand and spoke into it while driving. "Raven. Are you and Starfire close?"
"We're there."
"Well allright!" Cyborg smiled.
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
In Downtown Smallville, Raven stood on a sidewalk besides Jacob's Plaza and spoke into the communicator. It was dark and only the single light of a lamppost illuminated her figure. The street behind her was empty…save for the lone figure of Starfire struggling to pop open a manhole cover.
"We think we've zeroed in on the Kryptonite. It's just in front of the plaza. Probably in the sewer system."
"Is Starfire with you?"
Raven sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yes, Robin. We're both working on this together. We're both fine. How are you?"
"Could be in better shape. Metallo gave us a beating like we had lunch money the size of the Swiss Bank accounts. But we can't complain. Just minutes ago, Supergirl radioed in and told us that she and Noir chased down Metallo and got the Kryptonite back."
Raven made a face. "Just how was that accomplished?"
"I dunno. But they did it. They're heading back to the Kents' now to hide away the Kryptonite from both the Brendersons' and the August River."
"Well…we already got the stuff from the Interstate," Raven said, momentarily glancing at Starfire's struggle with the manhole cover. "After we sweep this stuff away under the cover of night, we'll swing back by the Kents'. Do you need any assistance?"
"No. I think we'll be fine in the Park. There's still three of us……more or less. Though Beast Boy could use some aspirin."
"Dude! Tylenol!"
"Or that."
"Well…whatever you do…be on the lookout for Intergang and company," Raven said.
"Most definitely. But something tells me we've given them quite enough of a beating today. We may have to worry about them more tomorrow. Will you two be okay?"
CLANG!!!
"EEEK!! Starfire jumped back and covered her head as she inadvertently lifted the manhole cover up with a jerk. The round, metal object flew into the air and slammed down through a parked car across the street.
SMASH!!!
The car alarm wailed.
Raven sweatdropped. "We're just toasty."
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
"Over and out…"
Robin held the communicator still and glanced back at the other Titans.
"Looks like this day is slowly coming to a close."
"Can we sleep already?" Beast Boy whined.
"Sit tight, B.B.," Cyborg said. He was getting revitalized by the charge of energy supplied to him through the cables from the dashboard. "Just one more stop and we're back to the barn!"
"Oh how luscious…"
"Think Noir and Supergirl should give us a hand?" Cyborg eyed Robin. "Or just chill?"
"Hmmm…," Robin eyed the road while cruising ahead. "Lemme get back to you on that…"
-T-T-T-T-T-T-
I was just finishing tucking away the kryptonite under the bails of hay in the barn's far corner when the communicator chimed. I turned from where I squatted and eyed Kara near the entrance to the barn.
She flipped the communicator open with a Star Trek sound and uttered: "Girl of Steel Hotline. Is this a clean phone call?"
"Hey Kara. Robin here. Got it all hidden?"
"What? The Kryptonite or my pride?"
"Door Number One."
"Yup! Signed, sealed, delivered…it's ours!"
I smirked and walked over, dusting my hands off.
"Well, the two of you hang out for a little while."
Kara raised an eyebrow. "'Hang out'?"
"The way things are turning out, we're gonna have the last of the Kryptonite in a matter of an hour or two. Just sit tight and we'll be back to rendezvous at the farm!"
"Hehehe!" Beast Boy's voice entered into the fray. "Just be good, kids! We don't need any littler kids anytime soon!"
"Man! Leave him alone for once!!"
"Ack! Cy! Don't grab me there!! I'm still bruised!"
"Eww! I'm not grabbing you! I'm just trying to shut you up—"
"Hey! Don't distract my driving!!"
"Why're you paying attention to begin with, Rob—"
SNAP!!
Kara flipped the communicator closed and smirked at me. "Your friends are wyrd."
I nodded with a sigh.
"Come on inside," she motioned as she sauntered over towards the distant house. "I bet you're dying for something to drink!"
The thought of lemonade wafted happily into my brain….among other things.
I smiled slightly and closed the huge barn door with some effort behind us.