The DCFuture Underground Fan Fiction Group acknowledges that DC Comics owns the name Damage and ALL DC-created characters and retains complete rights to said characters. These concepts are used WITHOUT permission for NO PROFIT, but rather a strong desire to peer into the future of the DCU. We also acknowledge that the concepts and original characters introduced here are the intellectual property of the author. ** The events in this issue take place WELL before And Justice For All issue #7 College. Why do people go? To get an education, a job, get away from Mom and Dad, or avoid the real world for four to nine years. Many people actually go , at least in part, to learn about their place in the world. Fine, you go to college, and spend the occasional late night discussing God, morality, your favorite philosopher (that you've read one chapter on, thereby making you an expert), sex and cars. You come away feeling you know who you are. Well, what happens if, years later, everything about who you thought you were is in question? Isn't it obvious? Go back to college. Damage DCF LS Issue 5 "Back to School" Written by Oliver Kiemschies Edited by Jason Tippitt Introduction : Problem Solving June 4, 2112 -- 7:00 a.m. Smith Towers Dormitory, Room 1209 Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio Keith Douglas was trying to work one more physics problem before he ran off for breakfast. His roommate, Mark Salvi, was doing the same with Molecular Genetics. Both of them had finals approaching. The last roommate was still sleeping. Keith calmly closed his book, after a complete failure at his last problem. "Did you know a significant number of physicists who studied Statistical Mechanics, or Thermal Dynamics ended up committing suicide?" "Really?" "Yes, really. After the past months of this class, I've come to a conclusion about the early demise of these men." "What would that conclusion be?" "Good riddance." The final roommate came through the study area on his way from the bedroom to the bathroom. "God, it's impossible to sleep with the overwhelming stench of stupidity pouring out from this room." "Morning to you too, Dick." "Richard!" yelled Richard Dynin as he entered the bathroom. "God, he's such a jerk," complained Mark "You know, there is that rule about what happens if your roommate dies during the term." "You mean that if your roommate dies you get A's for the term?" They both looked at each other for a moment. "Killing him would require us to touch him." Both men frowned and returned to their class work. Chapter 1: It Takes Two Ross-Tech Labs, Penthouse Cleveland, Ohio "Report!" Duane Smithson barked out to a disheveled technician. "J6, or Big Jack, as we've been calling him, is as ready as he'll ever be." "You don't sound very confident." "It's the invulnerability issue, sir. He has class A strength, he's as strong as a Superman or a Brahma. His invulnerability is, at best, a B+." "Even with the cybernetics?" "Even with the cybernetics, *and* further genetic manipulations. Perhaps if we still had the template..." A chill ran down the technician's spine as he realized his verbal error. "Sorry to inconvenience you," Smithson said coldly. "Uh, well, with his strength at a level greater than his invulnerability, if he uses his strength to its full capacity, he could injure himself. If he punches someone too hard, he could rip his arm out of its socket. He has, however, been training on how to keep his strength reined in. We've even installed alarms in his cybernetics to alert him in the event of over-exertion." "Fine, consider him hereby commissioned. Send in Iron Jack on your way out." The technician quickly exited the office, and Iron Jack entered. "When are you going to give me a second chance at him?" "My, we're anxious, aren't we?" "I want him, Father; I want his life." "I'm sending you on a mission." "Am I going after him?" "The plan is for him to show up." "Another attempt to flush him out." "Yes, but this time there is more of purpose to this mission. It's an experiment. You want his life. He's a scientist. Well, now you get to do an experiment." "As long as he's the lab rat." Duane Smithson smiled. The manipulation and programming worked perfectly. Damage had a life, a normal life, with parents, a wife, child, and a career. He had all the things Iron Jack wanted. That much was truth. Convincing Iron Jack that Damage stood between him and his dreams was the result of subtle manipulations. "Your mission is twofold. The second part of which is the experiment." Duane Smithson activated a holographic projector in his desk. A three-dimensional image of a green rock appeared floating over Duane's desk. "I'll give you three guesses as to what this is." "It's a green rock." "Oh, come now; what particular green rock might be of interest to us in regards to Damage?" "Kryptonite." "Exactly. Based on one of your family's genetic donors, there is a chance it will have some kind of effect on him." "What about on me?" "Not likely. Based on your multiple and overlapping invulnerabilities, we expect you to be unaffected." "Why haven't you ever tested Kryptonite on him before?" "Samples of Kryptonite aren't given out when you open a new checking account. The Justice League still keeps careful control over the few samples that exist. About 5 grams have been released to a xeno-mineralogy expert at Ohio State University. Your job is to steal this sample, while being messy enough to attract the attention of your friend." "I don't get it. Won't there be Justice League security?" "There will be a security contingent, but you'll be taking some additional muscle with you." "Not Big Jack! He's not ready yet." Duane Smithson was taken aback by Iron Jack's tone. He was aware of reports regarding the developing friendship between the two. Though it was unexpected, both men's loyalties were still above reproach. Besides, the friendship could be a parameter for future manipulation. "I've declared him ready. The Justice League security team is one of the weakest sent to guard Kryptonite in some time. This will provide us with the best opportunity to acquire a sample thus far. There's a League squad leader from Metropolis named Obsidian; he's one of those armor types. There's also yet another Justice League cyborg. They must get a bulk discount on bionics." "It's almost like they *want* it to be stolen." Duane Smithson paused. Could that be true? No, Justice would never allow such a valuable be stolen. "Even the best make mistakes. The continued existence of Patriot is proof of that." "You said the mission is twofold. What's the other part?" Duane leaned back in his chair. "There is a man named Professor Alverez." "What's he a professor of?" "It doesn't matter to you. All you have to do is kill him." *** Headquarters of Horse The Southern Outskirts of Cleveland, Ohio Don Dawson walked up the stairs and walked through the public work area of his allies in Horse. "Ah, yes... the Horse-Team, hard at work in the Horse-Cave. How is my favorite corporate espionage/sabotage/super-hero... whatever team?" "Don, what brings you here?" greeted Todd. "Jack wanted to meet me. Is he around?" "He's with Teri in the workshop. I think he's working on some kind of flight pack that will work with her powers." "Don, I thought I heard you. Could I ask you a favor?" asked Metallo as he waked into the room. "Sure, what's up, oh-silvery-one?" Without a word, Metallo walked toward, and began to walk THROUGH Don. The liquid metal portion of his body enveloped Don, and the solid components flowed over him on the outside. Finally Metallo was behind him, and continued on, exiting the room. Don stood perfectly still. "Well, that's something you don't see everyday," commented David. "Let's..." Don said, breaking his silence, "let's never speak of this again." *** Workshop of Horse Jack and Teri sat looking at a tan ceramic back-pack on Jack's workstation. "So, let's go over this again. You're only *mostly* line of sight, power-wise?" questioned Jack. "Yes. If something is really near me, I don't have to see it, but it has to be right on top of me." "Or right on your back." "Right." "Well, this works on that principle. It's just a ceramic frame with various valves and chambers." "And by heating up the air in certain chambers, the air expands, producing thrust." "Correct." "Sounds like it will take some time getting used to." "I've seen you throw your heat around. You can be quite surgical." "Would-be Justice League academy class of 2113. Only the best training a fascist-controlled economy can provide." "Jack-O, how's the superhero biz?" "Hi, Don," Jack replied without even looking up. "Dawson," chimed in Teri. Teri looked up at Don. "Uh, Dawson are you feeling okay?" Jack looked up. "Too much yellow Metallo." "What?" "Hey, Jack-O, how's the... what the hell?!" commented Don as he walked into the room, and stood behind an almost exact duplicate of himself. "Sorry, too much sodium," commented the discolored version of Don. He began to morph and change color, until the familiar form of Metallo stood among them. "What do you think you're doing?" asked an angry Don. "I've been experimenting with human forms. The shapes are easy to maintain, but the pigment is a bit difficult." Metallo morphed again into a silver-colored human form. "This one is rather comfortable." "I like it," contributed Teri. "It's like a little bit of Jack, a little bit of Tim Drake II, some Hourman, and a little former Senator Schwarzenegger." "I see the Schwarzenegger." commented Don. Chapter 2: How Things Work Ohio State University Gilmore Physics Lab Lecture Room 317 Professor William Durkin's Xeno-Mineralogy Class "Radioactive Decay. Element X decays into Element Y at some predetermined rate. Sometimes this happens on miniscule time scales." The professor reached behind the podium and withdrew a clear canister with a very small fragment of a green glowing rock. "Usually these parameters are determined on a nuclear scale. The Californium decides when the Californium is going to decay, or the Fermium decides when the Fermium is going to decay. Well, in one strange substance -- this substance," he said, indicating the canister, "these parameters are affected by the molecular matrix in which it resides. Certain trace elements are in this substance that, on their own, would exist only for seconds. Somehow, this crystalline structure... Whoops." The professor pressed a button on his podium and activated an illuminated view of a complex molecular structure behind him. "This structure is self-stabilizing. It's kind of the opposite of a nuclear chain reaction. It's a chain stabilization. Just the right amount of, say, Californium, and Nobelium exists. When one begins decaying, during the first fractions of a instant of that decay, the radioactive byproducts, are channeled, through the matrix, just properly to stabilize some other element. The first element's decay is also slowed, but not stopped, by some third decaying element, and so on and so on. "In this mineral, this is occurring for dozens of elements. One of the results of this is the fascinating radiation that is produced. If the radiation produced from a standard element's decay is thought of as a musical note, the radiation produced from this mineral is a symphony. It has a wide range of many different frequencies of radiation. "There are also beta and gamma particles of a wide range of energies. Just as classical symphonies are still analyzed today, we are still finding new beat frequencies produced by this amazingly stable substance." One of the more brazen students in the front row raised his hand to question the professor. "But, Professor, that seems impossible. You'd need just the right combination of elements, brought together under perfect conditions, for this chain reaction... sorry, chain stabilization, to work. What are the odds this could happen in nature?" "Well, nature has actually been far more successful than mankind at producing a stable sample, and nature has only done so in one known case in the entire universe." "What is this mineral called, Professor?" "Kryptonite." A student in the back wearing dark sunglasses raised his hand for the first time that year. The professor had noticed the man before. Today he was wearing flip flops, and a new, very popular T-shirt. It was emblazoned with the Justice League emblem and a naked women looking outward from behind it; the emblem was hiding many of her socially unacceptable body parts. Under the emblem and the woman were the words, "Fight Injustice Naked!" 'I can't believe Justice would allow that shirt to be licensed,' thought the professor, not knowing the incredible royalties the League raked in from this merchandise. "Professor?" "Yes, Mister... Dailey, is it?" "Professor, why does lead hurt Daxamites?" *** Ohio State University Goodman Molecular Genetics Lab Office of Professor Jason Alverez Professor Alverez was reading his infotainment service posts about recent developments in Cleveland. He was saving the files about Damage's exploits when a note in the obituary section caught his attention. ............................................................ Mathematics Genius Dead at 40 Professor Jacob Kiemschies died while attempting his first bungee jump.... ............................................................ Professor Alverez reached into his desk and withdrew a pad of paper with the names Arnold Jasper, Richard Clark, Jacob Kiemschies, and Jason Alverez. The first two names were crossed out, and now he crossed the third. "Computer, post message marked `Note to Jack' to the listed digital classifieds. Add keywords JACK, Ross-Tech, and Family." He looked outside his window. "I have my sources, too, Duane. I know your men are already on their way. Only one thing left to do." He withdrew a small pill from his pocket. "God, I hope I'm not too old for this to work." He swallowed the pill. For a moment, nothing happened. Finally, he began to shake, a little at first, and then gradually more. Soon he slumped over his desk. And moved no more. Within ten minutes Iron Jack entered the room, walked over to Professor Alverez's body, and felt for a pulse. "Damn, that was an easy job," he commented, and left the room. *** Ohio State University Gilmore Physics Lab Office of Professor William Durkin A man in shiny black armor watched over professor Durkin as he placed the Kryptonite into its containment chamber. Standing behind them was a cyborg with the designation Unit 6/23B on its chest. "I can't believe we let you take that into your classroom, Professor." "Obsidian, my friend, if this little miracle can't stimulate young minds, I don't know what can." "Well, at least it's safe now." Somewhere, the God of Irony smirked. Through his office window, Professor Durkin saw a man curled into a ball, hurtling toward his office. Obsidian didn't have time to ask why the professor suddenly ducked under his desk, before the exterior wall to his office exploded inward. As Obsidian attempted to draw his weapon, Iron Jack fired on the Leaguer and the cyborg. Many small projectiles sunk into the black armor and the cyborg's body. Arcs of electricity connected each of the projectiles, and both the suit of armor and the cyborg began to vibrate at a rate that robbed both Leaguers of the ability to stand. Iron Jack walked around the desk to where William Durkin was hiding, clutching the jar of Kryptonite. "Hand over the rock, Doc." "Jack?" asked the confused professor. Before he could take the sample, Iron Jack was struck by the beam of an energy weapon, knocking him into the professor's book case. Iron Jack looked back and saw the cyborg, kneeling, with his weapon drawn. Small puffs of smoke emanated from where the projectiles had been embedded. "B.J., where are you?" Iron Jack demanded into a communicator. A larger version of Iron Jack leapt into the room from the hole in the wall, landing next to Unit 6/23B. "Sorry, I didn't make it on the first two jumps." Before the cyborg could analyze the new opponent, Big Jack struck Unit 6/23B with an upper-cut, sending it through the ceiling. This exchange gave Obsidian time to partially recover from the vibratory attack. He drew his ebony sword and swung it at Big Jack, as best he could while still impaired. The sword made only light contact, but it was enough to open a gash across Big Jack's chest. "OUCH!" screamed Big Jack. "Yyyooouuu bbbiiiggg bbbaaabbbyyy, Iii bbbaaarrreeelllyyy tttooouuuccchhheeeddd yyyooouuu," Obsidian chattered. Finally Obsidian's armor was able to burn out the unique weapon with which he was attacked. Obsidian stood and brandished his sword at the big man clutching his chest. "Now we end..." he attempted to say until Iron Jack crashed into his back. "Leave him alone!" shouted Iron Jack as the force of impact carried both of them through the hole in the wall. Once outside, Iron Jack released Obsidian, allowing him to fall to the pavement. A fire hydrant burst upon impact, sending a gusher into the area. "Perfect," Iron Jack muttered as he hovered over the area. He withdrew what appeared to be a flare gun from one of his many holsters. He pulled the trigger and fired a large cylinder at the drenched leaguer. The water began to turn red and thicken. Soon the leader of Justice League Squad #23 was enveloped in a thick gelatinous material that slowed all movement to a crawl. "There's always room for Jell-O," Iron Jack quipped to himself. He returned to the office to see Unit 6/23B had returned and was now engaging Big Jack in hand-to-hand combat. The dents over the cyborg's body demonstrated who was winning. "Please, just leave me alone!" shouted Big Jack, as he struck the cyborg in a metallic portion of his head. The strength of the blow was enough to severally dent his head and send Unit 6/23B, after his fellow Leaguer, out the hole in the wall. When he landed on his goo-encrusted comrade, he, too, became enveloped in the slop. Back inside Big Jack massaged his hand. "Too hard, that hurt." "You gotta be careful, B.J.," Iron Jack commented with concern. He walked back over to the professor's desk, but when he looked behind it, the man was no longer hiding there. "Damn, he got away. He can't have gotten far. We've got to go after him, and remember, *don't* be discreet; we're trying to attract someone's attention." Chapter 3: Homecoming Dance 50 Miles outside of Columbus Atop a 500 mph super-train speeding towards Columbus Teri fought off another wave of nausea. Four days ago this man was her enemy. Now Damage's powers were all that stood between her and... there was that nausea again. Jack held her in front of him, and held them both to the train telekinetically, hovering just a few feet above the train. Neat trick, or at least it would be if it weren't so easy to tell Jack was straining to do this. Still, it wasn't the danger that made Teri sick. Between growing up in the slums of Chicagoland and years of Justice League training, brushes with death didn't bother her much. Her trouble was with the bugs that kept smashing into her protective helmet. She was burning off the remains of a particularly juicy mosquito when she saw the Columbus skyline rapidly approaching. Jack and Teri began to drift farther away from the train. "Hey! You flying on your own now?" Teri asked over her radio. "Coasting is more like it. We'll be at the university in no time." Jack made telekinetic coarse corrections using his momentum to get to the university. "So, who is this Professor Alverez?" "I don't know, but he posted a message all over the classifieds that was meant for me." "So why not call him? Why the big hurry to get here." "Because the message also said he was going to kill himself right after he sent it out." "Do you think you'll be in time?" Teri asked, as she removed her helmet. "No" "A bit pessimistic for a superhero, aren't we?" "The message said, I should hurry, but it also said he'd be dead by the time I got there." "You lost me." "He also said, if he was lucky he'd talk to me afterwards." "Is that some kind of veiled threat?" "It didn't sound like one." "So which building is he... was he in?" "Goodman Molecular Genetics Lab, south side of campus." "Good, so then that building on the north side of campus, with a hole in it and pile of red goo outside, has nothing to do with us. We can ignore it." Jack looked north. "Crap," he said. "Figured as much," Teri said as they arced north. They finally came to a halt beside the trapped leaguers. "6/24B! Damn, do they get some kind of discount?" shouted Jack. "Obsidian?" Teri asked. "You recognize him?" "Yeah, he taught one of my classes at the lunar academy." "Well, I am *not* freeing the cyborg. Do you want to free the armor guy?" Teri leaned toward the gelatin. "Do you think they can hear us?" "I don't know." "Hey, Teach, remember that C- you gave me in military history? I'm sure someone will eventually free you." *** Ohio State University A hallway Inside the Gilmore Physics Lab Iron Jack was watching a beeping display on his PAD, while Big Jack followed behind. They stopped outside a janitor's closet. "I know you're in there, Doc; the energy trail ends here." There was no response. After a few moments, Iron Jack opened the door. Inside, there was a glass jar with a green glowing rock on the floor and an air vent with a missing grating, but no Professor Durkin. "Doc? Oh, Doc?" He held his PAD to the rock. "Thanks for the rock," he said to the air. "Tell you what, we'll give you a pass this time." He removed the rock from the jar and held it to the light. "Ouch. Put that thing away, it's giving me a headache," said Big Jack, flinching away from the rock. Iron Jack put the Kryptonite in a lead-lined pouch. "Have a nice day, Professor," he said to the empty room. *** Office of Professor William Durkin "This was Professor Durkin's lab," said Damage, surveying the wreckage. "You knew him?" Fever asked. "Yeah, I was a teaching assistant for his xeno-mineralogy class." "If I remember, you had the potential to be one of my best students," said a voice from a fume exhaust hood. Damage telekinetically yanked the grating from the exhaust and pulled the man from the vent. "Professor Durkin?" "Does he have anything to do with Professor Alverez?" asked Fever. "Professor Alverez," asked a voice from the doorway, "what do you want with Professor Alverez?" "Isn't it funny that when you hear your voice coming from your clone, you don't sound like you think you do?" Damage said. "He's mine!" shouted Teri. She shot a volley of fire balls at the man in the doorway. The fire balls struck Iron Jack, but had no effect. "I shave with hotter than that, cutie. She's mine; B.J., you take Damage." Iron Jack flew from his place and struck Fever, knocking her to the floor. Damage reached for Iron Jack in an attempt to help Teri, but was pulled back by a powerful hand. Damage turned to see who had stopped him, and was quite surprised to see a larger version of himself. "I'm really sorry," was all Damage heard before a powerful fist struck him, knocking him outside and creating another hole in Professor Durkin's wall. "B.J., you'd better not have killed him; we were supposed to test the rock on him." "Sorry, I'll go after him," said Big Jack as he jumped through one of the holes in the wall. "I'll be right there after I finish her." "Not as easy as you think," Teri said. She unleashed her heat powers, causing the floor around him to blacken. The Electro-net fire protection system activated, filling the room with a fine gray power. "I don't think that..." Suddenly the floor beneath him gave way from the heat damage. "Damn!" he yelled as the tumbled to the floor below. He quickly dug himself from the wreckage, but Fever was nowhere to be found. *** Outside *** Damage lay on the ground moaning. He was barely able to perceive the shadow looming over him. "Uh... you're not dead or anything, are you? I've never killed anyone before. I mean, I know I'm supposed to and all... I just never... I'd rather not..." "Who are you?" Damage managed to ask. "Good, you're not dead; we were just supposed to test you." "That's enough, B.J!" shouted a voice approaching them from the air. "Sorry, I said too much; I'm just a big dummy!" "Hey, it's okay; he'll know what we're up to soon enough." Damage pulled himself to his knees. "Oh great, I'm back at school five minutes, and I'm facing a test already; do you at least give partial credit?" quipped Damage. "Back away, B.J." Big Jack backed off as Damage finally made it to his feet. "Oh, hell, what now?" *** 20 feet away, beside the trapped Justice Leaguers: *** Fever made her way to the trapped Leaguers, keeping them between her and the fighting Jacks. Using her abilities, she melted much of the goo from Obsidian's head. "Alright, Obsidian, I've had a little change of heart. I might let you out. You, not the tin can. I have a feeling I know who put you here, and we could use a hand with them. If I let you out, do you promise to play nice?" "Do they still have the Kryptonite?" "Krypto-what... oh, crap." *** 20 Feet away: *** Big Jack was crouching behind a rock. Damage unloaded on Iron Jack with optic blasts as he advanced, unscathed. "You're wasting your time, and you know it." "You're right," admitted a depleted Damage. "Alright, hit me with what you got." Iron Jack reached into one of his pouches, and withdrew the small green rock. Damage immediately doubled over. "What is that? It hurts like hell!" "It's Kryptonite. Perhaps you've heard of it? So this is the test. How is this affecting you? You're obviously in lots of pain. Do you feel its energy filling you're cells? Are you beginning to feel weak?" Much to Iron Jack's surprise, Damage stood up again. "Actually, I'm not really feeling weak at all. There's lots of pain, but I'm actually feeling quite strong. As a matter of fact, I'm feeling stronger than I ever have." Before Iron Jack could blink, Damage cleared the distance between them and struck him with the force of a locomotive on steroids. Iron Jack skidded for roughly a hundred yards, before coming to a stop with his head firmly entrenched in the base of a statue of a past university dean. "What do you know?" commented Damage. He looked at the Kryptonite he had snatched from Iron Jack as he struck him. "Doesn't that hurt you?" asked Big Jack from behind the rock. Damage focused an optic blast on the rock, and it exploded in a shower of pebbles. Big Jack fell backwards. "I'm sorry, I never wanted to hurt you. I guess you're gonna kill me now." Damage could sense Big Jack was being honest. "Hey, don't worry, big guy; I don't want to hurt you, either. It's just, well, your friend doesn't have my best intentions in mind." "He's coming." Damage turned and saw Iron Jack speeding through the air towards him. He stopped in midair and began to open fire on Damage with a plasma pistol. Damage leapt into the air, so far unharmed. Iron Jack flew backwards, trying to keep distance between himself and Damage. "Why won't you go down?" Damage flew higher until he finally caught up with the backpedaling Iron Jack. "You're not supposed to stand up to that kind of weapon fire!" He looked down, and saw how high they were. "And you're not supposed to be able to fly this high." Damage drew back a fist. "And I'm not supposed to hit this hard." Two things filled Iron Jack's mind as Damage's fist made contact with his face. First. "So this is what pain is. It's not all that bad." Second. "Is it just my imagination, or is he looking a little green?" Iron Jack flew backwards at a rate that far exceeded his own flight powers. The sight of his arms and legs flailing out in front of him almost made him laugh. As his trajectory arced higher, he noted casually how much farmland there still is around here. The slight twinge of pain he felt had already passed. Damage watched as the image Iron Jack grew smaller in the distance. "How the hell *did* I get up here?" Damage asked himself as he looked down. He felt around himself with his telekinesis. Slowly it dawned on Jack that he was pulling on space itself. He pulled himself along the virtual nothingness. As he gained confidence, he began to dive and loop. "This is great!" he yelled as he swooped towards Big Jack. "Gosh, it looks like fun. I wish I could fly. Hey, Mister, why are you turning green?" replied the slow-witted Big Jack. "Freeze!" yelled Obsidian as he pointed his sword toward Big Jack. "Where is the Kryptonite?" he questioned. "Iron Jack had it." He looked up at the swooping green man. "I don't think he has it anymore, though." "He's not supposed to be able to do that," Obsidian and Fever said together. "Why is he green?" Fever added. "I'd assume that's the Kryptonite Professor Durkin told me about." The trio turned and saw Professor Durkin coming toward them helping another man along. "I found your Professor Alverez," Durkin said. Professor Durkin laid Professor Alverez on the ground near the trio. "I'm glad you're not dead," said Big Jack with a genuine smile. "Actually he was," corrected Durkin, "but he got better." "Not much, though," corrected Professor Alverez. The professor began a wild coughing fit. Finally, painfully, he continued to speak. "The plan was to fake my own death to get Smithson off my trail. Unfortunately, the drug I took is not very dependable. I'm afraid I'm not doing very well." "Did you say it's the Kryptonite that's making him that strong?" asked Obsidian. "I'd expect, but it's doing more than making him strong. The Kryptonian in him is what's reacting to the unique energies. Several of his other parents were energy absorbers. It's possible that allows him to process the energy, giving him the boost." "Neat! That's without the Kryptonian genetic structure being damaged, right?" continued Fever. "Wrong. Kryptonite is a killer to the Kryptonian genome. Also, all indications are that his cell structure isn't suited to handle this energy level. If he holds on to it much longer, the Kryptonite will burn out his cells and kill him." "He did say it hurt," said Big Jack. "So Kryptonite hurt Superman, weakened him, and eventually killed him. As where, for Jack, it hurts him, strengthens him, and eventually kills him." "Correct." "We've got to stop him," Teri said. "That might not be so easy. At this point, I'm sure the energy is affecting his mind." "So how do we get him to give the Kryptonite up?" asked Fever. They all looked simultaneously at the trapped Unit 6/23B. *** 'This would be perfect,' thought Jack, 'if it weren't for that damn ringing in my head. It just keeps getting worse.' "Jack Ordway, alias Damage, cease now and return the Kryptonite fragment," shouted an approaching voice. He turned to see Unit 6/23B, hovering behind him via jet pack. Damage struck the cyborg atop his head, driving him out of the sky, and into the ground up to his chest. "Nope, that didn't go very smoothly," commented Fever. Jack raced downward and struck Unit 6/23B with his feet, and drove him into the ground up to machine-man's chin. "Should I punt?" yelled Jack. "Jack, you have to give the Kryptonite back!" yelled Fever. "Are you crazy? Do you know how powerful I am? I could get back my family. I could teach the Justice League a lesson. Hey, why am I green?" "It's killing you, son," said Professor Alverez. He then began another coughing fit, this time not stopping until he had spat up a great deal of blood. "Who are you?" asked Jack, as he approached him. "I'm one of your creators, Jack. Dr. Arnold Jasper, Dr. Richard Clark, Professor Jacob Kiemschies. We sort of created you, Jack." Jack leaned over him. "I've got to get you to a doctor." "It shouldn't have worked. The matrix shouldn't have been self-replicating. Do you know what a kluge is? You know, when you just slap something together, ad-hoc, and it actually works. We just wanted a matrix to hold together all the different genetic codes we had collected. We never thought the matrix would act like a genetic code itself. That's why it was so tough to make others," he said looking at Big Jack. "We shouldn't have been able to make the first." Professor Alverez began another coughing fit. He smiled at Jack. "Some of the best children weren't planned." He reached up and touched Jack's cheek. "Just... another... crazy... kluge," he said before he lost consciousness. "Is he dead?" Big Jack asked. "No," said Teri, feeling his pulse, "he's just unconscious. We've got to get him to a hospital." "I can get him there in a second. I'll give the Kryptonite back there." "No, you have to give it back now," insisted Obsidian. "You jerk! I have to save this man's life!" shouted Jack. "He's right, Jack; you can't hold on to that stuff for another instant," pleaded Fever. "Jack, some residual energy should stay behind in your cells for a while longer," added Professor Durkin. "You can use that up getting him to the hospital as fast as you can." Jack reluctantly handed the Kryptonite to Fever. She clenched it in her fist. "Thanks, Jack." "Hand it over," Obsidian commanded. "Fine, I don't want the damn thing anyway," she said as she handed it over to the Leaguer. Damage scooped up Professor Alverez. "Alright, I'm out of..." he was cut off by a plasma bolt to the back. Damage swayed, but did not fall. He turned to see Iron Jack brandishing his plasma pistol. "No, leave him alone!" yelled Big Jack as he placed himself between Iron Jack and Damage. "I don't want us to kill him; I don't want us to kill anyone." "But Father ordered us..." "*He's* our father," Big Jack said, indicating the unconscious Professor Alverez. *** Ross-Tech Labs, Penthouse Cleveland, Ohio Duane Smithson sat in his office, monitoring the exchange via equipment in Iron Jack's uniform. He was displeased. "This has gone on long enough," he said to himself. He opened a black control panel on his desk. "J2 was developing too much loyalty to the imbecile, anyway; best nip it in the bud." He pressed a red button on the black control panel. *** In front of the Gilmore Physics Lab Ohio State University Big Jack immediately fell over. Wisps of smoke streamed from his ears. Teri dropped to her knees and began to feel for a pulse. "Nothing." "B.J.?" asked Iron Jack, landing beside his friend. "There's no pulse." "I've got to get him to a hospital." "Listen, I've still got a little of the Kryptonite boost left; I can probably fly faster than you. I'll take the big guy, and I'll pull you with me, but you'll have to take Professor Alverez." "Jack, are you crazy? He was trying to kill the professor!" exclaimed Fever. "He can't carry Big Jack. If he wants help with his friend, he'll have to play nice." "I'm afraid nobody's going anywhere!" announced Obsidian. "You're all Justice League prisoners." Simultaneously Fever, and Iron Jack fired their various powers or weapons at the armored Leaguer. He fell, but still stirred. "You'll need to do more than that." Damaged focused his Kryptonite-charged mental reset on Obsidian, tying his mental processes into knots. His life flashed before his eyes, but in complete disorder. He remembered when he first drove a car, but it occurred while he still wore diapers. He remembered his first meeting with Justice, only couldn't understand why it was at his senior prom. Why was his first day in Metropolis yesterday? Why did he learn calculus *after* multiplication? The disarray was too much for his poor brain to take, so it simply shut off. It would check back in a day or two, to see if everything was okay by then. He fell to the ground and no longer interfered with Jack. Iron Jack suddenly grabbed the side of left side of his head. He cried out in agony but did not fall. Wisps of smoke came from his left ear. "What's happening?" exclaimed Iron Jack. "I'd say someone's disappointed in your and your partner's loyalties," said Jack. Iron Jack angrily ripped the monitor electronics from his jumpsuit. "Let's go," he said in a resolute tone. "I'll meet you at the train station!" added Teri. Damage and Iron Jack lifted off with the injured men. Fever and Professor Durkin watched the men fly off. Fever walked over to Obsidian and removed the Kryptonite from the lead-lined pouch in which he carried it. "If I broke off a piece, do you think they'd miss it?" "I hope not," replied Professor Durkin as he withdrew a lead-lined pouch from his own pocket and pulled out a small fragment of the Kryptonite. "We could just say some was lost in the battle," offered Teri. "Are you going to tell Jack about it?" "Not just yet; I'll save it for an emergency." *** Waiting room outside the ER Ohio State University Hospital Damage sat while Iron Jack paced. Iron Jack looked out the window and saw police positioning themselves outside the hospital. "Must be forty or fifty cops out there." Damage looked out the same window. "Oh, I say seventy- five at least. Who do you think they're here for -- you or me?" "Oh, I'd say both of us." A frightened nurse came through the ER doors. "Uh... Mr. Damage? Could I talk to you in private?" "No! Tell me how B.J. is!" demanded Iron Jack. The nurse was obviously frightened for her life. "Go ahead; he won't hurt you." "Professor Alverez is stable. He's in a coma, but we expect him to recover." "WHAT ABOUT B.J.?" "I'm sorry, sir; we did everything we could. The implants were quite pervasive." "...No," whispered Iron Jack. "Look, I know you're upset, but try not to..." "Your wife and daughter are still in Cleveland, at Ross- Tech." Iron Jack shot through the window at top speed. The police opened fire, to no avail. The nurse stared wide-eyed out the window. "Cops look busy," she said as the police attempted to regroup and pursue Iron Jack. "This would be a good time to get you out of here." Now it was Damage's turn to stare wide-eyed. "My sister lived on Euclid Avenue," she added. "Thank you." *** Chapter 5: After the Dance Abroad the Super-Train to Cleveland Teri watched as Jack slept. They were able to get a ticket this time, decided to ride inside. Jack stirred and opened his eyes. "You should get some more sleep." "The ride's only fifteen minutes." "Did the trip bring back any memories?" "This is were I met my wife." "I'm sorry." He pulled out the worn photo of his wife and daughter. "I haven't talked much about the information I got from Ross-Tech. Do you know what a Cadmus test is?" "Of course I do; I'm a meta, Jack. It's a very rudimentary test for the meta-gene in fetuses." "It's obvious why Lori's alive; have you ever wondered why they would keep my wife Sarah alive?" "I assumed they did it to use her against you." "No, they could use my daughter for that. As far my clones and I are concerned, in vivo is better than in vitro." "Come again?" "I grew in a body, in vivo. That's why I turned out more or less okay. The clones grew in vitro, in a test tube, and did not turn out as well; they need constant manipulation." "So what's this have to do with..." A look of sudden understanding crossed Teri's face. "That's what was in the information you took. They ordered a Cadmus test for her, didn't they? She's pregnant." Jack looked out the window as the farmland speed by. "It's time," he said. "Time for what?" "Sarah, Lori, and my unborn child are at Ross-Tech, in Cleveland. It's time to go in and get them." *** Ross-Tech Labs, Penthouse Cleveland, Ohio Mr. Baginski walked into Duane Smithson's office. "You called, sir." "Yes, we lost internal and external monitoring after we activated the termination implants. Just in case he survived, I want you to double security for the time being." "I'll see to it, sir." As if to answer the exchange, security alarms began to sound. Mr. Baginski withdrew his PAD and began to analyze the alarm information. "We've been breached, sir. Someone has come in through the repair work in the basement. Reports indicate the intruder is heavily armed, flying under his own power, and invulnerable to our weapons." "Where is he heading?" "The clone chamber, sir." Duane Smithson activated his monitor. What he saw displeased him greatly. Mr. Baginski walked behind him to see what had caused the displeasure. What he saw sickened him. There were dozens of smashed cloning chambers. He saw versions of Jack in various stages of development strewn about the floor. He also saw Iron Jack smiling into the camera. "Son, you're killing your own brothers," Smithson said over an intercom. "Lies! Everything about you is all lies," replied Iron Jack as he destroyed the camera. "Are they all..." "Dead," said Smithson as he remotely checked the vital signs of his precious property. "All of them?" "All." Mr. Baginski's PAD beeped. He checked its message. "Iron Jack has escaped the way he came in." "Besides the offspring, this only leaves us with two of them. Neither of which are under our control." "Actually, sir, there is the third." *** Epilog I: The Forgotten Child Deepest Sub-Level Basement of Ross-Tech Labs A guard watched on a monitor as a second guard made his way, with a meal tray, to a very large, heavily fortified, door. A beeping sound in the monitor room indicated the guard with the food still had a beating heart. "Careful, Joey," said the monitor guard over the intercom. "Relax, we have a big metal door between me and Quiet Jack," said the guard with the food. "Since when can any door keep out the Angel of Death?" "Death, my ass; that thing is just some weird kind of meta," he said as he slid the food through the slot in the door. "Then why don't we even have any cameras in that room?" "You're superstitious. There's nothing... Damn!" "What's wrong, Joey?" "The tray is stuck." "Then why don't you look through and un-stick it, tough- guy?" "I will, you wimp." The guard reached in and looked through the slot. "Hey, punk, you'd better not be..." The guard fell over backwards, with his eyes wide open. The beeping sound in the monitor room stopped. The monitor guard said nothing. He'd seen this before and knew better than to try to rescue poor Joey. All he could do is pray he wouldn't have to be the one who had to get close enough to the door to retrieve Joey's body. Epilog II: Will this be on the exam? Ohio State University Keith Douglas, Mark Salvi, and Richard Dynin were walking across the grass-covered oval on their way to the commons for lunch. "What's that on the ground?" asked Mark. "It looks kind of like a head," answered Keith. "Impossible," replied Richard as he walked over to object to prove his roommate wrong. The others maintained their distance and watched. "It does look like a head," exclaimed a surprised Richard. "It looks part robot, like a cyborg's head or something," he added as he knelt down beside it. "Hey, Dick, I'd leave it alone," warned Mark. "It's Richard." Richard reached down and attempted to pick up the head. "It's stuck in the ground," he said as he pulled on the head. "Dick, that can't be a good idea, you *really* should leave that alone." "*It's Richard!*" "Hey, this thing's lights just came on." Keith Douglas and Mark Salvi received straight A's for that semester. *** End of Issue 5 Coming in Issue 6: A siege in Cleveland Suggested Music for this Issue: Problem Solving: Hang on Sloopy by the McCoys It Takes Two : Bad Businessman by Squirrel Nut Zippers How Things Work: Weird Science by Oingo Boingo Homecoming Dance: Discotheque by U2 After the Dance: Here Comes the Flood by Peter Gabriel The Forgotten Child: Jeremy by Pearl Jam Will this be on the exam?: Hang on Sloopy by the Mccoys