"Breaking into the H.I.V.E."
Previously: Robin, Impulse, and Wonder Girl found the H.I.V.E.'s Foot Soldiers sneaking around their college campus, and learned their were several bombs planted to keep them distracted. Meanwhile, Superboy and Omni were also on the scene just as the soldiers were planning to take the captured Damage back to their headquarters. The five teens joined together to rescue him, but Omni and Impulse were knocked unconscious and tossed into the ocean, with Robin, Wonder Girl, and Superboy miles away from the scene... Omni and Impulse sank underneath the water, both unconscious from being knocked out by the H.I.V.E.'s Foot Soldiers. Neither had any idea what was going on, or that they would soon be dead. They also didn't realize they were being approached by a mysterious merman with shaggy blue hair, holding a lethal looking trident. "Land dwellers...," the merman said with a venomous tone as he held his trident to Omni's throat. Superboy and Wonder Girl met back up with Robin, who was driving a sleek red and black motorcycle toward the pier. Since Tim couldn't bring the Redbird to California, Bruce had another form of transportation arranged. "The soil sample is a rare form of plant life that grows on a little island about a hundred miles off the California Coast," Robin said through his secure link to Oracle to the two teens floating above him. "It's a safe bet that's where they're taking Damage." "But why?" Wonder Girl asked as she flew above Robin's bike. "What does the H.I.V.E. want with Damage?" "It's a safe bet they're not inviting him over for tea," Superboy replied. "So, let's get out to the island and-" "Hey, has anyone heard from Impulse and Omni?" Robin interrupted. "They were supposed to check in a while ago." Wonder Girl looked ahead and saw something on the beach. "Oh my God..." Superboy flew ahead and found Omni and Impulse lying on the beach, still unconscious. He landed and rolled Impulse over onto his back, checking his pulse. "He's alive." Wonder Girl gave CPR to Omni to try to revive him. Seconds later, Omni spit up some water as he opened his eyes. He was back in his street clothes, as his costume disappeared soon after he lost consciousness. "Where are we?" "What happened?" Robin asked as he jumped off the bike, removed his helmet, and headed toward the rest of the group. "Where's Grant?" "They- they took him away in a boat," Impulse said as he sat up and felt his forehead, which had a small bruise on it. "I don't know what happened, I-" "They threw an empty gun at you," Omni replied. "And I tripped over you. Some rescuers we turned out to be." Robin sighed as he stood up. "We have to find that island they took Grant to. Connor, Cam, are you two going with us?" "What kind of question is that?" Superboy asked as he looked at Robin. "Of course I'm in." "Me, too," Cameron replied as he stood up. "Grant's my best friend, you know." The Daily Bruin Office "Several meta-human sightings have been made on campus," the reporter said as he talked to the editor in chief of the college's paper. He had reddish blonde hair with a camera around his neck. "Robin, Impulse, Wonder Girl, and Superboy most notably. I think they might be going to this school." "Hmm," the editor said as he looked over the report. "Get me the full scoop on this. We can turn this paper into something huge if we've got superhuman activity on campus." "Yes, sir," Andy Morgan said as he headed out the door. Terry Berg sat in his chair and sighed. "I just can't get away from superheroes, can I?" The H.I.V.E. Headquarters on a small island out in the ocean Grant opened his eyes and looked around. He was dressed in a pair of blue jeans, with several wires hooked up to his bare chest. His hands and feet were restrained by metal cylinders, as well as one around his stomach. "Where am I?" Grant asked weakly. "What's with all the wires?" "You have been given the honor of being the final component in our power core," the H.I.V.E. technician said as he looked over the equipment. "Soon, you'll supply us with enough energy to power a massive strike force." "The hell I will," Grant said as he struggled, but it was no use. "Those restraints were designed especially for you," the technician told him. "This whole device was designed especially for you and your... unique abilities." "I am so kicking your ass when I get out of this," Grant replied coldly. "I'm sorry, Grant, but the only way you're getting out of those restraints is when you're energy is depleted, and you're, well... dead," the technician said with a smirk. "But by then, we'll have more than enough power to do fulfill our goal." "And what goal is that?" Grant asked. "Global domination." "Okay, there's at least a dozen islands out there," Robin said as the Titans stood on the pier. "We just have to find the right one." "How about the one with the giant honeycomb on it?" Impulse asked as he zipped away and quickly returned. "Unless there are some big ass bees out there that we're not aware of." "Let's go," Omni said as he followed Impulse as the two ran over the water. "Need a lift?" Wonder Girl asked Robin. "Actually, I could use a-," Robin started to say as Superboy gave them both a hurt look and flew off. "We don't have time for this. Let's go." Impulse and Omni were the first to arrive on the island, followed by Superboy seconds later. The three looked up at the giant headquarters. "We're definitely in the right place," Superboy said as Wonder Girl arrived with Robin in her arms. "We just have to figure out how to get in there. Looks like they've got some pretty tight security." "I think they'll be expecting us," Robin said as he looked around. "We'll need disguises." Robin grabbed Impulse by the collar before he could run off. "I meant as in the H.I.V.E.'s foot soldier's uniforms." "You're forgetting one thing," Grant said as he looked at the technician. "I have to explode to unleash my energy. And I have to get angry before that happens. Not that I'm not right now." "Oh, but we've already thought about that," the technician said as he pushed a button, causing a stern plastic shield to trap Grant inside the machine. "Why do you think those wires are attached to you?" A thousand volts of electricity were sent shooting through Grant's body as he screamed in pain. Outside, the teens had knocked out several guards and taken their uniforms to sneak into the Headquarters. "We just have to find Grant and get the hell out of here," Robin said as he led the group toward the entrance. "We can't risk a full attack just yet. We don't know what these guys are capable of." As soon as Robin stepped through the doorway, alarms started sounding. "DNA not recognized. INTRUDER!" the computerized voice said. Two dozen armed soldiers came filing out of several doors, ready to greet them. "These guys are good," Superboy said as he threw off the uniform, followed by the rest of the team. "Oh well, I was looking for a major smackdown." Impulse looked over at Cam, who was down to his boxers. "Dude, you were supposed to keep your clothes on UNDER the uniform." "Now you tell me," Cameron said sarcastically as he concentrated and his blue and gold costume appeared over his body. "That's better." The soldiers and the teens rushed forward into battle as the H.I.V.E. mistress watched from the monitor. "They're too late." The mistress smirked as she watched Grant's body be drained of his energy as he finally exploded behind the plastic barrier, the nuclear energy being collected into a storage unit. "Keep going, I don't think he's had enough yet." Robin whacked a soldier with his bo staff, and sweep kicked another, knocking him to the ground; Wonder Girl flew forward and punched one of the soldiers back against the wall; Superboy collided two of the soldiers against each other; Impulse sped by, delivering superspeed punches on several soldiers at once; Omni was using a combination of Impulse's speed and Superboy's strength to take down a group of soldiers that had surrounded him. "We have to get inside!" Robin shouted as he used his staff and vaulted over two soldiers, then used the staff to knock them both out. Wonder Girl punched several soldiers out of the way as she followed Robin inside, followed by Superboy, Omni, and Impulse. The five teens rushed around, looking for any sign of Grant. "Impulse, run ahead and-" Robin said as Impulse zipped away, but didn't immediately come back. After a few seconds he looked at the others. "They got him." "How can you tell?" Omni asked. "Maybe I should-" Robin stopped him. "It would have taken less than a blink of an eye to find Grant and report back. They're expecting us." Omni looked around, and suddenly realized that he could see through the ceiling. "They're right above us." "How did you-" Superboy asked before realizing. "Aw, no fair, he gets to use my x-ray vision and I don't? That sucks!" "Let's take the direct route," Wonder Girl said to Superboy as they grabbed Robin and Omni and flew through the ceiling, breaking through the second floor, finding Grant trapped in the core, and Impulse unconscious on the floor in front of them with a dart in his neck. "What happened?" Omni asked as he was caught by Robin and pulled back before a dart could hit him. Several more darts shot through the wall, but Superboy used his tactile telekinesis to deflect them from the team. The darts stopped coming as Superboy lowered his TK shield. "Bravo," the H.I.V.E. mistress said as she clapped. "Four out of six made it all the way. That's more than what I was expecting." "We're taking our friends and getting the hell out of here," Superboy said as he flew toward the core. "I wouldn't do that," the mistress said. "He's getting to ready to explode again. That shield is the only thing protecting all of us from being blown to bits." "You're insane," Robin said as he held his bo staff out in a defensive pose. "What are you doing to him?" "I'm collecting his energy," the mistress told him. "It's all going into our nuclear core. Soon we'll have more than enough energy to power an army massive enough to take control of every nation." "And what about the JLA, the JSA, and the Reservists?" Wonder Girl asked. "Not to mention every meta in the free world?" "I'm so glad you asked," the mistress said as several troops rushed in. "Meet my new super charged soldiers, courtesy of Grant." "More of your tin soldiers?" Robin asked. "Let's take these guys down before-" The mistress pushed a button as the chest plates and guns in the soldier’s hands lit up in a neon glow. They fired at Superboy and hit him before he could fly forward, causing him to yell in pain as his smoking body hit the ground. "And that was on low power," the mistress told them. "On full power, what you just saw would be the effect on Superman or Captain Marvel. On someone like Batman or Robin, you'd be nothing more than a charred husk." The soldiers surrounded them, ready to fire their guns. "I have thousands of soldiers in every major nation, thanks to my silent partner. Once the core is up and running, we'll launch a worldwide attack. We'll be unstoppable. Too bad you won't be around to stop it." "My Queen, I've seen these kids," the technician said as he looked at Omni. "That one draws power from any meta he's near. We can double the output if we use him along with Damage." "Good thinking," the mistress said with a smile. "As for the rest of them, lock them in the core with their friends. They can die in the next explosion." The soldiers armed their guns and fired again on a lower setting, knocking Wonder Girl and Omni unconscious. Robin leapt out of the way as the soldiers continued firing. The Boy Wonder leapt back down the hole he came in through. "He won't get far," the H.I.V.E. mistress said as the guards picked up Wonder Girl, Impulse, Superboy, and Omni, whose costume was disappearing without his concentration to maintain it. "Sound the alarm, I want him killed on sight." The guards were put on alert and marched down the halls, unaware that Robin was hanging from the ceiling above them. Wonder Girl, Superboy and Impulse woke up, chained to the wall in the small chamber where Grant was. Omni was now in similar restraints next to Grant, with wires attached to his chest as well. "These restraints, it's like they know our powers," Superboy said as he struggled. "I can't break free." "And I can't vibrate," Impulse said, still weak from the drugs that knocked him out. "Is it safe to say we're screwed now?" "No, I'd say we have about five more minutes before we can use that term," Superboy replied. "At least Robin's still out there." A series of blasts was heard from outside. The Titans watched as the guards brought in Robin's singed cape and boots. "This is all that was left of him," the guard said. "Didn't even put up much of a fight." "No," Wonder Girl said as a tear fell down her cheek. Superboy remained emotionless as Impulse closed his eyes and tried not to believe it. The End... Previous Issue | Next Issue |
