Batman Beyond: The New Dynamic Duo

Heroes

It was around midnight when the M Technologies building had a small explosion. A group of jet-packed thieves flew out of the building; their task complete. "Ahh, the T7 chip, digital gold!" A robber said, pulling out the computer chip they had stolen. The group continued their getaway; unaware of Gotham's two vigilantes watching them. "Not this time, guys," Batman began, "Not on our watch," Nightwing finished.

The duo shot out their grappling hooks that connected to 2 robbers and held on as they were pulled off the ground. The 2 robbers noticed immediately and began firing their laser guns at the heroes.

Unfortunately, the robbers were too distracted to see the billboard they were about to collide with and crashed into it. Batman and Nightwing released their holds and used their suits to fly up billboards.

"Split up, we'll cover more ground," Nightwing told Batman. But before they could even move, 2 other robbers flew right into them, making the duo slam onto a building. Batman and Nightwing let out groans and were about to get up to continue their fight but froze as a woman walked by them.

The woman, however, looked as though she was made of blue mist, and she also wore what looked like a uniform with a lightning bolt on it. To their shock, the woman gave them a smile and then flew up into the air.

"What's your hurry, handsome?" the misty figure said as she touched a robber, making them encased in ice. The ice made the jet pack fail, which made the robber begin the fall. Freon quickly flew after the man and grabbed him before he shattered. 2 other robbers were still on the loose but were stopped when a magma monster threw a piece of rubble at them. They began to fall, but a man with elasticity powers stretched his hands and caught them.

The robbers were gathered up on a bridge with the 3 figures who caught them. "Scratch 3 losers," the magma monster said as a crowd of people began to form. At a higher distance, Batman and Nightwing watched the event. "Who are those guys?" Batman wondered. "Who knows, but I have a feeling we'll find out soon enough," Nightwing answered uneasily as she narrowed her eyes at the 3 figures.

~8~

It didn't take long for a news report about the trio to be made. Bruce, Terry, and Eliana were down in the Batcave watching the news program. "Magma, Freon and 2-D man, who is this terrific trio? Tonight, we have the exclusive story. Several months ago at the Bay Ridge Research Center, Prize-winning physicist Dr. Mike Morgan, his fiancé Mary Michaels, and lab assistant Stewart Lowe were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation during a particle fusion experiment."

As the news played the recording of the event, they watched how the trio were struck with beams of radiation. "The result? Their bodies went under dramatic changes." The clip showed Stewart Lowe seeing his hands turn flat, Mary Michaels escaping her lab suit as her body turned to mist and Mike Morgan morphing into a magma giant.

"Now these heroes have promised to use their incredible abilities to clan up Gotham. The government has spared no expense in establishing their new base of operation: The Trio Tower. United in war or crime, here comes the Terrific Trio!" The program finished before Bruce turned it off.

"Jeez, I wonder if they would have been named "The Fantastic 4" if there was a fourth member," Eliana commented sarcastically. "Well, it looks like we'll have a lot more time to work on homework," Terry said. Bruce grunted, "We'll see about that," he commented skeptically.

~8~

The following night, the police found themselves dealing with a hostage situation. Commissioner Barbara Gordon herself was called to the scene in hopes of dealing with the situation. "Wait, just a little more time, that's all I'm asking," an officer said, negotiating on the phone.