Chapter 37: End of happy harbor

Seeing them all disappear one at a time, Mister Twister said, "Fine then," before he hovered higher up in the air. "I won't deny that you children have power, but playing hide and seek with you will not help achieve my objectives. So stay concealed. If you confront me again, I will show no mercy." Electricity crackled in his hands before he flew off into the city.

"What happened?" Wally asked as he sat up.

"I put the Bioship between us," M'gann explained.

Superboy got up on his feet and punched a large rock in anger. "And that's supposed to make it right?" he said, walking up to the Martian. "You tricked us into believing Twister was Red Tornado!"

Aqualad stepped in between them. "She didn't do it on purpose."

Robin stepped in and said, "It was a rookie mistake. We shouldn't have listened."

"You are pretty inexperienced," Kid Flash said to her, looking a bit ashamed. "Hit the showers, we'll take it from here."

Toneri chuckled, causing the team to look at him. Superboy aggressively asked, "What's so funny? I didn't see you lifting a finger to help us at all."

Robin added, "Yeah, you just stood back and watched us get our asses kicked."

Toneri looked at them and said, "You all have a lot to learn, and what better way to teach it than through experience? If I help now, you will all expect it again and again. This obstacle is a test to determine if you can truly work together to win or if you would just charge in without a strategy."

Superboy and Kid Flash moved away from him, with Superboy looking back at M'gann and pointing to Kid Flash. "You heard him," Superboy growled. "And stay out of our way." Then he leapt high, heading in the direction of the town, while Kid Flash and Robin followed, the former using his super speed to catch up faster.

Toneri thought as he watched them rush off, 'They don't listen, do they?' He turned to see M'gann on her knees, looking down with a heartbroken expression on her face.

"I was just trying to be part of the team," she said, sounding like she was about to cry.

"To be honest, I'm not sure we really have a team," Kaldur said grimly. He turned to Toneri, who nodded before the Atlantean took off. Toneri approached M'gann, who was still looking sad, and tried to help her up.

"The team is still young and has room to grow. Although I would say that a mistake like that could have cost you all your lives. Do not assume in the heat of battle, for that is the first step to your downfall," Toneri advised.

"What do we do now?" she asked him, looking up at him.

"We come up with an actual plan, go back there, and help them," Toneri said, sighing.

"I'd only be getting in their way," M'gann said, looking away sadly.

Toneri sighed and looked at her. "And you seriously think that going home and leaving them behind to that machine is a better idea? Forget about what they said; it was out of annoyance at losing. You need to go back!"

"You're right," M'gann said, now out of her depressed state and with a determined look. "We should call in Red Tornado; he's the only one close enough to help."

"You're calling in Red Tornado for help?" Toneri said with slight disbelief in his voice. "M'gann, that maniac is doing this to get someone in the League to fight him. We'd only be giving him what he wants by calling in Tornado."

The Martian sighed. "I know, but it wouldn't hurt to try and ask for help. Maybe he can help us beat him somehow, since you refused to help at all."

Toneri thought about it, then nodded to her. "Red Tornado, this is Ms. Martian, do you read me?"

A hologram screen of Red Tornado appeared on the windshield of the ship. "Affirmative, Miss Martian, what is it you wish to inform me of?"

"Right now, there is this person here, Mister Twister. He seems to be hell-bent on fighting you or the League members. He's causing property damage, and the rest of the team went off to fight him," Toneri explained calmly. "He seems to have the same power as you do, Tornado, including lightning generation, and to top it off, being unable to have his mind read."

"He is attacking innocent people and won't stop until he fights someone in the Justice League. We could really use your help," M'gann said.

"If I intervened, it would not be to help," the robot replied. "Still, it is an odd coincidence that this Twister shares my elemental abilities and my immunity to telepathy."

Red Tornado then asked Toneri, "Why aren't you helping them? From what I know, you can easily end it all before it even starts."

Toneri crossed his arms and said, "This is my way of testing them to see how well they can integrate with one another. If it all proves to be too much, then I will intervene."

"Understood," Red Tornado said before looking at M'gann.

M'gann thought for a moment before smiling and slapping her forehead. "Hello Megan!"

Toneri thought, 'Interesting. It would seem she has something in mind.' He then said, "Have you reached a conclusion?"

"Yeah, let's go help the others," M'gann said as she piloted the ship to find Twister.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team was busy fighting Mister Twister as he tried to attack the town. The evil android thought that by attacking a town filled with innocent civilians, he would draw the attention of a hero or someone from the Justice League. But instead, he got Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, and Superboy, all looking for a rematch. They managed to deal a few blows to the armored villain, but were still no match for him.

They were taking turns trying to attack him with no real plan or teamwork. Every time they tried to attack Twister, he managed to avoid their attacks and beat them away with his wind abilities.

After they got back up, Wally noticed Robin taking out his utility belt and strapping it around himself from his shoulder to opposite thigh. "You brought your utility belt with you?" the speedster asked.

"Never leave home without it," Robin said. "First thing Batman ever taught me."

"Yeah, right after 'never go to the bathroom without it'," Wally joked.

"Everyone, listen to me," M'gann said to the others using telepathy.

"What did we tell you?!" Superboy growled.

"I know!" she replied. "And I know I messed up, but me and Toneri have a plan. For it to work, you guys have to trust me."

"And why should we trust you?" Superboy asked angrily.

Suddenly, they heard Toneri's voice in their heads, his telepathic touch gentle. "Because I approve of Miss Martian's plan."

In the meantime, Mister Twister continued his attack on the town. Then suddenly, flying into the town, was Red Tornado, who landed right near where the four young heroes were.

"Hit the showers, boys," Red Tornado said as he landed. "I was hoping that you could handle this. Clearly, you cannot."

"But we have a plan now," Robin protested.

"The subject is not up for debate," Red Tornado said, clearly not taking 'no' for an answer. "Now stand aside and let me handle this." The four did as he said and walked away.

"Red Tornado. Out of all the members of the League, I was looking forward to fighting you the most," Twister said as he raised his arms, ready for battle. "I was beginning to believe you'd never show up."

"I'm here now. I don't know who you are, Twister, but your days of hurting others are over," Red Tornado replied. He then raised his hand and generated a small tornado at Twister, but Twister was able to evade the attack. Twister countered with his own tornado, but Red Tornado simply dispersed it.

"It appears we are evenly matched," Red Tornado said. He then used another tornado to send rocks dug from the ground hurtling at Twister.

"No, Tornado, we are not!" Twister replied as he created a wall of air to scatter the large rocks to pieces. He then fired a bolt of lightning at Red Tornado, who simply levitated and evaded the attack until the lightning hit a boat, which had been launched out of the water during the team's fight with him, causing it to explode right in front of the robot. The explosion knocked the android down with a thud as sparks crackled from his body.

Twister stood over him, watching the robotic hero's defeated form. "Stay still, android," he said as tiny computer wires came out of his fingertips and embedded themselves in Tornado's head. "The reprogramming won't take long."

Suddenly, Red Tornado turned around, grabbed Twister's wires, and his face morphed into a smiling M'gann. "Longer than you think."

"What? What is this?" Twister demanded in surprise.

M'gann telekinetically pushed him away, but Twister used a small tornado to stabilize himself while creating another tornado with lightning crackling, intending to end Miss Martian.