(Where I Watch) Outlaw Star

[Wraithstrike]

Episode 9: A Journey of Adventure, Huh!

Plastic Man: "Considering what we just watched, this opening narration about journeys is a bit of poetic whiplash. "

Blue Beetle: " And that's something coming from a guy who can bend his neck into a corkscrew. Somehow, the journey has to take them past another sun. This is a great scene. The cargo hold is a mess from the grappler combat and Gene's trying to slack off from the duties. Suzuka calls him a child and sits in for dinner. "

Plastic Man: "This fight between Jim and gene has been a long time coming. It's not much of an adventure, but Gene is rubbing his crew the wrong way. Even Gilliam's suffering, which is weird for an AI. They're stopping at a station called Toward Stars Inn for some jobs. Including a hunt for an urban legend worth ten large. "

Blue Beetle: "The name of Zonba is enough to clear out an entire bar. And the bartender asks for his name and height so he can order a coffin. Zonba is a cleric of some kind, and he brings Gene to a church for their battle. Zonba is a cyborg, and Gene takes him out with a knife in the back and riddles him with bullets. It was a fake. And Suzuka was there as well. She took out the real Zonba. Afterwards, they hear about a space race and Gene sees the ship that was there when his father died."

 

[Wraithstrike]

Episode 10: Gathering for the Space Race

Firestorm is on stakeout duty with Green Arrow. They're looking for proof of a Starro cult in Keystone City. As the stakeout enters its second hour, Firestorm's phone vibrates.

Text From Aquaman: I take it you're caught up on Outlaw Star. What were your thoughts on the tenth episode?

Text From Firestorm: I love the concept of the space race expanding with FTL drives.

Text from Aquaman: Why such a short answer?

Text From Firestorm: I'm on stakeout detail. I'll talk more later.

Text from Aquaman: Come down to Atlantis and we'll have a proper Outlaw Star viewing party.

Text from Firestorm: Four more hours, and I'll take you up on that.

Green Arrow: "That Aquaman?"

Firestorm: " Busted. Yup. Probably should have turned my phone off."

Green Arrow: "Nah, it's better that you kept it on. That way he doesn't come here wondering why you don't pick up. I love him like a brother, but he can be rather obsessive at times. Wait, heads up! Looks like we got Starfish!"

Firestorm: "Got it! Calling it in to the Flash."

Four Hours Later

Firestorm stands on the shore of the Florida Coast looking out to the sea. Suddenly, a massive clamshell rises to the surface, pulled by three hammerhead sharks. The clam shell opens up to reveal Aquaman, standing before a grill, with a set of leather chairs and fully stocked coolers behind him.

Firestorm: 'You don't do things halfway, do you?"

Aquaman: "If you don't put your all into everything you do, what's the point of living?"

Firestorm: "Don't ever change, man."

Firestorm takes a picture with his cameraphone, sending it to Captain Marvel, Plastic Man, and the Outsiders with the message "Wish you were here."

The vessel is taken by the hammerhead sharks to the airlock gates of Atlantis.

Aquaman: "I am prepared for this party to have many crashers. But Outlaw Star is one of those great joys that you have to share with everyone."

Firestorm: "Episode 10 then to start. Outlaw Star's coming into Hei Fong, which is a pretty impressive location. Gene's planning to enter the Space Race with the Outlaw Star. It's actually a pretty good way to get the cash, if the Outlaw Star can win."

Aquaman: "The entry fee is 150 thousand. Gene has a good point here. They wouldn't even make the money back upon winning. Oh, so it's based on advertising and sponsorship. Which means the only chance for Gene to find that is with...Fred."

Firestorm: "It doesn't make sense. They're already in the hole to him for the difference in Suzuka's contract and their supplies. Why, besides the nebulous answer of love, would Fred sponsor their ship?"

Aquaman: "Outlaw Star proved itself in combat with three pirate grapplers that Fred maybe, sort of kind of called down on them, so there is that. Fred agrees to the sponsorship, if Gene finishes in the money and wears a special suit with...pink and ruffles."

Firestorm: "Wait a minute. Shouldn't that line be "You're not going to betray us and sell us out again?'"

Aquaman: "True enough. He did lead the Kei Pirates to them on Sentinel III. However, he's still seeing it as a business opportunity. So the crew heads for the race. Oh, probably should have informed Gilliam that the Outlaw Star would be in a race. And Melfina wants to access some Hei Fong libraries to find out about herself."

Firestorm: "Hey look! The waitress is Aisha! Gene's in so much trouble. Though I bet if I found myself in that situation, I'd probably only be to say 'Hi.' Just like him."

Aquaman: "Good to see her few short weeks as a normal person haven't dulled her desire for overacting. Gene could have walked out at any time during her ranting. And look, isn't that Phoenix Wright as her boss?"

Firestorm: "You've played Phoenix Wright?"

Aquaman: "Captain Marvel introduced me to the series. I really should return the favor at some time. So Aisha gets dragged out before she can cause even more of a scene. After the party, the crew plans for the space race, and Gilliam gets in on it. Despite the difficulty of the course, Giliam declares that no ship will even come close to the Outlaw Star."

Red Tornado enters the party chamber.
Red Tornado: "I was informed that there was a viewing party for Outlaw Star. I have already downloaded several pages on the plot so I can keep up, along with several more pages containing...questionable pairings."

Firestorm: "I keep telling you, Tornado. You gotta do it with Safe Search on. Very few humans can withstand that kind of stupidity. You have it worse because you remember everything you download."

Red Tornado: "I see the Ctarl-Ctarl are participating, most likely against the wishes of the crew. Aisha is doing this without any real backing. And now the ship Gene believed was the aggressor when his father died has arrived."

Firestorm: "So Suzuka's out gambling. And while she claims no interest in the space race, she puts down a wager of twenty thousand on the Outlaw Star. She has some serious faith in her newfound friends. And someone aboard the station recognizes Outlaw Star as the ship he worked on. The first checkpoint is located between a binary planet, and most of the other ship are taking a vertical path to get to it. Melfina says that with the right timing, they can punch right through the orbit to save time. Of course Gene is going for that route."

Aquaman: "There's a tsunami of metal moving from one planet to the other, and the episode ends on a cliffhanger."

 

[Wraithstrike]

Episode 11: Adrift in Subspace

Red Tornado is chugging down some elixir from STAR Labs. Aquaman and Firestorm each have seven cans of soda around them, as yet another person enters the Party room in Atlantis. It's Black Canary.

Black Canary: "Is this a guys only party, or can any one join?"
Black Canary notices Red Tornado

Black Canary: "That answers my question. Outlaw Star, right?"

Aquaman: "Indeed, Dinah! Come have a drink, we're getting ready for the next episode."

Black Canary takes a seat and watches with the guys.

Black Canary: "Just a warning, I may disappear after one episode to help out in Gotham, but I do want to see this."

Aquaman: "Noted. I'll have the DVRs copied for you when you leave. And I have to applaud that opening narration. No matter how ships are reduced to scrap, the stars will never stop being sailed. Adam Strange would love that. Gene punches it fullspeed, and passes through the race checkpoint before the metal wave can overtake them. This tactic puts them in sixth place overall. Before hitting the next checkpoint, they stop for food and rest."

Firestorm: "It's one of the things that's really amazing, and Ronny agrees. Every space station, Every city has its own personality. This aid station is more like a megamall. And Gene gets up in the face of the pilot of the El Dorado, who doesn't know anything about McDougall or Hilda. At least at first. But he certainly knows what Gene is talking about."

Aquaman: "There's an Aether Stream that prevents the use of one checkpoint, and this time Gene waits to find out what the El Dorado is going to do."

Black Canary: "Aisha has a one-track mind here. Payback and nothing but. Does she really think this ambush plan would work? Even if they did have better weapons, every ship in the area would know about it. They probably wouldn't care though. The plan involves an emergency beacon, and Gene jets out to catch the survivor. It's Aisha. As they prepare for a big jump to Sub-aether, The El Dorado fires missiles at them."

Firestorm: "The missiles knock the Outlaw Star out of the solar system, and the ship is 4 days out from the race's next checkpoint, but surprisingly, Aisha delivers a rousing speech. which snaps Gene to remember something he read. The Aether Stream that was mentioned earlier is a method to complete the race. They're going to surf the Aether Stream all the way to Hei Fong 1. Awesome! However, the El Dorado beats them for third place over all."

Aquaman: "Yes, but the Outlaw Star has beaten all the other privately owned ships for a 1st place in that category. The El Dorado dropped out, leaving a message behind for the Outlaw Star. Probably vague threats and bragging. No... according to the preview, it's a letter of challenge."

 

[Wraithstrike]

Episode 12: Mortal Combat With the El Dorado

Black Canary walks out with her dvds of the show, while Billy Batson enters.
Firestorm notices the young hero enter and activates fission to split into his two personalities. Jason and Ronnie each take their own seat.

Ronnie: "Yeah. Nothing major's going on right now. Better to stay separate. Before we get into the next episode, I've got a question. Why did Suzuka not care when she tore up her betting slip?"

Billy:"Didn't you hear Fred talk about it? It costs a million to hire her. She's got her own source of income, mostly from killing dudes. For her, twenty thousand was pocket change. If the Outlaw Star had taken the top place in the race, it would have just been extra. Maybe she might have even shared it with the crew. Play the DVD, please Aquaman."

Aquaman: "The narration is talking about the McDougall Brothers being the best there is at what they do. And now the Outlaw Sar is heading into an ion storm and asteroid field to fight El Dorado. It's cut in with flashbacks of what happened after the race. How McDougall challenged Outlaw star to a duel, how Aisha became a permanent member of the crew, and how they met a crazy man wanting to know how they found their ship."

Billy: "Here come missiles from 9 O'clock high. and the duel is on...or not. The El Dorado has stealth capabilities and highly accurate missiles. Aisha gets her chance to shoot things, and Gene deploys the grapplers to shoot down two sets of missiles. More missiles come from all directions and one shot hits the Outlaw Star. I gotta agree with Aisha. They should punch through."

Ronnie: " So there's two ships fighting Outlaw Star, and Gene comes up with an idea, He sends Aisha out into the asteroid field to launch flares if she sees the Eldorado. And Gene uses the drill attachment to board the El Dorado. After a quick gunfight against two enemies, one of which is armored, he finds McDougall...who is hacking into the Outlaw Star. Gilliam shuts down to activate countermeasures, but Harry McDougall get through to Melfina...crap."

Jason: "Gene sees the cyber implant in the side of Harry's head and shoots it, then pops him in the arm. He gets information about the McDougall brothers, as Harry ejects and detonates his own El Dorado. Of course, Gene is tempted to leave Aisha in the Asteroid field, but he realizes that he's left her behind before, and she showed up to haunt him again and again."

Aquaman: "It looks we're going to see another alien race besides the Ctarl-Ctarl in the next episode."

 

[Wraithstrike]

Episode 13: Advance Guard from Another World

Ronnie punches at a speedbag before the next episode begins.
Aquaman: "Ronnie, is there a problem?"

Ronnie: "It was just that look in McDougall's eye when he discovered Melfina. I've seen that look before in the faces of guys like Scarecrow. The look of a predator. Now, I like Melfina. I think she's an interesting character. But seeing McDougall get that close to harming her just pushed some buttons in me."

Aquaman: "I think that means the creators of the show have done their job. I too feel as if the Outlaw Star crew are no longer just characters on a screen, but friends. They've been built up in our minds, and we cheer when they do incredible things, and cringe when bad things happen to them. Come on back in, and we'll start the next episode.

Booster Gold enters through a time portal
Booster Gold: "Hey Aquaman, just a heads-up. Stay out of the southern coral fields today. Black Manta has laid a trap that has a 75% chance of killing you."

Aquaman: "Your warning is noted. One moment..."
Aquaman reaches out telepathically to the sea life.
Aquaman: "There. Situation resolved. The Hammerheads have disabled the traps. Come join us for some Outlaw Star, Booster."

Booster: "You're watching the original right? Because by my time, there's been three reboots, two musicals, a cinematic quadrilogy by my generation's Michael Bay and even a section of 'historical' cosplay society that idolizes the show."

Aquaman: "While the latter two things frighten me, I can tell you we are watching the original series and are now thirteen episodes in. Come join us."

Booster: "Ok. So there are six alien races. Nyans and Corbinites are friendly, Sildrians are too friendly, Lorgans are bad and Siff are dangerous. And of course, the Ctarl Ctarl. By this point in the show, we've only seen Corbinites and Ctarl Ctarl."

Ronnie: "So the guys have set up a new homebase in Hei Fong. And Aisha has a job idea for them. It's an extermination job worth 500. And Gene and Jim throw her out the door. However, it might be connected to the job that Fred's sending them. A smuggler brought a new species of insect into Hei Fong from another system."

Billy: "The Sildrians have a fun accent. The insect and rare plant are missing from the cargo. The bug is carnivorous and the plant is some kind of cactus thing. Suzuka shows up as Gene leaves for a date with the woman from the race office."

Aquaman: "Gene encounters a situation at the ice cream stand. Hundreds of people are lined up to buy what he terms "Fairly Average" ice cream. The cactus thing is there, and the bug thing is in the sewers, threatening Aisha. And when she gets threatened, she morphs."

Red Tornado: "The Cactus creature is alive and generating some kind of pheromone field. But when Jim calls Gene and he notices the creature, it lets out a sonic wail. And using that sonic attack, it controls Gene into attacking the bug creature, and takes over Jim's voice box."

Booster Gold: "The Sonic Waves affect everyone organic, but Melfina isn't organic. She swats the 'greater being' from Jim's hands and stomps it dead. Turns out the Sildrian was under its control as well."

Aquaman: "Suzuka's back, with a job offer for Starwind and Hawking. They need gunslingers for a wild west show at a theme park...and Suzuka is thrown out, her objections mirroring those of Aisha earlier."

 

[Wraithstrike]

Episode 14: The Final Countdown

Aquaman: "Hmm. Some further clarification on the different types of Outlaws. Batman would definitely disagree with this assessment."

Ronnie: "They're defusing a bomb? Somehow I think that falls outside Gene's purview. Ah, it's a flashforward. And now the Outlaw Star is serving as a tugboat...I seen this kind of thing before. The opening song is an actual song in the world of the anime. Gene's hitting all my concerns with making a ship that big."

Jason: "What the? A liberation front hit Outlaw Star with a virus and locked them to a bomb laden ship? And they have given an ultimatum. Hei Fong must be freed and the viceroy must step down, or the Outlaw Star will be detonated."

Booster: "I love the subtle comedy in a tense situation like this. When the news is confirmed that the Outlaw Star is the hostage vehicle, Suzuka moves further down the couch to avoid Aisha's spit take. Classy."

Red Tornado: "In a strictly technical sense, diasbling a shipboard AI is a good way to ensure that the hostages don't try anything. However, this liberation front has never dealt with Gene Starwind. The Hei Fong station is the target of the bomb, even if it doesn't go off."

Booster: "Suzuka has a very simple solution to the problem, she's going to 'ask' the terrorist how to disarm the bomb. Place your bets, guys. Arms, ear or leg?"

Aquaman: "That presupposes that Suzuka will leave this 'Crackerjack' alive after getting the information. She doesn't exactly have a track record for that."

Jason: "When Gene tries to find the bomb, it causes an explosion to wreck the grappler arm. But Jim has a method to jam the signal."

Aquaman: " I appreciate how Aisha and Suzuka are getting information from the port authorities. And now we're back to the opening bit with the gamble on dummy wires. In the tension of the moment, Jim can't help but laugh."

Booster:" Thank god Aisha and Suzuka managed to reach them. Oh, that dirtbag Fred had his hands in this. Should have figured."

Jason: "They've figured out that it's a decoy by a bunch of thieves to have access to all the treasures of the station. And Gene's figured out that the real detonator is in the original hatch."

Aquaman: "Suzuka and Aisha have arrived to beat the daylights out of Crackerjack's gang. After a very quick fight that displays the difference in their fighting styles, Aisha and Suzuka corner Crackerjack... AND THE OUTLAW STAR PUNCHES A HOLE THROUGH THE STATION'S ATMOSPHERE DOME! "

Five jaws in the room immediately fall slack. Because he doesn't show emotion, Red Tornado's mouth remains shut.

Booster: "Gene ejects from the Outlaw Star and delivers a righteous uppercut. He obviously studied under Wildcat. And after all he's been through today, I can't begrudge him a chance to use that one-liner."

Billy: "It's not the kind of one-liner you could use in every situation. Just bomb-related ones."

Black Manta appears on the screen, demanding Aquaman's immediate surrender.

Aquaman: "I should probably handle this."

Ronnie: "Nah, let us handle it. Black Manta's not ready for us. Jason!"

Jason and Ronnie: "FIRESTORM!"

Fifteen Minutes Later, Firestorm swims past the viewing room, towing Black Manta and six goons in an iron sphere. Aquaman sends out a message to have several loggerhead turtles guide Firestorm to the prison.

Aquaman: "All right everyone. Take a break for a bit. We'll start again when Firestorm returns."

 

[Wraithstrike]

Episode 15: The Seven Emerge

Aquaman: "So we have a group of 108 Suns Assassins. I'm starting to see what Jason was talking about with roleplaying game characters. Honestly: 'A Space-Combat Prodigy with a thing for cats, a werewolf, a literal cypher of a personality.' Somebody sat down at a table and said 'What kind of character cliches can we give these enemies?'

Jason: "Six of the seven are gathered by their leader. Shimi has already been sent out to kill Gene, who is once again lazing about. His opponent is a quick little devil who says "If you don't duel me, it won't go well for your friends."
Aquaman pauses the video. All the men in the room break into gales of laughter.

Billy: "It won't go well for the...Bwahaha! For the Bulletproof Ctarl-Ctarl and the professional assassin who cut a mech in half with a wooden sword. Hahaha! This guy didn't do his research."

Aquaman: "Obviously, Gene's not taking this seriously. He goes out for a drink and turns down a woman's advances. He meets up with a old guy named Lei Long, and they share a drink while everyone back at Starwind and Hawking 'enjoy' some Ctarl-Ctarl cuisine."

Ronnie: "Here's Melfina to act as psychiatrist and Gene's too drunk to realize he's hurting her. He doesn't know what he's living for either, and his own dreams are focused on dying. Any bravado he had earlier is gone. And breakfast the next morning is a bit tense."

Booster: "There's no way this is the real fight. It's all over too quickly. Yeah, Gene cracked a rib, but he killed the man in the hat, who is just a flunky. The guy he met in the bar is the real Shimi, who's shield can take a direct hit from a Caster. Oh my god. This is an epic moment. Up to this point, everyone else has been crewmates to Gene by necessity or proximity. But here, Melfina, Jim, Aisha and Suzuka all show up to have his back."

Billy: "Shimi wraps Aisha in explosive bolos, stabs Jim and cuts Suzuka down. I didn't think he was that strong... he gets Gene to agree to a real duel, gun to gun. Gene falls, but only because the recoil from his own gun knocked him off his feet. Shimi's gun jammed, and Gene's luck holds up. Shimi warns him to watch out for the other six."

Aquaman: "Jim's bleeding, Suzuka's wounded, and Aisha is slightly smoky, but otherwise, they're all alive. Yes, even Leilong/Shimi. He crawls up out of the grave later that night and sets off on his own journey. also of note, the leader of the Anten Six now wants to meet Gene personally."

Booster: "I don't get it. He's a contract killer. Why didn't he kill Jim and the others?"

Red Tornado: "Because all these people showed up to protect Gene, and he realized that nobody would do the same for him. His relationship with the other assassins is all business. He never got anything like that from his coworkers, so he realizes Gene has more than he."

 

[Wraithstrike]

Episode 16: Demon of the Water Planet

Red Tornado and Firestorm respond to a crisis alert, leaving with dvds before the next episode begins.
Aquaman: "Don't you have somewhere to be, Billy?"

Billy: "Not especially. I don't work for another three hours, and there's nothing big going on outside right now. Let's get into it."

Aquaman: "The new space race was caused by the coming of dragonite. It's non-renewable, and attempts to synthesize it have failed. It's another clever detail about this world gene lives in."

Booster: "Look, someone is staring up at the Outlaw Star. Probably the leader of the Six. And now the main three are at a restaurant where Aisha's working. They've got a wealthy client in the form of an actual pirate, sending them on a salvage mission."

Billy: "He's not very forthcoming on the details of the treasure hunt. I wonder if Gene and Jim know that the old man can hear them. But he's happy to work with them, until the gunmen come after him. And all the gunfire ruins Aisha's chances at eating. She flips out and kills them all, wrecking the restaurant in the process."

Aquaman: "Ah, they're going to a water planet. Nice choice. Though fairly obvious for a pirate. And there's a wholly humongous fish in these waters. It completely dwarfs Outlaw Star."

Booster: "Hold up! Did we just dive into Moby Dick territory?"

Billy: "Seems that way. Don't need the Wisdom of Solomon to know this whole thing's a setup. Fortunately, Gene's on our side of the thinking and puts the old man at gunpoint. The old man tells how an outlaw ship carrying 15 tons of dragonite sank in the water planet and was attacked by mega-sized anomalocaris.'"

Booster: "Ano-what?"

Aquaman: "Giant Prehistoric Shrimp. Some of them are still around Atlantis if you want to see them."

Booster: "Uh, no need. So The one eyed, one armed, one legged pirate, who is either the luckiest or unluckiest sod in the universe, has been hunting for that ship to get payback for his own family's destruction. We start with sonic decoy missiles to lure the gigashrimp away."

Aquaman: "The Assault Tube is away, and they're headed for the cargo hold. A grenade can't open the door, so Aisha does. Wait...there's an actual supply of Dragonite there? I was not expecting that. And now the Outlaw star is grappled by the granddaddy of all demon shrimp."

Booster: "The Old Man is taking a minisub out, and refuses to listen to Gene's pleas. He flies into the demon's maw and detonates. After all that, they get nothing? Anything they would have collected from the dragonite is eaten up by repairs. How is that fair?"

Aquaman: "It's one of the risks of treasure hunting. It's never worth what you think."

 

[Wraithstrike]

Episode 17: Between Life and Machine

Aquaman: "There are going to be some issues in this episode. Though we've had a few episodes away from it, don't forget that the younger McDougall knows of Melfina. It seems in this episode, we're going to see the lengths he goes to to get her. We could skip this is you want..."

Billy: "Naw, let's go for it. If it gets too disturbing, I'll let you know. "
Aquaman: "This opening is getting into some really deep stuff about the definition of life. For me, it's simple. Does Melfina feel? Does she learn? If the answers are yes, then she is life itself."
Billy: "By your definition, the Metal Men are lifeforms."

Aquaman: "Well yes. It doesn't matter if we're carbon-based and they're metallic-based, they still have life. So long as there is a supply of metal and the responsometers continue to function, they are living beings. It doesn't matter if they're just a hood ornament or a full-sized metal beast, they live. That's what Doctor Magnus made them to do."

Booster: "On with the show. Melfina is perusing some art at Sildrian shrine. Gotta say, I love the look of the Sildrian priest. It just looks awesome. And he delivers a simple line to her. 'When two people have lost faith in each other, all is lost.'

Aquaman: "The younger McDougall got a cybernetic arm to replace the one that got shot. And they're going to visit the Outlaw Star crew. And with a new videophone setup, they get contacted by someone who's looking into the Galactic leyline. There's a table set up for Gene at an extremely upscale restaurant, and Gene's trap senses are tingling."

Booster: "It's the older McDougall at the restaurant. And he wants to buy Outlaw Star and Melfina. Bail out Gene! Get back home now! This is a diversion! And he knows it. When Rob McDougall springs his trap, so does Gene. Aisha and Suzuka spring forward to get involved in a fight with cyber panthers."

Billy: "Here's the younger McDougall with flowers for Melfina. She remembers how close he came last time and very wisely locks the doors. Not that it keeps him out for long."

Aquaman: "The fight's going pretty well for the Outlaw Star crew. Everyone gets a chance to smash some robot panthers, and Rob McDougall shows off his own Caster. Gene's figured it out! He and Jim rush back to help Melfina, leaving Aisha and Suzuka to find a way to capture Rob McDougall."

Booster: "There is no way that Melfina can believe that Harry is not going to hurt her, especially after he punched through a steel door and strangled her. Whether or not he was going for the locks is irrelevant. He did hurt her, and she's right to be scared."

Billy: "It gets worse than that. Melfina's main purpose is to pilot the Outlaw Star. She doesn't have any offensive or defensive gear built into her. Is he really trying to compare being a Test Tube Baby to being a Bio-Android? THE JERK SMACKED MELFINA! And she runs into the Outlaw Star to get Gilliam's protection."

Booster: "No! Melfina! Don't give in to his illogic! He doesn't understand you! He doesn't understand women! He doesn't even understand how to properly make friends!"

Aquaman: "Melfina screams, kicking back into Harry's cyber-arm, causing a full shutdown and a mental breakdown for Harry. But it really cannot be called a victory. It's more like Guy Gardner using the very last charge on his ring to explode everything around him."

Billy: "And as if we hadn't had enough creepiness, we get the old geezer, who is Melfina's creator, apparently, telling her she should go find the Galactic Leyline."

Aquaman: "Gene knows that the only way to solve all this is to find the Galactic Leyline, and Melfina is once again at the Sildrian temple, questioning the meaning of her life."

 

[Wraithstrike]

Episode 18, The Strongest Woman in the Universe
Firestorm re-enters Atlantis with another person in tow

Firestorm: "Hey guys, looks who wants to experience Outlaw Star!"

Big Barda: "Black Canary informed me of what you gentlemen were doing down here. She also told me that one upcoming episode was titled 'The Strongest Woman in the Universe.' I had to see this for myself."

Plastic man enters behind Barda

Plastic Man: "Did I miss much?"

Aquaman: "Not at all, Eel. Welcome, Barda. I'll place some steaks on the flame for you."

Booster: " There's a universal strongman contest? I like that idea. And the strongest woman in the universe has won four of these tournaments in a row. I'm placing a bet that Aisha is going to get involved."

Billy: "Seems a fair bet, but you're forgetting Suzuka's own strength. Well, according to Fred, her name is Reiko Ondo, and if she wins a fifth time, Fred has to marry her because of a stupid bet he made with her. Fred wants Gene to enter someone in the contest who can beat Reiko's strength, and promises to pay off any debts he might have incurred, along with the hefty purse of the championship itself."

Barda: "The fool should have known better. No woman worth her skill takes a challenge lightly. Even if the challenge itself was given lightly."

Aquaman: "So yes, Gene is getting Aisha involved. However, the last time a Ctarl-Ctarl entered the tournament and lost...there were almost 600 fatalities, and ten times as many wounded."

Barda: "For a Fury such as myself, that count would be on the low side."

Billy: "I've dealt with Furies before. She's not lying. Now, Aisha can't compete, Suzuka refuses, and Melfina doesn't have any combat capability so that leaves..."
Aquaman pauses the video. Once again, the hall is filled is with uproarious laughter.

Aquaman: "The lengths some men will go for money. Ha ha ha!"

Booster: "Poor Gene. And it looks like Aisha has mugged another competitor to become the great 'Firecat.' And the fight is on between 'Jenny' Starwind and Reiko. And the fight is also off. Gene wakes up in the infirmary. At least Gene doesn't have to wear a skirt anymore."

Barda: "This Firecat is a tough competitor. How does she manage to say so many words in a single breath? However, the big plan to have Firecat fight Reiko is uundone by Reiko's quick loss to someone called Hiraga."

Aquaman: "Fred's going to spend some time in traction after the hug Reiko gave him. But now e have to see Hiraga versus Aisha/Firecat. They're pretty evenly matched, but where Hiraga is about power, Aisha is about strategy, for once. She's applied a really effective submission hold, into a suplex, into a piledriver, and another submission. But Hiraga is stronger than that. She powers through, revealing herself as a beast."

Barda: "Hiraga's beast form is a a wolf-lion monster, and she's the Kei Pirate's were-creature assassin. But Aisha will not give up so easily, and she morphs into her own form, a noble looking combination of Lynx and White Tiger. And even as the arena burns around them, the crew look to the roof to see Aisha has won the fight once and for all."

Billy: "There is a lot we don't see here, but the good news is, Fred calls from the hospital. He's willing to loan Gene money so they can take off for the Galactic Leyline."

Booster: "That's great. Reiko did actual damage to Fred, so he has to heal up. And now the space adventure begins."