Superboy

Then

The Teen Titans were gathered in Titans' Lair, going over their mail. "Check this out!" Speedy said, holding up a scrapbook. "This girl really likes me!"

Wonder Girl rolled her eyes. "You think every girl really likes you."

Speedy looked down and saw that his hand was empty. Across the table, a smiling Kid Flash now held the scrapbook. "No wonder they call you Speedy. You're even faster than I am."

"Hey, settle down, guys!" Robin said, holding up a letter. "We got a letter from Baxter Beach, where we helped head off that college rumble last summer."

"Says here that they want to have us back! Brandon College and Dobbs University are both heading back down to help rebuild the bank, and they want us to help since we did such a great job on their jetty last year."

"Groovy!" Wonder Girl said, smiling.

"What she said," Kid Flash added. "I'm just glad we nabbed that Captain Tiger who blew it up."

"Then what're we waiting for?" Speedy asked. Just then there was a flash of light. The four Titans hurried around their table to look. A young man with black hair lay there. Their eyes widened at the S shield on his jacket.

"God, I hope that's over," the stranger said.

"Are you all right?" Wonder Girl asked.

The young man rolled over and looked up. "Oh, no," he said. "I know where I am." His eyes closed and he surrendered to unconsciousness.

Now

"Any luck?" Roy Harper asked as he walked into the lab.

Roquette Serling shook her head. "None," she said. "Whatever Superboy did to this thing, he did it with a vengeance. It's fried. Even if I can get it working, I wouldn't say it was safe for anybody to go through after him. They could wind up just as lost as him."

"Damn!" Harper yelled, smacking the wall.

"Wait," Serling said. "I do have an idea."

Then

The stranger's eyes fluttered open as Robin waved a capsule of ammonia under his nose. "Holy flashbulbs!" Robin said as he started sitting up. "Are you all right?"

The stranger nodded. "Yeah. I think so."

"So what's your name?" Wonder Girl asked. She'd just discovered that the stranger had the cutest blue eyes! Behind her, Speedy rolled his eyes.

"Superboy."

The Titans' jaws dropped open. "Superboy?" Kid Flash asked. "So, are you Superman's sidekick?"

Superboy thought a moment. "Kind of," he said. "I'm new around here, and wanted to see if I could hang with you for awhile."

"Hang?" Wonder Girl asked. "Hang what?"

Superboy closed his eyes. Come on, Kon, he thought. You've seen both Austin Powers movies a dozen times each! And don't forget the Avengers! Man, Mrs. Peel was hot... Superboy abandoned that train of thought and opened his eyes. "Run with you for a while."

"Sure!" Robin said. "We're just heading to Baxter Beach for a while. Want to come?"

"Sure," Superboy said.

"Fab!" Wonder Girl said, smiling widely. "And since we're going back to Baxter Beach, I dug these out!" She handed each Titan a purple shirt with TT on the front.

"We're gonna look so ginchy down there," Speedy said, smiling.

Harper, I'm going to get you for using words like `ginchy' when I get back to my time, Superboy thought.

"Gotta get on the groovy gear!" Kid Flash said with a smile on his face.

You're getting it too, West.

"Sorry," Wonder Girl said. "We've only got four. If Aqualad hadn't taken his shirt with him when he left, we could see if it would fit..."

"That's okay," Superboy said. "I'm fine."

Thank God. That's all I need. Aqualad's hand-me-downs.

"Great!" Robin said. "Then to the Titancopter!"

Shouldn't we slide down a pole in Stately Titans Lair to get to it?

The Titans (and Superboy) piled aboard the helicopter and started flying toward Baxter Beach.

Far away, a submarine headed toward Baxter Beach. Captain Tiger scowled as he looked through the periscope. "Maintain course," he ordered the helmsman. "We're going to pay that little town back for interfering with the Great Captain Tiger!"

Now

Wonder Girl landed outside Project Cadmus where Roquette Serling was waiting.

"Serling?" Wonder Girl asked. "Who called me on the communicator?"

"That was Tenzil," Serling replied. "We need your help."

"What's going on?"

Serling took a deep breath. "Kon's gone. We were trying to test this gizmo of Dabney Donovan's and he flew into it. He disappeared."

Wonder Girl frowned. "Great. So what can I do?"

Serling shrugged. "I know you've got all sorts of superhero connections. I'm grasping at straws here."

Wonder Girl nodded. "I've got an idea. I'll let you know." She lifted off into flight.

Then

Man, this music sucks. Weren't the Doors recording yet? Superboy moped in the back of the Titancopter.

"Holly Hip is so groovy!" Wonder Girl said, as she danced to the music. "It was so wild meeting him!"

"Just don't forget why we're going down here," Speedy said.

"Watch out, world, Wonder Chick's on the prowl," Kid Flash added.

"Cool it, Twinkletoes," Robin said from the front. "We're heading in for a landing in Baxter Beach now."

The copter gently touched down on the sandy beach. Robin headed straight for the mayor and the city council who were ready to welcome them.

"Feel like a swim?" Wonder Girl asked, nudging Superboy.

"Maybe later," he replied, flashing her a quick smile. Behind them, Speedy rolled his eyes again. Kid Flash was busy building an enormously intricate sand castle. Superboy launched himself into flight and looked down at the small city of Baxter Beach.

Well, here's another fine mess. Only thing is, I don't know how I get out of this one. I guess I can always wait about ten years and I'll be back where I belong, or will I? I mean, there'll be two of me then, right? Time travel gives me a headache. Where's Robin when I need him?

Now

Donna Troy answered a knock at her door. Cassie Sandsmark stood on the other side. "I need your help, Donna," she said.

Then

Wonder Girl looked out across the water. "It looks so nice out there today," she mused. "I kind of wish Garth was here."

Speedy walked up beside her. "Don't worry," he said as he pulled an arrow out of his quiver. "So Gillhead's in a little bit of a snit right now. He'll get over it." Finished inspecting the arrow, Speedy fired it into the heart of Kid Flash's sand castle/fortress. The look on Kid Flash's face as the castle exploded was priceless. A split second later, Speedy was sitting in the water as a satisfied Kid Flash walked away.

"A little help?" Speedy asked, holding out his hand to Wonder Girl. She pulled him up, gave him a funny look, and walked away. Speedy only had to take a step or two to confirm his suspicions. Kid Flash had dumped sand down his pants. So much sand, in fact, that his pants were now sagging to his ankles. Speedy immediately sat back down and began scooping the sand out with his shovel-arrow. Wish I'd worn underwear today, he thought.

Superboy looked down and saw a submarine surfacing off the coast of Baxter Beach. "Dude, that's a cannon!" he said as the large bald man came up onto the deck.

"This is for Captain Tiger!" he yelled as he started aiming the cannon. A moment later he was falling backward as Superboy punched him backward.

Superboy dove down behind the sub and ripped off its propeller, then pushed it out into the open water. "Well now," he said as he ripped the cannon off and threw it overboard. "That should keep you afloat and out of trouble until the Coast Guard or whoever patrols the sea these days picks you boys up."

Now

"All right," Serling said. She stood in Donovan's lab with Donna and Cassie. "I think I can get this thing going, but it's not going to hold for long."

"I understand," Troia said as she looked at her lasso. "You know, I haven't used this since I was Wonder Girl. Hope I haven't lost the knack."

"It's coming on now!" Serling shouted as she turned the device on. The room was filled with ozone as the portal sparked to life. "Do it now!" Serling ordered. "I don't know how long I can keep this thing going!"

"Rhea, guide my aim," Troia whispered and threw the lasso.

Then

Superboy was just turning from Captain Tiger when a glowing door of light appeared behind him. "Huh?" he asked as a loop of golden rope encircled him. "HEY!" he yelled as he was pulled through the portal.

Now

Superboy looked up and saw Serling, Troia, and Cassie standing there. Cassie and Serling were crying. Troia just had a smile on her face. "Am I in heaven?" Superboy asked.

"Connor!" Cassie said as she grabbed him.

Superboy looked around. "So what'd I miss?"

"Not much," Serling said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Just glad to see you back. So where were you?"

Superboy grinned. "That's some groovy gear you're wearing there, Wonder Chick."

Troia's face paled. "Oh great Rhea. It was you."

"Yeah," Superboy said. "I'm surprised you never put two and two together on that."

Troia thought a moment. "Really, we'd forgotten. It wasn't long after that that we had to give up our costumes for a while. So what'd you think about it?"

"There's just one thing I want to know. What was the deal with Robin's panties?"

Troia fought back a chuckle. "Next time you see Nightwing you can ask him."

"Hey, Donna," Roy said as he walked in. "What are you doing KID!" he yelled as he saw Superboy. "It's good to see you!"

Superboy just smiled as he was welcomed back by his friends.

That Night

A note was laid on Superboy's night table. The crying writer looked down at Superboy, snoring, in his Green Lantern boxer shorts for a moment and was gone.

The Next Morning

Superboy let out an enormous yawn as he stretched. "I'm going to call Cas," he said to himself. "Maybe we can patch this all up." He frowned as his eyes fell upon the note. He opened the envelope and started reading.

Connor,
I'm sorry I couldn't say this to you in person. It was just so good getting to see you again. I couldn't ruin it for you.

I understand why you reacted how you did when you found out about Tim. It was a mistake. I wish you could forgive me for that, but I know that I have no right to ask you to. I never meant to hurt you. I don't know why I did what I did.

That's why I'm leaving. I'm going to Paradise Island for training in the Amazon ways. Donna suggested that to me while she was here and I think it sounds like a good idea. There's just been too much going on. I know that if I stay it'll just hurt you, so I'm leaving. By the time you read this, I'll probably be gone.

Please don't try to follow me. I promise that I'll be back when we're both ready. Please wait for me. I understand that you have no reason to after what I've done. I am so sorry. I love you, Connor. Goodbye.

Cassie

Superboy just sat and stared at the letter for a long time as tears rolled down his face.

Next Issue: Lian's been kidnapped! But can Roy get Superboy to help after the fallout from his run-in with the Titans?

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