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Toddkins! Jiminy Jillikers, I didn't know you were reading-- I am so glad you are!!
re: Infectious Lass... she'll be popping up before the end of this story... I do think I've challenged myself a bit more by focusing on characters such as Dawnstar and Laurel, characters I never really considered writing before...
re: Insect Queen... without her, Xanthu would surely have fallen to the Spider Guild! She hasn't been used a WHOLE lot postboot, so I'm kinda going by the seat of my pants with her personality. I tried to put myself in her shoes, sorta, and write her the way I might react if I were her and in her position.
re: Jan Arrah... my original intention was to follow Legion Lore and have Trom be destroyed by the Venom Bomb, with only Jan surviving... isn't it kinda kewl to have Trom still be around and thriving?!? Not sure how much bigger a role he'll have in this particular tale, as the end of it is approaching... but he sure has been fun to write in the few scenes he's had...
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The 7 appeared in a large room filled with monitors. The visage of R J Brande was on each screen. Dawnstar recognized Brek, Mysa and Brainiac 5, but there were many in the room she did not know, including a large green female behemoth the likes of which she had never seen.
Star Boy whispered, "Sssh, everyone... we've appeared in the middle of a debriefing..."
R J Brande was already speaking. "...and am pleased to introduce our volunteers from Braal, code-named Cosmic and Magno; Our volunteers from Imsk, code-named Violet and Micro; Our volunteers from Bismoll, code-named Hunger and Calorie; and our volunteer from Somahtur, code-named Malady. And unless my eyes fail me, I see Star Boy and my ward Veilmist have arrived with the rest of our Legion of Spider-Slayers. Welcome, lad and lass! Be quick, introduce your friends!"
Veilmist shyly looked down, but Star Boy quickly replied. "May I present Dawnstar of Starhaven, Jan Arrah of Trom, Drake Burroughs-- also known as Wildfire-- of Earth and the Daxamites named Laurel and Ol-Vir!"
"Welcome back, Drake!" Brek called out.
"My stars!" the large green female creature exclaimed. "What an assemblage! Surely those awful spiders don't stand a chance!!"
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Lash you've created a Monster(ess) with this story. I love it!!! At first I didn't think that Tangleweb's people were really up to the task of being an opponent that could force the creation of the Legion. But, you've overcome my doubts and spun a fine story-web.
posted
Abin, thanks for giving it a chance! To anyone curious about the actual DC COMICS appearances of the Spider Guild, hit those back-issue bins for OMEGA MEN-- iirc, starting with issue # 26. Some pretty horriffic stuff...
Danny, as far as I'm concerned, the AMAZERS = Xanthu's JLA, and that is how I intended to treat them. 'Course, it looks like the Amazers might be absorbed into a much larger group shortly...
R J Brande of Earth, co-leader Brainiac 5 of Colu, co-leader Icestorm of Tharr Mystic of Zerox Wildfire of Earth Veilmist of Khnudia & Earth Dawnstar of Starhaven Andromeda of Daxam Spaceboy of Daxam Element of Trom Cosmic of Braal Magno of Braal Violet of Imsk Micro of Imsk Hunger of Bismoll Calorie of Bismoll Malady of Somahtur Star Boy of Xanthu, co-leader Star Girl of Xanthu Insect Queen of Xanthu Atmos of Xanthu Monstergirl of Xanthu Kid Quantum of Xanthu
Brainiac 5 set aside his mini-Omnicom. "Spaceboy..." he scoffed under his breath, "...Children. So silly."
"I can hear you!!" Ol-Vir called out.
"I know." Brainiac 5 replied. "And now that the tedious task of making sure everyone knows everyone else is out of the way, may I please get on with the meeting? Or don't you want to know how we're going to save the United Planets?"
"Leash your sarcasm, Brainiac 5. It ill becomes you. You know very well we are ALL ready for action."
"Very well, Mysa Nal. Or should I call you 'Mystic'?"
"I shall answer to either. Now get on with it, please!"
"And get on with it I shall indeed..." Braniac turned on the vid-screen behind him. "This is Colu, my home planet. As most of you know, the Spider Guild is unable to penetrate the force-field that surrounds the planet. A force field that is my invention, might I add."
"We're certain you're a planetary treasure back home." Dawnstar said. Her comment was met with scattered giggles throughout the assemblage.
"Never doubt that." Braniac 5 replied. "Now, if I may proceed without further interruption...? Good. As our recruits from Braal, Imsk, Bismoll and Somahtur may be aware, my force-field technology is being installed on you planets as we speak. No longer will the Spider Guild be able to touch the ground of your planets."
Cheers from the assemblage.
Brainiac 5 pointed to Star Boy. "Star Boy, inform Insect Queen that she will need keep her thralls no longer. The force-field technology is also being placed here on Xanthu." More cheers from the assemblage at this comment.
Brainy continued, "Tharr and Dryad will also receive the technology."
"How is Colu shipping out this technology?" Wildfire asked. "How are you avoiding the Spider Guild in transit?"
Brainiac 5 pointed to Veilmist. "Because she has been the source of transportation. No space travel has been needed."
Everyone in the room looked at Veilmist and applause broke out. Veilmist looked down and stated, "I merely do what I can do."
"Enough, people!" Brainy interrupted. "There's still the matter of the many planets already overrun by the Spider Guild. And that is where the rest of you come in..."
She felt comfortable enough with the plan and comfortable enough with the people she would be fighting alongside, but she still was disappointed that Starhaven was such a low priority on the agenda. Overrun planets like Titan, Naltor and Cargg-- whose natives had natural powers that might help the battle-- had top priority. And Dawnstar was unique among her people.
MYSTIC
Mysa levitated trance-like in her quarters. Reaching out to her sister, calling, calling... trying to let her know help was coming. Damn Beren the High Seer anyway! He would not listen to Nura when she tried to warn him. He had seen nothing but peace and calm when he dreamed. Little did he suspect it was the peace and calm induced by the webs of the Spider Guild... after several hours, Mysa gave up. She could not reach Nura's mind, so she contented herself with checking in with her friends on Zerox, who were having quite a good time making the Guild soldiers stationed there completely miserable.
ATMOS / INSECT QUEEN
Atmos entered the vast holding cell where his girlfriend had been for the past few weeks. Though he had enjoyed his time away from her and the girls he'd had during those weeks, he couldn't deny it would be nice to have his steady back. "Babe!" he called out, to annouce his presence. "Your loverboy's here, and have I got news for..." He trailed off as he heard the faint sound of sobbing. He took flight at this point, all the way to the back of the cell.
There he found Insect Queen on the floor, in full human form, crying with her face in her hands. What was left of her Spider Guild thralls was scattered all about the area. "Babe...?" She ignored him. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her with more force than was necessary. "Lana! What happened?"
She seemed to come back to reality. Her sobs ceased and she pushed him away from her roughly. "I happened. And I'm leaving here now." She started walking toward the exit. Atmos simply stared in awe. She had pushed him. He could not believe it... maybe he should have visited more these past weeks...? "Are you coming...?" Insect Queen called back, "...or do you LIKE sitting amongst my handiwork?" Atmos stood and followed her to the exit.
They bounced from wall to wall, from floor to ceiling in the throes of their passion. Making love in zero gravity... could ANYthing be finer? Objects floating at random inStar Boy's bedchamber could sometimes become a part of their play... "Tell me it's all going to be alright." Zynthia said. "Ssssh..." Thom answered, and kissed her. The force of his kiss sent their naked bodies downward from the ceiling. Zynthia giggled as they gently bounced from the floor.
ICESTORM / WILDFIRE
Brek was very glad to see his friend again, he had really missed Drake when he had left for Trom. But there was something different about him now. He seemed more melancholy than ever. Brek slammed his Spaceopoly money on the table. "Crap, Drake! Why should we play if you can't keep your sprockin' mind on the game? What's your deal anyway?"
"Dawnstar..." Drake replied. "I can't get her off of my mind..."
Brek rolled his eyes. "Oh, geez...! JUST what you need... NOT."
Drake zapped Brek with a tight, mild beam, enough to flush his cheeks. "Shut up and roll the stupid dice!"
MONSTERGIRL / ANDROMEDA / SPACEBOY
"What a cutie you are, yes, a cutie-patootie!" Ol-Vir giggled as the green-skinned gentle giant called Monstergirl tickled him. Laurel was quite glad to be free of him for the nonce. Little did she suspect when she took on the babysitting job that night the Guild ended up invading Daxam that she'd be babysitting him THIS long.
But Monstergirl seemed to have a real affinity for children. Laurel considered herself lucky to have met her.
"Ms. Candi...?" Ol-Vir looked up at her, his eyes widening. "I miss my Mum and Dad..." Tears welled up in Monstergirl's eyes. She hugged him close and choked back the tears, "Oh dear one... I know you do, I know you do. But I want you to promise me, you'll NEVER give up hope. Promise!" "I promise." Ol-Vir replied.
Laurel continued to look on, and choked back a tear of her own.
James Cullen examined himself in the mirror. Flawless as always. He was ready for whatever those repulsive hairy spiders had to dish out.
MALADY
The girl named Drura sat alone in her quarters. She could not blame the others for being uneasy around her. Her people were feared and loathed United Planets-wide, but were tolerated with grace because of the many biological advances their science had discovered. Plus Somahturians were right up there with Daxamites about going off-planet. While Brande had to turn away hundreds of volunteers from Braal, Imsk and Bismoll, Drura had been the only volunteer from Somahtur to answer the call when Brande made it. "They'll love me" she said aloud, "given time."
HUNGER / CALORIE
Hunger strummed an ancient string instrument. "That guy from Braal-- Cosmo?-- he calls this a 'benji'." He began singing... badly. "Jimmy crack pluberries and I don't care, Jimmy crack pluberries and I don't care, Jimmy crack..."
"Shut UP, Tenzil!!" Calorie screamed. "And it's called a 'banjo', you idiot."
"Oh, lighten up, Taryn." Tenzil continued strumming, and began singing again... worse than ever. "It'll be coming 'round the mountain when it comes... sing along, everybody!"
Calorie let out a huff of exasperation and exited Hunger's quarters. Hunger giggled as she walked out.
Jan Arrah marveled at his luxurious quarters. Nothing like back home on Trom, although the natural beauty of Trom outshown Xanthu by far. He feared the others took him for a yokel, but he could not help but be amazed by the incredible sights he was seeing and the fascinating people he was meeting. He knew he was in on something destined to be very, very special...
COSMIC / MAGNO
"That little twerp!" Cosmic yelled.
"What little twerp?" Magno replied.
"That Bismollian! That Bismollian made off with my banjo!"
"What the sprock's a banjo?"
VEILMIST / RJ BRANDE
Veilmist sat in her quarters alone. She closed her eyes and when she opened them she was on Colu, at the office RJ Brande had taken over for his extended stay. "Father...?"
RJ Brande whirled his chair around. "Daughter! My baby girl!" The two embraced. "I'm so proud of my girl, so very very proud!"
Veilmist melted in his arms. The man had saved her when she was a little girl from a life too wretched to even contemplate on Khundia and she would never-- ever-- let him down.
"I just wanted to see you, Father."
"I'll inform Star Boy and Brainiac that you are staying on Colu tonight, daughter. Don't we have some catching up to do!"
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