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For all of Atmos’ reputation for rushing in without thinking he could be a canny tactician. The nuclear powered hero knew that if he got involved in a battle with any Meta beings in the crowds below the Amazer’s Spire there could be non-combatant or collateral damage. He knew that since the... the accidental death of the Insect Queen his star was on the wane so he would have to box clever to deliver a result.
As he flew down to the lower decks he asked the Spire’s AI system to show him holos of the cult’s leaders and to pin point them if they were within the crowds. Two were: the witch Anagastru and her son, Tre. The advisor to the Afar Queen and her son, the so-called first Disciple. Well, he thought, they would do just nicely. Next he asked the AI to identify any in the crowd who didn’t have Xanthu DNA or any registered potential Meta ability. There were 18. He wasn’t surprised that Anagastru was on both lists. Well well well!
Stepping out of a previously invisible hatch at the bottom of the Spire the few cultists standing nearby parted before him as if wary of him, like he was a dangerous animal. Their conversations stopped around him as he walked through them. Atmos could play the politician as well as the warrior so he smiled and nodded his head in faux recognition. Twenty Mets in front of him he saw the group he was looking for huddled together like gossips. “Have you come to move us on again Atmos?” The Witch Anagastru had seen his approach through the parting crowds and called him out. “He needs your help Anagastru, that’s why I am here.” “Really?” She snorts in derision and turns away, her snub all the worse for the laughter that starts to break out around him.
“Please Anagastru, could I speak to you alone for a minute?” Standing over the old woman Atmos could see how physically frail she looked, but something in her eyes told him not to underestimate her intelligence or will. For all her strength of will, when Atmos put his own will to a task there were very few people who could argue for long, all he needed was two minutes and his scientifically enhanced charisma would have the old lady eating out of his hands.
Atmos smiled his most gracious smile.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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Anagastru’s curiosity got the better of her and she allowed Atmos to gently pick her up and lift her into the clear sky above.
“Be honest nuclear man, what do you want from me? Do you think I’m so feeble that I’ll be impressed by you defying gravity with me?”
Atmos was impressed by her steely nature, he knew that he was physically imposing and had a reputation to match, still, a little old lady from a rural community on the Lo-Tec East Continent wasn’t going to stop him now.
“We have intelligence that your cult has a couple of... shall we say less than savoury members.”
She snorted again but before she could say anything Atmos told her of the Dark Man’s plans and how thinly spread the Amazers were. He was scared that civilians would get hurt, or worse, if they were caught between the rival sides in this super powered grudge match.
“I’ll help you identify them nuclear man. There are two nearby to where we are camped that have been raising my hackles all night....”
“Describe them, and then leave the rest to me.”
Both smiled. Atmos because he had influenced the old woman into giving him help so easily, Anagastru because her subtle magicks were making the co-leader of the Amazers tell her the whole truth and information was, as everyone knew, true power.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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Anagastru’s two hackle raising strangers were, according to the Spire’s AI information, of Durlan origin. Easy enough, thought Atmos. An easy start, but still there were 15 other beings that had registered in the AI as potential Metas. How many of them would he need to fight before the day was over?
They landed with a great whumph of dust next to the old lady’s son and friends.
“Where are they?”
“Those two fat men in brown there.” The witch pointed to the two interlopers with her cane.
One of the men saw them and must have realised what was happening as his form shifted and within a second he was a Jovian Raptorilla, a purple horn as long as a man’s arm and ragged claws, sabre like teeth and raw pulsing muscle. The crowd roared as it ran.
“Damn it, if you want to fight then why not try taking it to me rather than trying to scare these people?”
Atmos flew towards the monster, easily avoiding a desperate blow and grabbed it by its ferociously toothed bottom jaw before flinging it into the air. As it spiraled to its apogee the Durlan began to reform its shape, growing large black wings were it once had arms and a wicked looking curved beak. Atmos released a burst of energy that lit up the sky like a fireworks show. The smoking burnt and unconscious Durlan plummeted to the ground and crash landed with a crack. By that time Atmos had turned his attention to finding the other would-be assassin.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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“Come out to play sneaky Durlan,” Atmos called out to fast dispersing crowd, “You don’t want the Dark Man to think you are a coward do you? Don’t you know he hates cowards more than he hates failures.”
Anagastru, stood not thirty mets away called to the Amazer’s co-Leader, “It’s here Atmos. Please, don’t let it escape.” Her cane’s pizo-electric tip glowing green as it pointed towards a man trying desperately to hide behind a cart that had obviously been turned over as the crowd ran away from the battle.
As Atmos flew past her, apparently on his way towards the man she had pointed out, he scooped the old lady up and flew straight up into the sky increasing his velocity as he went.
“You don’t fool me shape-changer, so here’s the deal, you have until we reach the outer atmosphere to give it your best shot before I blast you towards the moon. And just so you know, Anagastru is ruder than an angry hippo and would never, ever say ‘please’!”
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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Even as he spoke the old woman in his grasp began to change: first into a snake of colossal proportions that wound itself around him in a vain attempt to constrict the air from his lungs, then into a small bird, no bigger than Atmos’ thumbnail in an equally vain attempt to flee, before finally turning into a mirror version of Atmos himself in a futile attempt to startle the Amazer into releasing his captive. But even then it wasn’t finished. As they approached the upper atmosphere its form became hard and full of tiny spikes, letting the pressure of their speed in the rapidly thinning atmosphere push them into Atmos’ side and arm.
Atmos could feel the spikes start to break his skin but didn’t stop. Being able to survive in the hard vacuum of space was not a skill that he believed the Durlans had mastered. As he flew higher he simply radiated more raw heat until the Durlan finally passed out and resumed its natural form.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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As he landed Atmos casually dumped the unconscious Durlan onto the ground.
“You are bleeding Atmos.” Anagastru, the real one this time, approached the Amazer holding out a small pouch. “I’m a healer of sorts so let me see if I can help you.”
She reached out with a cloth that smelled oddly of herbs and clay and gently rubbed it over Atmos’ shoulder. The cloth began to smouldered and she dropped it in surprise.
“I heal quickly, don’t worry. Now who have we left....”
As he looked around Atmos could feel that the fight wasn’t over yet. The Durlans may have been amateur but he knew there would be others here looking for an Amazer scalp to get them membership into the Dark Man’s Assassins that wouldn’t be so easy to defeat. Bring it on!
He was too busy scanning the crowds around them to notice Anagastru reach down to pick up the smouldering blood stained cloth, and even if he did Atmos had no understanding of the power of blood magicks so would not have worried.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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Captain Marvel took point as they flew towards the Great Eye Observatory.
She had arrived with the Tamaran called Andromeda and Wildfire the Legionnaire through a Science Police Transmatter Station in orbit, 120 klicks from their target.
The Science Police gave them what intelligence they had gathered – there were at least four meta beings on board who had taken a party of nearly 70 tourists as hostage. The intel on the villains they were to face was sketchy - a woman with green hair who commanded one of the legendary Eyes of Ekron, a man who appeared to be there then wasn’t, and two lycanthropes that had already killed three of the command crew and threatened to kill the rest and fly the observatory towards the planet if their demands weren’t met.
Their demands were very simple – they wanted an Amazer each to kill.
The young Science Police Officer cadet who walked them towards the airlock was professional enough not to vocalise her worries though she looked terrified.
“We’ll be back soon, thanks for all your help.” Captain Marvel said, more to reassure the cadet.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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Their plan was simple – hit the villains fast and hard.
All three had enhanced speed and strength, the Observatory had an automatic onboard protective force field that would seal over any rupture they created as they burst in, and hopefully they had surprise on their side.
They had been given the positions of their enemies by the SP as they left so they knew where they had to strike. With a great WHOOOSH! The out skin of the observatory flew off in front of them as they crashed through into the main docking bay. Great sheets of buckled metal crashed into the array of family transporters and mid range shuttles parked in neat rows. The alarm screeched to life and a red warning light started to spin in the air as the auto-field sprand a net of energy over the gaping hole holding in the atmosphere and detritus against the vacuum outside.
The three heroes were already out of the docking bay and on their way to their confrontation. The tourists were being held on the central mezzanine podium. Usual practice would be to go up three levels in the grav shafts and walk another 500 mets to the archaic twisting stairs that led up to this viewing point.
Captain Marvel and Wildfire crashed through all of this and flew at speed straight towards the woman in green who stood over the hostages. They had agreed that Andromeda would tackle the lycanthropes on the command deck while they tackled the Emerald Empress and freed the hostages.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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As they reached her a wall of green energy sprung into the air between them, Wildfire rebounded in to a support strut and crashed onto the podium while Captain Marvel was bounced back straight through a wall.
Wildfire rose into the air and released a stunning bolt of anti-energy towards the gigantic floating Eye which it parried with a stream of emerald flame. Wildfire knew better than to release too much energy, he didn’t want to destroy this observatory, but he had to keep the Eye interested in him until at least Captain Marvel rejoined them. “Damn, where is she?” He muttered as he dodged a flaming attack and returned a blast of his own.
The Eye’s mistress laughed as the Legionnaire and her Eye fought and casually walked towards the nearest cowering hostage. A young woman who had curled herself around her child.
“Stop this nonsense Legionnaire or this woman and her mewling brat will not survive our meeting.” As she said this she drew a curved blade from her belt and leaned over the hostage.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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Andromeda had crashed through the command decks floor directly underneath the two lycanthropes flinging both of them aside. The surviving command crew were at their respective posts and flinched as the floor uprooted itself and the Tamaran warrior appeared.
She didn’t stop to think, remembering her training under the Okaaran Triumvulate and turned towards the nearest of the wolf men. In the split second as it started to jump, claws like scythes reaching out to tear her flesh, she saw it was wearing a Star Fleet captain's uniform. She casually batted it aside as if the 250 pounds of clawed animal was an annoying insect and turned towards the other.
“Stop this before I have to hurt you, your claws will never get through my skin.”
Out of the corner of her eye she could see the lycanthrope that she had struck was unconscious and reverting to a human form on the floor near one of the empty command posts.
The remaining lycanthrope, smiled as it reached into a pouch on it’s belt and withdrew a small palm laser and through gruesome teeth snarled, “are you fast enough to avoid this though?”
She shut her eyes instinctively and dove towards him but he was fast, bounding out of her way towards the command deck staff, she crashed into the floor were he had stood less than half a second before.
Even as she regained her feet she grabbed at a piece of metal that had been ripped from the floor when she had crashed through it and flung it with incredible accuracy towards her foe. It spun through the air for an eternal second before slicing through the arm he had reached out to grab a member of the crew. Blood and screams seemed to fill the room. The lycanthrope roared in pain as he tried to halt the blood flow with his other hand. Andromeda floated over and gently landed just behind him and almost graciously swatted at the back of his head sending him flying across the room to land bleeding and unconscious beside his brother were wolf.
Andromeda looked around the room, seeing clearly for the first time the fear and horror on the crews faces and asked,“Do you have a Med Pack, I suppose we better stop that blood before he dies on us.”
The crew that had stood stunned as Andromeda and the lycanthropes had fought suddenly came to life. One of the crew, wearing a standard Star Fleet Medics uniform rushed over to the two unconscious villains and scanned them with a metallic blue tube he had pulled from his belt before reaching into a pouch.
“I prescribe Tourniquet gel, that’ll stop him from bleeding out then a strong analgaesic to keep them both out of mischief until the Science Police arrive.” He explained as he administered the grey salve to the bloody stump.
Even while the medic saw to the two captors the crew gathered around Andromeda, some trying to tell her what had happened, one crying as he told of watching his friend being beheaded, all of them coming to their senses after their awful ordeal.
“Who is in charge?” She asked, cutting through their conversation.
The crew seemed stunned and pointed towards the two unconscious men, “they were, Captains Morgann from the Winath Fleet.”
“One of you needs to release the lock on the Transmatter gate and contact the Science Police, tell them you need medics.” Several of the crew scurried to their posts as she spoke as her requests overrode the shock and fear that had been keeping them quiet,
“Right, time to help my team mates, if they need it.” And without acknowledging the crew she coolly floated into the air and disappeared down the hole in the floor she had created.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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quote:Originally posted by razsolo: This stuff is great, Harbinger! I love everyone's characterizations...the scenes introducing the trainees was a really good snapshot for each of them. I also am really enjoying the way they interact in general, you can see obvious respect and affection with a lot of them. It's pretty cool seeing the non-Legion parts of the 3boot universe explored, I dont think we really get a lot of that in the comic until Shooter came along.
With Element Lad's death, are they talking about the Superboy-Prime story, or is this something different?
Looking forward to seeing the confrontation with the bad guys!
Thanks for your kind words Raz, they mean a lot.
I took Jan's death from the script that Shooter had originally planned for the series, totally forgot about S-Boy Prime, oh well
Hope you are still enjoying this, more coming soon
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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As the Emerald Empress bent over her intended victim she smiled.She hadn’t stopped looking at the Legionnaire Wildfire, his pitiful attempts to get past her Eye as it spat great gouts of green flame towards him had pushed him further and further away from the hostages he so desperately wanted to save.
She could see out of the corner of her eyes the terrified woman wrapping herself around her small child as it cried. The woman was making small inarticulate noises in her throat, primal, fearful, and desperate. The Empress started to laugh. It was all too easy besting these dreadful ‘heroes’ she thought, they were bound by such limiting and boring morals.
She gently placed the sharp edge of her blade against the woman’s neck and was just away to call out to Legionnaire that he would lose this fight when Captain Marvel launched her attack. Speeding through the hole in the wall where she had been ejected the young woman who currently carried the mantle of the Shazam legacy grabbed the Empress and sped off back through the Observatory, heading towards the initial hole that the group had made when they had burst in. The Empress was already in the air by the time she realised that it had happened. She tried to push against the young hero but was no match against her strength.
Back on the Mezzanine floor the Emerald Eye stopped lashing out at wildfire and turned and sped after its mistress.
Captain Marvel flew at subsonic speed through the wreckage towards the hole in the docking bay where she had crashed through only a few minutes earlier. The Empress was unconscious, the air having been ripped from her lungs as Captain Marvel s speed had increased. If all the legends about the terrible Eye and its poor slave were true, thought the young hero, then it would be racing behind them right now, away from the hostages.
She reached the breach in the docking bay wall and barged through the protective force field and flung the still unconscious Empress away from the Observatory. Realising that the Empress had less than a minute to survive in the hard vacuum of space Captain Marvel hoped her plan was working. She turned a raced back the way she had come.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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As Andromeda flew through the observatory towards her team mates she could hear Wildfire before she saw him. Or more correctly, she could hear the whoosh and bang as his energy discharges created havoc for the fleeing Eye. She almost turned the corner into the docking bay but saw what was coming and decided to wait instead just out of sight.
Wildfire and the Eye of Ekron were flying erratically down the corridor, both blasting at the other while dodging each other’s energies. The corridor behind them was wreckage!
As the Eye turned into the docking bay Andromeda kicked out with a powerful blow which, as it was unprepared, sent the Eye crashing against a far wall. Even as it flew up towards them she sped towards it and punched it with both knuckles sending it into a madly chaotic spin. Wildfire took the opportunity to blast the Eye just before Andromeda got another punch in, sending it back towards the corridor it had just come out from. “We’ve got it on the run Goldie, keep hitting it!” Wildfire shouted exuberantly as he unleashed another crackling bolt of energy. Andromeda used the Eyes disorientation from the Legionnaires attack to strike at it again.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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The Eye of Ekron was retreating from their combined attacks. Andromeda thought that its energy blasts did not seem as focussed as before, she was sure they were en route to disabling the foul creation. “Stop!” Captain Marvel’s voice rang out. Both Andromeda and Wildfire turned around as the young caped hero flew in towards them.
“The Empress is outside”, she pointed to the damaged wall of the docking bay, and “I’m trying to take the fight away from here so no more damage is done!”
As she spoke the Eye zoomed past them all and blasted through the already weakened force field.
“After it!”
Wildfire charged with the two Amazer trainees close behind him.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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Although the Sun Emperor had studied up on the heroes of Xanthu he was not entirely sure of Atmos’ power set so rather than a direct attack he chose to strike when he thought the Amazer’s co-leader would be most vulnerable. If he had studied a little harder the solar powered villain would have realised that Atmos was possibly the least likely of any of the Amazer’s to succumb to his abilities.
Still, life is nothing if it isn’t a learning curve.
Atmos had been stood with a ragtag group of natives, persuading them to leave the area until they were given the all clear. The Sun Emperor chose this moment to strike, thinking that if he had attacked while there were civilians the so-called Nuclear Man would be unable to strike back.
Atmos had sensed the Sun Emperor’s approach; the solar powered villain’s energy signature loomed largely on his senses.
He had just finished saying to Anagastru and her son and friends that they’d better duck when the villain released a blistering flare! Atmos knew that his strength and nuclear abilities were well known, but he had also discouraged other aspects of his abilities to be so well reported. For instance, his ability to manipulate radiation, in this case mainly infra red, and plasma, The Sun Emperor took a couple of seconds to realise that the wall of flame that erupted aroung his intended victims before him was not as a direct result of the heat he projected lighting up the environment.
By that time it was too late for him as Atmos dove through the flaming mass and squarely punched the villain 15 feet into the air and four hours of unconsciousness. The villain’s broken jaw and nose were re-set by the Science Police medic before he woke up.
-------------------- "Tempus Fugitive" the final part of the Adventures of Dream Boy series, set in the Three-Boot Universe. Read it only in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
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