posted
Tikhik looked around, at the monsterous creature on his left with shrunken legs and a large, heavy tail, to the man who never moved from his spot in his silver cell, jet black skin showing through the only window in his silver suit, at the front of his helmet - both seemingly needed helmets to breathe. Another means of control - he supposed he should be thankful that, however misshapen his own body had become, he could still breathe normal air. In his cell block of four, only the girl who periodically set off jets of flame (useless against their bare cells and heat-proof walls and bars) could still pass as normal to even a cursory inspection. He swore yet again that he would let the world know what had been going on here...
Meanwhile, several floors above, the van had entered the complex through a hidden entrance, Brian was bundled into a statis tube, and all six of the tubes were moved to join a bank of as many as twenty pre-existing metahumans in a "statis bank" who had been "recruited" already. Making their own had proved problematic, with too low a success rate, and too many severely mutated examples to use as part of the PR team. Not that that was the only one planned, of course... _________________
The Legion, new members in tow, flew back from their partially sucessful first mission. They had routed the complex, but had found no trace of Luthor's direct involvement, frustrating though it was. As Docks examined the protoplasmic orange lifeform that Reed had become, Imra aided by testing for how much of Reed's mind remained, but suddenly she became distracted by a familiar telepathic call...
[ April 22, 2004, 10:37 AM: Message edited by: Sanity or Madness? ]
-------------------- My views are my own and do not reflect those of everyone else... and I wouldn't have it any other way.
posted
Jenni drummed her fingers impatiently as the plane made its way back to New York. Since they couldn't find any evidence of Luthor's involvement, they had decided to lookfor the source of the phone call she had heard earlier. If they could find the man she had heard talking... She was sure she and her newfound allies would see justice done.
posted
Five minutes ago, Nura had been asleep, tired out from the multiple delays which had set her plans back nearly 24 hours.
Three minutes ago, she had started to dream of hazy images, tantalizing hints of the future. A red-haired woman desperately tying to reach out to a young girl, before a green orb and a powerful gigantic demon came. A jolly old man, trying to catch thirteen seeds before they fell into a deep hole. There was a boy, trying to find a path in a raging blizzard. And there was a small canister sitting on a plane, ticking ever so slowly...
One minute ago, Nura had woken up with a start. Her dream had confirmed many of her earlier visions and had filled in the blanks in her mind. Azura Saunders was coming to warn her daughter Zoe about Mordru and the mysterious Eye. The young Brock Bannon was coming to join the Legion. And they would arrive at the same time as she, all at the airport which Brande Industries had turned into the "forerunner of the future". Except that the future would never come if the bomb, which had been planted on her plane by the same people who had tried to kill the thirteen young Legionnaires, went off.
Thirty seconds ago, Nura had started desperately trying to make contact with Irma while she had started looking for the bomb.
Five seconds ago, she found the bomb right where she had seen it in her dream.
One second ago, she had succeeded in making contact with Irma.
Thirty minuites in the future, her plane, as well as Azura's plane and Brock's plane, would all reach the airport where Brande was now waiting expectantly for the Legion to arrive. And then, if the Legionnaires didn't arrive in time, they would all die.
posted
Rex closed his eyes for a second, trying to get a minute's rest. He also tried to keep track of everything he had just learned about his new teammates. Zoe's power was telekinesis, Jenni wanted to avenge her mother's murder, Lyle had invented three new ice cream flavors, Sally could contact the Atom if she wanted... Plenty of seemingly useless information along with the useful, but Rex knew that a good leader shpuld know all his teammates. He was glad that Garth, Lorna and company had followed his lead and had started to get to know their new friends. True unity would be the only way they would last as a team.
He was planning a little trip for the twelve of them, thirteen if Reed felt up to it, to take as a way to bond when he heard Irma's voice. "Rex, we have a problem..."
Rex listened to her explanation, and his blood froze. Mr. Brande was in trouble, and so were two future Legionnaires, assuming this "Nura" really had foretelling abilities. But he couldn't take the chance. He had to decide fast; but things were risky. They were still too far away. There was a way they could reach New York in time, but if things didn't work right only their ashes would get there. Great. Just his first week as a leader and already he had to gamble the lives of the whole team.
"Irma, brief the others telepathically. Be careful not to alarm them, especially the new guys. I'll go convince the pilot to use Mr. Brande's new star-drive to get us to..."
"But isn't it still in the experimental stage? We didn't even use it on the way to Colombia!"
"We have no choice. We just have to pray that we make it. Besides, if this Nura says she's our newest Legionnaire, then the rest of us have to be around to accept her, right?"
Imra smiled at him, and got to work. Rex smiled back, then steeled himself. He headed for the cockpit, hoping that the pilot would have enough faith in them to risk his own life.
posted
Rex Kline couldn't believe his ears. He was being replaced as Legion leader?
"It's true, lad," R.J. Brande explained once the team had landed in New York. "It comes directly from the UN Secretary General." Brande's voice could barely contain his anger.
Rex was almost speechless. All he could manage to say was "By who?"
"By me," a booming voice sounded. Rex turned to face a belt buckle. That's silly, he thought. Was it something he'd had to eat on the flight? But no, it was a real belt buckle. Then he looked up.
"First Lieutenant Gene Allen, United States Marine Corps, reporting for duty!" came the booming voice again. Rex could barely see the man's face as he was standing right in front of the sun. Rex guessed that this was the man's way of introducing himself, since, so far as he knew, he hadn't been renamed as well as removed as leader.
"He's big!" said Lyle's from a few feet away. Rex grimaced. Leave it to Lyle to state the obvious.
But then, as soon as he spoke, the giant did something no one expected. He got smaller. In an instant, he was just a foot or so taller than the Legionnaires. Only then did the Rex see that the man was barely older than they were. His brown hair was cut in a Marine buzzcut. He looked strong and rigid, but there was also something kind, almost boyish in his eyes.
"That's very impressive," Imra said. "How do you do that?"
"That's classified," Gene responded, curtly.
"You can tell them, lad," Brande said. "I've cleared it with Secretary General Chu."
Gene looked suspiciously at Brande for a moment, as if he wasn't about to trust just anyone. Then he must have realized who he was talking to, Rex thought, for he said, "I apologize, sir. I just flew all the way from Tikrit. It must be jetlag."
"Tikrit?" Garth said, incredulous. "You were in Iraq?"
"I was one of the first people in Saddam's stronghold," was the reply. "We were looking for WMDs. We found a bunker. It was booby-trapped."
"Oh no!" Imra said.
"It was some kind of strange gas," Gene continued. "It nearly killed everyone around me, but me ... it changed me, somehow. Now I can do this." An instant later, Gene stood 20 feet tall. "I was given a battlefield commission and made Lt. Colonel Zendack's personal assistant. Then I get orders to come here and take charge of this wet-behind-the-ears outfit."
"Now just a minute," Garth said. "We've already got a leader -- Rex." There were echoes of agreement from the other Legionnaires.
"Look, I don't have time to argue," Gene said. "I've even been given a codename -- Leviathan."
"Mr. Brande, isn't there anything you can do?" Lorna said.
"I'm sorry," Brande replied. "My hands are tied."
"Well, mine aren't!" Garth said, clenching his fist into an electric battery. "If Big Boy here wants to take over, he's going to have to go through us to do it, right, Rex?"
"Wrong."
"Wrong?"
Rex lowered his head and swallowed, then looked up. "It makes perfect sense. The Secretary General wants someone with experience in charge ... more experience than a high school sports champ has." He stepped toward the giant. Then, with his new teammates looking on in disbelief, Rex offered his hand.
"Gene Allen, Leviathan, welcome to the Legion."
-------------------- The Semi-Great Gildersleeve - writing, super-heroes, and this 'n' that
From: The Stasis Zone | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
Nura clutched the canister to her chest as she sat in the plane's lavatory. She tried to ignore the irate man's fist pounding on the door, which she had locked. Better for him to wet his pants than for him to start a panic on the plane. She mentally cut off her telepathic conversation with Irma. She was far too upset to talk right now, anyway. She had no intentions of escaping from her father, only to die when the bomb she had found exploded. But what else could she do, besides trust in the Legionnaires? She closed her eyes and waited, as the tears fell from her eyes.
************************************************
Brock Bannon shielded his eyes from the glare of the sun as he stepped down from the plane. He had never imagined that it could be so bright and so clear; but then again, he had never imagined that any place could be so warm and so...colorful. Sure, he had seen them on television before, when technology had finally come to his home,(that was how he had learned about the Legion), but the limited dimensions of the screen never prepared him for the vivid variety of shapes and colors. The green leaves swaying on the tall trees; the red flowers that were being waved around by those people at the stall near the entrance; they were a far cry from the cold, frozen kingdom hidden in the mountains.
Using the limited knowledge of English he had learned from Princess Tora, he made his way to the gates. He had to find the office of RJ Brande. He had to join the Legion, as he had been told to do.
His mind went back to the night last week, when he had been summoned to the Royal Family's palace. The Queen had taken his hand as he knelt down, and had pulled him up. That action wasn't unusual; after the failed coup orchestrated by Prince Oswald four years ago, the Royal Family had lost much of its power and had become ceremonial. Nobles and commoners ruled the kingdom side by side, and the Royals had opened their doors to the people.
"Sit, my boy." the King had said as he offered him a chair. His bown eyes had twinkled as he had looked Brock up and down. "It looks like we have chosen well, my dear."
"Yes, husband." The Queen had replied. "Young Brock here will be a worthy guardian of our dear daughter Tora."
"Brock, do you know why you have been called here? Has the Princess told you all about it?" The Queen asked him gently.
"Yes, your Majesty." He had replied. "I am to be our kingdom's representative in the Legion of Super-Heroes, and act as an ambassador of goodwill in preparation for the Princess' mission to petition for membership in the United Nations."
"Indeed. Our kingdom has long been isolated, and only recently have we made contact with our neighboring kingdoms. But we have learned that magic alone is no longer enough to sustain us; especially now that much of it has been lost due to the actions of Prince Oswald. And for that he has been exiled." The King shook his head; whether in dippointment or disgust, Borck did not know. "We need outside aid if our people are to adapt and survive."
"We give you our blessings, young Brock. And we know you will not fail us. Now, go and rest. You leave early tomorrow. But do not fear. You will not be alone for long."
Back at his room, Brock lay on his bed, looking at his parents' picture. They had been killed during Prince Oswald's coup; he still remembered the fear on their faces as they ran from the soldiers. And the more he remembered the love they had shown when they had shielded him from the arrows. He carefully packed the picture away, vowing that he would do them proud.
Brock fingered the necklace around his neck as he remembered what had happened next. He had opened the door to find the Princess waiting outside. Her youth failed to hide the wisdom in her features; she had the wits of a snow fox, the calm strength of a wolf, the crystal serenity of a frozen pond and the beauty of a blooming alpine flower in the middle of the spring. And she was his friend and mentor. Although she was only a year older than him, she had rescued him from the burning deathtrap his house had become, and she had nursed him back to health. She had helped train him in the use of his ice powers, and she had lent him a willing ear and a comforting shoulder when his heart felt like cracking from the sorrow. That had been three years ago, and now both of them had grown.
"I am glad that you will finally get the chance to make all of us proud," she had said, her voice like chimes in the breeze. "Not that you have to prove anything; you are already one of the best student the ice mages have ever seen."
"Not better than you, I'm sure."
She had laughed at that; not a laugh of scorn but one of amusement. "Perhaps. We shall see." She had leaned closer to him then. "You are also the best friend I have ever had, Brock. Promise me you will be careful. Here, take this."
He watched as she placed the necklace in his open hand. It was silver, and worked with a pattern of snowflakes. Inside was a picture of the both of them, their faces somewhat grave as that had been the first time either of them had seen a camera. He chuckled. "Remember how we almost froze the cameraman when the flash went off?"
She laughed hard at that memory. "Oh, yes! He was really angry because his beard cracked and fell off!" She shook her head. "Be careful out there, Brock. I don't think everything out there is as harmful as the camera." He had promised, and then she had left. That was the last time he had seen her before he left.
Brock snapped back to the present, and, clutching the necklace in his hand, he headed for the airport's main office. Above him, a large hole of blue energy appeared in the sky as an airplane flew out of it and came hurtling toward the ground.
posted
Rex tried to gather his wits together as the plane carrying him and his twelve teammates fell out of the sky. Hoping that he didn't toss his cookies, he quickly mind-linked with Irma.
"Irma, tell Garth and Lyle to grab the pilot! Then tell Zoe to head for the plane's door! We're going to create an opening. Make sure everyone is ready with the "flight rings" Quentin made!"
Rex used his magnetic powers to steady himself as he made his way to the plane door. He reflected on how lucky they were to have met all those new members in Colombia; without Jenni, they never would have known about the shady machinations in the government; without Condo and his chemical powers, Lyle and Quentin wouldn't have been able to trigger the right reaction to create their new flight metal; and without Zoe, he doubted he would be able to rip a hole open in time.
Bracing himself, he caught Zoe's eye and nodded. As soon as she nodded back, he turned his magnetic powers on at full force, and Zoe did the same with her telekinetic abilities. He watched as the side of the plane slowly bent outward. Slowly... slowly...
He was so focused on his task that he wasn't able to react in time when the plane suddenly shuddered. Losing his balance, he hit his head against the side of the plane and found himself sinking into unconsciousness...
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"Rex!" Irma screamed as she watched him slump to the floor of the plane. Jenni sped over to him. "He's fine, he just has a little bump on the head."
"That's great news, but what about us? We still have to get off this plane, ya know." Condo said with a bit of a sneer.
"Zoe, do you think you can get us out of here in time?" Irma asked the struggling girl.
"I-I don't know! These powers are still new to me... I don't think I can do it in time!"
"Stand back! I'll blast our way out!" Garth said.
"This plane is made of metal. You will end up killing us all." Quentin pointed out.
"Damn! I knew we shouldn't have used that star-gate thingie!" Garth yelled. "Now we won;t even be able to save Mr. Brande!"
"I have an idea." Chuck spoke up. "If I bounce aganist the door while Zoe aims a blast at it, the combined force of our powers might be enough to open it."
"Go for it." Irma said. "The rest of you, get ready to use your flight rings. Quentin, use your forcefield to protect Rex and the pilot, and get them medical attention as soon as you reach the ground. Zoe, Condo, I need you to stand by to make sure the plane doesn't crash into anything once we're outside. Tina, Sally, as soon as we're clear look for Nura and the bomb. Lorna, you look for Mr. Brande and make sure he's safe. The rest of you, stay with me. We're going after the guys who planted the bomb on Nura's plane and tried to kill us in Colombia."
"Are you sure these things will work?" Lorna asked, pointing nervously at her flight ring. "You guys just finished them on the way here!"
"They should be." Lyle said. "Condo's powers were able to accelerate the reaction Quentin and I hypothesized would occur if ordinary iron were xposed to certain forces. And we tested it already. It should hold up."
"Then that's settled." Irma said, before anyone else could complain. "Everyone, gather at the door and be careful. We;re going out."
posted
Irma watched nervously as Chuck and Zoe got ready. Reed has shifted to the form of an ape and was holding Rex and the pilot steady while Quentin, or Brainy, as they preferred to call him, encased the four of them in his forcefield. She hoped everything would be okay...
"I'm sure we'll be okay. You're doing a great job." Garth said behind her. She gave a start. It was almost as if he had read her mind.
"I... thanks." She smiled at him. He smiled back. "I guess you're more mature than I thought you were," she said. He just shrugged his shoulders. "My sister says that a lot, too."
"I hope I can meet her someday, after we get out of this." she replied, before putting her business manner on again. "But right now, we need to get out of here and do our job. Everybody ready?" Eleven heads nodded. "Good. Let's do it.
She watched as Chuck inflated himself, then jumped and bounced off the far wall. He hit the door right where the lock was. At the same time, Zoe used the full limits of her power to "push" against it. The door wavered for a while, and, as they all held their breath, it swung open. Irma closed her eyes as she felt herself being sucked out of the plane.
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Brock watched in horror as the plane plummeted out of the sky. Suddenly, a grren glow appeared near the door, and what looked like a large ball bounced out of the door, followed by a bunch of teenagers. The Legion! It must be them! He watched as they gathered their bearings and flew to different parts of the airport. One of them, a girl dressed in green, flew after the plane. He watched as a green aura surrounded the plane, and it's descent started to slow. But it wasn't enough; the girl ppeared tired and the plane was far too large for her. He quickly made his way to the runway, and using his powers, created a large pile of snow. He hoped it would be enough.
*************************************************
Zoe closed her eyes as she strained her powers to their limit. She hoped she could do this; she hoped she would be strong enough. This was finally her chance to shine, to beat those girls who had snubbed her because she didn't have any pretty dresses to wear or any nice toys to play with. She concentrated, focusing on the staisfaction she would feel if they could see her now. She felt the plane slow down as she put all her powers into it. And then she felt it hit something. She opened her eyes, but not in time to stop herself from being buried in... snow?
She felt a hand pull her up. "Hi. My name is Brock. Are you okay?"
"I'll be fine, even though my clothes aren't. Let me clean myself up first." She quickly used her powers to wring the wetness from her outfit. "Hi, my name is Zoe, and I'm a Legionnaire. Did you do this-"
Brock practically jumped at that. "You're a Legionnaire? Praise the North Wind! I want to join you!"
"Whoa, easy there, Brock. No need to get so excited. Besides, if you're as cool as your power is, then I don't think you have to worry about it. Come on, let's go find the others."
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Nura wiped the tears from her eyes as she tried to compose herself. It had been almost an hour since she had last "talked" to Irma; the Legionnaires must be on their way by now. She closed her eyes again and tried to find Irma.
"Nura? Is that you?"
"Irma? Your voice sounds different. Where are you?"
"I'm not Irma. My name is Tina. And you can open your eyes now."
Nura did, and nearly screamed at the sight of the brunette in white who was standing in front of her. "How... how did you...?"
"Easy. My name is Tina Wazzo, code name Apparition. Pardon me for just walking in." Tina said, demonstrating her ability to phase through objects by walking through the sink. "That must be the bomb you told Irma about. Come on, lets get out of here. Take my hand."
Tina quickly phased Nura, herself and the bomb out of the plane, and they flew down to where Irma and the others were waiting.
As Tina set the bomb down gently, Sally shrunk down and unscrewed the bombs outer casing. She then grew again and and made way for Lyle, who studied the bomb'b interior. Then he beckoned for Condo to come over. Oddly enough, Condo blushed before taking his place beside Lyle. Tina shook her head. Boys sure could be weird, sometimes.
Beside her, Nura and Irma were having a heartfelt reunion.
"Nura! It's great to finally meet you face-to-face!" Irma said as the two girls hugged. "Where's Maizah? She isn't back yet?"
"No, but she... Oh!" Nura said as she felt a vision coming. She held her head between her hands; it was so vivid!
"Is she okay?" Jenni asked. "Should I bring her to the clinic where Rex and the pilot are?"
"No, she'll be fine. She's just having a vision." Irma said. "It happens all the time."
"Looks like we've found our fourteenth member." Sally said, coming up to them.
"Sally? I thought you guys were going to defuse the bomb?" Chuck asked, the surprise evident in his voice.
"Oh, Condo and Lyle are taking care of that. Lyle said they didn't need me anymore, anyway."
"So, is that it? What do the rest of us do?" Garth said.
"I suggest you keep the crowd from panicking." Irma said. "Take Chuck with you; I'm sure he'll be able to think of something to say. I'll see to Nura."
"Fine. Come on, Chuck."
"Nura? You okay, honey?" Irma asked as Nura gathered herself.
"Irma! There's another bomb over in Brande's office! It's set to go off in fifteen minutes!"
"Not again..." Irma sighed. "Lyle? Are you done over there?"
"Not yet!" Lyle replied. "It'll take us at least seven more minutes."
"We don;t have enough time for that!" Irma said. "Jenni, take Reed and Sally with you. I'll contact Lorna and transmit the location to you." Jenni nodded, and sped off with a shrunken Sally and a transformed Reed in tow. Irma just shook her head. "This just gets better and better..."
posted
Lorna tried to keep calm as she punched in the security code to Mr. Brande's office. She hoped everything would be all right outside. She hadn't even bothered to look and see if the others were okay; as soon as she had gotten clear of the plane she had made her way to the main offices. It wasn't that she didn't care for her new friends; it was that she cared for her adoptive father even more. He had rescued her all those years ago, and she was eternally grateful for that.
As she opened the door, she felt a gun press against the back of her head. Raising her arms, she turned around slowly, to find a masked gunman.
"I know you, girlie. You're one of them Legionnaires! Well, I can't let ya warn him about the bomb right now. Sorry, girlie, but you're not gonna get a bullet from me."
Lorna's impatience to get to Mr. Brande almost made her forget to be careful. Thinking quickly, she said, "Well, if you know so much about us, then I'm sure you already know about my invisible friend behind you."
"What? Where?" the gunman turned around. Fatal mistake. Lorna quickly triplicated, and using her jujitsu skills, had one of her "selves" grab the gun while another tripped him and the third gave him a sock to the jaw.
"Oh... Damn that invisible brat..." he said as he slumped down.
"Geez, what an idiot." Her "purple" self said as she hit him one last time to make sure.
"But what was that he said about the bomb?" her "orange" self asked. "What can we do?"
"If what that idiot said is true, then we'll have to call the others." Her "neutral" self said. "You two go get Mr. Brande out of here while I call Irma. Hurry!" She watched as her two selves ran down the hall. "Come on, Irma, come on..."
************************************************
Jan Arrah looked around the office in awe. He knew that this RJ Brande was rich, but the office was simple, though with high quality furnishings. Not at all gaudy, like some others would be. He was so fascinated by the pictures of the Legionnaires on the walls that he didn't bother listening to the exchange going on in front of him.
"Mr. Brande, I need you to find my daughter!" Azura said, encouraged by the kindly interest Brande showed. She had only had to wait a few minutes before being shown into his office, and he had been very hospitable. "Please, I know your Legionnaires can find her! She's a redhead, and she has these telekinetic powers..."
"Telekinetic powers, you say? Her name wouldn;t be Zoe, by any chance, would it?"
"Oh, yes! How did you know?"
"Why, I've just gotten word that young Zoe is one of our newest Legionnaires! She just joined the team over in their mission in Colombia!"
"Colombia? How did she... Well, I'm just glad she's safe for now! But she and the rest of the Legion may be in terrible danger! Young Jan here can explain it better than I can. I met him over in Europe, and he's been through a terrible ordeal." She turned to him. "Jan?" She said gently. "Jan, are you ready to tell Mr. Brande all about the Eye?"
Jan jerked out of his reverie. "Oh, yes, ma'am. The Emerald Eye is a mystical artifact that my people were supposed to protect. But when they were all slaughtered..."
Jan recounted his story as both RJ and Azura looked on, Azura's face grim, RJ's becoming grimmer as the full horror of Jan's story dawned on him.
"By damn!" he said, when Jan had finished. "You're a brave young man indeed, Jan. Not many could deal with that ordeal as well as you could have! As soon as the Legionnaires return, I'll tell them about your story. Then we'll..."
He was cut off as the door opened and Lorna rushed in... Or at least, two-thirds of her did. "Lorna!"
"Dad! We have to get out of here! There's a bomb!"
"What?" RJ said. "What are you talking about? Who could've..."
"I don't know, but I'm sure it's the same one who planted the bomb on the plane. Come on, let's get out of here!"
Just then, Jenni ran in with Reed, Sally and Lorna's third body. Jenni quickly headed for the corner of Brande's office, where the air vent was. Reed hopped off and, transforming into an ape, ripped off the vent. Sally then shrank down and tried to defuse it. Lorna quickly gathered RJ, Azura and Jan and tried to lead them out of the office.
"What's the matter?" Jenni asked as Sally grew. "Have you defused it already?"
"This bomb is slightly different from the other one. I can't defuse it!"
"What do we do now?" Reed asked. "Should we get Lyle to come over here?"
"There's no time!" Jenni said. "I'll just run out to the coast and drop the bomb in the ocean."
"But can you make it in time?" Sally said. "Even if you do get out of the city, you'll be killed!"
"I... I..." Jenni's resolve wavered. She had to avenge her mother. But then... she couldn't let them all die... She...
"Maybe I can help." Jan said, saving Jenni from a difficult choice. "I can use my powers to encase the bomb in titanium." Without waiting for an answer, he concentrated. Everyone else in the room just stared as a glow emanated from the bomb. "It's done. I regret that I can't change the bomb itself into something harmless, but I don't want to risk it going off." He turned to Jenni. "The extra weight might slow you down, but at least it will give us a better chance of survival in case the bomb does go off."
"Thanks. All right, wish me luck!" Jenni said as she sped off.
posted
Jenni found herself running for her life once more. Amazing, she reflected. She had first used her superspeed only a couple of months ago, and now it had become such a major part of her life. It had brought her into the Legion, and she could tell that they were special people who would make great friends. And she finally had a chance to find the true reason for her mother's death. She just hoped that she would survive this mission...
"Snap out of it, girl!" She told herself. "This isn't the time to let my mind wander..."
She quickly sped through the streets of New York, glancing at the bomb. Seven minutes left... six minutes... She pushed herself to go faster. Faster than ever before. She had reached her limit, and she was starting to tire. She dodged cars and people, who were moving so slowly that it looked like they were standing still. She was so close now...
"Jenni?" Hearing Irma's voice in her head nearly made her lose her balance. "Jenni, are you all right? You can stop now, honey."
"Whatareyoutalking aboutIrma?" she thought back. "I'm not far away enough yet! I have to go faster!"
"Jenni, listen to me! Rex is awake, and he can deal with the bomb safely!"
"There's no way he can get here in time!"
"Yes, there is! He-"
"I'm sorry, Irma. Please... if I don't come back, make sure you get whoever did this. Make sure my mother can rest in peace." Severing the link, Jenni ran like the wind, faster than ever before, not knowing where she would go next.
************************************************
"She won't listen, Rex." Irma said, feeling the telepathic link being broken. "She's running too fast now."
"Then I'm going after her. Show me where she last was." Rex steeled himself as he "saw" the images Jenni did, courtesy of Irma's telepathy. Then he closed his eyes, and dove through the "stargate" RJ Brande had in the airport. Last time, it had nearly killed the whole team. This time, it might just kill him again. But this time, he felt lucky.
************************************************ Rex swooped down out of the sky, probing magnetically for Jenni and the bomb. He only had five minutes left before it went off. As he felt the tendrils of magnetic pull sweep the ground, he concentrated hard on anything that was shaped like a small cylindrical object... or a tiny ring.
"Come on, come on...There!" Rex quickly but gently pulled Jenni's unconscious form up to him. "Poor kid... she must have tired herself out. Well, time to finish what she started."
Rex hurled the bomb out over the sea, where he watched it explode harmlessly over the waves, the explosion too contained and the debris too small to harm anyone. Rex heaved a sigh as he headed back. Maybe now he could sleep as peacefully as Jenni was sleeping right now.
posted
Val had watched in stunned disbelief at all the incredible activity that had taken place on the runway at the airport. Those had to be some of the members of the Legion that Sensei had told him about, of that he was sure, he told himself. What other teenagers could there be that demonstrated such incredible abilities!
Not knowing what exactly was going on, Val had watched from a distance but when Mr. Brande had arrived with another group of youths, a woman and a giant kid, he had decided to try to reach him. They had all gathered in one group and seemed to be having some kind of excited exchange out on the runway.
As he tried to find a way to get out there from the terminal, Val kept an eye on the group, even noticing when one of those in the newspaper picture, Cosmic Boy they called him, appeared out of nowhere with a young girl next to him. RJ had pulled Cosmic Boy aside and began speaking to him in private while the other milled around and talked amongst themselves.
Just as Cosmic Boy turned to the giant kid and extended his hand, Val spotted someone hiding behind some of the runway equipment raise what appeared to be a rifle of some sort and aim it at the group.
Wasting no more time, Val kicked open one of the emergency access doors to the runway and launched himself out the door and down to the tarmac. As the security alarm began shreiking, he landed, rolled to his feet and bounded towards the marksman, shouting a warning.
"Look out! He's going to shoot!"
With that he jumped at the shooter and quickly seperated him from the gun with a well placed kick. Then with just a minor flip of his wrist, Val rendered the gunman unconcious, catching him by his collar as he slumped to the ground.
As he looked up, he saw the others running towards him...
-------------------- "Hey Jim! Get Mon out of the Zone!! And...when do we get Condo back?"
From: Paragon City on patrol | Registered: Jul 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
The woman looked at the television screen angrily. Despite her plans, RJ Brande and the girl who could foresee the future had both survived! That girl was a major threat to her plans, one which she didn't intend to ignore.
Still, it was far from a total loss. She had been able to gauge the abilities of the Legionnaires, and she had set the seeds for Luthor's downfall. Using the talents of Universo, she had been able to plant damning evidence in the minds if the hired thugs who had been caught by the Legion. Chu smiled. With Luthor out of the way, things would go so much easier.
She turned on the computer and accessed the files she kept hidden away amidst all the codes. Aside from Universo, she could contact the hitman known only as the Persuader and the exiled Prince Oswald. Her agents were now working on gathering information on the mysterious "Emerald Eye", and her scientists had given the go-signal on the cyborg Tharok and promised that the creature Validus would be ready within the month. Plus more reports of metahumans were coming in every day, metahumans whom she could trick, pressure or force into joining her army. Originally, she had planned on using only the first five; she had even thought of a name for them, the Fatal Five; but after today's events she decided that she would need many more. No, she needed a Legion of her own. A Legion of Super-Villains. And with this Legion, she could manipulate the whole world into accepting her as their leader, without question. Oh, yes, soon, very soon, it would all come true. And she would have the pleasure of destroying Brande and manipulating those brats of his as her own.
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