Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Bits o' Legionnaire Business Legion Worlds Nine updated 16 April 24

hi Harbi, my pleasure - I really enjoy your stories. Glad I remembered Poltergeist's history well!

thanks for clarifying re Marya! and I totally get you, I'd probably jump abit the first time I saw someone walk through a wall

good to see you're on a roll, that means more for us to read too!

Metropolis, Earth

Kid Quantum - Jazmin Cullen of Xanthu - creation of temporal quantum fields, flight
Shield - Laurel Kent of Earth - physical invulnerability, tactile psychometry

When Zoe had announced an impromptu shopping trip to Metropolis across the First Base comms network, Jazmin thought it would be a laugh so happily asked if she could join her. Zoe agreed and asked if Laurel might want to join them as well. Jazmin agreed to give their friend a call as she closed her holo.

Laurel told Jazmin that she was an absolute lifesaver as Brin was huffing because they had been too late to get on a mission and it was getting on her nerves. The invulnerable young woman wanted to leave him to it and would order up a warp and see her friends for a shopping spree shortly.

Amp Girl and the Silver Shaman from the support staff, and Ferro from the main team joined the shopping trip as well. Ming invited the Monstress from the Xanthu Amazers as she was a known lover of all things fashionable. The five young women and two men had initially started in a mall that was famed for its outrageous range of shops specialising in footwear where they had fun trying on a variety of shoes.

Twenty minutes later, Douglas Nolan announced he had found the new running shoes he wanted and called for a warp back to the base.

After an hour, Laurel suggested they stop for some liquid refreshments, but Zoe, Ming, Shardwurd, and Candi were not to be dissuaded from the monumental task they had set themselves. Jazmin smiled and said she'd join Laurel as she was feeling thirsty, and they could catch up with their friends in half an hour or so.

Both knew that they wouldn't.

Jazmin had heard of a small rooftop bar overlooking one of the largest park areas in the Manhattan District of Oldtown Metropolis. It could be pretty exclusive, but she was sure they would blag their way in. Flight rings had to be good for something, after all, she said with a laugh.

It took them twenty minutes to get there in an aircab, and the small queue to get in - even in the early afternoon - was shooshed aside once the door persons had spotted the two young women. With immaculate manners, the two muscular men in smart black suits motioned them through the smokey glass doors into the venue ahead of the dozen people waiting patiently for their chance to get inside.

"Thank you, gentlemen." Jazmin said, flashing them a wide grin as they walked through the doors.

"Our pleasure Ms Cullins." The shorter of the two replied.

"Ah, they know who we are." Jazmin muttered as her and Laurel made their way to a table.

"Free drinks then, yeah?" Laurel laughed as she replied.

"Fingers are crossed." Jazmin laughed.

They found a semi-secluded table with a wall of exotic plants at one side that afforded them a view over the Eastern edge of the park.

A wave of Laurel's hand over a discreetly placed hard light sensor pad alerted staff to their presence and twenty seconds later an auto-bartender appeared and politely listed the cocktails available before taking their order.

They sat together, facing the park with a delicate parasol floating above them, giving some shade from the early afternoon sun. The views were rather spectacular and they spent the first ten minutes naming landmarks and sharing stories from their lives associated with them.

It was forty minutes, a lot of laughter and the two Legionnaires were on their third very large cocktail later as Laurel was talking about how her father had tried to hide his obvious relationship with the Quantum Queen from her, when someone tapped her on the shoulder.

"You ladies enjoying the view?"

"DIRK!" they both yelled happily as they turned to see Dirk Morgan, their former teammate the original Sun Boy, standing behind them.

...................


Former Legionnaire Dirk Morgna of Earth, Sun Boy - generation of extreme heat and light


Dirk bent forward and put an arm around them both, kissing the top of their heads before offering to buy them a drink.

After they had happily given their order they asked him to join them. He smiled as he sat opposite them, his back to the park view. He wore a plain, sleeveless top in red, with baggy yellow pants tucked into short black boots. His casual clothing aside, what both young women noticed was how long his hair had grown, and that he had it tied back in a pony tail that reached halfway down his back. His laid back demeanour was very different to what they had known before.

"What've you been up to Dirk, we've missed you " Jazmin said as he sat on a chair opposite her.

"You really want to know?" He said with a flirtatious smile, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Not all the gory details, no, but, y'know an overview would be great." Jazmin laughed as she replied.

"Actually, I wouldn't mind some details," Laurel laughed wickedly, "well, a girl can never have too many tricks up her sleeve after all..."

"Things getting a bit ...stale with the lovely Mr Londo there, Laurel?" Dirk teased mercilessly.

"No way, Brin is as energetic and loving as any girl could ever ask for." She replied with a perfectly straight face, before she cracked up laughing, "well... we've been together over a year and a half and, y'know, the honeymoon phase doesn't last forever, so any novel tricks or tips would be appreciated." Laurel started to blush as the words left her mouth, suddenly aware that the cocktails she had speedily consumed were probably more alcoholic than she had expected.

Dirk laughed and nodded, "And now you know why I won't settle down."

"So," Jazmin interrupted, "what have you been doing? Seriously, man, we miss you."

"Well... I've kind of relaxed, I mean proper relaxed. For the first time in stars only know how long, I don't set an alarm and I don't miss it. A couple of companies have approached me, wanting endorsement deals or the like... been seeing what's out there really. I'm lucky my father left me a bit in his will so I don't need to rush into anything."

"Well, you clearly still work out." Jazmin said, pointing at his muscular arms. He smiled and flexed them, happily showing off his hard-earned muscles.

"Yeah, that's a habit I haven't lost. If anything, I do more now...Do you like it, Laurel?" He gave another teasing look her way as he asked.

"You almost look as good as the new Sun Boy." Laurel said with a wicked smile.

"The new...? Who's this?" Dirk's expression became more serious. His mouth still smiled; the rest of his face didn't look quite as happy.

"Oh, remember Lexikon? I bet you do." Laurel gave Dirk a particularly pointed look before continuing. "Her fiancé joined the Academy, and he's gonna be a tutor there. Everyone adores him y'know... well, Tamaraneans are all so gorgeous, aren't they? Golden skin, big green eyes, broad shoulders and snake hips... yummy!" Laurel gave a wicked laugh as she spoke. She was clearly enjoying teasing Dirk.

Jazmin had been watching Dirks expression as Laurel said this. The invulnerable young woman was just trying to tease their former teammate, though his reactions were more serious than expected.

"I'm fairly sure I own the rights to that name." His voice was tight and his nostrils flared as he took a couple of deep breaths.

"Hey, what's up?" Laurrl reached across to put a hand on his knee.

"I'm working on a marketing brief and need the Sun Boy brand untarnished..."

"Dirk... firstly, like what're you selling that you need it so bad, and secondly, untarnished? Really, given how many clubs your banned from and paternity suits you've had against you.. "

"Okay ladies, this had been nice but I gotta go now. I've got some business to attend to." And without another word he left the table and walked out of the bar.

"Oh dear, he's not particularly happy, is he?" Laurel said with a small smile.

"Nope... and we'd better get back to Base as I've a feeling we haven't heard the last of this."

....................


The Great Swamp on Frathamana Two

Tyroc – Second Base Team Leader - Troy Stewart of Marzal city pocket dimension - sonic control
Monica Sade of Rimbor - strength, reflexes , line of sight teleportation
Dragonwing - Marya Pai of Earth - breathes dragon fire and acid
Karate Kid iii – Mithindrivithis Ngandraffa of Lythyl - strength, reflexes, mimetic motor learning giving incredible combat skills
Babbage- I-45ENG/Nth Series, of the Robotica Confederated Worlds - strength, durability, internalised weapons, hyper awareness and analytical skills.
Poltergeist -Jaun Vineo of Titan - alpha-level telekinesis

Science Police meta-squad seconded to Legion World Second Base:

Captain Phantom - Senior Team liaison, Science Police Captain Gryal Vrizza of Bgztl Dimension - intangibility


"Back up!" Tyroc ordered.

The Science Police air craft swerved in the air above them, its alarm suddenly blaring.

"Officer," Tyroc spoke into his flight ring, willing the communication function to broadcast to the local police vehicle, "I t'ink it's best you retreated a ways, we'll deal wit' this. G't yoursel' safe now.""

The team also retreated, keeping space between each other so the swinging branches wouldn't have an easy target to potentially take out more than one of them at a time.

"Captain Vrizza is unconscious below the tree, there." Dragonwing said, pointing downwards.

With a pop! Monica Sade vanished and reappeared close to the roots of the tree. She popped out of sight again and seconds later was spotted flying out from underneath the tree as fast as she could, Captain Phantom tightly held in her arms.

<Poltergeist, c'n you deter the branches from grabbing them?> Tyroc sent to the junior team member.

<on it> The young psychic responded as he reached out to direct the branches that were trying to grab his teammates in towards themselves, resulting in them getting knotted up together.

<Babbage, lay down a suppressing fire t' encourage this t'ing t' back off> the team leader sent across the telepathic matrix.

His Robotican teammate hovered fifty metres away and nodded its head before pointing both hands towards the tree, From the index finger on each hand thin beams of laser fire tore through the ends of the branches that were closest to the team.

<that's right, just a light pruning t' dissuade it...> As Tyroc sent this several long branches shot out from the inside of the densely packed leaves towards the team like spears. Tyroc released a howl that shattered them while Poltergeist telekinetically grabbed the shards and redirected them back towards the tree.

"Guys, it's really pissed, do you think we should retreat a bit more?" Marya Pai was usually up for a decent fight but she didn't understand what was happening here so, remembering her Academy training, realised a strategic retreat might not go amiss at that moment.

"No... no Marya, I t'ink we need to find out wha's goin' on here as this just ain't right. We're goin' in!." Tyroc replied, his accent thickening as he concentrated on the task at hand.

.....................


Monica Sade had rested the unconscious Captain Phantom on a moss-covered mound.

After a quick scan to check he wasn't too badly hurt, she turned back towards the immense, incredible tree that was giving the team so much trouble. The ground around them was shaking as the muddy sea water rushed in to fill the massive hole that had been ripped into the ground when the tree had apparently taken to chase after the Legionnaires. Birds screamed as they took to the sky for several clicks around them.

She could see Tyroc and the team flying above the massive tree and as she looked around something glinted underneath the roots of the walking tree that caught her eye. In amongst the dripping muddy roots there was something golden. Babbage had said that its sensors had detected a strange energy source, well that could be it. Monica thought that if she could remove it from the tree, it would likely stop this strange encounter. With a pop! she vanished from the mossy mound...

She reappeared 20 metres away, only feet away from a large clump of the tree's roots. In her hands she tightly gripped her blasters with their setting on 'burn'. Sade didn't want to draw attention to herself as she ducked under clumps of dripping roots so gently hovered around one massive concentration of roots that the tree was using like a leg to support itself. Her reflexes and speed helped her avoid being caught as thin branches swung about underneath the massive trunk. As she approached the centre of the underside of the tree, she could see the object clearly ~ it was no bigger than her two hands and glinted like gold. What stuck her though was it looked exactly like something she remembered from a class at the Academy, something that had caused a lot of problems before the team had finally stopped it. She stopped five feet from it and pondered how she could get through the knot of whip-like roots that surrounded it.

"I wouldn't try touching it..."

"Vrizza! You scared the bejeezers out of me" Sade hissed as she turned to glare at the smiling Captain Phantom as he floated behind her.

"Sorry Monica... just woke up and saw you getting close to that thing. I tried to grab it and it knocked me out so wanted to warn you. Perhaps Poltergeist can reach it?" He gave a small smile as he offered his suggestion.

"You know what it is, right?" Sade asked the Bgtzlar Science Police Captain.

"Other than dangerous, nope." Again, he gave her a small smile.

"The team encountered one before... I learned about it at the Academy. It might look like an old oil lamp but it's actually a prison created by the Oans to hold a D'Jinn... and they're really powerful and nasty!"

yay, more!

Impromptu shopping trip is sooo Zoe, and also sooo Zoe to just announce it to everyone - like, whomever wants to come, come along!

figures that Brin would still be huffing about not getting to go along

hah! I like how Ferro is the practical shopper. I'm done gang, bye!

also nice that Laurel and Jazmin aren't THAT into shopping, not as much as Zoe, Monstress, etc.

Dirk! nice surprise! so him to wear a sleeveless top. Dirk wit h a ponytail, quite an image.

haha oh Laurel she tried to be discreet...

no wonder Dirk is so relaxed, he's just been lazing about!

(I also like that Dirk has to work hard to maintain the muscles... that always bugged me with classic comics art. Like, I can buy Cosmic Boy, Ultra Boy, etc. being muscular... but Brainiac 5???)

uh oh, now I see... smart hook here, making Dirk possessive of the Sun Boy name because of business, rather than pride (or is it just that?) LOL at that bit re "what name, you've been banned from so many places and have so many paternity suits...!"

wow, the tree was able to knock Captain Phantom unconscious? Did he get careless, or can the tree hit through phased enemies? ah I read ahead, it was that object!

I like how Marya is the one who suggested a retreat!

Like how Sade is more than just her power, she's a darned good fighter too!

whoa! now that was a nice curveball, I remember that Djinn story! Well done Harbi, I was not expecting that!

as always, very eager to see what happens next !

Hi Harbi - I finally had a decent amount of time to sit down and catch up on stuff so here's some thoughts:

I liked Lu welcoming Brainy...they have such a weirdly intimate history together for two characters who hardly ever actually interact with one another! And I am sure some of the new kids would be shocked to learn Lu is only like 99% hardass and she does have a soft side in there somewhere

Also I appreciated the history lesson on Home Base! Did we know this already and I just forgot? Either way, it makes perfect sense that doomsday cults will adapt to space travel! And it's kind of a creepy thing to think about whole planet-wide cults dotted here and there!

Mass belching colored lights made me LOL

The scene with Dream Boy talking to Cos made me chuckle...it is always fun seeing Naltorians confusing everyone else around them talking about stuff that hasn't happened yet

It makes sense that the students would set off some nerves flying to the beach...we are used to seeing the Legionnaires be treated like celebrities, but people would also have to figure that there's likely trouble brewing if superheroes are flying around too. Also, good to see the disadvantage of being invisible in a crowd and how Mors found he could be less conspicuous just by being a bit smart about how he presented himself.

Marmud and Lu's scene together was an optimistic but also realistic step forward; they are both trying to look at the bigger picture and in doing that they are seeing the better parts of each other that they wouldn't have noticed if they were still just focused on their beef.

I really liked Mors taking on the Exxorians with just an air-board and his invisibility...this action-oriented Invisible Kid is more fun off the bat than Jacques was to be honest! OOH, and now he's gonna get new powers?? Future J'onn is creepy, but I am curious how our new Invisible Kid is gonna come out of this!

The Great Swamp sounds like a fun and gross backdrop for an adventure, and more Babbage is always good! Your Tyroc is pretty pragmatic, so I am looking forward to seeing how he deals with something off the wall like an angry tree

The Great Swamp on Frathamana Two

Tyroc – Second Base Team Leader - Troy Stewart of Marzal city pocket dimension - sonic control
Monica Sade of Rimbor - strength, reflexes , line of sight teleportation
Dragonwing - Marya Pai of Earth - breathes dragon fire and acid
Karate Kid iii – Mithindrivithis Ngandraffa of Lythyl - strength, reflexes, mimetic motor learning giving incredible combat skills
Babbage- I-45ENG/Nth Series, of the Robotica Confederated Worlds - strength, durability, internalised weapons, hyper awareness and analytical skills
Poltergeist -Jaun Vineo of Titan - alpha-level telekinesis

Science Police meta-squad seconded to Legion World Second Base:
Captain Phantom - Senior Team liaison, Science Police Captain Gryal Vrizza of Bgztl Dimension - intangibility


After Monica Sade had alerted the rest of the team to what she had found, Tyroc called for them to retreat.

As the team started to fly away, the monstrous tree took faltering steps, smashing through the forest around it, as it gave chase.

<Team, it ain't gonna give up so we need t' get that lamp away from under it>

<it knocked me out when I touched it> Captain Phantom sent to his teammates.

<So, we separate it from the tree with some of Marya's fire and then Poltergeist grabs it?> Monica Sade suggested.

<That sounds fair enough... Though you've been under it 'afore so you go with him Monica, you sneak in there with Jaun... keep the kid safe, eh? An' the rest of us will give it somet'ing else to focus on>

Poltergeist felt himself start to blush as Tyroc referred to him as a 'kid' but he kept silent. He was the youngest and newest member of the team after all.

The team agreed with Tyroc's plan before they turned back towards the tree. It was only a couple of hundred metres behind them and gaining fast. The team leader took point as Dragonwing, Karate Kid, Babbage and Captain Phantom got ready to join in a frontal attack.

Poltergeist followed Monica Sade's example as she simply floated softly down to the ground below. They floated just above the mossy swamp, in amongst the bushy trees that made up the bulk of this ecosystem. The angry tree was clearly focussing on their teammates as the Legionnaires above started to take action against it.

Above them, they heard a tremendous roar and the sound of wood snapping- Tyroc's opening assault! There were several more bangs and crashes before there was a tremendous crash as something heavy fell into the swamp twenty metres away - Poltergeist resisted the urge to check it out, figuring that it must have been part of the tree as his teammates would ask for help if one of them had been knocked out of the air...

The young psychic concentrated on the job at hand; alongside Monica Sade, he floated through the pristine ecosystem of the swamp towards the underside of the massive mobile tree that now towered ten or twelve metres above.

.....................................


Dragonwing flew straight towards a bushy branch that had extended itself to swipe at Tyroc.

He had easy dodged it and with clinical precision had let out a low-pitched roar to strip the smaller blanches and twigs from it. As the large branch swung back towards the team leader, Marya flew alongside and with a Ptui! she released a spit of Dragon acid onto it. Within seconds her acid had scorched its way through the branch and it fell into the swamp below, landing with a tremendous sploosh! She quickly glanced down to make sure neither Monica nor Poltergeist were below. As she looked down, another thinner branch whipped around, and thankfully, at the last moment, she saw it and quickly dropped down under it as it swiped at her. She blew out a burst of her green flame scorching the branch as it passed her.

Captain Phantom was running interference for Karate Kid as she dived into towards the main trunk of the tree. The lithe martial artist was kicking and chopping at branches as she spun through the tangle of growth, sending branches flying in all directions as they snapped at the force and accuracy of each strike. Captain Phantom was in awe at how efficiently she moved and almost missed a whip like branch that swung towards her back as he was admiring his colleague's skills. As it snaked in beside her throat, he saw it and phased through the nearest branch to grab with both hands, twisting with all his strength to snap it in two.

Babbage floated twenty feet above the crown of the tree and used its finger lasers to sever the ends of branches that swung too closely to its teammates. There were too many thrashing around from the length of the tree's bough to keep them all away from potentially harming a Legionnaire. The Robotican had to change tactics as spear-like projections shot out of the tangle of leaves towards it. While Babbage was fairly certain these would not get through its armoured shell, it didn't want to take the risk. As the Robotican blew apart these spears, small balls of a snot like sap sprayed out, some of which covered the Legionnaire's legs and torso. The sap instantly stuck and quickly turned solid, immobilising the body parts it covered. Babbage releases a body-wide electrical pulse which fried the sap, making it brittle enough to wipe off.

...................................


Monica Sade led her young teammate carefully through the dark tangle of roots that hung, dripping swamp water, underneath the mobile tree. The air stank!

<It doesn't have eyes to see us so I think it feels vibrations ...so let's be careful, no sudden movements or loud noises, okay?> The Rimboran teleporter glanced at the telekinetic young man as she said this, noting that he nodded in response.

Sade indicated where they were going and Poltergeist gently moved a few straggling roots aside with his telekinesis. They both waited a few seconds before moving underneath them just in case they had triggered the tree to act. Both breathed a quiet breath of relief when there was no attack.

Sade pointed to the ball of roots where the lamp was suspended.

<how does that even work? Aren't D'jinn supposed to grant wishes? How does a tree have wishes?>

<all lifeforms have desires I suppose, and perhaps this one wanted to grow big and scare away its attackers... actually, no idea> Sade tried not to laugh as she sent the reply as she realised just what an outrageous position they were in: Underneath a giant walking tree trying to steal a Genies lamp...

They had already arranged that Sade would use her blasters to get the roots off the lamp then Poltergeist would grab it telekinetically. As planned, she moved several yards away from him - just in case the tree attacked her, she could teleport out of the way and he wouldn't be at too much risk. She aimed both of her guns at the top of the roots and blasted...

There was an explosion of twigs and bark shrapnel!

Jaun Vineo had already placed a shield between himself and the root ball that had held the lamp so he was ready to take action as the small wooden shards flew out in all directions. With a thought he reached out with his prodigious psychic talent and wrestled the lamp away from the few roots that still clung to it.

<Got it!> He exclaimed excitedly as he telekinetically yanked the lamp out of the root ball towards the Legionnaires.

Above their heads there was an ominously loud creak and both realised that without the access to the D'Jinn's power the tree would revert to its natural state, and that did not include being able to stand upon its root above the water and ground - and them! - below it.


...............................


"Keep hold of that bloody lamp!" Sade yelled as she flew at the young psychic. When she had gained her experimental cybernetics that gave teleporting abilities, she had tried to carry another living being with her. She had picked up her Rimborian Mini-Weile, Mishi, though unfortunately had only managed to carry part of it - the dog had died and she never tried to teleport with another living thing after that. She learned her lesson; teleporting was to be a solo experience! As she dived for the psychic Monica Sade hoped her speed and reflexes would be enough to save them...

She grabbed Poltergeist in one arm around his torso as she held her other hand out in front of her, her gun tightly in its grip and blasted at all the roots that were in their way as she flew straight through them to safety. Luck was thankfully on their side as the tree began to tilt over in the opposite direction to the one they flew in, opening up a space for them to escape from.

As they landed, Monica Sade let out a laugh. As much as she would deny it if asked, she had been really scared for a few seconds there. It was so obvious that the tree wouldn't be able to stand without the D'Jinn... she felt like an idiot that they had not considered it when they made their plan.

She turned around to say as much to Poltergeist but before she could say anything she saw there was something wrong - the young psychic was stood in water, hugging the lamp tightly against his chest, his eyes rolled back in his head and he was clearly oblivious of their surroundings.

<Troy! Got down here, we need help, stat!>

.............................


Tyroc was furious!

He had spent the last two minutes, since landing beside Sade and seeing the situation, arguing with Henry to open a warp to a medi-bay. The holo-man that controlled the teams teleport system had refused point-blank. The holo of Henry had simply smiled and replied that the type of Oan technology the lamp used to imprison the D'Jinn, would throw the warp off calibration and he would not be able to guarantee their safe return. Troy had felt his blood pressure rise as he looked at Henry in frustration. He was unsure if the holo-man from the 75th century was playing a prank...

The team had tried to get Poltergeist to let go of the lamp but as they got close to him a telekinetic shield appeared and pushed them away. Karate Kid tried to dash in to grab at his arm but was rebuffed, even as Captain Phantom gave a surprised yelp as his hand that he had solidified to grab the lamp while the rest of him was intangible, was jerked away.

As Henry vanished, Babbage had scanned the young psychic and announced that while there was no sign of any physical harm, their young teammate had very strange brainwaves that did not correspond to any reading he had been programmed to recognise.

"So, what we gonna do?" Dragonwing asked, her usually confident voice was small.

........................


Jaun looked around.

He knew he must be in some sort of astral environment. Although not a telepath, the young telekinetic had grown up on Titan and very quicky learned to distinguish mind tricks from reality. Jaun quickly thought about his Academy training, what he had been advised to do if ever he found himself alone in unknown territory with a potentially more powerful opponent. He knew instinctively that he wouldn't be able to run, hide or call for help, so his next option was to try to get on his opponents' good side... get to know them and build a rapport as he learned as much as possible. And then, hopefully, use that information to defeat them.

When he had been a student at the academy going through these drills, Jaun had found this exercise to be a lot easier than many of his fellow students - he was a short, skinny non-telepathic kid who had grown up on Titan. He had learned the survival skills of self preservation at a very young age.

The landscape appeared as the same vista he had just been in, minus the walking tree and the other Legionnaires. A low-level swamp forest ran as far as the eye could see around him and there was gently lapping water beneath. Standing in front of him was a blue skinned man, tall, broad and smiling.

<you have desires you want fulfilled?>

<ah yeah, though before we go there... what's going on?> Jaun was well aware that the D'Jinn was inside his mind. He also knew he wasn't psychically empowered to get it out so decided to ask it questions to hopefully distract it enough so he could plan what to do next.

<I felt it prudent to remove you from any unnecessary distractions>

<really?> Poltergeist felt surprised by this, and was a little sceptical. He also realised he was not actually scared, his heart wasn't racing at all, in fact he felt remarkable chilled out.

<are you also making me so calm? I don't know why, but feel pretty happy being here.>

<of course, master. I've learned that your kind can get ...ah, overexcited at times like this so I am slowing your racing pulse and monitoring and soothing your body's chemicals. I assure you; you will come to no harm> the blue skinned man smiled warmly as he bowed his head. Jaun replied with his thanks.

<now we need to deal with the matter in hand... you have desires that I can fulfil>

<I don't think my desires are, like that easy to get fulfilled> As he sent his reply the D'Jinn's shape morphed into that of Element Lad.

<your desires are clear for me to read>

<that's never gonna happen... he loves someone else>

<but it could happen if you ask for it, and perhaps this...>

Poltergeist looked down as his usual short and slender frame started to expand. His body grew six inches taller and with far more muscles and definition... the D'Jinn was even producing hair on his chest. His long dreadlocked hair flowed across his now broad shoulders.

<I could get RNA body-sculpted if I wanted to look like this that badly, and y'know what, while I'd love to be bigger and tougher, I'm kinda comfortable being me> As much as this was true, Jaun could feel a part of him would have been ecstatic had he accepted what had just been offered.

<really? I can taste the loneliness in you>

<I'm a Legionnaire, we're never alone> The young psychic tried to project as much confidence into his reply as possible. He remembered how Duplicate Girl had told the students at the academy about how she had faced a rogue D'Jinn many years before. She had openly admitted to the class that defeating it had been a very close thing. Poltergeist knew he needed to be extra careful... if Luornu Durga was scared then he realised he should be too.

<maybe, but you are lonely. Tell me which desires you need fulfilling young Legionnaire> the D'Jinn had appeared at his side and put an arm affectionately across Jaun's shoulders.

<tell me first, did you enjoy making a tree's wishes come true?> Poltergeist knew he needed to get the D'Jinn to talk about itself, and this was the first question that came to mind. As he asked it he groaned to himself, he knew he had to think of something else and quickly if he stood a chance of getting out of this situation intact.

<it is a simple organism, simple needs...> the D'Jinn said, nonchalantly.

<do you like making others desires come true? What about what you want?> Jaun smiled as he asked this, suddenly aware of where he wanted to take this conversation.

<my people... ah, we were given a task to perform many millennia ago and it is something I must fulfil before my own desires will be met> there was an edge to this message, the tone was not as pleasant...

<my first wish then is to hear in full your true heartfelt desires>

The D'Jinn's face twitched and his lips curled up in anger. He was obviously unhappy but bound as he was, the D'Jinn could only do as asked.

<I want to watch you and all your kind on this horrible backwards world die... I would burn the Green Lantern Corp and the blasted Oans out of existence, free my brethren from their bondage. I want us to reunite so we fulfil our destiny to trample over the unclean and stupid races that fly so freely between the stars until they worship us as gods. I want to watch as I tell the home planet of you human idiots to kill themselves in my honour and the scum do exactly as commanded. I want the living waste of this galaxy to give their blood for me to bathe in. I want my birthright restored!>

The D'Jinn's eyes sparked with fire and his body grew as he told the young Legionnaire his desires.

<my second wish then is that your thoughts of inflicting pain and suffering, the lust in your heart to hurt and rule, that desire for dominion and genocide, the need to be worshipped... all are forever banished from your essence>

The D'Jinn blinked and looked confused, <you would have me remove my identity>

<no, only the parts that would harm others>

The D'Jinn growled, its hatred burning in its eyes before it started to shake as if in a seizure. After twenty seconds it snapped back to stillness.

<master> there was an emotion in this creature's thought message that Jaun could not quite understand, a grief with a melancholic happiness underneath... a bitter sweet emotion.

<well, then... I believe I am allowed three wishes so my last desire is for you to remain within your lamp until this world crumbles to ashes as it burns in its home stars death, in this swamp for as long as it exists, where you will support this ecosystem to flourish and thrive. That is my final wish for you, D'Jinn> as he gave this command, the vision before him faded into blackness.

The young man opened his eyes...

His teammates were standing around him. Before he could gather his thoughts to speak, he was asked if he was okay by Tyroc, if he knew where the lamp had gone by Dragonwing, if he needed any medical assistance by Babbage, and if he knew where he was by Monica Sade. Captain Phantom put a friendly hand on his shoulder and gently asked if he wanted to take a seat.

Poltergeist smiled at them as he explained what had happened, very aware that they were all obviously concerned for his welfare and grateful that he had returned to them. He was hugged by Sade as Tyroc and Captain Phantom patted his on his back. Dragon wing ruffled his hair affectionately.

As the young psychic laughed along with his teammates, he knew he had been right when he had told the D'Jinn that while he maysometimes feel lonely, a Legionnaire was never alone.

Hey IB and Raz, thanks for your kind feedback above.

IB, I don't think anyone is into shopping as much as Zoe and Candi so it's totally understandable when others dropped out And Dirk being possessive of the sun Boy name - well I think it would be a big part of his identity so, yeah, pride would be part of his feelings there, though we'll get into that soon-ish as there are repercussions from that conversation. Oh, Sade is definitely more than teleporting and shooting things I really want to write a solo story for her but it will need to wait as there's so much already planned coming up.

Raz, all the info on Home Base had been scattered a line here and line there throughout the various stories up to this point so I thought, as much for my benefit as everyone elses, that it would be nice to put it all together like that. And, as the Legionnaires stopped the Dragon King's typhoon perhaps only a couple of months prior close-by to where the students were, it's only natural that the general population would get freaked out though I perhaps should have made that more clear. Marmud and Lu, yeah, still not perfect and again there's more planned.

Coming up, we check in on Invisible Kid iii, as MWindaji and Captain Tuk Shir go on a little trip, before Brainy makes an announcement and we go visit the L247 gang. I also have a tale of the students that went off to form the League of Super Heroes in the wings so that might get posted too soon.

Thanks again guys, always grateful for your support.

Hi Harbi, stoked to see more!

eager to see the next bits - esp. the L247 gang, because I just love them! But also the League of Super Heroes, I fondly remember Slingshot especially.

Tyroc and Sade make a great team, I love how they quickly came up with a plan.


good on Marya for having such great control over her acid spit. I cannot remember ever seeing that in the comics, you've already made her come to life so much better! also good on Poltergeist for focusing, and realizing his teammates would specifically call if they needed him. I like how the team can laugh a bit at the strange situation: a tree that wished for... something..


oops! oh yeah, without the genie lamp the tree is just a tree, uh oh...

nice story about Sade realizing her power limitations. Poor Mishi...

yikes! Poltergeist possessed by the lamp? hmm, is Henry refusing to open a warp because of some future knowledge?

I love this Legion Academy training. And nice image you paint of Poltergeist - and indeed, with most Titanians being telepaths, it makes sense he would be have to learn self-preservation.

whew, this genie sure knows his stuff...

ooh, the crush on Jan comes back! oy, the Genie sure knows how to tempt. (also, I love that not all the Legionnaires are like specimens of physical fitness and beauty... that kind of thing always annoyed me. I can get say, Mon-El and Star Boy and Ultra Boy, but even Brainiac 5?)

ooh love it, using the first wish to understand the Djinn better! erk, that was a very scary set of desires!

WOW! wow, that was an awesome set of wishes! very clever of Poltergeist to use the Djinn's own power against him!! (are there many others out there? whew, those Djinns are scary)

great story, Harbi! very well done, I loved this outing!

I am glad Monica Sade is a part of your team, Harbi! I always liked her in the 5YL Legion and you write her with a really strong presence.

Poltergeist's little interlude with the Djinn was a nice bit of character work too - I remember when Chuck and Lu had to face one of them! Very level-headed of him to resist the temptation of Jan and a new buff bod, he's already doing better than Wildire did last time he got his heart's desire lol

First Base medical unit:

Dr Richard Kent Shakespeare - Impulse - Chief Medical Officer and Support Team manager - enhanced strength, speed, durability, stamina

Student:
Granite Girl - Shessan Monasdotta from Frentoni Six, self petrification


Shessan had been sat in the medi-bay for about two hours.

The young student had been reading out loud the class work assignment that Duplicate Girl had given her squad though her unconscious teammate, Mors Gwokyalya, had not responded.

He had been in this coma-like state for six days now. The hard-light read-outs that surrounded the top of his bed all read that, technically, he should be awake and in perfect health, but ever since returning from Mars he had remained unresponsive. The majority of the student body were unaware that he had been taken to Mars, having been told that the Exxorians that had tried to capture the twins had used strange technology that had affected him, though they all suspected there was more to the story...

Shessan, and a few of her squad mates, had been in to visit him every day, though she was the only one that had spent more than half an hour with him each time. It was well known that she liked him... well, perhaps a little bit more than just simply 'liked', though she wasn't the only one. Mors had a cheeky confidence and quick wit that charmed everyone he met. It also helped that he was athletic and had a perfect smile. Shessan sighed...

When she had heard that he had gone to Earth with Aqua Lass - the harlot! - she had been upset and angry. The Atlantean had been making moves on him since they arrived on Home Base and when Shessan had tried to have a conversation about it with her, to gently tell her to back off, they had argued. It had been a rumbling grievance between them ever since. Mors was too cool to notice, Shessan was relieved to see. At least, since getting back from their unauthorised trip to earth, Aqua Lass, along with the others that had gone, were on a punishing rota that left them no time to socialise - or visit Mors in the medi-bay! Shessan planned on monopolising the time she could have with him.

Dr Shakespeare walked into the bay and said 'hi' as he checked the read-outs and took Mors' wrist in his hand to feel the pulse.

"We're going to wake him up soon, do you want to be here? He'd probably appreciate a friendly face..."

"Yes! Yes, of course." Shessan smiled warmly at the tall doctor as she replied.

He gave her an understanding smile in return and told her he needed to double check a few of the readouts then he'd administer the drugs needed to revive Mors. Shessan's heart felt like it would burst from her chest! She silently watched the big doctor as he synched his omicron with the bays AI and flicked through a stream of data. It was ten minutes later, though to the love-struck teenager it felt much longer, when Kent finally placed a small blue disc onto Mors Gwokyalya's forehead. The unconscious student took a deep breath and his eyes fluttered open.

Dr Shakespeare was stood next to the bed, a smile on his face as he read through hard light readouts that hovered above the student.

Mors sat up, his eyes wide open and he started to speak, clearly agitated. The words he used were not interlac. In fact, they didn't sound like any language the doctor or the student had heard before. Mors started to wave his arms and shout. Dr Shakespeare reached out to place a calming hand on the young man's shoulder but his hand passed through the student's torso! Shessan let out a yelp of surprise and ran towards Mors' bedside. He turned towards her and gave her a small but clearly scared smile. He started to calm down as he recognised his squad mate. It took a few seconds before he started speaking in interlac.

"I could feel you next to me... like, feel your energies... what's happened to me?' The young man, usually so confident and assured, sounded so scared and lost.

Shessan placed her arms around Mors in a hug. As she did, he leaned in towards her and started to cry.

.............................


Second Base, main gymnasium:

M'Windaji was sweating!

The tracker from Kiringyaga was enjoying having the time to run round the mezzanine track in the main gymnasium on Second Base. The large gym on First Base was holding some event for new students this morning so Gahaji had hopped through a warp over here once Zoe had gone on her shopping trip to Earth.

The young tracker reminisced that when he had first joined the Academy, he had felt very disconnected from his fellow students - Kiringyagan culture was very different to that of Earth - and he would often not sleep at night as his mind pored over every interaction of the day looking for mistakes and things he should have said or done instead to make himself seem better adjusted or more popular. After about two weeks of letting his insecurities eat him up, Gahaji had decided to head to the gym at Montauk Point and run around the track until he was exhausted. This was a habit he continued until he was admitted onto the team.

MWindaji had noticed Dragonmage was working out at a weights bench, the small dragon Szenlong was flying around his head chirping cheekily, Gahaji doubted the young mystic was really achieving his circuits that the gymnasium AI would have generated for him. Xao wasn't naturally very athletic or enthusiastic about attending the gym so Gahaji wondered if this was a mandatory exercise regime that the mystic was trying to complete.

The tracker kept running, hoping to not draw attention to himself. Szenlong had shown an interest in the Ruby of Life that Gahaji kept on a chain around his neck and as much as he liked the little dragon it did really bug him when it flapped and fussed in front of his face, mewling at the enchanted stone.

Otaki was in a separate section just to the side of Xao, following a martial arts holo. Bina was always keen but her slender frame meant she was not the physically toughest so she practised martial arts at least four days a week to help build her physical confidence. Gahaji had always liked Bina. She had a quiet determination that it was easy - and a mistake - to overlook. He also knew that if he didn't ask her how her relationship with SPO Duwi was going, Zoe would give him a hard time later on.

The interns Thunderbolt and Polestar, along with a tall, slim student with a striped tail that M'Windaji recognised but couldn't remember the name of, were laughing as they used a gravity simulator with a set of weights. Gahaji remembered how thrilled he had been when he was a student being allowed to train alongside Legionnaires and smiled as he watched them.

As he ran along the track, Gahaji saw Captain Tuk Shir enter the gym. The big Daxamite appeared to have fully recovered from his experience at the hands of the Dominion, though rumour had it he was not yet getting back to his full active-duty status and he wasn't at all happy about it. Gahaji had briefly chatted to him when they had returned him to First Base, but they hadn't spoken since.

After completing his objective of running twenty-five laps, the young tracker sat on a side bench stretching his shoulders out. Gahaji watched his teammates train around him.

As he did, Gahaji remembered how he had been unable to track Tuk Shir directly while the Daxamite had been held captive. The young tracker began contemplating how this could have happened. When he had been on the Dominion base searching, Gahaji had wondered if he could track whoever had been blocking Turk Shir's location... Tinya had stopped him at that time but perhaps now it was time to try it.

What could possibly go wrong?

...........................


Otaki - Bina Nawoti of Earth - mind-sense
Dragonmage - Xao Jin of Earth - dragon magics
MWindaji - Gahaji of Kiringyaga - super tracker, carries the Ruby of Life allowing tactile transformative magic

Science Police Officer seconded to Legion World First Base:
Captain Heavyweight - Senior Team liaison, Science Police Captain Tuk Shir of Daxam - incredible strength, speed, stamina, senses, laser vision, space flight, invulnerability

Interns:
Thunderbolt - Ness Strakinos of Gardenhome - assumes an electrical form
Polestar - Science Police Cadet Nykko Rine of Braal - magnokinesis

Student:
Neutron Boy - Noor R'Manali from the Hopper Colonies of the Alanorian Protoplanetary Disc - energy absorption with omni-directional release, enhanced senses and reflexes, prehensile tail

Szenlong- young spirit dragon


Szenlong made a bee-line straight towards Gahaji as soon as he left the mezzanine running track to float down to the main floor level.

The tracker rubbed the dragons head as it scooted around him, chirping merrily. Xao smiled and strolled across to join them.

"Sorry Gahaji, you know how much he loves you and your Ruby..." Dragonmage put out his hand and snapped his fingers to entice the young dragon away from the tracker. It gave a disappointed huff before flying around Xao and landing on his shoulder. It lowered its head and muttered its disappointment. Gahaji thanked the young mystic before turned around to face Captain Shir. The powerful Daxamite was arranging a high-gravity pod to train in.

"Tuk, hey, have you got a minute?"

"Gahaji, of course, how can I help?" The Daxamite captain gave a friendly smile as he replied.

"Umm... we'll, I was thinking... I want to track down the source of whatever it is that stopped me finding you directly. It somehow blocked me from sensing you but I want to try to find it. I think..."

"Yes, what do you need me to do?" Tuk Shir, usually inscrutable and maybe even a bit intimidating, was suddenly animated, eager to help. Gahaji reached out, placing one hand lightly on the big Daxamites shoulder and the other around the Ruby of Life as he closed his eyes to concentrate. Szenlong leapt off Xao's shoulder and spun in the air above M'Windaji and Captain Shir. The air around them started to sparkle.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing?" As Xao asked the small dragon this, the Daxamite Science Police Captain, the three Legionnaires, the two interns, the student, and the young spirit dragon all vanished from the gymnasium.

.................................


The being known as x345(3xY-p) of the Kruishri, who called themselves the Virtuously Aligned and Numbered was not particularly surprised.

It knew of the Legionnaires, of course; they had achieved much in the time they had been together which had aided the expected course of this galaxy's history. Of the members themselves there were half a dozen that had destinies writ large against the very firmament of this reality. It was also aware that amongst their support network they could call upon the Black Witch of Zerox, who could control an elemental force of unimaginable fury if needed, and the persona of a historian from the far future who guided and even manipulated them when the Legion would otherwise stray from their course. The being called x345(3xY-p) had always known it would encounter the Legionnaires though had not expected them to suddenly appear within its demense without it having summoned them...

The team that had just teleported from the Second Base gymnasium immediately sprung into a defensive position as they appeared in a dark cavernous space. Tuk Shir took to the air while Otaki and Dragonmage motioned the interns and student to get behind them. M'Windaji stepped forward, towards the strange being that towered over them.

Szenlong gave a contented mewl as it landed on Xao's shoulder.

The being appeared something akin to a slightly bloated eleven foot tall frond of a fern with a furry silver belly and many dozen leaf blades that looked as if they were made of copper alloy and silicon. The air filled with music, a tinkling pitch that sounded something like bells ringing, these strangely calming notes were created as the leaf blades of the being rubbed together. And as the group heard these notes, they were acutely aware that it was language, of sorts, as the essence of communication rang through the music.

As the Legionnaires figured out what was happening, Szenlong took to the air. The spirit dragon yapped at the immense alien, like a dog warning a stranger to stay away. The music intensified and the young dragon tilted its head to listen, before whistling in tune and flying in happy circles round the strange alien.

"Well... Szenlong appears happy." Gahaji said over his shoulder to Xao.

"It doesn't mean harm, though is as confused as we are." Otaki said, adding, "its mind is truly immense, I am struggling to fully comprehend it."

"You know why we're here, don't you?" Captain Tuk Shir had flown up towards x345(3xY-p), his chest puffed out as if ready to fight. Szenlong flew in front of the large Daxamite's face and mewled soothingly at him. Tuk looked down his nose at the small dragon, tutted and slowly backed away.

"Can anyone understand what it's trying to say?" Polestar, the young Braalian looked at her fellow intern, Thunderbolt, as she asked.

>>Legionnaires<< the voice was unlike anything they had ever heard, as if a voice were composed from the ringing of bells and somehow the meaning being carried in the tones of each note >>Why are you here?<<

"You kidnapped me! We want answers..." Captain Tuk Shir said. His tone of voice and body language made it obvious just how angry he was feeling. Again, Szenlong flew towards him and mewled in a soothing tone.

"Why were you helping Sa Lok and the Dominion?" M'Windaji asked.

The response was a complex equation that showed the underlying structure of reality around them that they all somehow understood. Within the bell-like notes they were shown how the taking of Captain Tuk Shir had a miniscule effect on the general order within the universe around them. The truly immense perspective gave them all chills.

"Is that how it sees things? We're like nothing to it." Neutron Boy said. The student had initially been terrified when they had teleported here but now stood in awe of the being before them. Thunderbolt turned to him and put an arm around his shoulder and smiled reassuringly at him.

The message started again, bells ringing in their thoughts that translated into information they could instinctively grasp. The being they now knew was called x345(3xY-p) amongst its own species meant no harm but had a role to fulfil that would not be stopped by a minor inconvenience that might happen by removing a singular being from one place and transporting them elsewhere. It was operating on a scale that was very much larger than the convenience of any single being.

"Do you not understand you have no right to kidnap people?" Tuk Shir, obviously still angry, hissed. Szenlong, flying between the Daxamite flew up to his face and licked his cheek. The aliens' message to the group was aloof and disinterested in response.

Szenlong flew around the powerful Daxamite several times before turning back to the immense alien and yelping, as if telling the being off. The dragon was tiny next to the strange being but it yipped and yelped in such a dominant way that M'Windaji started to laugh, and Xao put his hands over his face. It looked like a lap dog facing off against a dinosaur.

The sound of the strange aliens' bell-like speech and the dragon's yipping continued. The Legionnaires present could no longer understand the conversation between the tiny dragon and the huge alien as it took place beyond their comprehension. There was a sense that involved them but the details were so vague as to be meaningless.

Captain Tuk Shir landed beside Otaki and asked her if she knew what was happening.

"They're making some sort of an agreement, though I am unsure what it is exactly they're agreeing to..." She replied. Bina Nawoti concentrated hard, certain that she would never encounter another mind like the being before her again. And just like that, there was silence.

>>Legionnaires<< the chiming voice was crystal clear as it spoke with authority >>I will not directly interfere in your lives again, though in return I may call upon your ...assistance if circumstances require it<<

"And will you perhaps say sorry to Captain Shir for taking him without his consent?" Thunderbolt surprised herself as she said this. Neutron Boy agreed with her and stepped forward.

There was a moment of utter silence and in the blink of an eye, the three Legionnaires, the Science Police Captain, the interns and student, and the small spirit dragon reappeared in the Second Base gymnasium.

"Can someone tell me what the hell just happened?" The intern Polestar said.

Szenlong gave a big happy honk in reply.

...................


The newly acquired Tyrrazian battle world, Third Base:

Flaurianarelle of Zerox danced along the outside edge of the corridor.

Where the small fae had trod, green shoots sprung out from rock of the planetoid. Professor Querl Dox shock his head in mild amusement as he watched. He still couldn't understand magic, despite having spent years surreptitiously watching Projectra, Mysa and then Xao. He realised that as far as he was aware, no Coluan had ever managed to perform a magical spell, so perhaps it was a purely biological reason for his lack of comprehension. Even so, it frustrated him. Still, that was not his focus today, no, today he had an announcement to make to the Senior Team and Base Leaders - he had figured out how to operate the trans-dimensional drive. Not only had he figured out how the Tyrrazian Warmongers operated it but he also believed that he had made improvements.

Thunder, Tyroc, and Dream Girl were all stood together talking at the head of the table when the Coluan reached the meeting room. Mon El, Lightning Lass, Chameleon Boy and Retro were sat around chatting while two Duplicate Girl's were at the holo-pit talking to Element Lad and Harmonia Li.

The holo currently displayed the latest planetoid the team had taken from the Tyrrazians with green blocks highlighting the completed repairs and blue areas that linked to hard light screens listing found inventory. Over 80% of the planetoid was green.

"If I can have your attention..." Professor Querl Dox rarely raised his voice though when he did, he brought the room to order.

It was less than ten minutes later that he had given his report and offered a solution - he would join a team as they used the trans-dimensional drive to track down the Legion from XS' home reality.

"Perhaps, you might find more than that." Nura had said with a teasing smile.

"I have so missed your prophetic utterances." Though Brainiac 5 said this dead-pan, the team all laughed.

"You don't want me to spoil all your fun Querl, sweetie, do you?" Nura tossed her hair back and gave a warm laugh. Querl smiled towards her before continuing.

"I have discerned the optimum team to take, if you agree to this plan of action. I would take..."

"Hold on there Querl, you won't lead this excursion, Reep will." Nura smiled towards their Durlan colleague who raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"And if I say I don't want to?" Chameleon Boy teased his Naltoran teammate.

"oh shoosh, it's a mystery to solve, of course you're going to agree to it. You boys... honestly!" Dream Girl gave a flirtatious tut and smiled broadly at Reep.

"If I may continue..." Querl said, "Regardless who leads the excursion, they will need both Thirteen for his expertise in Q-Drives, and the intern Zero for their dimensional awareness."

"Jenni will demand to go, so you'll take her and Po too." Ayla said, to muttered agreement from her fellow senior Team members.

"Of course." Querl's face was unreadable, "I would also suggest a psychic and someone with raw power in case we run into any trouble."

"You can take Dr Kabbo and the Huntress." Tyroc offered, "Will they do Querl?"

"They would be acceptable."

"Take Glorith too, it'll be good for her." Nura said.

"Anyone else?" Reep asked teasingly. Several of their teammates laughed.

"No, no I don't think so. That should do, though thanks for asking." Nura beamed a smile at him as she replied.

"Do we contact Gates? He's on Khundia Prime right now but may want to visit his old team, what do you think?" Retro spoke up from the other side of the room.

"Maybe we'd best wait until we know it really is that team." Duplicate Girl replied. Tyroc and Mon El both agreed.

"So, we're agreed then?" Mon El looked slightly disappointed that he hadn't been included, though understood that the wider team couldn't afford to potentially lose two of their active Senior Team on this mission.

"How soon until the planetoid will be fully under our control and operational?" Duplicate Girl asked.

"I estimate four hours until Gear is completely assimilated and a further one to complete our testing."

"So, you can leave tomorrow, if every t'ing's okay?" Tyroc looked impressed.

"That is correct." Brainiac 5 replied blandly.

"Well then, you'll be wantin' t' go tomorrow then, yes?" Troy asked.

"If that is acceptable." Querl gave a small smile as he said this. He could see on his former colleagues faces that they were all keen to get this mission underway.

The Senior Team all agreed that they would call the other members of team they had chosen to let then know that at 0800 the next day they were going on a very special adventure. They would be taking the newest planetoid to meet their counterparts from another reality entirely.

yay, more!

ah young love (or young crushes anyway). Mors seems to be quite the catch, well he was an athlete and a social media personality, so I can picture it

I LOLed at "the harlot"! Aqua Lass and the others are rightly being punished. ah poor Granite Lass, thinking she could warn Aqua Lass off...


oh wow, was Mors speaking Martian? interesting development, Harbi! and was nice that Granite Girl was there for him!

aw, I can relate to Mwinadji. you captured very well the anxiety that could come affect someone totally new to a culture.

nice observation re Xao not really being physically gifted or motivated. again, THANK YOU, from someone who appreciates this realism in super-heroes (instead of having everyone be physical paragons)

well, what a nice lead-in to Mwindaji trying to figure out the tracking bit. yes, what could possibly go wrong? I like how Tuk is so enthused by the idea.

oh boy. what could go wrong indeed!

I really love Szenlong, nice cute (and powerful) dragon

Thunderbolt has guts, I like that! and Tuk Shir's indignation was well done too. plus, the higher scale of this... being. curious where it leads to

ah, what a lovely scene with Brainy. you can see the old friendships (e.g. Brainy, Nura). and indeed, the smartest member ever still commands a degree of respect nice seeing Ayla step up re suggesting Jenni and Po. what a great way to choose a team actually, having Nura's precognitions but also good sense and logic from the other leaders

ah, nice call out re contacting Gates, glad he is remembered!

excited to see where this goes! more, more, more!

Yay, some more to catch up on and I see we have a mystery right out the gate!

I wonder what the story with Mors is? He can obviously affect the material world when he's invisible so I don't think he's from Phantom Girl's world and doing a phase out...curious!!

Somehow the idea of little Xao working out in a gym complete with Szenlong buzzing about is highly amusing, especially with someone as fit as M'Windaji around as a contrast

But this:


None of our characters have any genre awareness at all, do they?

And of course he gets them all teleported away somewhere! That was a cool encounter though, it's kinda fun seeing M'Windaji and Otaki in the same group when we met them together in the comics! And x345(3xY-p) is an awesome character concept!

Finally, finishing up with Brainy and the old school Legion was nice...you really get the impression that they have actually been old friends for years! Looking forward to more!

Hey guys, thanks again for your kind words!

IB - in my head I know exactly who are the super fit Legionnaires, and Xao is not one of them. I totally agree with you that they shouldn't all look like they're on steroids. The old Jimmy Janes art where every male had a body-builders physique, and all the women looked anorexic with boob jobs was so, so wrong and I have tried to make it clear that not everyone looks the same. I love the idea of Szenlong so have been itching to write him again and he seemed like the perfect foil for x345(3xY-p)

Raz, Mors is from Earth, just a standard bloke really until J'Onn J'onzz got involved. The phase out is a new thing - to be explored later on as he comes to terms with more unusual alterations. Was tempted to include physical changes too like green blotches or a pointed skull but think I'll probably leave it at weird new abilities.

None of our characters have any genre awareness at all, do they? - nope! Thankfully, as it's fun t drop them in it sometimes

And, both, I like to think there are definitely old friends within the team that enjoy a bit of banter so the scene with the Senior Team was fun to write.

Next time the team on the new planetoid get going - again, what could go wrong? They're going to have fun though I promise it won't be as crazy as the Excalibur interdimensional excursion.

More next week, so, ciao for now

C

Oh, I totally forgot about J'onn!! That was not that long ago either, I will go back refresh myself! Now it makes sense to me why IB asked if he was talking Martian

Chameleon Boy – Espionage Squad leader, Reep Daggle of Durla - shape changer
XS - Jenni Ognats of an alternate dimension Aarok - phenomenal speed
Glorith of Zerox - manipulation of magical energies
The Huntress - Ambassador Amynta of Nostos ii - incredible strength, speed, invulnerability, space flight
Thirteen – Dann Hortra of Naltor - line of sight probability manipulation
Spy (also team counsellor) - Dr Noah Kabbo - heightened awareness and limited telepathy

Seconded from the Justice Legion:
Cosmic Kid - Po Miman, Justice Legionnaire of alternate dimension Mars - energy manipulation and flight

Intern:
Zero - Science Police Cadet Amrendra Mayasinghar of Zuyar - multi-dimensional shifting

Support Staff:
I.Z.O.R. - Gear ii – infrastructure manager - nannite collective being, technomorph
Henry – Anti Lad – Spatial warp controller

Consutant advisor:
Brainiac 5 – Senior Team member, Professor Querl Dox of Colu, 12th level intelligence

Laipas - hunting dog from Nostos ii - enchanted to never lose a trail, fast and tough.


The team had warped over to the new planetoid.

Brainiac 5 gathered Chamelon Boy, Thirteen and the intern Zero together in the engineering deck while the rest of them went to explore their newest base.

The young intern called Zero looked around, clearly sensing something that made him feel uncomfortable. Chameleon Boy spotted it and decided to watch rather than ask, in case the intern put on a brave face rather than admit somethingwas wrong - Reep had seen how competitivethe interns were and keen to prove themselves... after about twenty seconds Zero asked:

"Where is that buzzing sound coming from?" He was staring at the protective wall Gear had placed over the trans-dimensional warp drive mechanism. The young man had a hand up to the side of his head, a finger wiggling in his ear.

"That'll probably be the TD Drive." Reep said softly, "the rest of us can't hear it though, but if it's annoying, perhaps you could..."

"Intern Zero," Brainiac 5 interrupted, "as you are the only one of us aware of how the drive 'sounds' it would be beneficial if you remain close by and alert us to any variances in its tone."

The intern showed remarkable control, Reep thought, as he agreed to wait patiently while they prepared the immense drive to move the planetoid from one dimension to the next.

............................


Glorith walked into the small Rec Room.

Amynta of Nostos ii was sat at a table feeding scraps from her meal to her huge hunting dog, Laipas. The great hound's tail was beating loudly against the floor.

"Sister," the Huntress said as acknowledgement, "will you join us?"

Glorith smiled and said yes as she moved to the auto-chef. She had learned, with a lot of support from Danielle Foccart, how to navigate the strange controls of this machine, and she pressed a hard light button to call up a simple salad. As she waited for the machine to do its work she watched as Laipas rolled onto her back and gave a remarkably puppy-like yelp. Amynta laughed and affectionately rubbed the hound's belly.

After the auto-chef had presented a meal to her, Glorith walked over, sat at the opposite side of the table from the Huntress and picked at the green leaves on her plate.

"Amynta, may I ask...?"

"Anything." The Amazon warrior said happily, without looking up at the young mystic.

"Your armbands... they hold powerful magic but their origin is beyond my purview..."

"They were given to me the Goddesses Bronte and Astrape. While I had to return my enchanted spear to the Temple of Artemis, these belong to me."

"The Goddesses of thunder and lightning? They are the shield bearers of Zeus!" As Glorith replied, Aynta looked up and smiled at her.

"You know history, sister."

"It is a... talent I have. I can understand the past of objects if I concentrate."

"Your magic spells are very versatile, Glorith." Amynta responded, with a slow nod.

"It isn't a spell, not really. I don't need to research. It is innate magic within me. I have the natural talent of chronomancy." The young mystic paused as if unsure what to say next.

"I don't understand..." Amynea said as she watched Glorith struggle to find the words she wanted to say.

"I have a gift that allows me certain insights while my spell-craft gives me the skills... Ah... perhaps if I give an example... there are fishermen on the silver coasts who swim out to catch their meals armed with spears. Now, they may know which fish are edible and which are not as that is their innate skill, but they still need to learn how to swim and fashion spears to catch their prey. My talents are like that; I have a natural understanding of part of the Great Tapestry that allows me to follow certain threads from birth to death, but without my magical research... well..."

"You would be unable to use your talents fully. I understand. You do not use these gifts often though, or at least I have not seen you use them." Amynta was truly fascinated. She had never spent much time with the young mystic and had definitely never heard her talk so much and so was enjoying the opportunity to get closer to her fellow Legionnaire.

"Ah," Glorith paused as if considering what to say next, "that is true, though within our team there is Laurel Kent's psychometry, and Gord and Nura's fierce visions of the future, Jazmin holding pockets of time still, and Deen rewinding the very life he lives, so there are seldom opportunities for me to access my meagre gifts."

"I would never say anything is meagre about you, sister. You have skills and abilities that are truly amazing and a heart that beats as strongly as any of ours! Your family must be very proud of you."

"Maybe, though I do not remember them, or any of my past prior to my abilities being discovered at the Calling Circle. It is the way for folks with my talents; the one thread we cannot unwind is our own. Magic always comes with a cost. Even the name Glorith was given to me when my talents were first discovered. It is the title given to those who can do what I do. This... gift usually only shows itself once in a generation. Because of that, Mysa Nal herself raised me until I was sent to the Academy."

"You are indeed blessed then." Amynta gave the meek sorceress a warm smile. The Amazon could see the small pain that the young mystic felt and wanted to reassure her.

"Perhaps..." And with that, Glorith put her head down and started eating the salad on the plate before her.

.......................


XS had claimed a spacious private apartment two levels down from the engineering deck.

Cosmic Kid was munching on a fresh peach he had just plucked, holding his face out so the juices didn't drip onto his top. A hundred metres along the corridor, he had discovered a massive storage facility that the Fae they called Greensleeves had clearly enchanted as it now housed a diverse orchard. When Cosmic Kid had seen it, he had gleefully picked several ripe fruits before making his way to the apartment Jenni had found for them.

Jenni Ognats smiled as he walked in; eating was perhaps Po Mimans' favourite thing to do, and she always marvelled that he kept his trim figure given how much he could consume before feeling full. Jenni had spent the last few minutes arranging the main room for them - the large couch that had been against a far wall was now closer to the holo-pit, the lighting globes that had been placed along a single wall were strategically placed to enhance the room's mood, and she had moved the dining table and chairs away from the door towards a wall where she had placed a small holo-scroller that would project images from their travels. She had even raided a dozen of the nearby rooms for potted plants - Greensleeves had left one in each - and arranged them against walls to break up the stark boxiness of the apartment. Overall, she was feeling pretty happy with her results.

"Jenni-honey!" Po called out as he strolled into the apartment, "Wow, this place looks amazing!" By the time he had finished talking she had raced to him and wrapped her arms around his torso.

Before either could say another word, their door chimed, alerting them to someone outside. Po called for the door to open and Noah Kabbo walked in, holding a potted plant.

"Hi there, I just moved myself into an apartment about fifteen doors along and wondered who else was staying on this level... ah, I see you have plants, that's good as this was in my quarters and I kinda always manage to kill them, so if you want..." He held out the plant pot towards the young couple.

Jenni had rushed up to him while he was talking and took the plant from his hands. "Thanks Dr Kabbo... ummm, yeah, I like plants so, yeah, we'll have her." With a blur of speed, Jenni positioned the large fern in amongst a grouping of plant pots she had taken from nearby rooms.

"So, you looking forward to seeing your old teammates, Jenni?" He asked.

"Oh definitely, it's been three years since I decided to stay..."

"I can't wait to meet them either." Cosmic Kid said, smiling at his fiancé as he spoke. "You want to join us for a caffe?" Po asked the doctor.

"Ah, no, thanks anyway, just checking out the neighbourhood and giving the plant a chance at life." He smiled broadly before saying his goodbyes and leaving the young couple's apartment.

Noah could hear them giggle as he left. As he expected, he had sensed their excitement and also a bit of anxiety from Cosmic Kid as he mentioned the Legion from the other universe. It was about what he expected, though he planned on checking in with them again just to make sure their meeting people from Jenni's past wasn't causing any real issues.

...........................


Forty minutes later, Chameleon Boy called for the whole team to join him in engineering.

"We've completed our checks of the trans-dimensional drive, and are now ready to go. Querl, are you ready?" Reep had smiled as he asked his Coluan colleague.

"Of course. The Tyrrazian Warmongers have used this drive only six times previously. We shall be following their jump pattern and estimate each transition will take just under two hours to complete..."

"What he's saying is get comfy as it ain't gonna be an instantaneous process. We're not using Henry for this." Thirteen interrupted with a big grin. Instinctively, the group glanced across at the holo-man from the 75t century who smiled in response.

"Thanks Dann, " Reep quickly interjected as he could see Querl's expression tightening, "so, as he said, go get yourselves comfortable, we'll be leaving in a few minutes to ...well, wherever it is the drive takes us."

XS and Cosmic Kid were first to leave, giggling as they did.

Dr Kabbo approached Dann Hortra, asking if he was okay.

"Yeah, really, just never seen a Q-Drive set-up like this before so... well, it's interesting, y'know." The Naltoran gave a shrug and an easy smile. Dr Kabbo smiled in return, his hyper awareness informing him that this reply was not the complete truth, and the concerns he sensed were for something entirely different. As a member of the Titanian Psychiatry Society, Dr Kabbo was aware that he had no right, as things stood, to take this conversation any further, so he wished Dann the best of luck with the TD Drive and left for his quarters.

When the drive was activated several minutes later and the planetoid began its transition from one reality to the next, the team felt as if they were suddenly dealing with fluctuations in gravity as they were pulled in all directions. The intern Zero gave a small smile as he stood perfectly still on the engineering deck and watched Brainiac 5 swaying awkwardly as he was buffeted by the trans-dimensional energies.

Thankfully, these effects only lasted for a minute or so, much to the team's relief.

yay for more!

Harbi, I wanna give you a super like for this:



I like how Reep decided to watch Zero and see how the intern would react!

Nice how Glorith recognized the gods Amynta mentioned! and nice bit re Glorith's ability to understand the pasts of objects - also helps differentiate her from other magic users

thank you for having Amynta call out that Glorith doesn't use these talents often. I thought of Laurel's psychometry too (I am paying attention ) and she gives a good explanation. ah, I love how Glorith is a title, that explains why we have our good Glorith and that other evil Glorith, and why both have time-linked magic!

ooh, will you one day delve into Glorith's origins I wonder?

lol at Cosmic Kid eating a lot yet still keeping trim! some people are lucky re metabolism

Dr. Noah is smooth and suave Jenni and Po didn't even realize he was checking in on them.

lol at Thirteen translating for Brainy and Reep defusing the situation, plus not using Henry means Brainy gets to show off, in a way

Love Dr. Noah's professional ethics!

great set up post Harbi, you gave everyone a bit of time in the limelight and some great characterization. eager (and a bit afraid) to see if Zero's and Thirteen's nerves will reveal any problems...

as a;lways, more more more

Hi Harbi, nice to see another post!

Danielle teaching Glorith how to use the auto-chef is adorable! I would love to see a slice of life segment of Danielle just teaching Glorith about regular 31st Century things

Also, I love Laipas if I have not mentioned that before! Superdogs are the best superheroes!

Glorith knowing the past of objects is a really clever use of her time magic and a good way to differentiate her as a magic user! You are very good at making your magic users distinct from one another!

Glorith being a title instead of a name is SUCH a good idea! I love it, it's such an elegant way to leave room for evil Glorith to exist somewhere some day! I am kinda jealous I never thought of it to be honest!

XS's little moment of domesticity was cute! And I liked Dr Kabbo's sneaky way of checking up on them as well.

This was a nice breather, I am looking forward to developments and very eager to see XS's new pals meet her old pals! (and forgot to mention, Po's anxiety is highly relatable, I think everyone has experienced those feelings when meeting their partner's old friends!)

Hey Harbinger,

I'm back for another round of read and review. hopefully i'll be able to get caught up.
I'm starting off with Atomsmasher and Dawnstar on recon...

Didn't know that Atomsmasher could extend its invisibility. That's pretty useful. As is how Starkling was used to infiltrate another Tyrazzian Planetoid.
I still can't believe the team only has two of the 11 worlds. The Legion is going to be incredibly huge if they take all of them.
But i have to wonder what happens to all of the Tyrazzian's? Is it just military/war mongers on these worlds? Do they have a home world? sorry i don't know much about the Tyrazzian's and how their people work. So with more war worlds i'm becoming curious about them.

Haha another competition. The team sure loves to compete. But at least its all in good fun and there's some worthwhile pay offs. extra time off is always welcome.
Great use of Dawnstar to catch what those in the thick of it can't catch.
under a min and then 4 min for the other team. dang they sure are taking them out quick.

Poltergist is getting some good props from the pros. that was a good move and quick reaction time!
Hahah of course Brin's the one telling them to get back to fighting.
Great thinking Bouncing Boy II. I'm glad someone thought of it. they usually leave that stuff in the comics for some later tension during the fight.
Poor Atom Girl. But she'll get the recognition she deserves and the chance to take out a few warmongers.

ooo taking them out in their sleep or rather keeping them a sleep. Great thinking again. Loving the side teams and how well their doing.
Dang Karate kid made quick work of those cyborgs.
Glad to see that Lu really does take pride in her team and former students and wants to still be there. it was a little touch and go for a while there.

Dang it! i knew things were going to well for the team.

Sickle birds with a taste for flesh? dang you one twisted cat! love it! lol. but know i gotta know why they had them in the first place? what use could these beings be to the warmongers?

That is a new form of fire suppressant i had never thought of and in space would be super useful and probably very common.
the team did well here and glad that Henry was able to help save the animals before they suffocated. I like that the team thinks of these things and tries to minimalize collateral damage.
Ayla pretty sure they'll know. mission reports are a thing.

Cham's team was doing pretty well...on snap! Poor Friction. i hope she's going to be ok!
Go Impact Go!
Lexicon is always a treat to see fight.

A smoky glass sphere that is a tear in space? So how did it get in there? was this War world built around it?

The team takes the planetoid! quick and efficient. i was worried for a second there when Atom Girl took the lead. thought we might have another injured teammate on our hands.
Your version of Gear is truly the most useful!

Glad Mindbender and Lu are working out their issues and i do hope they can move forward.
Wow this part of the mission was brutal.
What could have knocked XS out? whatever that light was it had to be it. but i don't know if it was that woman or not...
So this is only the second female Tyranzzi ever seen?

Wow! Poor Jan he's lucky Magno was there!

Wait a second Legion? that has to tie with that drive...so they either travel in time and space or they only travel in space/ through it as in to other realities?

The gold woman makes it seem like the Legion is taking worlds without provocation. So are they being preemptive? Were the Tyranzzi's about to attack Emerson Three or just coming near it? Are they not allowed in UP space at all? they seemed like the bad guys they way she was talking...

Hahaha! i knew it! i knew it!
Wowo! wait seriously? the Reboot Legion? XS is going to finally find her team? This is amazing...and interesting. I look forward to your take on the Reboot and where they've been this whole time. This makes another addition to the omniverse that is the Legion!


Brainiac 5's return! Glad he was able to return. and the junior members aren't the only ones 100% surprised by that hug from Lu. But with everything she's been through and what we learned in her session with Dr. Faulker it makes sense. i just wish he returned it.

that's great that he can fix it and so quickly!

Loved the rundown of home base and how the Academy came to be. As i read the last line the whole thing took on a very ominous tone. I guess not all good things last forever...

Sadly that's all the time i have for this R&R. But I'll be back soon to finish up. I'm really loving where this is going and can't wait for more more more!

Chameleon Boy – Espionage Squad leader, Reep Daggle of Durla - shape changer
XS - Jenni Ognats of an alternate dimension Aarok - phenomenal speed
Glorith of Zerox - manipulation of magical energies
The Huntress - Ambassador Amynta of Nostos ii - incredible strength, speed, invulnerability, space flight
Thirteen – Dann Hortra of Naltor - line of sight probability manipulation
Spy (also team counsellor) - Dr Noah Kabbo - heightened awareness and limited telepathy

Seconded from the Justice Legion:
Cosmic Kid - Po Miman, Justice Legionnaire of alternate dimension Mars - energy manipulation and flight

Intern:
Zero - Science Police Cadet Amrendra Mayasinghar of Zuyar - multi-dimensional shifting

Support Staff:
I.Z.O.R. - Gear ii – infrastructure manager - nannite collective being, technomorph
Henry – Anti Lad – Spatial warp controller

Consutant advisor:
Brainiac 5 – Senior Team member, Professor Querl Dox of Colu, 12th level intelligence

Laipas - hunting dog from Nostos ii - enchanted to never lose a trail, fast and tough.

The team were called from the engineering deck over their flight ring holo-display.

Chameleon Boy announced that after each transitioning between dimensions, the system required an hour to recharge. Thankfully, Brainiac 5 had understood the complicated algorithms used by the Trans-dimensional drive and announced that their next jump would not take nearly as long and would take them to the reality where XS's original team had been sighted.

Brainiac 5 remained in engineering with Thirteen and Zero, while Chameleon Boy went looking for refreshments for them.

Amynta and Laipas had found a large storage space where Gear had created a make-shift gymnasium. The Amazon wanted to make sure she would be battle ready, just in case.

Glorith meditated in her quarters, grateful for the quietness.

XS was hardly renowned for her patience and Cosmic Kid had run out of things to distract her with. Jenni raced around their apartment before barrelling out of the door and along the corridor. Po had no idea where she was going but couldn't help but breathe out a sigh of relief. The excitement of seeing her old friends, along with the weirdness of the dimension jumping had left her surprisingly anxious, which in turn made the usually laid-back Po feel increasingly nervous.

When she reappeared two minutes later she explained that she had mapped out the entire inside of the planetoid... Po didn't want to tell her that this information was already stored on the flight rings as Gear had done this on the first day that the team had taken charge. He smiled and asked if she could shared her map and congratulated the speedster for her initiative.

On the engineering deck, Thirteen felt uncomfortable. The Naltoran could feel how different this reality was to the one they had left. All it would take, he knew, would be a very minor tweak to any of the laws of physics and his abilities could be compromised - his altering probabilities depended on his understanding what he could change.

Meanwhile, Professor Querl Dox tapped at a hard-light screen as he completed, checked and double checked his calculations.

............................


Spoiler ii - Gord Eno of Naltor - precognition, specialising in short range visions for combat situations
Support staff: Solstin Wang of Earth - Booster - medical support - awareness and manipulation of physical properties of those around him

Gord felt particularly disappointed as he walked away.

Solstin Wang, Booster from the teams medical staff, had called the Naltoran earlier in the morning and asked if he was free to join him... of course, Gord had agreed. The pair had spent a rather exciting night together a couple of weeks before after a party, and due to conflicting shift patterns (and not wanting to appear too needy), they had not had the chance to meet up since then.

As soon as the precognitive walked across the threshold to the young medic's apartment he knew that this meet-up was not going to have the happy ending he was hoping for... Solstin gave him a brief hug and turned away.

"Is everything okay? You look tense. What's up?" Gord asked.

"I... ah, look I gotta say, I was working with Glory last night and she told me you went to a dance party with her... under some wacky moons...?"

"The mission to Telforatus 3, is that what you mean?" Gord was surprised, but had nothing to hide.

"Was that the one? I would've loved an invite..." Solstin said sulkily. The look he gave the former Pre-Commando was accusatory.

"The Academy sent me there to investigate two Rimborians with gene-mods, the dancing was incidental... pleasant, but not the reason I went."

"Oh... right." Solstin said, his tone disbelieving.

"Yes, right. Why, are you miffed at missing out? That's sweet." Gord teased, a broad smile on his face. The look he got in return was not a happy one.

"Y'know, I kinda thought we had a chance at something but, well, guess it's true what they say about Naltorans..."

"Pardon?" Gord was actually shocked by this.

"Well, you came onto me and... you haven't hardly been in touch much since. Were you only wondering what it's like to fuck the boy who can give you unlimited stamina? You aren't the first to take advantage of my powers y'know. It wasn't easy before I joined the Academy."

"Solstin... no. Just no." The Naltoran said softly, understanding now where the young medics fears were coming from.

"So, I'm alright to spend time with when you wanna experiment in bed but... oh, when you're off having a fun night out it's 'a mission'... is that the way it is?"

Before he could say anything else, Gord's flight ring pinged, alerting him that he had been called from the rota on the Mission Board.

"So... that's me being called up again." Gord could see a flash of anger in Solstin's eyes and it triggered him to say something he normally wouldn't. "Have you been called up? No? Well, I guess this is another mission you won't be joining me on." And with that he turned and walked out of the apartment.

As he took his first steps away from the young medic, Gord knew he shouldn't have said what he'd just said, but felt that the Terrans' possessive jealousy was so childish, it was unattractive and unnecessary. Gord would let Booster stew for a couple of days and then, maybe, they could talk like adults. While he had not been looking for a serious relationship, he was hoping they could develop some sort of arrangement, and he certainly never wanted to hurt Solstin.

Gord Eno breathed heavily as he flew along the corridors towards Henry's warp control room. Until he saw Solstin again, Gord planned to focus on the missions he had been assigned to go on.

............................


Lightning Lass - Deputy Team Leader, Ayla Ranzz of Winath - electrical generation and manipulation
Comet Queen - Grava of Extal colony - spaceflight, comet gas extrusion
Kid Quantum - Jazmin Cullen of Xanthu - creation of temporal quantum fields, flight
Comet King - Drinchnar Lamment of Extal colony - spaceflight, comet gas extrusion
Spoiler ii - Gord Eno of Naltor - precognition, specialising in short range visions for combat situations

Science Police meta-squad seconded to Legion World First Base:
Gravity Kid - Science Police Officer Tel Vole of Earth - manipulation of personal or nearby gravity

intern:
Imp Master - Dorrolo Capicca Redsail of Zerox - Elven strength, speed and senses, minor mystic specialising in summoning and controlling imps


Drungara Four - Often called "the Doll World" due to the short stature, porcelain-like skin and large eyes of the indigenous humanoid species. In 2931, the Drungarene were invited to join the United Planets, as their technology and culture were seen as suitably mature. The initial cultural exchange led to the accidental exposure of the Drungarene to Martian Malaria which subsequently killed 67% of the indigenous population within months. The whole solar system was quarantined while urgent medical assistance was given. The Drungarene are understandably wary of outsiders as a result. While much of their culture and technology was saved and the population is slowly returning towards pre-pandemic numbers, the once pacifistic race has taken a more belligerent stance in any trade deals with non-Drungarene races.

In recent years there have been sightings of a group of Drungarene meta- heroes that are called the Inspirationals. It is unknown how many members they have or any abilities that they might possess.


Ayla smiled as the team assembled in Henry's warp control room.

"Right, we're going to the Doll World as there's been an alert picked up for a battle between metas... we all need to remember that they've not had the best of experiences with off-worlders, so we have to be professional. Okay? And, Grava, I know the locals are really cute but we need to contain ourselves, okay sweetie?" She added this last part gently, well aware that her teammate would swoon when she encountered the indigenous population. Ayla knew she would feel the same, though reckoned she had a better poker face when it came to hiding her feelings amongst the cutest humanoids in the known galaxy.

"Any idea of the meta's we'll be facing?" Spoiler asked, his hand cupping his Pre-Commando baton attached to his belt in readiness.

"Nope... we'll find out soon though. Let's go Legionnaires!" And with that, Henrys' warp opened and the team flew through. It was raining and night time so it took them a second to get orientated. The Legionnaires found themselves floating 20 metres above a wide, statue filled plaza beside a large domed building. Below them, through the downpour, they could see two of the small indigenous people fighting three humans. As the team dived down towards them, there was a loud crash from inside the building.

<Jazmin, take Gord and Tel, see what that was please> Ayla sent across the telepathic matrix. Kid Quantum acknowledged and flew towards the double doors at the front of the dome. Spoiler and Gravity Kid flew close behind her, both eager to encounter the source of the noise.

Lightning Lass let out a crack of electricity that exploded along the ground between the battled beings below them.

"Hey there," her flight ring loudhailer amplified her voice so it echoed around the plaza, "we're Legionnaires and we want you to stop fighting..." A beam of fiery energy tore through the air, scattering the Legionnaires.

<Get them!> Ayla sent to her teammates as she dived towards the human who had just released the blast towards them. Comet Queen raced ahead with Comet King, while Imp Master hovered for a second, the interns' eyes closed as he summoned mystical assistance.

................................


Lightning Lass - Deputy Team Leader, Ayla Ranzz of Winath - electrical generation and manipulation
Comet Queen - Grava of Extal colony - spaceflight, comet gas extrusion
Comet King - Drinchnar Lamment of Extal colony - spaceflight, comet gas extrusion

intern:
Imp Master - Dorrolo Capicca Redsail of Zerox - Elven strength, speed and senses, minor mystic specialising in summoning and controlling imps


Below them, it was clear one of the indigenous people was injured.

<Grava, take the wounded away, give them help. The rest of you with me>

Before anyone could get any closer though, two dozen pale imps materialised around the fighting group below and started pulling at the combatants. It was chaos as imps were thrown about, crashing into sculptures and screeching as they tried to overwhelm the five beings below.

<Imp master! Desist!> Ayla sent across the telepathic matrix, clearly unimpressed.

<I am resolving this without bloodshed!> The Elven intern replied.

<No, you are stopping it RIGHT NOW!>

As the mystical imps started to disappear, Comet Queen and Comet King reached the group that had been fighting. Grava dived towards the Drungranene that appeared to be most injured. She swooped him up in her arms, surprised at how heavy and broad he was.

"Oh, l'il starshine, you're gonna get all gleamy, never fear the Legion is here!" She giggled as she landed twenty metres away from the group and gently placed him, sat up against a marble plinth. The Drungrarene appeared semi-conscious, his head streaked with an orange liquid she assumed was blood. Grave quickly scanned him with her flight ring - it appeared he had taken a serious blow to the head from behind, though from what she could make out from the read-out, he did not seem in need of emergency treatment.

"You rest there, l'il starburst, we'll sort this out for you." And with that she turned and flew back into the fray.

While Comet Queen had been helping the injured Drungarene, Comet King had flown in amongst two of the humans and the remaining local and released a huge cloud of choking gas. As they struggled to breathe and see, Drinchnar quickly snapped incapacity cuffs on each of them.

The third human was trying to make a run for it, having been outside of Comet King's noxious cloud, but the large bag on their back stopped them from sprinting and their cloak flapped around them in the rain and wind. Ayla flashed several electric arcs around them and floated down towards where they stood. As she got closer, Lightning Lass recognised the person below her, the distinctive waving hair - what she had thought was a cloak in the half-light and rain gave her away - Spider Girl!

"Sussa... what are doing here?" Ayla's tone rung of disappointment.

"Ah... Ranzz, I should have expected you to turn up... Your lot keep trying to stop me from getting rich, it's really quite inconsiderate of you, you know that?" As she spoke, she swung the bag off her shoulder and reached into it.

"Don't try anything stupid please." Ayla nodded to the bag, her fingertips crackling with electric energy.

"Totally, though... What if I do something clever instead?" Spider Girl smiled broadly and with a small implosion of air, she vanished! Ayla swore loudly.

"My imps would've held her..." Imp Master declared from above. Ayla heard the intern but decided for the good of the team, she'd keep her opinions to herself. She wouldn't forget it though...

...........................


Kid Quantum - Jazmin Cullen of Xanthu - creation of temporal quantum fields, flight
Spoiler ii - Gord Eno of Naltor - precognition, specialising in short range visions for combat situations

Science Police meta-squad seconded to Legion World First Base:
Gravity Kid - Science Police Officer Tel Vole of Earth - manipulation of personal or nearby gravity


Jazmin led her teammates through the wide doors of the domed building.

There were security lights giving a dim illumination. The Legionnaires could see in the atrium before them a person with a flamboyant cape crouched over an unconscious body, surrounded by debris.

"Stop there!" Jazmin announced loudly. The figure in the cloak turned and laughed.

"More of you big 'uns to feel the might of Pop!" The response was a child-like voice. and with that he vanished.

"I think that was a native...ow!" Tel was speaking when the caped Drungarene materialised above him and punched him on the head. With a high-pitched laugh, they vanished just as quickly as they appeared. He reappeared underneath Gravity Kid and kicked him hard on his right knee before laughing and teleporting away again. Tel started to glow, readying his abilities to hopefully neutralise the threat.

Spoiler reached out and as the Drungarene teleporter reappeared, the Naltoran grabbed the high collar on his cape and pulled him in towards his chest.

"We're Legion, here to help, so stop this nonsense." Gord said, in a low authorative voice.

"Well, why didn't you say?" And as he finished speaking, the Drungarene teleported again. This time he materialised on top of a tall glass display case twenty feet away from them.

As Gord and Tel had been dealing with the teleporter, Jazmin flew down to the unconscious man on the floor. A scan from her flight ring had shown that as well as being unconscious, with a possible concussion, there were currently eight different warrants out for his arrest. She snapped a set of incapacity cuffs on his wrist.

"Guys... are you okay?" She asked as she turned back towards her teammates.

<this guy's tricky Jaz, be careful> Tel sent.

The 'tricky guy' and the Legionnaires held a truce while they discussed why they were there. The teleporter was part of the local enhanced team called the Inspirationals. He was called Pop! and alongside his companions Snap and Crackle, he was part of the shift that was working that evening. From what the Legionnaires could discern, the Inspirationals each had three day long shifts before they were give thirty days off... Pop! seemed genuinely surprised that the Legionnaires had different ideas about what constituted a decent work/life balance.

As interesting as he found this, Spoiler interjected and asked about the unconscious thug that Pop! had been fighting, and what had happened here.

"We had a report that an alarm had been tripped..."

"What is this place?" Gravity Kid asked.

"The Museum of Extra-Planetary Artefacts... they stole a really old bit of space junk, and it's weird as there's more interesting things here."

"Can you show us what was taken, any record of it I mean." Kid Quantum said.

Pop! vanished and reappeared twenty metres away beside a broken glass topped unit. The team could see there were two more unconscious thugs sprawled on the ground beside it. As he flew over and spotted them, Tel decided to cuff them. As the three Legionnaires and the Drungarene hero reached the damaged cabinet, their colleagues flew int the museum from outside. They quickly made introductions. The muscular local hero called Snap had woken up after being drugged by his assailants and was quite belligerent to the Legionnaires, his pride obviously hurt that he had needed to be rescued. Crackle on the other hand, was gushing over the Legionnaires, clearly a fan.

After they had all been introduced, both teams examined the cabinet in front of them. A holo display screen blipped in an out of sight above it. Ayla scanned the display as it was written in a language she couldn't understand but knew that the flight rings database would. Seconds later, a hard light screen popped up translating the text.

"Oh-kay... the display said the item was found three hundred years ago and looked like part of the remains from a space craft... it had crashed here something like twenty five million years ago. Addition data from our base says it was from the... uh... Sgargrathi Confederation? Never heard of them... they were a war like species that the Oans took care of. Oh... that doesn't sound good, does it?"

The two teams pondered why anyone would want something that was twenty five millions years old and what it might be used for, while Comet Queen insisted on hugging each member of the Inspirationals. Ayla called for a warp back to First Base for her team, while another to deposit the unconscious robbers onto Takron-Galtos.

Grava waved and blew kisses to the three Inspirationals as Drinchnar dragged her through the warp.

...................................

Couple of bits of housekeeping:

First, I was going to call the natives of Doll World the Drungaree, but my auto-spell check thingie wanted to change it to Dungarees.... and I was worried I might miss one of these changes, so the Drungarene were born

Second, the Sgargrathi have popped up twice before, in passing - first, when the team met the two Cosmic Children in LW4. And then in the origin of the student Kid Flux, in Tales from the Academy Two.

yay, more!!

nice characterization re what each team member is doing,

XS' impatience is so familiar, well done!

interesting bit re how different realities might have slightly different laws of physics! I never quite considered that !

ooh, what a realistic convo between Spoiler and Booster. I've definitely been on both sides of this discussion before. I do think there may be some cultural differences at play here too. hopefully both of them can talk like adults indeed... on one hand, Solstin was passive aggressive, but Gord indeed should not have gotten in that last jab. ah well!



ooh Doll World! what a nice revisiting!

yikes re that Martian Malaria, but sadly realistic - it HAS happened a lot in real life
the Inspirationals, cool name!

hahahaha at warning Grava not to get all excited about the cute locals


ooph, Imp Master is not making a good impression on this mission. I bet Ayla will fllow up
Spider-Girl eh? is this Sussa a bit of a not-so-bad type, are you planning to semi-redeem her from her Earth-Man associated days? (that is, make her more like thief-5YL Sussa than completely-evil-racist Sussa?)

ooph re this teleporting troublemaker! remonds me of those cartoon characters lol

Snap, Crackle and Pop! hahahaha

thanks for sharing re the invention of the Drungarene name, some of the best names come up by accident

this is quite an interesting development Harbi, looking forward to where you're taking this!

Hi Harbi...I picked a good time to log in, glad to see more of your Legion!

Po humoring Jenni about her mapping the planetoid was cute - having a speedster for a partner must be anxiety-inducing at times! I think I would need to institute a time-out policy occasionally just to catch my breath!

It never occurred to me that Thirteen's powers could be altered by the physics of a different universe, but it makes sense!

Big oof at Gord and Solstin! I can kind of understand both their perspectives...Solstin is obviously letting his insecurities lead, but it's easy to see why he would (especially if guys have used him before for his abilities like he said), and Gord didn't actually do anything wrong but he could probably be a bit more understanding of how it looks from the outside.

However, it also made me think about something...I wonder how Naltorian relationships work when they might foresee an argument happening before it actually does? I imagine it would be like when you have a dream your partner did something bad and you're annoyed at them when you wake up, except in this case it's not just a dream...

I quite like the Inspirationals as a team name!

Comet Queen is adorable as ever, and it was nice seeing Ayla both anticipate what Grava's reaction would be and having a gentle touch when she told her to behave.

I like your sassy Sussa! The fun 5YL version is much more entertaining than the cliche bitter Legion Reject!

Imp Master is gonna be a problem though....I don't know if I'd be keen to get on Lightning Lass's bad side!

Snap, Crackle and Pop! I love it!!

I also love that Grava's idea of behaving herself is to smother three strangers in hugs and kisses

Dreamer awoke with a start!

"Thom!" the platinum haired precognitive shouted out. "Thom! Quick, get M'onel and Andromeda!"

Thom Kalor raced into their shared bedroom and saw that Nura Nal was looking towards him with a smile on his face.

"What is it?"

"I saw another Legion coming to rescue us."

"Really? Wow, okay, I'll go get the rest of the team... ah, did you see if they succeeded and we'll finally get away from this hellhole?"

"Ah... no, that wasn't exactly clear, sorry." Nura's eyes flickered downwards as she remembered the ghastly fate she had foreseen for one of her colleagues.

"Anyway," she continued, "Go! You must tell Lar to make sure they switch off the broadcast on the flight ring frequency or they'll bring the horrors here."

Star Boy turned and ran.

.........................................


Chameleon Boy – Espionage Squad leader, Reep Daggle of Durla - shape changer
XS - Jenni Ognats of an alternate dimension Aarok - phenomenal speed
Glorith of Zerox - manipulation of magical energies
The Huntress - Ambassador Amynta of Nostos ii - incredible strength, speed, invulnerability, space flight
Thirteen – Dann Hortra of Naltor - line of sight probability manipulation
Spy (also team counsellor) - Dr Noah Kabbo - heightened awareness and limited telepathy

Seconded from the Justice Legion:
Cosmic Kid - Po Miman, Justice Legionnaire of alternate dimension Mars - energy manipulation and flight

Intern:
Zero - Science Police Cadet Amrendra Mayasinghar of Zuyar - multi-dimensional shifting

Support Staff:
I.Z.O.R. - Gear ii – infrastructure manager - nannite collective being, technomorph
Henry – Anti Lad – Spatial warp controller

Consutant advisor:
Brainiac 5 – Senior Team member, Professor Querl Dox of Colu, 12th level intelligence

Laipas - hunting dog from Nostos ii - enchanted to never lose a trail, fast and tough.


The journey through the inter-dimensions had taken thirty minutes.

As the planetoid materialised into this new reality, Chameleon Boy gave a small cheer to himself. He had met his counterpart from the same dimension as XS almost three years before during a rather chaotic battle, and he was looking forward to meeting them again under less stressful circumstances.

XS was racing around the corridors in her excitement. Cosmic Kid stood beside the intern Zero in the engineering deck, both young men smiling as they had reached their goal and they shared their excitement at meeting another team of Legionnaires. The rest of the team where there as well, waiting for Brainiac 5 to announce the all-clear. Chameleon Boy and the Huntress were discussing her training session as their Coluan colleague tapped ont a hard-light display.

"Oh, I just had a thought," Thirteen said, "the last time Jenni's team saw this planetoid it was full of Warmongers..."

"That is why I am broadcasting across their flight ring's frequency who we are and our intentions." Querl said, rather snappily. "Ahhh... there's a response..."

"Zzzkt> switch off this broadcast now! You will attract attention. Switch it off now!< zzzkt!" The voice was unmistakably that of a young Lar Gand. Brainiac 5 immediately turned their friendly broadcast off.

At that moment, Glorith cried out as she collapsed unconscious onto the floor. As she lay there, the young sorceress sparkled with mystical energy.

............................


Andromeda, Shikari and M'Onel approached the planetoid.

They recognised it as the small planetoid that had brought a band of Tyrrazians to them three weeks before, but had vanished as the team had chased it out of the planetary orbit. And here it was again, in orbit around the world where their team had taken refuge ...only this time it had been broadcasting along their flight ring communications channel. If Nura hadn't have already told them it was genuinely a team of Legionnaires that they had met before, they would have never have believed the message. It had been three years since they had met with their counterparts from two other realities and it felt like a lifetime ago to the two Daxamites.

Just over six months ago, Querl had brought the team to this dimension as they continued to search for their home reality, after a technical error on their Warpship. It wasn't the reality they had been aiming for but initially the team didn't mind... only this time the reality they found was far worse than any other they had been to previously.

They had almost immediately realised that there was no United Planets, and in fact no human race at all. They still had their Jump Ship at that point and had visited Earth; it was an outpost for an empire that never existed in any reality they had visited previously so the team avoided them as they investigated. The dominant indigenous life forms on it were mainly reptilian. It was as if the dinosaurs had never died out.

They investigated other home worlds of their teammates and what they found was disturbing - Durla's sad history had been much the same up until roughly six hundred years prior when that world had been co-opted by the Dominators who, the team were to learn, had then been savagely beaten into submission by the First Sons of Thanagar. Colu had been decimated in a war many centuries before with the Warworlds of Mongul. The ultra-aggressive Thanagarian Empire had overpowered Mongul's hordes and then added the few hundred Coluan survivors and then Daxam to its impressive list of conquests - the once proud civilisation now reduced to a slave population that numbered only in their thousands. They had control of the majority of planetary systems the team associated with the United Planets in their home dimension. It appeared that as the human race had never evolved here, this entire section of the Milky Way had a radically different, more blood-thirsty history.

Perhaps most disturbing for them had been what Lyle had discovered while accessing an old Thanagarian data bank in a deserted mining station they discovered in an asteroid belt; the Kal El of this reality had been rocketed off Krypton to Thanagar. As the young Kryptonian grew, the Thanagarian military became invested in his upbringing and the being who in multiple realities that was seen as an almost god-like figure for peace, became a living weapon for the Hawk-lords to use in their endless wars. It was the Kal El of this dimension, or the First Son as he was called, who singlehandedly defeated Rann and cemented his place in the Thanagarian Empire. It was this Kal El that destroyed J'onn J'onzz the Last Martian and forced his armies to kneel before him as he carried the brutal dictator's head in his hands.

Within two years of ending the Rann-Thanager war and defeating J'onn J'onzz, the First Son, was ruling over his Thanagarian empire with an iron fist. It was recorded that the Oans intervened to limit his power, though not before he had brought over a hundred world under his personal control. And now, almost a thousand years after those atrocities, the Thanagarians, with their Nth metal and Dominator gene-enhanced troops - the First Sons, named in honour of their greatest emperor, still ruled over large swathes of the Milky Way. Only the Khunds had stood against the Thanagarians, and a thousand years after their first skirmish, there were still battles over resources and hostility between the two empires.

A little over four months before, the Legionnaires had first encountered a small contingent of the First Sons face to face; the team had barely survived. Ferro had been beaten unconscious, Cosmic Boy was blinded, Violet had virtually every bone in her body broken. The team had been running ever since. The team had met and joined up with a couple of resistance fighters along the way, but they knew that their best chance at survival was to keep away from the expanding empire, not get involved in the blood-thirsty politics of this reality.

While escaping from that initial encounter, their warpship had been damaged and Brainiac 5 had been desperately searching for the rare elements needed to repair their trans-dimensional drive ever since.

Both Saturn Girl's telepathy and, equally alarmingly, Dreamer's precognition, could not pick up the enhanced guards of the First Sons, as their Nth metal technology blocked psionics. This meant the team had less chance of having any warning if they were close-by. It had all contributed to a very anxious couple of months as they dodged and evaded the Thanagarians. Brainiac 5's data crunching, Lyle's stealth skills and Shikari's pathfinding abilities had been the only thing that had saved them on many occasions. In their last encounter in a desolate proto-planetary disc around a newborn star, Lyle Norg had sacrificed himself to give the team enough time to get away...

And now, here was a team from another reality broadcasting their location along a bandwidth that the Thanagarians could intercept...

M'Onel and Andromeda had to warn the team within this small planetoid that they needed to get ready to run!

.......................................


Glorith sat up, her teammates standing around her with concerned expressions on their faces.

"Sister, let me help you." Amynta held out a hand, which the young mystic gratefully accepted. The team stood back as she gracefully took to her feet and started to hover a few inches off the floor.

"That was... unpleasant." Glorith said as she rubbed a hand across her face. Her teammates immediately got closer to the young mystic and started asking questions.

"Let her have space to get her breath." The Huntresses voice was firm as she shooed her teammates aside.

"I saw something..." Zero said, "was it temporal?" Glorith nodded at the intern's question and slowly began to speak.

"It was a message... from myself. My future self. I... I will reach back along the threads of time to give myself a warning. That spell is costly... We don't have long before we will be overwhelmed."

"It'll only take an hour until we can jump again." Querl Dox said, his tone almost dismissive.

"We have forty minutes until... they are horrible, savage silver winged supermen who want only to kill us. We must be prepared to repel their attack or none of us will get away from here alive."

IB and Raz, thanks again for your responses. Glad you liked Snap, Crackle and Pop! I thought it best to add a little bit of silliness before the next story takes off.

This Sussa is more like the 5YL Spider Girl/Wave, and I'll address the earth Man version as well .

I've quite a bit to catch on so I'll leave it here.

Thanks chaps! More, more, more coming soon as things go ...ummm... wrong!

OOOH very ominous opening, with Dreamer's vision and Glorith collapsing like that!!

Oh wow, this universe sounds horrible! I really like how much work you have put into the history of different worlds, and the mood is super tense already!


What a cliffhanger!! Harbi, I am scared but very excited to see where this goes! It's got really good horror movie vibes!

(on another note, sorry but I think I forgot to DM you! I posted another chapter on the weekend as well )

yay, more! what a treat to read over lunch!

ooh it's the Reboot Nura! ack! ghastly fate - which Legionnaire from which team, now I'm super curious and a bit afraid! and the horrors... goodness, where are they? well you've certainly set the scene, Harbi!

and now Glorith collapsing, oh dear! I wonder what triggered that?

three years since! lots to catch up on. ah and things come full circle now, with the Reboot team filling in the blanks re the warworld.

gosh what a dismal reality! no wonder Thom was so eager to be away from there!

oy, and a Kal-El raised not the right way, that sure ups the stakes...

ah, and this J'Onn was also brutal...

I wonder what interventions the Oans laid in place, did they do something relatively permanent? (makes sense they would step in at some point, although without interfering too much I see - very Oan!)

oh my stars. Ferro beaten unconscious, Cos blinded, Vi severely injured.... yikes! and now the team is just running, focused on survival (well, calls up a bit of the memories and vibe of Legion Lost v1 versus the Progeny!) I can imagine spirits aren't high at all!

wow! even Dreamer's precognition is blocked by the Thanagarian helmets, that ups the ante. interesting take too, that Nura's visions require... some kind of contact with the subject?

oh snap, Lyle's dead! some fates are consistent across 'boots

ah, future Glorith warning current! smart, but also scary - it must be something really serious, then! heh, so like Querl to sound dismissive, not really seeing the danger Glorith saw... but hopefully 40 minutes, and the combined forces from two teams, will be enough... I hope!

nice scene-setting, Harbi, you really captured the gloom and doom in this reality. curious and eager to see what you have planned, and who else on the Reboot team is still standing~!!

oh and eager to see you addressing the two Sussa versions!! I knew you had thought of that!

as always, this has been a treat. more, more, more!

First off, before I forget, thanks must go to Invisible Brainiac for the help he gave me with filling in details for the U247 team. Take a bow IB, as without the list you sent through, I would have definitely used the wrong team members.

.....................................


Chameleon Boy – Espionage Squad leader, Reep Daggle of Durla - shape changer
XS - Jenni Ognats of an alternate dimension Aarok - phenomenal speed
Glorith of Zerox - manipulation of magical energies
The Huntress - Ambassador Amynta of Nostos ii - incredible strength, speed, invulnerability, space flight
Thirteen – Dann Hortra of Naltor - line of sight probability manipulation
Spy (also team counsellor) - Dr Noah Kabbo - heightened awareness and limited telepathy

Seconded from the Justice Legion:
Cosmic Kid - Po Miman, Justice Legionnaire of alternate dimension Mars - energy manipulation and flight

Intern:
Zero - Science Police Cadet Amrendra Mayasinghar of Zuyar - multi-dimensional shifting

Support Staff:
I.Z.O.R. - Gear ii – infrastructure manager - nannite collective being, technomorph
Henry – Anti Lad – Spatial warp controller

Consutant advisor:
Brainiac 5 – Senior Team member, Professor Querl Dox of Colu, 12th level intelligence
Laipas - hunting dog from Nostos ii - enchanted to never lose a trail, fast and tough.


and the Reboot Legion:

Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl, Live Wire, Apparition, Triad, Invisible Kid, Chameleon, Brainiac 5, Spark, Violet, Andromeda, Star Boy, M'Onel, Ultra Boy, Umbra, Sensor, Ferro, Kid Quantum II, Karate Kid, Wildfire, Shikari, Gear, Timber Wolf, and Dreamer

...........................

39 minutes until contact:

Brainiac 5 and Chameleon Boy stepped through the warp first.

XS sped after them and was soon zooming through and into the enclosure in her excitement to see her friends again. Cosmic Kid and the Huntress, with her hound Laipas, followed. After the Legionnaires had walked through, a holo of Henry materialised to join them as he closed the warp behind him. Spy had remained on the planetoid to ensure Glorith was okay, while Thirteen and Zero were working busily on the Trans-Dimensional Drive with Gear.

They were met by the alternate version of Brainiac 5, Saturn Girl and Cosmic Boy. The senior team members could see that Rokk's eyes were different from the last time they had met; instead of his usual piercing blue, these were a pale orange. Both Chameleon Boy and Brainiac 5 recognised the Dominator technology that must have been used t grow them, and knew that they would have to wait to find out the story behind them as they had far more pressing matters to deal with.

Imra Ardeen immediately established a telepathic link between the team that had just arrived and the three Legionnaires waiting for them. She couldn't help but see in their minds that they were concerned by how thin and tired she and her teammates appeared to them. The senior Brainiac 5 had shared Glorith's warning before they had warped down to the world where their counterparts hid from the First Sons. Saturn Girl, their current leader, had immediately put her team into action. They had established evacuation procedures previously so had sprung into action. The junior Querl Dox was impatient as he was desperate to pack up the vital equipment from his field laboratory.

A woman rushed through the door and the senior Reep Daggle and Querl Dox both recognised her immediately even though she looked exhausted and wore ragged clothes with a hood over her head - it was their Phantom Girl!

.........................

38 minutes:

Thirteen rushed out of the engineering deck, claiming an urgent call of nature.

The Naltoran reached a nearby rest room and dived in. He locked the door behind him and quickly undid his belt and unfastened the button on his fly.

As he did Dann Hortra's began to groan and his form started to shift...


While Querl stood with their counterparts to make a plan of action, Reep walked Tinya over to the far side of the room.

"I knew I'd see you again Reep." Her voice was surprisingly quiet.

"What happened? We searched and searched..."

"That machine on the Dominator base was a power booster... I used it and brought their whole base with me through the dimensions... we fell for so long Reep, and I knew those bloody thugs that Sa Lok created needed to be taken out of action so I pushed by powers to keep phasing, and I don't know for sure but think the power booster tore through a stack of realities and brought us here."

"What...? "

"I know..." Tinya's eyes were moist with unshed tears. They stared at each other for a long couple of seconds before Reep pulled her in towards him. Tinya responded with an uncharacteristically fierce hug. After about five seconds, she pulled away and gave an embarrassed laugh.

"So," Reep said, "you met with this team here? What happened to Sa Lok's ...creations?"

"Ah... we materialised into the middle of a skirmish between the Khunds and the Thanagarians. Their planetoid was destroyed pretty quickly. I didn't know at the time what happened to everyone else but I managed to get onto a Thanagarian clean-up craft and hide while I got my bearings. I've been part of the resistance ever since. A few dozen of Sa Lok's gang did actually survive, it turned out they set up an enclave on, I think, Trom... the First Sons massacred them all. It was only about four or five months ago that I met this team. I'd been running for so long."

"How long Tinya? You've only been missing for three months."

"No... no Reep, that's not right... it's been almost five years!"

.........................

36 minutes:

The two Brainiac 5's had shared their plan.

The teams were to unite on the former Tyrrazian Warmonger's planetoid. The two Gears were to work on the TD drive alongside Thirteen, Zero, and the Brainiacs. The junior Querl would have the broken TD Drive he had salvaged from their Warpship transported up to the planetoid as quickly as possible.

The rest of the two teams were split into smaller groups - the larger group was tasked with getting the resources from the world where Tinya and the team had been hiding up to the planetoid, while a smaller team were to ensure their defensive capabilities were up to scratch.

Wildfire, Star Boy, Shikari, Ultra Boy and Andromeda had been joined by the Huntress outside of the planetoid. They were given the task of checking the weapons that had survived the Legions taking of this planetoid. While the majority had been decommissioned with extreme prejudice, there were still several dozen hyper K-laser cannons, at least twenty gamma flechette guns and a dozen or so missile sites. The senior Brainiac 5 had noticed these on the holo-specs when he had helped arrange its remodelling and hoped they weren't too badly damaged.

The Huntress was struggling with a bulky cannon as Star Boy helped pull it up off the surface. His gravity manipulating abilities definitely helped the Amazon as she shouldered it into place. Amynta gave Thom a thumbs-up and they flew towards the next, where Andromeda had used her laser vision to free another cannon from the rubble it had been tangled in.

<we should take the fight to them, I'm sure we could get them to turn and run if we really went for it. At least give them the bloody nose they deserve> Wildfire announced as he buzzed over the top of his colleagues.

<Drake... no. You know how powerful they are. There are thousands of them with their bloody Kal El's genetics and that Nth metal armour out there. Remember what happened the first time? Vi and Andy nearly died. If Kari hadn't of gotten us out of there... and there were only four of them that time> Andromeda sounded frustrated as she replied. This was clearly a conversation that they had gone through before.

<yeah, I know> The anti-energy Legionnaire responded flatly before flying off to the next cannon to be examined. Shikari gave a small smile as an apology to Andromeda before following him.

<sister> Amynta sent across a private bandwidth of the telepathic matrix to Laurel Gand, <we will persevere, you must have faith>

<faith and I are not on speaking terms right now> The blond Daxamite responded bluntly as she unravelled the last bit of twisted metal debris and pulled the cannon out from underneath.


Thirteen had reappeared in the engineering deck and quietly got stuck into working on the Q-Drive. Gear didn't tell him that through the Linsnarians' nannites he was aware that the Naltoran had resumed his natural form and was now using the distorter on his belt to appear as his usual trim and muscular self. The technomorph knew that this was not the time for such a disclosure.

..........................

30 minutes:

Saturn Girl was following Brainiac 5's specifications for dismantling his rather basic laboratory.

Imra telepathically shared with her colleagues what was needed to be packed and what could be left.

Triad and Umbra had joined her. Tasmia was clearly anxious at the thought of another attack by the Thanagarians, so Imra gently soothed her mind as the Talokean stacked equipment into a central spot on the floor for Henry to warp away.

It was as much a repair shop as a lab. Mostly, it was used for fixing any problems they had with their flight rings, the body armour they had stolen while fleeing from various sites, and the one working space worthy vehicle they had left from their Warpship - a small shuttle that could hold a maximum of fifteen people. They had managed more of them in it with Vi shrinking down in size, Chameleon assuming the form of a small animal and Apparition and Phantom Girl phasing. Still, none of them really wanted to go through that again. With Shikari, Andromeda, M'Onel and Wildfire flying outside of the shuttle, they had escaped from the First Sons twice before on this small craft. Brainiac 5 had reverse engineered Phantom Girl's distorter from her belt into the craft's operating matrix so when they had to use it, they would be less likely to be tracked.

As Henry's warp opened up to deposit the shuttle into the planetoid's docking bay, Imra smiled. Despite being resolutely non-superstitious, she had begun to see the small craft as something akin to their lucky charm. As she looked at the expression on Triad's face when Henry's warp closed, the young telepath was fairly sure that her teammates felt the same.

<Saturn Girl> Brainiac 5 contacted her, <are you available to assist us on the engineering deck?>


Within the loading bay, the senior Chameleon Boy, and Dreamer were examining the drones in their wall silos left behind by the Warmongers. Bouncing Boy ii had smashed and disabled the majority though the Durlan and the Naltoran had found almost two hundred that appeared to be in working order. Reep had grown two additional arms and was currently punching in a command code to multiple hard light screens around the control panel. He programmed in a flight pattern where the small unmanned crafts would circle the planetoid until they were needed, then with a flick of a switch they would fly into the attacking force. They both knew these wouldn't be nearly enough to stop the First Sons, but using them might buy them a minute or two...

"These have got to be good for something right?" Chameleon Boy said.

"I really don't know Reep, the damned Thanagarians can block my sight, though who knows, Cassandra may bless us... " Dreamer replied as she flew up to examine another blocked silo on the large wall that ran around the docking bay.

The senior Chameleon Boy could see how deflated the junior team were and at that moment he promised himself he would do everything he could to ensure they got out of here alive.

.........................

27 minutes:

Livewire and Spark were ensuring the teams food supply was carefully stored and ready for transit. The Winathian twins had been sourcing seeds from the planets and settlements they had visited as they fled the First Sons, and finally on this world they had the opportunity to put the experience they had growing up on a farming commune to good use.

Within ten days of arriving, with the help of their amazing friends, the twins had cleared and planted almost thirty acres with crops. Almost half of the crops had already started to produce food, after Brainiac 5 had synthesised a fertiliser for them.

Sensor, Timber Wolf, XS and Cosmic Kid had volunteered to help the twins as they set about ensuring they had provisions for wherever their journey took them. Po had tried to explain that the planetoid was already self-sufficient but both of the Ranzz's insisted they didn't leave any behind if they could help it. Given how thin and exhausted the Legionnaires all looked, Po decided not to argue.

Garth had shown Jenni how to carefully dig out one of the nutritious tubor plants from the soil and load it into their makeshift crates. XS had then spent the next two minutes lifting a huge field full and loading them before returning to ask what to do with the other fruit and vegetables they had in their fields.

"Jenni, y'know I'd almost forgotten how truly awesome you are!" Ayla said with a broad smile.

XS ran up to Spark and gave her a hug. Ayla squeezed Jenni with a surprising passion, obviously close to being overcome by the emotions brought up in the situation; to meet an old friend and be offered a way to leave this horrible reality after living so desperately for the last few months... it was almost too much to hope for...

.........................

21 minutes:

The senior Brainiac 5 asked how Shikari's pathfinding abilities worked.

As Saturn Girl telepathically shared the information from her team's Coluan genius, the two Brainiac's smiled in unison. Imra, despite her formidable scientific training, couldn't understand much of the information they shared, though she could hear in both of their minds that they had just created a provisional plan that they strongly believed could help them escape in time.

"We will need both Tinyas, Zero and Shikari here... with the technology we brought and the work your Brainiac has completed while you have been here, we should be able to build a system that can use their natural skills to guide our Q-Drive..."

"With Kid Quantum assistance perhaps?"

"Yes, of course."

The two Brainiac's smiled at each other as they worked out the minute details of their plan....

............................

19 minutes:

Dr Kabbo followed Glorith to one of the smaller storage areas behind the docking bay.

The young mystic claimed she was fully recovered and needed to prepare the ingredients for the spell she would cast. Dr Kabbo didn't believe she was a strong as she claimed so offered to assist.

First off, she said, she would darkness... the small boxy room was certainly dark once Dr Kabbo switched off the illumination circuit. All he could see was the glow of the markings on Glorith's face.

"Okay, so what do you need next?" He asked. The psychic counsellor could feel her exhaustion and gratitude. The young mystic gave a small smile as she considered the items that would help her cast the spell to warn herself in the past of the dangers that were coming.

"The only other thing I really need is a copper effigy of myself, but how...?"

Before she could finish, Dr Kabbo was speaking into his flight ring,

"Gear, we urgently need your assistance."

..............................

16 minutes:

With all of the team's food and supplies having been sent through Henry's warps, Garth asked what else they needed to do.

He wasn't surprised to hear that the majority of the larger team were in a similar situation, so he offered to help the team that were checking the planetoids weapons system on the outside of the small world - his abilities made him a great welder. Rokk offered to help while the remaining team said they would give a hand in the docking bay.

Henry spun a warp for each team. As she walked through, Spark commented to XS that she wished they had Henry with them when the team had arrived here. There was a bittersweetness to her voice as she spoke that Jenni couldn't help but notice, though she only smiled at her former teammate in response.

Livewire and Cosmic Boy were grateful their Brainiac 5 had reverse engineered the eco-protect function from the older Tinya's flight ring and introduce the same technology to theirs as they stepped through the spinning warp. Both were momentarily disorientated as they went from a full gravity and atmospheric pressure to floating a few feet off the planetoids airless surface, looking down at the world they had just left.

Kid Quantum immediately put them to use helping as they fixed a broken Hyper-K cannon, larger than any they had seen before - if it worked it would definitely give the attacking Thanagarians pause!

The Huntress watched as the team worked quickly without anything more than necessary conversations. This was obviously a team that had been through the most desperate of circumstances and honed their skills so they had the best chance of survival.

The whole team paused as a telepathic message interrupted them from the junior Brainiac 5.

<all legionnaires, please prepare to assemble in main meeting room on the second level in the next five minutes. We are estimate we will be ready to leave in 345 seconds Shikari, Kid Quantum, Apparition and Phantom Girl, please come to the engineering deck as a matter of urgency>

...........................

12 minutes:


<<Zzzk Legionnaires! Legionnaires, you must run! They're getting close! Run now while you have a chance! Zzk>

The announcement that unexpectedly cut across the telepathic matrix surprised everyone as the voice was unmistakable.

It was Lyle Norg!