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Thanks IB...I have my favourites, but I try to make sure everyone gets a fairly equal showing

EARTH
WEISINGER PLAZA, LEGION HEADQUARTERS
Chuck Taine looked down at the agenda he’d prepared for his first meeting as leader of the Legion of Superheroes. With almost the entire team present he was mildly surprised that he’d managed to get through almost every item without any disruption, but he didn’t see his luck holding out with this last point.

“Before we wrap up there’s one more thing I want to put forward,” he announced. “Back when Luornu and I were running the Academy, there’s something we did to help the students get to know one another. With the number of new Legionnaires we’ve taken on recently, we thought it would be worth implementing here as well. You’ll find that you’ve all been assigned a member of the team. Over the next two weeks, I want everyone to give me that person’s biography. It doesn’t have to be an essay, though you’re welcome to put as much work into it as you like, and it’s not going to be presented to the group as a whole. This is purely to help us all become better acquainted with members of the team we may not know as well as we could.”

“We’re not students,” Timber Wolf complained. “This is a waste of time.”

“Timber Wolf,” Bouncing Boy replied, “We’re responsible for one another’s lives on a daily basis. It’s important that we know and trust one another as well as we can.”

“I still say it’s a waste of time.” Brin leaned back in his chair with his arms folded. “I’ve got better things to do than play party games, Bouncing Boy.”

“Party games?” Bouncing Boy rose to the challenge. “Do you remember how the Legion met Chameleon Girl, Timber Wolf? Let me refresh your memory. She replaced Shrinking Violet. For almost a year, she replaced a long-standing Legionnaire and not one of us noticed. Because despite Vi’s years of service on this team, not a single person knew her well enough to realise that she’d been impersonated by a complete stranger.”

“Grife, Chuck...” Colossal Boy squirmed in his seat, obviously uncomfortable with this turn of conversation.

Chameleon Girl placed her hand on her husband’s shoulder. “Gim, it’s okay.”

“Bouncing Boy spoke to Yera and I about this before the meeting,” Shrinking Violet added with a confrontational edge to her voice. “We both gave him our permission to bring this up because he’s right. What happened to me should never happen to anybody else on this team, Timber Wolf.”

“That was one time!” Timber Wolf argued.

Spurred on by Brin’s comment, the rest of the team began sharing their own opinions. Duplicate Damsel shot her husband a look that said he needed to take control before this degenerated into chaos, and Chuck agreed. “This isn’t up for debate!” Chuck announced in a firm voice. “It may have only happened once, Timber Wolf, but once is more than enough. We are doing this thing, all of us. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal,” Timber Wolf grunted. Grudgingly, he looked at the Legionnaire he’d been assigned. “Light Lad?!” Brin exploded. “Oh, come on!”

Chuck sighed.

It was going to be a long meeting...

**********
KATHOON
SCIENCE POLICE HEADQUARTERS, MOONLIT BAY
Kid Computo took a deep breath, enjoying the scent of lilrose that wafted through Kathoon’s capital city. The street below her feet was paved with lovingly rendered mosaic patterns, and each building gave off a soft pastel glow designed to instill a sensation of relaxed content without taking attention away from the star-filled sky. Gentle music carried on the breeze and lovers walked hand in hand, most of them so wrapped up in each other that they barely even acknowledged Kid Computo or the four Legionnaires accompanying her.

“This is more what I thought Kathoon would be like,” the young heroine sighed. “It’s so beautiful here, Night Girl!”

“I’m glad you like it, Danielle!” Night Girl replied. “Moonlit Bay is where I grew up, it’s really the jewel of Kathoon’s crown. This is where Kathoon forged its reputation as the UP’s favourite honeymoon destination.”

“I love the Ivory Coast back on Earth,” Danielle Foccart continued, “But if I grew up here...I don’t know if I’d ever want to leave!”

“I hope you don’t mind me saying,” Superboy interjected, “But your English is really great, Kid Computo!”

Night Girl, Phantom Girl, Chameleon Boy and Kid Computo all shared the same look of confusion. “English?” Kid Computo cocked her head to one side. “You know I’m speaking French, right? It’s our translators that have great English...I mean, don’t get me wrong, I can speak English, but I’m not sure how compatible it would be with what you’re used to hearing in your own century.”

“I don’t understand,” Superboy returned her confusion. “You seem to be a lot more fluent than your brother? I don’t mean any offence, it’s just something I’ve noticed..?”

Danielle chuckled. “Ohhh okay, now I get where this is coming from. Jacques just has exemptions programmed into his translator, that’s all. He thinks it gives him character.” She made quotation signs with her fingers.

“Exemptions?” Superboy looked more lost than ever.

“Some cultures have religious or social taboos around certain words being phonetically altered,” Chameleon Boy explained. “Or sometimes you lose the actual meaning of a word with a literal translation. The first time Terrans made contact with Durla, we wondered for months why they called their planet Dirt. So not long after the universal translator was invented, it became a standard feature to be able to program into it words or phrases specifically not to be translated.”

“And sometimes,” Danielle rolled her eyes, “People like to use that feature because they think it makes them sound more exotic and interesting than they really are. It’s a bit embarrassing really.”

“Not to change the subject,” Lydda interrupted. “But we’re here.”

The others looked up at a pale blue building towering over them, small waterfowl floating in a moat at its base. With its rounded turrets and the flowering vines crawling up its surface, it was truly elegant. “This is Science Police Headquarters?” Phantom Girl gaped as the five heroes walked up the slight incline to the building’s entrance. “Wow, Night Girl...next time Earthgov gives us any trouble, I’m putting forward a motion to move the Legion to Kathoon!”

Before too much time had passed, four of the five Legionnaires emerged once more. “Danielle will call if she finds computer records of the heroes who fought Vrykos before us,” Night Girl advised as she and Chameleon Boy veered away from Superboy and Phantom Girl. “Hopefully either Cham and I will find this Wolfbat person or you two will find Crescent and Sliver; they’re the only other Kathooni heroes I’ve managed to find even anecdotal evidence of.”

“Good luck,” Phantom Girl waved. “We’ll see you back here later on!”

**********
Seventeen minutes and a magtrain ride later, Night Girl and Chameleon Boy were in the much smaller city of Russtrom on the other side of the continent. Chameleon Boy had taken on the form of the native wolfbat which was their quarry’s namesake, and kept his now much keener senses peeled for any sign of the mysterious hero.

“Cham?” Night Girl spoke with uncommon timidity, “Can I ask you a question?”

“Of course,” the winged canine beside her answered surreally.

“In all the time you’ve been a Legionnaire,” she continued, “You’ve never been linked to any of the Legion romantically...do you think being married to a Legionnaire could work?”

“What a strange question,” Cham mused. “It's certainly not something I've consciously avoided, I guess it just never really came up as a possibility. If I ever was attracted to someone on the team, I don't see why it necessarily wouldn't work though...the married couples we already have on the team obviously don't have any problems juggling their relationships with their work as Legionnaires. What brought this up?”

"You know Rokk and I are back together, right?" Lydda explained, "He...he asked me to marry him, and I want to, lord knows it's what I've wanted almost as long as I've known him...but I suppose I'm just scared that we're not ready for it yet. Cham..?"

Chameleon Boy suddenly jerked his head to one side, his body stiffening. Oversized ears pricked up and he changed direction suddenly. “Sorry, I thought I heard something,” he apologised as Night Girl met his course. “It’s hard to say, I’m not really used to...wait! Over there!” He gestured with his nose, and Lydda saw a giant blur zoom over the street several blocks away.

“I see it!” Night Girl poured on the speed, and Chameleon Boy folded membranous wings down over his fur and used the greater speed of his flight ring to join her. A second later, the two heroes hovered a couple of dozen feet over the middle of a busy intersection. There was no sign of their target though.

“I don’t get it,” Night Girl floated in place with her hands on her hips. “Where could he have gone so fast?”

Chameleon Boy suddenly spun around. “Night Girl! Behind you!” His warning came too late though, as rough prehensile feet gripped her by the shoulders and ascended.

“Think you can sneak up on Wolfbat?” the bestial man growled, looking down at his prey as they zoomed perilously close to a windowless skyscraper. “You and your pet like Sci-Cop sirens, girl. Wolfbat hear you from the other side of the city, Wolfbat sneaky too!”

Lydda reached up and removed the man’s talons from her bodysuit. He was strong, but his strength was nothing compared to hers. “We just want to talk,” she tried to placate him as she used her flight ring to maintain his pace. Now that she could see him properly, she could see where he got his name from. He was barrel-chested, covered in coarse dark fur. Impossibly large and dexterous leathery wings extended from his muscular arms, and he shared both the canine skull and the huge chiropteran ears of the Kathooni wolfbat.

“Monster hunters always want to talk,” Wolfbat snarled. “They try to trick Wolfbat, but Wolfbat trick them!” He flicked his wings and changed course dramatically, diving only inches away from the skyscraper’s sheer wall. Coming up from below, Chameleon Boy dodged desperately to avoid the plummeting creature. With a hard wall on one side, Cham’s only option was to slam straight into Lydda. As the Legionnaires untangled themselves, they saw Wolfbat flatten himself against the roof of an elevated magtrain and then disappear into the blackness of a tunnel.

“Damn it!” Lydda pounded her fist into her palm as she watched the magtrain’s many carriages enter the tunnel. “There’s not enough room in there for us to go in after him!”

“Not enough room for both of us,” Chameleon Boy corrected her. “Should be just enough room for an Insharian spindleworm though. Follow when you can!” His form shifted and elongated, losing hair and lightening in color until Lydda was no longer looking at a creature native to her planet, but rather a slender white worm over a dozen feet long. Three pairs of chitinous segmented limbs emerged from the spindleworm at equal points along its body, each limb ending in a glut of small hooked barbs. With preternatural ease, Chameleon Boy’s new limbs latched onto the roof of the magtrain and he too vanished into the tunnel.

Night Girl suppressed a shudder. Chameleon Boy was a valued comrade and friend, but some of his transformations were nothing short of creepy. She waited what seemed like an eternity for the train to fully enter the tunnel and then flew in after it. In darkness which would be impossible for any non-Kathooni to navigate, Lydda effortlessly followed the train until it finally emerged once more under a starlit sky. She flew above the train, only to realise that neither Wolfbat or Chameleon Boy were anywhere in view. Just as she was bringing her flight ring to her lips to call her Durlan teammate, she heard his voice behind her.

Having changed his shape once more, Cham was now a gelatinous mass clinging to the outside of the tunnel, his orange-skinned face like a mask stuck to the veiny blob. Wolfbat struggled fruitlessly inside Cham’s embrace with only his growling face free.

“You’re a hard fellow to get hold of,” Night Girl addressed Wolfbat. “But now that we have...we’ve got a few questions for you.”

**********
PANOPTES
WATCHBASE L7.1
Dream Girl, Cosmic Boy, Mon-El, Supergirl, Diamond Damsel and Shadow Lad stepped out of their cruiser and onto the expansive surface of the military base where their contact awaited them, Tellus floating beside them. Their contact General Octivon, like all natives of his homeworld Barrio III was a limbless crystalline sphere. A wide band circled him horizontally, adorned with the Starfleet logo and a holstered firearm. Four artificial tentacle-like appendages emerged from the belt, ably supporting the alien’s form.

“Welcome to Panoptes,” the Major greeted the Legionnaires. “I fear however that your journey may have been for naught, Legionnaires. There has been no trouble on Panoptes recently, as I explained over long-range communications earlier.”

“Thank you for your hospitality, General Octivon.” Dream Girl bowed respectfully. “I hope you don’t mind if we take a look around anyway. I had a vision that we would encounter serious conflict in this system. As a watchworld on the Dominion Border, Panoptes is really the major point of interest in this whole system.”

“Certainly,” the Barrion assented easily. He turned his attention to Diamond Damsel. “Is there something you wish to say, Legionnaire?”

“Oh, I - I’m so sorry!” Diamond Damsel stammered. “I didn’t mean to stare, it’s just...I haven’t encountered many other beings like...like myself before.”

“No offence taken,” the crystalline general replied. “I sense your sincerity, all is well. Come, let me show you all around.” Travelling on his artificial limbs with surprising agility, he led the Legionnaires into the base.

Supergirl whispered so low that she knew only Mon-El would hear. “Mon, is your x-ray vision seeing what my x-ray vision is seeing?”

“That there’s already been a battle on Panoptes?” Mon-El answered just as stealthily. “Yes, there is definitely more than meets the eye here. Stay alert.”

As the General took the Legionnaires on a tour of the base, Supergirl and Mon-El’s discovery soon became apparent to all of the Legionnaires. There were damaged buildings and vehicles all around them. When questioned, he advised them that they had arrived shortly after a particularly realistic training session. None of the Legionnaires believed it however.

Tellus, Dream Girl trusted her Hykraian comrade to pick up her thoughts, Can you scan for any signs of telepathic manipulation without anyone here becoming aware of it? There’s no way the damage here was done as the result of a training exercise.

Cosmic Boy has already asked me to do so, Tellus replied immediately. I believe there has been alteration to the memories of some of the sentients here, but I cannot know any more without further probing. It is most peculiar however, the psychic residue feels almost...familiar?

Dream Girl glared at Cosmic Boy. Somebody’s forgotten I’m the mission leader, she thought sourly.

I am certain Cosmic Boy was merely trying to help, Tellus suggested telepathically. Dream Girl..? There was no response however, and an instant later the beautiful Legionnaire passed out. “Legionnaires!” he called out audibly even as he caught the falling Naltorian with his telekinesis.

“Is she unwell?” General Octivon asked. “Her delta waves have just spiked dramatically!”

“She is having a precognitive flash,” Tellus explained via his voice modulator. “I was in contact with her when it started. It is...difficult...to process the sudden rush of information...no!” A wave of panic suddenly washed over the entire team. “I am sorry,” Tellus apologised, the pods on his back shifting from stark white to a shade of fuscia. “I was unprepared for such a visceral experience, but they are coming! The ships are coming!”

“Ships?” Cosmic Boy asked. “What ships? What has she seen, Tellus?”

Dream Girl groaned as she recovered consciousness. “Starships...” she answered for herself, still groggy. “Dominion...starships.”

Supergirl and Mon-El responded instantly, both turning their telescopic vision to the skies above.

“She’s right,” Mon-El confirmed. “Eight of them, converging on Panoptes as we speak.”

“Why would the Dominators be coming here?” Shadow Lad queried. “Aren’t they worried that’ll be seen as an act of aggression?”

“Only if there’s anyone left alive to report it,” Dream Girl replied darkly.

“Legionnaires, they’re coming to raze the planet!”

TO BE CONTINUED!

Here's some more praise heaped on your doorstep Raz, this was another fine set of vignettes to add to yor already awesome list - from Chuck's practicality and Lydda's determination through to Reeps choice of icky forms and Diamond Damsels stammering, you have a great skill at writing really interesting and addictive stories.

Thanks again, Harbinger! Here comes a conclusion to Part 1 which may raise some more questions than it answers..!

Some self-criticism first....not really wild about how this installment ends, I think it would work much better in an actual comic where it could visually be a dramatic moment more easily. And I included Cos and Lydda in these last two parts because I wanted to touch on their wedding proposal subplot a bit more, but it felt kind of forced mentioning it anymore than I already did.

Anyway, enjoy!

KATHOON
MOONLIT BAY
The grim avenger of Kathoon’s eternal night leapt silently from the edge of a rooftop. The man known as Crescent spread his arms out to his sides, his distinctive silvery cape catching the air currents as he spiraled down towards his prey far below.

His cowl’s enhanced sights made finding criminals an easy task, and Crescent didn’t need to remotely access the files housed in his secret base to recognise the four men below him. Their identically themed costumes marked them as the Chain Gang, thuggish enforcers for the Kathooni underworld. The quadruplets of crime were no stronger than an ordinary Kathooni man individually, but their strength increased exponentially while in contact with one another.

With his lightweight body armour absorbing the brunt of the impact, Crescent torpedoed straight into one of the brothers. Taken by surprise, the burly powerhouse released his brother’s hand and tumbled headfirst into the wall of a nearby building whereupon he immediately fell unconscious.

“I was wondering when you were gonna make an appearance!” Crescent’s nimble young sidekick Sliver grinned as he effortlessly dodged a swing from one of the other villains. “I thought I was gonna have to take these jerks out on my own!”

“Kill them both!” one of the Chain Gang roared. “Even without Chaz we’re as strong as a dozen men and they don’t have any powers between them!”

Crescent threw one of his many crescent-shaped weapons at the ground at their feet. The ground exploded beneath the three men, and while two of the brothers managed to maintain their grip on one another’s forearms, the third rolled away from them.

Before the dazed villain could move, Sliver was crouching over him with the razor-sharp edge of a thin blade at his exposed throat. “Nuh-uh,” Sliver shook his head. “Crescent will wanna keep one of you alive for questioning, but it doesn’t have to be you, buddy. I’d behave if I were you.” The villain gulped and remained motionless.

The two members of the Chain Gang still standing rushed Crescent together. Crescent leaped over their heads, stabbing one of them in the shoulder with another of his signature crescent weapons as they passed him. “You see, there’s a problem with needing to maintain physical contact to use your enhanced strength,” he calmly pointed out as his victim cried out in pain. “You maintain physical contact.”

The blade sticking out of the villain’s shoulder emitted a short sharp crackling sound and both men collapsed in agony, electricity arcing all over both their bodies. Crescent turned to the one remaining member of the Chain Gang, now quivering fearfully under the watchful eye of an exuberant Sliver. “And then there was one.”

"You boys are a little too stabbity for my liking," a female voice interjected. Phantom Girl emerged disapproving from the ground at Sliver’s side. Tinya ignored Sliver’s protests as she grabbed the blade from his hand and rendered it intangible like herself.

"Phantom Girl is right," another voice joined the conversation. "Superheroes are meant to inspire people, not scare them.” Superboy floated above them all, his arms folded across his chest.

“The Legion of Superheroes?” the last Chain Gang member’s eyes widened. “Oh please, don’t let them kill me! These guys are nuts!”

“They won’t hurt you,” Superboy assured the man. “I heard you and your brothers plotting on the way here though, Mr Linke. The Science Police are on their way to take you into custody.”

“That sounds like our cue to leave,” Crescent reached for a smoke bomb. “We’ve gone this long without having to face the Science Police, we’d rather not break that streak now.”

“Unfortunately that choice isn’t yours to make,” Superboy said. He vanished in a blur of motion, only to reappear behind Phantom Girl an instant later. All of Crescent and Sliver’s weapons lay in a pile at his feet.

“We’re not going to turn you into the Science Police,” Phantom Girl continued, “If you can convince us that you’re not as much a danger as the criminals you face...and we’re not here for a fight. We just want to talk to you.”

Crescent and Sliver exchanged a glance between them. “Well then,” Crescent resigned himself to it. “Seems like we’re going to have a talk with the Legion of Superheroes, Sliver.”

**********
PANOPTES
WATCHBASE L7.1
“What could force the Dominion’s hand like this?” the crystalline General Octivon asked, looking up into the vast blue skies above for any sign of the invading force Dream Girl had warned them about.

“I don’t know,” Mon-El replied darkly. “Let’s find out before they get a chance to do any damage, shall we?” He rocketed straight up and was out of sight in less than a second.

Shadow Lad gave an appreciative whistle. “I can see why my cousin is attracted to him...he certainly doesn’t waste any time once he sets his mind to something, does he?”

“Go help him,” Dream Girl instructed. “Not you though, Tellus. I’m going to need you down here.”

Tellus gave his assent and together with Dream Girl and the General he watched Shadow Lad, Cosmic Boy, Supergirl and Diamond Damsel rise after Mon-El.

“You are not concerned that the Legion may need your assistance?” the General asked.

“Most of them could take on that fleet single-handedly,” Dream Girl answered casually. “My powers on the other hand aren’t really all that well-suited for space combat, and Tellus is going to be as useful here as he would be up there.” She turned to General Octivon with a thoughtful gaze. “Now General...how about we go over one more time what happened here before our arrival today..?”

**********
On the edge of the planet’s atmosphere, the five heroes waited for the Dominion ships to come into view.

Forgive the obvious question, Supergirl asked via her telepathic earplug, but I’m getting the impression that this is more than just your standard bad guys attacking the free worlds of the United Planets...what’s the story?

The Dominion have a truce with the UP, Mon-El replied. A very uneasy truce. For them to send warships this openly...they’re jeopardising years of political gameplaying with this attack, Kara. Whatever their reasons for doing so, they can’t be anything good.

And here they are, Diamond Damsel pointed. The Legionnaires followed her arm to see eight ships approaching in a cluster formation.

Their ships are so weird, Supergirl commented. They look almost...biological? And they’re all unmanned!

The Dominion use organic technology, Mon-El explained. And it makes sense they’d send unmanned ships, easier to claim plausible deniability if they were caught in the act. That works in our favor though, it means we don’t have to hold back. Let’s go, Legion!

As Mon-El sped towards the ships, they adjusted their course to compensate and veered away from one another. The Daxamite carved one of the ships in clean halves with his heat vision, ignoring the missiles it bombarded him with before its systems ceased to work. He grabbed one of the halves and smashed it against its twin, lighting up the area with a silent explosion.

Supergirl saw the open-mouthed awe on Shadow Lad’s face and chuckled. Looks like Mon-El’s got more than one Mallor crushing on him, she teased Grev. I have to say though, I didn’t know you were gay. She flew straight through one of the ships from bow to stern, then turned around and charged back the way she’d come. A second explosion lit up the area and they were now two ships down.

I don’t understand, Shadow Lad replied as he engulfed two more of the ships in impenetrable darkness. Their sensor arrays suddenly rendered useless, the ships violently crashed into one another. Is this a 21st century thing? You think I’m cheerful?

Two of the remaining four ships opened fire on the Legionnaires. Supergirl and Diamond Damsel intercepted the missiles, using their indestructible bodies to shield Shadow Lad and Cosmic Boy while Mon-El destroyed the offending vessels. Not cheerful, Supergirl tried to explain. Gay...umm, you know...you like men?

Why wouldn’t I like men? Shadow Lad asked, perplexed. I am one!

This is painful. Diamond Damsel joined the conversation, facing Grev. She means homosexual, Shadow Lad. She turned now to Kara. Things are a little different in the 31st century, Supergirl. People don’t tend to identify as being exclusively attracted to one gender...not in general, anyway. While her back was turned, a volley of missiles slammed into the diamond heroine and sent her flying. She spun around, angry but unhurt. Do you mind? I’m in the middle of a conversation here! She charged into the ship which had assaulted her, tearing it apart with her bare hands.

There’s not enough ferrous materials in these ships for my magnetic powers to affect! Cosmic Boy complained. Even their projectiles are organic!

Leave a woman to do a man’s job, Supergirl joked. Hey, Diamond Damsel! Make a wish? The two heroines grabbed either side of the remaining ship and tore it in half.

Mon-El used his heat vision to atomise the debris of the Legion’s brief battle. Once his task was completed, he peered out into deep space until he was certain there were no reinforcements en route. Bouncing Boy chose a good team for this mission, he mused. Excellent work, everybody. It’s a shame we still have no idea what this was all about though...hopefully Dream Girl and Tellus will have better luck planetside.

**********
Try as they might, Tellus and Dream Girl had not been able to convince General Octivon that his memories may have been altered. In the end, he allowed Tellus to probe him more aggressively simply to put the Legionnaires’ own minds at ease.

Tellus dived into the Barrion’s mind, excited despite the circumstances to be making deep telepathic contact with such a uniquely structured brain. Like all his species, General Octivon had thirteen distinct senses and these informed his mindscape in a way that Tellus had never encountered before. Even in the most superficial layers of the General’s psyche, Tellus was bombarded by sensations he had no concepts to describe. When the General looked at Dream Girl he saw not only her physical beauty, but the faint bluish aura signifying her Naltorian power, her brainwave activity and many other things besides. Tellus concentrated, pushed through the viscous medium of General Octivon’s mind to search for deeper memories. It was like swimming through a tar made of three-dimensional fractals which constantly shifted in color. Tellus didn’t know if this was a native effect of the Barrion’s strange mind or a power effect, but trying to penetrate it was proving too great a struggle. He feared that he might damage the General’s mind if he used much more force.

Trying another tactic, Tellus decided he would circumvent the barrier rather than try to plunge through it. His psychic self swam around the edges of General Octivon’s mind, only to be stymied when he realised that the barrier permeated all of the watchbase. Curious, the placid Hykraian mused. He now believed that this was no defence sustained by General Octivon, but the result of an outside force.

As he had earlier intimated to Dream Girl though, something about all of this seemed strangely familiar. Following a hunch, Tellus’ astral form swam away from the General altogether, far above the watchbase. The fractal effect was indeed a field, a field which surrounded the entire base. On the psychic plane he and Dream Girl seemed to be superimposed over it, as if they were merely ghosts sharing the same space as this sphere.

...Sphere.

Tellus suddenly felt a cold chill of realisation. He returned to his physical body and it shuddered into awareness. Dream Girl! he cried out telepathically.

Dream Girl winced. Ow...gently, Tellus. You’re going to give me a migraine.

My apologies, he continued, taking care not to express himself too abruptly. Our suspicions were correct, Dream Girl. These sentients’ minds have indeed been altered! I cannot risk retrieving their true memories without causing serious psychic damage, but I know now who is responsible. Only one being could create a thoughtsphere like this! This is the work of my fellow Legion Academy graduate, Mandalla!

LEGION HEADQUARTERS
MEDIA ROOM
Deep within the labyrinthine corridors of Legion Headquarters, Chameleon Boy paused before the soundproofed entrance to the Legion’s media room. With a familiar breep, the sensor recognised him and allowed him entry. Chameleon Boy stepped through the round portal into a cavernous space large enough to fit the Legion and almost a hundred more sentients of their scale. The equipment in this room was state of the art, albeit rarely used. It was being used now though.

“Hello, Cham.” Kid Computo greeted her comrade without diverting her attention from the myriad larger than life holo-images playing before her. She was seated alone in the midst of the vast darkened room.

“I’m surprised you heard me all the way over there,” Chameleon Boy responded as he walked the seventy feet separating the two.

“Cyber-empathy, remember?” She swivelled to face him and tapped her temple with a smile. “I know everything the building does.” She used that cyber-empathy now to summon a second seat from its recess in the floor.

Chameleon Boy took the seat and turned his attention to the images before them both. “What are you doing in here, Danielle? I just came off monitor duty, you’ve been here almost the entire time I was on my shift!”

“I guess you could call these the edited highlights of the surveillance records I found on Kathoon,” the young woman explained, once more turning her own gaze back to the looping images. “I know you and the others confirmed that those Kathooni vigilantes you encountered never faced Vrykos or his vampires, but it’s obvious now that somebody did. They cloaked themselves from recording equipment just as thoroughly as the vampires did, but they were definitely there. There are signs of battle in Nightmare Peak before our arrival, even if we can’t see who’s responsible for it.”

The holo-images supported Danielle’s claims. Though both sides of the conflict were invisible to the recorder’s eye, their actions were certainly visible. The same footage repeated again and again; energy flaring violently from unseen sources, vehicles careening through the air or spontaneously exploding, holes punched into the sides of buildings...the evidence was unmistakable.

“I don’t understand.” Chameleon Boy’s antennae wiggled. “We already know this, you showed us back on Kathoon. It still doesn’t tell us who they are.”

“I know,” Danielle frowned. “I guess I was hoping if I cut down as much extraneous footage as I could and then watched it here where our equipment is better, I might get some more insight? Maybe it is a waste of time though, it’s been hours and I’m not getting anywhere.”

Cham’s face lit up. “Maybe not as much a waste of time as you think...can you go back a few seconds on Holo 4?”

“Sure,” she answered, using her power to effortlessly rewind the footage. “What is it?”

“Wait a nano...there!” Chameleon Boy pointed, excited.

“I don’t get it,” Danielle shrugged. “That flash of light? I’d say it’s plasma discharge from a blaster...there are a couple of different types of energy weapons at play judging from the different visual effects. You’re right though, that still doesn’t really tell us anything new.”

“Not the flash of light,” Cham explained. “What the light illuminates. Danielle, play it again.”

She obliged, and Chameleon Boy’s finger extended to a long point. “Can you focus on this area here and enhance the resolution?” he asked.

“The window of that building? Sure, but I don’t see what good it’s going to do...that building’s the local branch of the Interplanetary Bank, I already checked their internal security and came up with nothing.” She paused the rest of the images playing around them so she could concentrate on this specific one. Seconds later the same scene played before them, though now across a 4 storey span.

They saw a hole smashed into the wall of the bank, then saw the same plasma discharge light up the area...and with that plasma discharge, for only the briefest of instants, a face was reflected in the bank’s window.

Danielle paused the recording and gaped at Chameleon Boy in awe. “I’ve been watching this footage for hours! You just got here, how did you..?”

“Sometimes all you need is a different set of eyes,” Cham winked. “And these eyes are used to searching for details other people bypass. You’ve got good instincts though, Danielle. You’re the one who thought to keep looking for the needle in this haystack when anyone else would have given up. Now, do you think you can sharpen up the image enough that we can get a solid ID on the face?”

“I can now that I’m motivated!” Kid Computo stretched her arms out before her and cracked her knuckles. “First things first though...I’m getting Computo to bring us some stimjuice!”

**********
METROPOLIS
THE SUPERMAN MUSEUM
Cosmic Boy used his power of magnetism to lift the S-shield skylight from the Superman Museum, then replaced the skylight once he and Night Girl had descended into the building.

“The Science Police really called us here for a late night museum raid?” Night Girl asked. “They couldn’t handle this themselves?”

“Actually...” Cosmic Boy fidgeted nervously, “I overheard the alert and told them we’d deal with it.”

Night Girl stared wide-eyed at her lover as they flew through a vast wing populated with replicas of Superman’s legendary allies. “Rokk! You’re always saying how we need to respect our boundaries with the Science Police!”

“I know,” the Braalian admitted, shame-faced. “It’s just...Lydda, we haven’t spoken since...since I proposed, and if you don’t want to marry me I’d rather just get it out of the way, you know?”

“Legionnaires!” a voice from below cried out. The heroes looked down to see a group of men in garishly mismatched costumes, clown wigs and face-paint carrying aerosol paint and laser etching tools. “Run!” another of the men hollered.

“I’m sorry,” Lydda apologised as she followed two of the men. “I didn’t mean to make you worry, Rokk.” The museum had closed to the public hours ago and only the pale moon lit the building’s interior now; Night Girl was almost at full strength. She lifted the vandals effortlessly and hung them by their polka-dotted jumpsuits on the tip of an animatronic Green Arrow’s bow twelve feet above the ground. Lydda swooped back to join Cosmic Boy and continued her speech as though there’d been no interruption. “You know I want to marry you. I want to marry you more than anything! I guess I’m just scared that the problems we’ve had...” Lydda sighed, then barrelled on. “You’re the most important man in my life, but the Legion is my life’s work. I can’t choose between you, Rokk. I need to know you understand that.”

Cosmic Boy magnetically closed the doors to the wing, trapping the remaining men inside with them. He borrowed a replica of Wonder Woman’s golden lariat and coiled it around the last three men several times, binding them tight but not painfully so. Rokk took Night Girl’s hands in his own and looked her deep in the eyes. “Lydda...I love you. I will always love you, and every time I see you put your life in danger I feel like my own heart’s going to stop. I don’t think that’ll ever change. But I do understand now. I’ve seen you lead the Legion, and I’ve seen you thrive under pressure that would buckle anyone else. You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met and I wouldn’t do a thing to change who you are, Lydda Jath.”

Lydda’s eyes welled with tears. “Oh, Rokk..!” She hugged him close and kissed him passionately.

“Can we go to jail now please??” one of the men pleaded.

Lydda backed away and wiped at her eyes with the back of her glove, shyly regaining her composure. Cosmic Boy looked down at the criminals. “What were the bunch of you doing here anyway?” he asked them. “You don’t look like any burglars I’ve ever seen!”

“We’re the Joker Gang!” one of the men dangling from Green Arrow’s bow called triumphantly. “We were gonna deface Superman’s precious museum just like his old nemesis would have done! Then you do-gooders got in the way, but the last laugh will still be ours!” He did his best impression of a manic cackle given the circumstances, while the embarrassed clown hanging alongside him buried his face in his hands.

“The Joker Gang?” Cosmic Boy repeated, stunned. “The Joker was Batman’s nemesis, you twits! You just landed yourselves a trip to court emulating the wrong villain!”

“I told you it sounded stupid!” one of the men hissed.

The museum rang with Cosmic Boy and Night Girl’s peals of laughter.

**********
LEGION HEADQUARTERS
BOUNCING BOY’S OFFICE
Bouncing Boy leaned his chair against the wall behind him, his hands steepled over his portly belly. On the other side of a desk covered in omnicoms and food crumbs, Dream Girl sat stiff-backed in her own seat. Beside her Tellus leaned on his haunches, the pods on his back a faint purple color.

“I don’t understand,” Chuck scowled. “The Dominators sent ships to destroy Panoptes, which has created a huge diplomatic incident, but we still don’t know why?”

“That’s right,” Dream Girl nodded. “But mark my words, Chuck. There’s something going on back at that horrid little planet.”

Bouncing Boy turned now to Tellus. “And you’re absolutely certain that Mandalla was there before you arrived? And that she messed with the memories of everyone on base?”

“It has been some time since I encountered one of Mandalla’s thoughtspheres”, Tellus replied via his voice modulator, “But her power effect is so uniquely distinctive, Bouncing Boy. I do not believe it could be any other sentient.”

“I’m just surprised she’s got the power to affect the whole base!” Dream Girl added. “If she’s that powerful, why didn’t the Legion snap her up ages ago?”

“Mandalla’s thoughtspheres increase in potency the larger an area they cover,” Bouncing Boy explained. “We only found out after she’d been at the Academy for some time...unfortunately she can’t pick and choose who she affects within a sphere though.” He pushed himself off the wall and slumped over the desk with a sigh. “I’m starting to get concerned...Luornu and I had been so busy wondering what happened to Power Boy when we couldn’t find him to offer him Legion membership that we didn’t really notice Mandalla has dropped out of sight just as completely as he has. Then for her to turn up on such a volatile world like this, doing who knows what...I’m not worried about her motivations, she’s a good kid. But I’d really like to know what she’s up to out there on her own.”

Dream Girl opened her mouth to say something, then stopped herself and turned towards the door looking slightly annoyed. A second later, Kid Computo and Chameleon Boy burst in.

“Bouncing Boy!” Kid Computo announced breathlessly. “There’s something we need to tell you!”

“Sorry to barge in on you all like this,” Chameleon Boy apologised. “Patience is definitely not one of young Ms Foccart’s virtues, it would seem.”

“That’s okay,” Chuck waved Cham’s concern away. “What is it, Danielle?”

“Comet Queen told me your old student Power Boy’s been missing since the rest of his old class graduated, right? And you know how Night Girl has been on some crusade to find whoever fought Vrykos on Kathoon before we did..?”

“Go on.” Bouncing Boy steeled himself. He didn’t like where this was heading.

“We found out who was on Kathoon before us, and...well, see for yourself!” She co-opted the holo-emitters in Bouncing Boy’s office and effortlessly fed data to them from the systems in the media room half a building away. A scene which was by now completely familiar to Danielle and Cham played itself again for all five of the heroes. A plasma discharge lit up the window of the Interplanetary Bank’s Nightmare Peak branch, and the hologram froze in perfect time to capture the face which was reflected in that glass pane. Thanks to Kid Computo, the image definition was flawless. Everyone instantly recognised Jedidiah Rikane, the purple-skinned hero better known as Power Boy.

Of everybody present, only Tellus recognised the grim look which crossed Chuck’s face now. Back at the Legion Academy, Tellus had seen that steely determination only a few times before. The chubby hero sat up straight in his chair.

“I want you all mission-ready in five minutes,” Bouncing Boy commanded.

“We’re going to get to the bottom of this right now.”

TRANTOR STAR SYSTEM
WEBER’S WORLD
Miles below the artificial surface of Weber’s World, Tari Wahlmunn paused by a transparent plexiglass screen to watch three of her teammates sparring. She still bore aches and pains from her own recent combat training session and was looking forward to some time in a rejuvenation field. Her bronzed face reflected in the glass, Tari found herself thinking about the strange turns her lifepath had taken recently. As Mandalla, she had always held hope of joining the Legion of Superheroes one day. Now she was a member of an entirely different kind of group, the Oversight Watch.

Even after weeks of working together, Tari had somewhat mixed feelings about this squad. Of course she knew her fellow Legion Academy alumni Power Boy, and though they weren’t particularly close friends she trusted Jed completely. The Kryptonian called Dev-Em seemed equally trustworthy, and he'd obviously made enough of an impression on Power Boy that Dev-Em and Jed were already romantically involved.

The three sentients fighting in the next room were a different story however. Makkia Vei and Ron-Karr had been outright villains prior to the formation of the Oversight Watch. Growing up on the prison planet Takron-Galtos had taught Tari that being on the wrong side of the law did not necessarily make somebody an evil person, but she still wasn’t entirely comfortable with either of them...especially Makkia, whose whole modus operandi was psychological manipulation.

Then there was their squad leader, the mysterious woman known only as 89. Completely covered from head to toe, nobody on the team had ever seen her face nor heard her unmodulated voice. She was the most skilled fighter on the team, a fact she easily proved now by felling Makkia Vei and Ron-Karr simultaneously. Aside from her combat prowess, 89 was a walking encyclopaedia of knowledge. Espionage, demolitions, United Planets history, hard and soft sciences, she seemed to be a master of any discipline she encountered.

A chime sounded at the end of the corridor and Tari ran for the elevator, leaving the others to their training. Power Boy and Dev-Em were the only members of the Oversight Watch unaccounted for, and only a handful of others had security clearance to penetrate this far into the inner recesses of Weber’s World. So when the elevator door opened to reveal six entirely unexpected visitors, Tari could do nothing more than stare in mute shock.

“Hello Mandalla,” Bouncing Boy greeted his former student. “We need to talk.” Chameleon Boy, Dream Girl, Tellus, Dawnstar and Kid Computo shared the elevator with him. None of them looked very happy.

“B-Bouncing Boy..?” the dark-haired heroine stammered, taking a step back. “What are you doing here? How did you find me? You-you’re not supposed to even know--”

“I’m not supposed to know this group exists,” Chuck finished her sentence for her, walking out of the cramped elevator. “The Oversight Watch, the UP’s very own black ops unit. I’m not going to lie, Mandalla. I’m very disappointed in you, I thought Luornu and I taught you better than this.”

“Bouncing Boy, that isn't fair!” The initial surprise of seeing the Legionnaires faded and Mandalla quickly regained her composure. “We’re not doing anything wrong here...you’re acting like I’m some kind of criminal!”

Kid Computo stepped up alongside Bouncing Boy. “Mindwiping innocents left, right and centre? Imprisoning sentients without any semblance of due process? Sounds like criminal activity if you ask me...and that’s only the tip of the iceberg!”

“We know everything, Tari.” The disappointment in Bouncing Boy’s voice was surprisingly hurtful. “We can’t let this continue. Your recent actions on Panoptes alone nearly resulted in a massacre there.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, obviously confused. “How did you know we were there anyway?” She was in desperately over her head. She needed 89 or Makkia here to deal with this, but she’d been pressing the signal hidden in her belt for almost a minute now and there had been no response.

“With my power, it doesn’t matter how well hidden your secrets are,” Kid Computo answered her. “If they’re hidden on a database you might as well write them on the side of the moon.”

“When we lost contact with you and Power Boy, we assumed you must have your reasons for avoiding us,” Bouncing Boy added. “But with what Kid Computo has uncovered...I wish we’d had Dawnstar track you down long before now.”

“We stopped the Dominion from creating a Daxamite army on Panoptes!” Mandalla protested, leading the Legionnaires along with her as she walked back the way she’d come. “What’s the real issue here, Bouncing Boy? That I’m part of a team of heroes that doesn’t have Legion in its name?”

“You can’t be that naive,” Dream Girl countered. “Between them, Makkia Vei and Ron-Karr have been members of the Fatal Five and the Legion of Supervillains. Whatever your motives are, you can’t possibly believe theirs are at all noble!”

“Not much of a believer in redemption then, I take it.” Makkia Vei, Ron-Karr and 89 stepped out of the training room and stood defensively behind Mandalla. “We felt your thoughtsphere and decided to come investigate,” Makkia continued. “I take it Kid Computo prevented your communicator from working. I must admit, I had given the Legion of Superheroes more credit than to partake in this kind of petty jealousy. Such a shame.”

“Petty jealousy?” Dawnstar exploded. “The last time we encountered you, you tried to kill us all!”

“Not entirely accurate,” Makkia Vei answered calmly. “I was working alongside the Persuader in search of his clone when you came after us as I recall. We had the opportunity to kill you, Dawnstar. I convinced the Persuader not to take that opportunity.”

“Liar!” Dawnstar cried. “You turned Lightning Lad and me to stone, you destroyed Wildfire’s containment suit! You shot Shadow Lass!”

“I did no such thing,” Makkia retorted. “My associates were responsible for those actions. As I said, I convinced the Persuader not to slay you all. I may be an opportunist, but I am no murderer. Besides,” she continued smugly, “Wildfire is hardly even alive to begin with, is he? Scattering his atoms across the void of space might bring a premature end to whatever simulation of a relationship you two endure, but--”

“How dare you?!” Dawnstar interrupted, launching herself at the Coluan.

“We’re sorry it’s come to this,” the woman known as 89 spoke, meeting Dawnstar’s charge with surprising speed. “But our work here is of utmost importance to the United Planets and we can’t afford to indulge your personal vendettas, Legion.” 89 diverted Dawnstar into a wall with a flawless martial throw. “Don’t hurt them any more than is necessary but take them out as soon as possible,” she instructed her team.

“What?” Mandalla blanched. “89, I-I can’t fight the Legion of Superheroes! Can’t we talk this out?”

“The time for talking was done when your friends breached our security to attack us in our own headquarters,” 89 returned, evading Dawnstar’s return blow.

Tellus reached out with his telekinesis and held Makkia Vei suspended motionless in the air. “Your intent is a crimson flood of rage, Makkia Vei. I do not wish to harm you but nor will I allow you to harm us.”

“Tellus, she’s unarmed!” Mandalla cried out. She turned on the Legion angrily. “What is wrong with you people? I don’t want to fight you, but I’m not going to just let you tear my team apart!” Gesturing, she enclosed the Legion of Superheroes in a thoughtsphere. Dawnstar was still engaged in a losing combat with 89 outside of its range, but the other Legionnaires found themselves overwhelmed by a psychedelic assault on the very fabric of their minds. Bouncing Boy, Dream Girl, Chameleon Boy and Kid Computo stared slack-jawed at what seemed to be reality coming undone around them.

Only the natural telepathic resistance of Tellus was strong enough to resist Mandalla’s assault, though he needed to release his hold on Makkia to do so. Mandalla, please! Tellus projected at his fellow Legion Academy graduate. As much concentration as he needed to devote to resisting Mandalla’s power, Tellus could not summon the focus needed to use his voice modulator. I spoke the truth, I have no wish to harm your new friends! I merely restrained her! The Hykraian suddenly flooded Mandalla’s mind with sympathetic pain as Ron-Karr rushed forward and sliced at Tellus’ hide with razor-thin hands. Tellus recoiled bleeding, and Mandalla’s thoughtsphere vanished as she reeled from the unexpected sensation.

“Ron-Karr, don’t hurt him!” Mandalla called out in concern.

“This has gone too far,” Bouncing Boy announced, his mind cleared from Mandalla’s power effect. “Cham, protect Tellus. Dream Girl, Makkia Vei is all yours. Kid Computo, see if this base has any internal measures we can use against them.” Chuck saw Mandalla raise her arms once more toward the Legionnaires and pounced into action. “As for you, young lady...you have no idea how sorry I am to have to do this but you’ve made your decision.” Bouncing Boy’s inflated form slammed Mandalla off her feet. He rebounded for Ron-Karr, missing the impossibly thin man by a wide margin. Finally he came close to taking out 89, but her own superior reflexes saved her.

“At least they look like they’re only surface wounds,” Chameleon Boy assured Tellus as he examined his teammate’s injury. “Once we get some peace and quiet, a medkit will fix that as good as new.”

“My thanks,” Tellus replied, “But Chameleon Boy, I am confused. I had been led to believe that Ron-Karr was a minimal threat?”

“Minimal is kind,” Cham answered, turning his attention now to the object of their discussion. “Looks like he got an upgrade!” Chameleon Boy reached out with arms which turned into a writhing mass of tentacles, but still Ron-Karr evaded his grasp.

“No upgrade,” Ron-Karr countered, “89 just trained me to use what I’ve already got. Here, I’ll show you!” He raised one thin arm guillotine-like over Chameleon Boy’s transformed limb, but before he could deliver the blow he was hit with a pulse of light and collapsed insensate.

“I found it!” Kid Computo shouted, excited. “The base’s defence systems!” She used the same ceiling-mounted stun pulse which had defeated Ron-Karr successfully on Makkia Vei, then after three near misses finally took down 89 as well.

Deflating back to his normal dimensions, Bouncing Boy helped a groggy Dawnstar get to her feet. “It’s over, Mandalla. The Oversight Watch is going to close down operations, and the Legion will see what we can do about cleaning up whatever messes you’ve left across the United Planets.”

“I don’t believe this!” Mandalla protested. “Makkia said you’d act like this if you ever found out about us! I didn’t want to believe her but she was right! You really can’t handle the idea of someone other than the Legion making a difference in the galaxy, can you? Bouncing Boy, in the time that the Oversight Watch have existed we’ve stopped political assassinations, Khund invasions, we’ve fought an insane Daxamite-”

“The end does not justify the means, Tari!” Bouncing Boy’s face was red with anger. “We read your case files on the way here! You’ve broken so many laws I don’t know where to start! You’ve done everything you can to hide who you are while you manipulate things from behind the curtain to be the way you decide they should be! Those are not the actions of heroes!”

Suddenly Power Boy rose through the floor at their feet, his fingers interlocked with those of Dev-Em. Dev-Em was a well built man, but next to his musclebound lover he looked almost puny. Power Boy turned them both solid and rendered Kid Computo unconscious with a flick of his fingers while they still had the element of surprise. “I’m sorry,” Jed apologised miserably. “I really am, Bouncing Boy.”

Before anyone could retaliate, Dev-Em zoomed around the corridor in a blur of movement. A second later, all of the Legionnaires were out cold on the floor.

“Sorry we took so long,” Dev-Em said. “I picked up 89’s hypersonic signal and saw the whole fight with my x-ray vision, but we had to fly here from the other side of Weber’s World .”

“What are we going to do with them?” Mandalla asked, crouching down by her old teacher’s side.

Dev-Em looked from Mandalla to Power Boy. “There’s only one thing we can do...neither of you are going to like it very much though.”

**********
EARTH
WEISINGER PLAZA, LEGION HEADQUARTERS
Dawnstar flew into the Legion’s hangar on enormous white wings, landing gracefully as the cruiser bearing the rest of Bouncing Boy’s team was still only barely visible in the sunny skies high above Metropolis.

“How did the mission go, Dawnstar?” Nightwind asked, Comet Queen and Wildfire at her side. “Did you find Power Boy and Mandalla?”

“We did not,” Dawnstar answered curtly. “My power was insufficient.” She walked straight past the three without another word, leaving Wildfire to chase after her through the hangar.

“Major burnout,” Comet Queen huffed. “Rudeness much?”

“Oh don’t mind Dawnstar,” Nightwind waved her hand dismissively. “She’s always been a prima donna when it comes to her precious tracking power...if she couldn’t locate Jed and Tari, it’ll be eating her up inside.” She looked up at the approaching cruiser. “Still...I hope wherever they are, they’re both okay.”

“They’ll be shiny,” Comet Queen grinned. “You watch, when it’s time for that meteor to flash our way, we’ll see them again.” The golden heroine took to the air and flew off to meet the cruiser leaving a trail of sparkling gases behind her.

“I hope so,” Nightwind said to nobody in particular, watching her friend fly away.

“I hope we see them again.”

This was fun and had a wonderfully unexpected ending, I really thought you would have Mandalla and Jed re-join the team.

I really love your take on Dawnstar Raz, "how dare you!" indeed! And with the acknowledgement at the end that she would give herself a hard time for supposedly not finding the team too you've given Dawny more character and personality in this one post than she had in years in the comic. Well, maybe more was done in Lost but I never followed that after #1 and it's been cancelled so it doesn't count in my mind. The only thing I seem to ever associate with her is that dreary non event relationship she has with Wildfire.

I love 89 - am desperately racking my tired brain to figure out who she could be. Dangerous, intelligent and mysterious - I love her! Ron Karr with a bit of training seems to be a far more worrying thought - wasn't there an Alpha Flight character for a while called Flex I think who did the same sort of thing?

Nice having Berta wonder where her former academy friends were at the end too, good to see you reference their shared history.

I'm really looking forward to seeing where you take will this now as the Oversight Watch you created are a really interesting group.

Great fun Raz, now the only thing I can ask for is....

More, more, more!

Thanks Harbinger....the Oversight Watch will be popping up again, I have plans for those ladies and gentlemen. Glad that I could throw a curveball with Jed and Mandalla, and glad that 89 has piqued your curiosity! Hopefully her eventual reveal will be worth it!

There was indeed an Alpha Flight kid called Flex who could transform himself into razor-sharp thin plates of metal...I wanted to do something with perennial loser Ron-Karr without necessarily going the route of making him literally two-dimensional....

Dawnstar is a funny one.....she (and Timber Wolf for that matter) are really two of my least favourite Legionnaires, but for some reason I really love writing them both!

On the other hand, Dream Girl is maybe my favourite Legionnaire, but I tend to feel like she's one of the cast I don't have the greatest handle on....strange how these things work!

raz great installment. you've got such a great world built here.

I thought they were going to go back as well. if not both at least one of them.

i do have a question though a couple entries back you had the team be partnered up and forced to get to know each other. are we ever going to see how that turned out???

Thanks Omni...funny you should ask that question, that is the very subject of the next installment!

sweet can't wait!

METROPOLIS
Weisinger Plaza, Legion Headquarters
Shrinking Violet greeted Chameleon Boy politely as she entered the mission monitor room to begin her shift.

“Hello Violet,” Cham nodded, his antennae bobbing slightly. “Not much activity today, which is good...seems like everybody is busy working on Bouncing Boy’s little pet project anyway.”

“His getting to know you thing?” Vi smirked. “I got Ayla for my partner. We’re going on a double date with Taryn and Light Lad this weekend, should be fun. Say, how did your mission turn out the other day? Did you find Power Boy and Mandalla?”

Chameleon Boy shook his head as he began to leave the room. “Afraid not. Dawnstar couldn’t locate them.”

“That’s strange,” the small-statured heroine frowned. “So what are we going to try next?”

Cham shrugged. “If Dawnstar couldn’t find them, I guess they can’t be found. Anyway, I hope your shift is as uneventful as mine was...I’ll see you later!”

Shrinking Violet’s purple eyes narrowed suspiciously as she watched her Durlan comrade leave the room. Not like Chameleon Boy to let a mystery like that go, she thought. She turned to the mission monitor board and found the icon she was looking for, tapping it to open a direct channel of communication.

“Duplicate Damsel? I’ve got a question for you...”

**********
TITAN
Titanopolis, The Time Institute
“Golly!” Elastic Lad beamed. “This is swell! It’s so educational watching you work, Brainiac 5! I’ve always wanted to see the Time Institute for myself! Temporal physics is one of the few fields of study we don’t really have much practical experience with back on my homeworld, so this sure is a real thrill! I’m glad Bouncing Boy assigned you to be my partner for this project! I’m just having the best time here today! I can’t wait to find out all about your childhood on Colu! I’ve got so many stories to tell you about Cadmu! I mean I don’t really have childhood stories so much as post-incubation stories, but I still can’t wait to tell you! This is great!”

Watching Brainiac 5’s expression darken with each passing second, Tyroc and Element Lad traded smiles on the other side of the room. “This might be mean-spirited of me,” Tyroc confided to the blonde transmuter, “But after everything Brainy’s put me through in this place, I’m kind of enjoying inflicting Elastic Lad on him.”

Element Lad gave him a slight smile. “Elastic Lad is certainly excitable, isn’t he? Poor Brain--”

Before he could complete his statement, a white-haired man in a lab coat breathlessly rushed into the room. “Querl, I know you hate interruptions but there’s some kind of ruckus going on in downtown Titanopolis and they could really use some Legion assistance!”

“It’s okay, Brainy.” Element Lad held one hand up. “Tyroc, Elastic Lad and I can deal with this. We’ll call you if we need backup.”

“Thank you, Element Lad.” Immersed in his work, Brainiac 5 didn’t look up as the others left the room. He allowed himself to relax once he was alone, releasing an audible sigh.

Element Lad turned to the scientist as they followed him through the corridors of the Time Institute. “What exactly seems to be the problem, Doctor..?”

“Madri,” the man answered. “Dr Madri, but you can call me Jax. I’m not sure to be honest, news reports are saying there seems to be some kind of panic in the streets but they haven’t identified a cause as yet.”

“Wouldn’t want to make it too easy for us,” Tyroc joked. “Don’t worry Doc, we’ll take care of it. You might want to keep an eye on news reports and let your staff know they’re probably safer avoiding downtown till we find out what’s going on.”

“Of course,” Dr Madri agreed, waving the heroes off as they exited the building. “Good luck, Legionnaires!”

“Let’s take to the sky,” Tyroc suggested. “We should have a better chance of finding whatever this thing is from higher up.”

“That may not be necessary,” Element Lad noted even as his flight ring carried him into the air. “Can you feel that?”

“Gosh, what is that?” Elastic Lad screwed up his freckled face. “It’s like anxiety washing over me in waves. Are you feeling that too, Element Lad?”

“We’re all feeling it,” Tyroc replied. “Titanians are all telepathic, right? They must be responding to this threat, broadcasting their fear.”

“Then let’s not waste any time!” Elastic Lad countered. “It seems to be coming from this way! Let’s go, Legion!” The eager young hero darted off like a missile, leaving his more experienced teammates behind him.

“Elastic Lad, wait!” Element Lad and Tyroc increased their own flight speed to catch him before he got too far ahead. They found him hovering between two enormous skyscrapers, several pedestrian walkways criss-crossing beneath him. The scene below them was utter chaos and even from over a hundred feet away their skin crawled with projected fear. Titanians were stampeding one another in their mad panic, hundreds of them trying to get away from something behind one of Titanopolis’s ubiquitous towering buildings.

“It’s not wise to zip off on your own into an unknown situation,” Element Lad chastised his young teammate. “Now that we’re here though, we’d better help those people before someone gets badly hurt.” He descended closer to the maddened crowd, steeling himself against the onslaught of panic and terror which increased exponentially the closer he came to them. He called out to the crowd to draw their attention, but they couldn’t hear him over their own frightened cries.

“Let me try,” Tyroc suggested. “People!” he called out at bone-shaking volume. “The Legion of Superheroes are here to help you!” Several individuals turned to notice the heroes above them, but even those few who came to their senses were caught up in the swell of the mob around them. Perhaps inevitably, a small group of men and women were shoved too close to the edge of one of the walkways. They broke through the protective barrier, screaming as they plummeted.

The Legionnaires rushed into action without another word. While Elastic Lad scooped up three small children in his elongated arms, Tyroc’s scream commanded the wind itself to gently lower the other fear-addled people to a lower walkway. Element Lad first repaired the broken barricade with a sheet of iron, then turned his attention to the crowd itself. “I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this,” he intoned as he raised both arms over the crowd, “But you haven’t really left us a great deal of choice.” The mob grew sluggish and then all of them dropped to the ground unconscious. Instantly, the three Legionnaires felt the fear of the Titanians dissipate, leaving the heroes visibly much more at ease.

“They’ll recover as soon as they get some fresh oxygen,” Element Lad advised. “But hopefully they’ll be a little more calm when they come around. Now let’s see if we can find out what’s causing this madness!” The three heroes followed the trail of the crowd backwards, but before they’d flown more than a few metres the cause of the madness found them. A man hovered calmly towards them, the streets now empty below him. He wore a costume of black and blue, a stylised atom symbol adorning the chest of his puffy-sleeved shirt. The only exposed skin on the stranger was his face. It was so pale as to be almost translucent, and his eyes were empty white pits in sickly black sockets. In place of hair, the man’s head seemed to be aflame with blue licks of fire.

“Gosh!” Elastic Lad exclaimed. “Who is that?”

Tyroc was visibly shocked. “He looks like Firestorm with a different color palette!” When he saw the lack of comprehension on Elastic Lad and Element Lad’s faces, he continued. “Firestorm was a superhero from the 21st century...he was a member of the Justice League. Something else else tells me this guy isn’t quite cut from the same cloth though. Be careful, you two. If this guy is anything like Firestorm, he’ll have powers coming out his butt.” Tyroc approached the flame-crowned stranger but kept a respectable distance. “Stand down!” he commanded masterfully.

The stranger gave Tyroc a sinister smile. “Silly hero,” he retorted. “Your apprehension is an open book to us. You’re concerned that we’ve recreated the secrets of the Firestorm Matrix, and you very well should be. The truth though is far worse.” He locked eyes with Tyroc and the hero was suddenly lost in the grip of pure unreasoning terror. The fear they had gleaned from the crowd only moments ago was nothing compared to this. Unable to help himself, Tyroc raised his hands in a defensive gesture. “No!” he screamed. “Get away from me! Get away from me!” His screaming intensified and changed into something wordless that chilled his teammates to the bone. The scream reached its peak and Tyroc shimmered out of existence.

“What did you do to him?” Element Lad bellowed, turning ambient oxygen atoms near the villain into hydrogen. His flaming head triggered an explosion and he tumbled backwards.

The villain righted himself and flew towards Element Lad with his fists balled. “It would be easier if we showed you,” he snarled. “We are Fearstorm, and your emotions are as clay to us. Let’s see what happens when your concern for your friend turns into abject horror, shall we?”

Element Lad renewed his assault, but Fearstorm was prepared for the explosion now and soared through unharmed. The Trommite hero’s eyes grew wide, his heart pounding in his chest. The blood drained from his face, and with nothing more than a whimper he curled up into a ball and shuddered like a frightened infant. Fearstorm’s power sent Jan into mindless catatonia.

“Now for the last one,” Fearstorm spoke to himself. “Where--” Before he could complete his query, rubbery arms snaked around the villain. He struggled, but Elastic Lad’s elongated arms soon held him tight in a human coccoon.

“I don’t know how you’re doing this,” Elastic Lad announced, his flight ring carrying him up behind the vilain, “But you can’t make me teleport away and if you do whatever you did to poor Element Lad, you’re still stuck with me wrapped around you.”

Fearstorm relaxed. He knew he had some measure of superhuman strength, but it clearly wasn’t enough to resist Elastic Lad’s constrictive force. “The Firestorm Matrix was a 21st century Terran innovation which allowed two individuals to merge,” he explained to the young hero, “To become one godlike being with the power to reshape matter itself. For centuries nobody has been able to replicate the Firestorm Matrix. We still don’t know how to recreate Martin Stein’s original work. But we have learned how to adapt the Firestorm Matrix on a psionic scale. Everything that Firestorm could do with matter, we can do with emotions. We thought that our work would increase our own native Titanian telepathic abilities on more than an empathic level to be honest, but perhaps that’s just a matter of experience. We must say that today’s experiment has been quite heartening thus far.”

“All of this is just an experiment?” Elastic Lad blurted out. “Gosh Sir, you could really have hurt people today!”

“Sirs,” Fearstorm corrected him calmly. “You clearly haven’t been listening. There are two of us in here, you simpleton.” Elastic Lad’s resolve instantly disintegrated, replaced by a greater fear than anything he had ever known. He tried to resist, but every fiber of his being was screaming at him to get away from this monster. Completely overwhelmed, he released Fearstorm in a flurry of motion and sped away without even having fully retracted his arms. Elastic Lad’s eyes filled with tears as the sound of Fearstorm’s mocking laughter followed him through the empty skies.

A wailing cry seemed to fill the air, fading quickly into silence. Curious, Fearstorm turned to face this new interruption. Brainiac 5 hovered above him, a visibly shaken Tyroc by his side.

“We’re surprised you’re back,” Fearstorm taunted Tyroc. “We really thought you’d be halfway to Earth by now.”

“I know fear,” Tyroc returned bravely, his voice breaking with raw emotion. “I’ve known fear a long time...and maybe I’m not strong enough to face it on my own, but I know I’ve got friends who can help me. I don’t...I don’t need to face you alone, Fearstorm.”

Fearstorm threw his head back and laughed again. “Oh, this is wonderful. It doesn’t matter how many friends you have, Tyroc. They’ll all fall before us.”

“Doubtful,” Brainiac 5 said curtly. “I’m disappointed, Fearstorm. I thought that intellects capable of modifying the Firestorm Matrix to the Titanian genome would be more advanced. Two minds and you have as much common sense between you as any common thug.”

“There is nothing common about us!” Fearstorm turned on the heroes. Tyroc screamed, teleporting away once more. Brainiac 5 screamed too, but then surprised Fearstorm by flying straight into him. His forcefield belt activated, Brainiac 5 remained unharmed as he battered Fearstorm into the wall of a residential tower. “How are you resisting us?” the villain roared. “Why don’t you flee?!”

A cold sweat broke out across Brainiac’s face. “I told Tyroc to leave me when you attacked!” he shouted in an almost panic as he landed blow after blow upon the villain, each punch amplified by his forcefield. “I couldn’t trust that I wouldn’t use him to escape if the option was available!”

“Stop it!” Fearstorm shouted, a tangible note of fear in his own voice. “Get off of us! Why aren’t you afraid?!” He tried to resist the hero’s assault, but Brainiac 5 was as vicious as a cornered animal.

“Afraid?” Brainiac returned, wild-eyed. “I’m terrified!” He bloodied Fearstorm’s nose. “But I don’t lose my mind just because I’m scared, Fearstorm! I’ve calculated the range of your power! I know there’s no way I can escape you! So I’m going to hit you and hit you and hit you until you fall down!”

“No!” Fearstorm cried out. “No!” A pale blue corona of energy surrounded the villain’s head, and he struck at the Coluan hero with a lance of pure psionic power. Brainiac 5 gave a monosyllabic exclamation and his eyes rolled back in his head as he began convulsing uncontrollably. Fearstorm took a moment to catch his breath. He gave a nervous laugh, then a more confident laugh as he realised what he’d done. “We’re mastering our power,” he noted. “We’ve won!”

“No,” a familiar voice rejoined. “You haven’t. As powerful as you might be, you still need to breathe just like any other Titanians.” Fearstorm spun to face Element Lad, casting eyes upon the hero just before he choked and passed out. As he fell from the sky, the villain separated into two individual men with a flash of light. Both men were conscious as they separated, and Jan moved quickly to grab one of them by the collar as he fell. His partner in crime hit the walkway below and was knocked out cold by the impact.

“You think I’ve never had to conquer horror before?” Jan asked bitterly, glaring at the now timid man in his grip. “Roxxas the Butcher taught me all about horror a long time ago, you pathetic little man.” He thrust the man at arriving Science Police droids and turned his back on them.

“You can call this experiment a failure.”

Fear storm - what a great name!

Another interesting post - love Vi picking up on Cham being uncharacteristically uninterested in the missing students. Also great to see Tyroc again, and the comment about Brainy deserving the overly enthusiastic Elastic Lad was a nice touch of character writing as was Element Lads wounds showing at the end. Lets hope the 31st Century has proper psychotherapists at the Legion's beck and call because he really could be a basket case.

Brainy's acknowledgement that he was terrified was great too, he's the one Legionnaire with the most to lose if his mind was damaged.

I'm sure I don't have to say this but more, more, more!

Raz, I have to say you're a master at inserting such nice little bits and pieces into the mythos. The translator exmeptions, the 31st century's more fluid conceptions of gender preferences...

Thanks as ever for all y'all kindly words folks!

IB: I was ridiculously proud of myself about the translator exemptions, lol....I felt like Einstein must have felt when he came up with that theory of relativity thing

METROPOLIS
Lightle Towers Residential Complex, Allon Residence
In one of the more fashionable districts of Metropolis, Yera Allon led Tinya Wazzo through the stylish apartment she shared with her husband Gim. Already seated at a glass table was Luornu Durgo Taine, nursing a drink. Above her, a ceiling-mounted abstract sculpture rippled and shifted forms constantly.

To any casual observer, the Durlan expatriate simply had some friends over for a social visit. It was only when Invisible Kid came into view and Shrinking Violet grew to full-size beside him that the other women in the room were recognizable as the Legionnaires Chameleon Girl, Phantom Girl and Duplicate Damsel. Together, the five comprised the majority of the Legion Espionage Squad.

“Thanks for coming at such short notice,” Luornu greeted the newcomers. “And Chameleon Girl, thanks for letting us use your home.”

“Anytime,” Yera replied as she fetched drinks for everyone bar Shrinking Violet, who quietly declined. “But why the subterfuge, Duplicate Damsel? And why isn’t Chameleon Boy here?”

“Chameleon Boy was part of a mission led by my husband to track down Mandalla and Power Boy after they were found to be implicated in some peculiar activities,” Luornu explained. “Dawnstar, Dream Girl, Tellus and Invisible Kid’s sister were on the same mission. Dawnstar couldn’t locate Mandalla or Power Boy, which in itself is strange enough...however, Violet noticed that Chameleon Boy didn’t seem very interested in pursuing the matter and I found much the same reaction with Chuck. Violet and I think that there’s more to this than meets the eye, and we aim to find out what that could be.”

“Now that you mention it,” Invisible Kid joined in, “Danielle was oddly reluctant to discuss anything that may have occurred on that mission.”

“And I guess if you think the team’s been compromised, it makes sense that our headquarters may be compromised as well,” Phantom Girl added.

“Exactly,” Duplicate Damsel nodded. “Chameleon Girl and Colossal Boy are the only members of the team who maintain a residence outside of our headquarters, so I asked her if we could meet here.”

“I doubt the others will think anything of it but won’t Chameleon Boy be suspicious once he realises the rest of the Espionage Squad are meeting without him?” Vi asked bluntly. “And what about Tellus? None of us have any defence against a telepath.”

“Don’t worry about those two.” Luornu took a sip of her drink. “They’re both going to be too busy for a little while to even notice us. It’s been some time since I was an active member of the Espionage Squad, but I still have some tricks up my sleeve...”

**********
As one Duplicate Damsel was meeting with the Espionage Squad, another Duplicate Damsel walked through the Legion of Superheroes’ enormous hangar with Chameleon Boy, Tellus and Wildfire beside her. Quislet flew noisy circles around the four in his micro-ship.

“Thanks so much for helping with this,” Duplicate Damsel smiled. “I appreciate it and Lamprey will really appreciate it.”

“What’s the Legion for if not helping people?” Wildfire responded casually. “Besides, it’ll be good to see what another one of the Academy kids is up to. Lamprey’s with the Science Police on Vavalla now, right?”

“Indeed,” Tellus answered. “I eagerly anticipate a reunion with my friend.”

“Besides,” Chameleon Boy added, “We four are really the best equipped to deal with a mission to a water world, it's logical to send us.”

“Quislet best equipped to deal with anything!” Quislet chipped in with his usual lack of humility.

“Well I’m grateful anyway," Luornu continued, ignoring the tiny extra-dimensional adventurer. “Vavalla is a good day’s travel, and I doubt that helping Lamprey investigate seaquakes is going to be terribly interesting for any of you.”

“The boredom will be worth it to drive this little nuisance crazy,” Wildfire quipped, flicking Quislet’s ship with the back of his hand. Quislet blew plumes of exhaust into Wildfire’s visor as his tiny ship entered the waiting cruiser with a rude poop-pop-poop. Wildfire, Tellus and Chameleon Boy followed their diminutive teammate onto the vessel.

Duplicate Damsel stayed to watch them take off then turned around and walked back through the hangar, her heels clicking on the gleaming metal floor.

**********
VENUS
Cirrus City, Ninth Strata
Dream Girl’s heels clicked on the brightly patterned floor of the Lela Institute, Cirrus City's premier paediatric hospital. Cirrus City floated some 50 kilometres above the surface of Venus, its inhabitants kept safe from the violent atmospheric conditions outside by high-durability ceramic walls. Dream Girl had been sent here on a goodwill tour along with Star Boy, Matter-Eater Lad and Nightwind as part of the colony’s tricentennial celebrations.

"We’re so glad you’re here!" the Tamaranean Nurse Holiand’r touched Star Boy’s bicep, her wide emerald eyes bright with joy. "The children have been looking forward to your visit since we first told them!"

"We’re more than happy to help," Dream Girl said with a voice like honey, subtly placing herself between the buxom golden-skinned nurse and Star Boy. "Thom and I love having the chance to fulfill our Legion duties together, isn't that right darling?" She intertwined her arm in Thom's and flashed her sweetest smile. Nightwind rolled her blank white eyes, a gesture that went unnoticed by the others.

“The children are just through here,” the nurse continued, pausing at a circular door. The door irised open to reveal a large recreation room filled with an assortment of toys and activities. Murals lined the windowless walls and lush green plants hung from the ceiling high above. Two dozen children turned their attention away from the edutainment holo they’d been watching and cheered loudly at the heroes’ entrance.

Nurse Holiand’r stood back impressed as the Legionnaires interacted with the children she loved so. She hadn’t imagined the celebrated superheroes would be so personable. Matter-Eater Lad was an easy favourite, making the children squeal and giggle by eating the weirdest or most disgusting thing they could suggest. They were amazed by Star Boy’s ability to make even a stuffed toy so heavy that none of them could lift it, and the younger kids were entranced by his costume. Nightwind’s power gave the more boisterous children the thrill of simulated flight, and the more reserved among them were enthralled by Dream Girl’s retelling of Legion adventures. Holiand’r had expected the heroes to present a professional yet distant demeanour, but the four Legionnaires really seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as the children were. Holiand’r cocked her head curiously as Dream Girl stopped one of her stories mid-sentence and seemed to enter some kind of trance state. “Thom!” the platinum blonde heroine cried out abruptly. “Make the children heavier!”

Confused, Star Boy looked to his lover. “Dreamy, what..?”

“Just do it!” she ordered. “Make them too heavy to move!”

Star Boy hesitated for a moment, then realised that Dream Girl must be acting on foresight. The air around his hands darkened, and a group of seven children standing around him suddenly collapsed to the ground. He began an apologetic explanation, but before he could even get the first word out a shimmering golden aura appeared around one of the room’s walls.

Before their eyes, a huge section of the wall simply disintegrated. Acting on reflexes honed by countless hours of training, Nightwind used her own power to counter the inhospitable Venusian atmosphere. The Legionnaires' transuits activated automatically, but Nurse Holiand'r and the children had no such protection. Nightwind was their only defence against sulphurous rain driven by gale-force winds. Her cloak whipping about her, she used her flight ring to stabilise her position and grabbed hold of a young boy standing nearby. Holding the boy close, Nightwind struggled to fight the monstrous force of the planet’s atmosphere. “I can’t hold this up for long!” she cried out to the others.

Holiand'r hugged two crying children with one arm, her other arm wrapped around a support beam. She felt like her arm was going to be ripped from its socket, but she would die before she would let any harm come to these children. "The emergency field should kick in any second now!" the brave young Tamaranean nurse screamed over the howling gusts. She could smell the singe of her own hair from stray droplets of sulphuric acid, could feel the burn where the fine spray touched her bare skin. All the children by now were screaming and bawling. Matter-Eater Lad and Dream Girl were shielding a few of the kids with their own bodies but without Star Boy and Nightwind here, Holi shuddered to think about the fate which would befall most of them.

As abruptly as the fierce onslaught had begun, it ended. “Legionnaires, are any of you harmed?” Nurse Holiand’r asked wearily. “I’m going to get the children to medical attention if anybody needs - oh!” As she looked up toward the heroes, she saw a lean young boy in a tattered cloak standing before the wall, its hood obscuring his features. He was flanked by two much larger men with obvious cybernetic enhancements. The amber forcefield which had closed over the hole behind them defined their silhouettes clearly.

“Go!” Dream Girl barked. “We’ll handle these three! Get the children to safety!”

“Bah!” One of the cyborgs stepped forward into the greater light of the room, his pointed ears and pink skin making him very clearly a Khundish warrior. “Any Khund child would have attacked by now! Your United Planets is pathetic!” He raised his left arm toward the loudest group of children, a gleaming cannon where his hand should be.

“Are you nuts?!” Nightwind gestured and the Khund was hurled into the ceiling. Her wind faded and he slammed back into the floor again.

“Why are you still here?” Dream Girl yelled at the stunned nurse. “Go before someone gets killed! Nightwind, go with her!”

“Dream Girl, are you sure the three of you can-”

“Star Boy had to use his power on some of these children to protect them, but they won’t be able to support their own weight now!” Dream Girl interrupted as she flew towards the second Khund. “You’re the only one who can get them to safety, Nightwind! Now go!” The platinum blonde kicked the Khund square in the face, the momentum from her flight knocking him off of his feet.

“Don’t worry about us, kids!” Matter-Eater Lad launched himself at the first Khund, taking a chomp out of his arm-cannon to disable it before he could fire. Tenzil said something else, but it came out as a distorted mumble with his mouth full of osmium steel. Instead, he opted for giving Nightwind and the nurse a thumbs up as he dodged a powerful swing from his Khundish foe. Still not satisfied but not really seeing that she had a choice, Nightwind used her winds to carry the children with increased mass as she followed Holiand’r out of the room.

“This is great!” Tenzil taunted his opponent. “Normally I can’t really go around eating bits and pieces of my enemies, but half of you is metal! Delicious metal!” He rolled between the legs of the Khund as a giant pink fist deformed the floor where Matter-Eater Lad had been standing. A second later there was a loud crunch and the Khund fell over with half his prosthetic calf missing.

“Kharish, Rhenarr, remember...don’t kill the Legionnaires,” the boy in the hood instructed. “I don’t care how badly you hurt them, but I want them left alive when you’re done....especially Dream Girl. I want him to watch her suffer.”

The color drained from Star Boy’s face. “I recognise that voice...”

“You should.” The boy lowered his hood to reveal chocolate colored skin and a shaved scalp crossed by massive scars. “You killed my sister.” Large brown eyes which had once been full of life were now sunken and dark. His lips were cracked and his cheekbones more pronounced, his young face prematurely aged. This was unmistakably James Cullen though, the Xanthui teenager better known on his homeworld as Jimmy Quantum. Along with his sister Jazzy Quantum he was one of the Uncanny Amazers, their government-backed team of defenders. Not long ago, Star Boy had been placed in the unenviable situation of having to allow Jazzy to sacrifice her life to save her own team as well as a squad of Legionnaires. He hadn’t seen James since.

“Jimmy, what’s going on here?” Star Boy approached the young boy. “I know you must hate me, but this...this isn’t right. You’ve allied yourself with Khunds?”

“The Khunds helped me better myself,” he explained bitterly. “Xanthugov wouldn’t help me get revenge on you for my sister’s death. The Amazers wouldn’t help me. So I gave the quantum belts which powered Jazmin and myself to the Khunds so they could be reverse-engineered for their warriors’ cybernetic enhancements. All I asked is that they helped me avenge my sister. And here we are.”

Star Boy was aghast. “Jimmy...you gave the belts to the Khunds? Do you know what they could do with that technology??”

“I don’t care!” he spat. “They were the only ones who helped me! And stop calling me Jimmy! Jimmy Quantum died when my sister died! You can call me the Quantum Avenger!” He threw off his robe in dramatic fashion, revealing the full bodysuit beneath. The general design was the same as the costume he had worn as an Amazer, but the palette was darker and it was more obviously armoured. Emblazoned across his chest was the same starburst symbol he had once shared with his sister, but instead of gold it was now a deep purple, defined in a thick black outline. He glowered at Star Boy and a cluster of light spheres appeared in the air before him which shot straight at the Legionnaire. Star Boy evaded the spheres, remembering the golden glow that had surrounded the wall before the Quantum Avenger’s entry with the Khunds.

“James, I’m sorry about your sister!” Star Boy apologised. “I truly am! But hurting us isn’t going to bring her back! Nura and Matter-Eater Lad weren’t even there when it happened, at least let them go!”

“Let them go?” the self-appointed Avenger repeated incredulously. “I’m going to kill them! You destroyed my family, I’m going to destroy yours!” He cast more quantum spheres at Star Boy and the bearded hero again dodged.

At least he’s not using quantum decay, Thom thought as he tried to figure a way out of this. Those past couple of attempts haven’t damaged anything they’ve hit, so I’m guessing he just wants me frozen in place while his cronies take down Nura and Matter-Eater Lad. I can’t see the quantum belts on him though, could the Khunds have internalised his powers? Is that why he has those scars on his head? Interrupting his analysis, a stray laser beam from one of the Khunds grazed his shoulder. Star Boy cried out in pain. Distracted, he was an easy target for the Avenger’s next strike. Thom was enveloped in a golden glow, and then time seemed to stop.

Disoriented, Thom shook his head. His bearings had shifted. He was suddenly no longer airborne, but being held in a bear hug by one of the massive Khunds. The second Khund lay moaning a dozen feet away, all of his obvious cybernetic enhancements half-eaten. Matter-Eater Lad stood motionless by his side trapped within a golden aura of his own. Dream Girl lay on her belly facing Star Boy, the Quantum Avenger standing only inches away from her. Nura was cognizant and seemed mostly unharmed. Once she realised she had Thom’s attention, she looked urgently at him and mouthed something silently.

Stall for time.

Star Boy considered his options. He’d obviously been trapped inside a stasis field, the same kind of field in which Matter-Eater Lad was trapped right now. Thom had no way of knowing how much time had passed while he had been in stasis though...seconds? Minutes? More frustrating, Star Boy’s power was useless here...there was no point making his Khund captor any heavier, he would crush Thom if he fell. He could make the Quantum Avenger heavier, but he couldn’t guarantee that would prevent the boy from being able to use his power on Nura. All that was left was to follow Nura’s suggestion and hope for the best.

“James, it’s not too late to stop this!” Star Boy pleaded. “You haven’t hurt anybody yet, and you don’t have to! Surrender and we’ll undo whatever the Khunds have done to you, we can get you some-”

“Some therapy?” the teenager snapped viciously. “You want me to give myself up so some misguided psychotherapist can make me forget my sister?”

“The child is more of a man than you are,” Star Boy’s Khund captor mocked him. “We Khunds respect his drive...perhaps if your United Planets bred more of its children with this fire, we would have more respect for you.”

“That’s what I’ve been missing in my life,” Star Boy deadpanned. “Khund respect.” The muscular warrior squeezed and Thom grunted in pain.

“Enough,” the Quantum Avenger decreed. “It’s time for you to suffer the way I’ve suffered, Star Boy. Say goodbye to your precious Dream Girl.” His hand suffused by a golden nimbus, he leaned down over the prone heroine.

Thom was confident that Nura could beat this kid with one hand tied behind her back. The only reason for her not to defend herself was to protect Star Boy and Matter-Eater Lad from reprisal. That meant Thom alone had to do something, and he had to do it quickly. “Your sister would be disgusted with you!” he bellowed impulsively.

The troubled teen paused just before grabbing Dream Girl’s hair. He stood up straight and walked over to the captive Star Boy. “You don’t get to talk about Jazmin!” he shouted.

Thom almost breathed a sigh of relief. It worked. “Your sister was a hero, James! Her sacrifice saved the Amazers and the Legion of Superheroes! How do you think she’d feel to see what you’ve done here today?”

“I said,” the Avenger repeated darkly, “You don’t get to talk about Jazmin!” He punched Star Boy in the gut full-force, winding him. His hand once again glowed with a golden light, but Star Boy was more interested in what was happening behind his young assailant. Before anybody could stop her, Dream Girl leaped to her feet and threw herself at Matter-Eater Lad, holding him as tightly as she could. The Khund holding Star Boy cried out, and James spun around.

It was at that point that the door to the room irised open once more, and Nightwind stepped through. “Hi everybody,” she smiled wickedly. “I’m back.” The door closed behind her and the room was shaken by the force of a contained miniature hurricane. Everything that wasn’t bolted down flew around the room, furniture smashing against the walls around them. Dream Girl used her flight ring to try and fight the winds but with Matter-Eater Lad in her grasp it was a battle she was losing. It was only when the Quantum Avenger slammed into a wall dazed that he lost his focus and the stasis field surrounding Tenzil dissipated. Working together, Nura and Tenzil forced their way to an alcove in the wall where they huddled safe from the onslaught around them. The Khunds too bounced against the walls, the floor and the ceiling. Mercifully, the Khund holding Star Boy protected Thom from the first impact with his own body and weakened his grip enough that Thom could squirm free.

Nightwind allowed her assault to cease, and everything dropped to the floor. After the ordeal of fighting the atmosphere of Venus, ferrying the children to safety and now this, she only hoped the Quantum Avenger and the Khunds couldn’t see how utterly exhausted she was.

“It’s over, James.” Star Boy clambered to his feet, still feeling tender where the Khund had crushed his ribs. He increased the mass of both James and the Khunds to keep them helpless where they lay. “I understand you hate me...I don’t blame you for that. But hurting other people is not the answer.”

James Cullen released a heart-rending wail of combined anguish and rage. He couldn’t lift his head enough to even look at Star Boy, he knew there was no way he could fight him like this. It really was over. Tears rolling down his cheeks, he could still feel the wall at his fingertips. I’m coming, Jazmin, he promised his sister silently. With a golden flash, the wall decayed instantly. The Quantum Avenger and his two Khund allies were sucked out of the floating city in the blink of an eye. Dream Girl and Matter-Eater Lad held onto one another for dear life, Nura screaming Thom’s name. Nightwind tried to fight the chaos around them as she had earlier, but she was too spent. Without her own power at play, her flight ring wasn’t strong enough to keep her stable and despite her best efforts she flew towards the rift in the wall. She slammed into Star Boy, and the impact was like hitting a steel wall.

“How are you standing against this wind??” the astounded Nightwind asked as she clung onto her teammate.

“Heavier...” Star Boy grunted in pain. “Made myself...heavier.”

As had happened earlier the city’s emergency forcefields kicked in soon enough, and normalcy was restored. *breep*structural integrity at risk*breep* a soothing feminine voice sounded through hidden speakers in the room. *breep*please evacuate*breep* The message repeated on an endless loop while red strobing lights flashed on and off.

No longer able to support his own weight, Star Boy collapsed to the floor. His forehead touched the cold metal surface beneath him. Nura ran to embrace him, but she seemed a million miles away. They all did. A solitary thought filled Thom Kallor’s mind.

That’s two. Two dead children on my conscience.

I can never call myself a Legionnaire again.

**********

great battle! sounds like we might be losing another Legionnaire!

great take on Kid Q!

Espionage Squad! I love it!

Thanks Omni! There will be some (hopefully interesting and surprising) membership changes coming up!

re: the Espionage Squad, I have been wanting to do an Espionage Squad story since I started writing this series! I am just glad now I finally have found a way to do it!

Can't wait Raz!!!

METROPOLIS
Weisinger Plaza, Legion of Superheroes Headquarters
Bouncing Boy leaned back in his chair and exhaled slowly. “Star Boy, you don’t have to quit the Legion. What happened to James Cullen is sad, but it’s not your fault.”

Across the desk from Bouncing Boy, Thom Kallor sat stiffly in his seat. He wore a grey long-sleeved shirt, his flight ring sitting on the table between the two men. The bags under Thom’s eyes and his unkempt beard were a clear indication of the stress he was laboring under. “I just...I keep hearing the agony in his voice, Chuck. When he knew he’d lost. He chose to die, and I...I couldn’t stop him. Just like his sister. He was only a kid, you know?” Thom leaned on the desk, hiding his face behind his hands.

Chuck Taine stood and walked around the desk, resting his hand on Thom’s shoulder. “Okay, buddy. I won’t push it. But we’ll miss you around here. You’ve been a part of the Legion for as long as I can remember. I wish you’d at least give the rest of the team the chance to say goodbye.”

“I’m sorry,” Thom apologised miserably as he too stood up. “I can’t be around here right now. You’ll see me again, but I don’t think you’ll ever see Star Boy again.”

“Then let me say it’s been an honor working with Star Boy,” Chuck gave him a firm handshake. “As much as it’s an honor knowing Thom Kallor. Please keep in touch.”

Thom returned the handshake, then turned and left the room. Nura Nal waited for him in the corridor outside, wearing a dress which while stylish was far more understated than her Dream Girl costume. A wide-brimmed hat hid her trademark platinum blonde hair and shaded her face. “I hate you, Thom Kallor,” she sniffled. Loose bangles clattered against one another as she wiped at her bloodshot eyes. “You know crying makes my face all red and puffy.”

“Nura, I know you're just being melodramatic.” Thom hugged her to his chest. “I can’t let anybody else suffer because of my shortcomings. I’m going back to Xanthu now to tell James Cullens’ family and the Amazers what happened, but you know I’ll be coming back to Earth as soon as I can. I'm not breaking up with you, why are you so upset?”

“Because this is stupid!” she burst out. “Thom, it’s not your fault that brave young girl sacrificed herself and it’s not your fault that her brother succumbed to his grief! Nobody blames you for any of this but yourself!”

Thom stiffened and pulled away from her. “I’m sorry if you think it’s stupid,” he said. “It’s how I feel, Nura. I need to go now. I’ll be back.”

Hearing the hurt in his voice, she hugged him again. “Thom, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean you’re stupid...this whole thing is just so sad and I’ll miss you, that’s all. I love you.”

“I know.” He raised her face to look her in the eye. “And I love you too, you know I do. But I need to go now, Nura.” The two kissed passionately, then the man formerly known as Star Boy walked out of the Legion of Superheroes’ headquarters and didn’t look back.

**********
In the Legion of Superheroes’ hangar, an almost microscopic lifeform floated through one of the team’s cruisers unseen. With single-minded purpose, it flew through the ship from one end to the other before finally landing on a chair on the cruiser’s bridge. In the blink of an eye, the creature was replaced by the purple-garbed form of Chameleon Girl. Seated comfortably, she opened a secure channel of communications on her flight ring. “The coast is clear. Come on up, Phantom Girl.”

Soon enough, the plucky heroine from Bgztl ascended through the floor of the cruiser. Her collarbone was level with the floor when Tinya stopped and squinted at something beneath one of the seats. “Hey, what’s this?” she asked, raising intangible fingers through the floor to frame a dark stain on the carpet.

Yera came down to her hands and knees, the fingers on one hand extending into luminescent appendages. “Computo missed a spot?” she shrugged.

Tinya shook her head. “No, these cruisers get thoroughly cleaned out any time they’re taken out of the hangar. This ship hasn’t been used since Bouncing Boy’s team went looking for Mandalla and Power Boy, so it must be something they picked up then. Maybe it’ll give us some clue where they went? I’ll go get a spectroscanner.” She continued rising through the vessel until she had fully entered it, then turned tangible once more and made her way to the field equipment locker.

“You’re better with computers than I am,” Yera suggested, “Why don’t you access the ship’s logs while I investigate our mysterious clue?”

“Sure!” Tinya agreed cheerily.

As Phantom Girl sat down at a console, Chameleon Girl changed forms once more. This time the Durlan became a bloodhound, sniffing at the floor gingerly. She recoiled and turned back to her normal form almost immediately. Her face screwed up in disgust, Yera shuddered. “Ugh. Vile.”

“What happened?” Phantom Girl laughed.

“I thought it looked like blood,” Chameleon Girl explained. “So I became an Earth dog because Reep’s always telling me how good their sense of smell is. A little too good for my liking!”

Tinya opened a couple of additional diagnostic tools and then turned to Yera with a more serious tone. “And is it blood?”

Chameleon Girl gave an affirmative nod. “I know whose blood it is too. There’s no way anybody else could smell that fishy. It’s Tellus.”

The bridge’s console gave a short beep and Tinya gave it her attention once more. “Well, that’s frustrating. The navcomp has no record of any travel taking place...but the fuel cells are depleted so they must have gone somewhere. Obviously there’s been some judicious editing.” Following a different tangent, Tinya tapped away at a separate holoscreen. “No on-board medical supplies have been used either, but surely someone would have noticed if Tellus had come back bleeding.”

“So he was treated for injuries somewhere else?” Yera asked.

“Exactly,” Phantom Girl replied. “Let’s tell Luornu and the others. As far as leads go it's pretty threadbare, but at least it’s something!”

**********
VAVALLA
Old Byssopolagia Outskirts
Where it wasn't covered by her customised Science Police uniform, Lamprey's slick green skin crackled with a nimbus of bio-electricity which lit up the ocean floor beneath her. She was followed closely by Wildfire, Tellus and Quislet. A tiny luminescent jelly clung to the tail fin of Quislet's microship while every other lifeform in the vicinity scattered at the odd group's approach.

"It feels weird to be wearing a transuit underwater," Lamprey said to the others, "But even my aquatic modifications aren't much good against the extreme pressure this far down. This is the deepest part of the ocean floor that's been explored on this world. How are the rest of you coping?"

"No problems here!" Quislet chirped, his microship bubbling away at a steady pace. "Air, space, sea, all the same to Quislet!"

"The little jerkwit's got a point for once," Wildfire agreed. "Nothing much fazes you when you're made of energy."

"I'm just glad there are native creatures down here for me to mimic," the jelly spoke in Chameleon Boy's voice. "I doubt that any other marine life in my repertoire would be much use at this depth, and I don’t trust a transuit to be able to adjust to any shapeshifting I might need to do while also keeping me safe against the crushing pressure. There must be seven or eight miles of water between us and the surface!"

"Nine and a half," Lamprey corrected Cham. "Big world, Vavalla...and precious little of it has been explored in any real capacity!"

It must be a thrill to work in such uncharted waters, Tellus noted telepathically. I could never regret joining the Legion of Superheroes, but if Great Mother Ocean had shown me the existence of a world such as Vavalla when I first departed my own homeworld...I wonder if I might be where you are now, Lamprey?

"Joining the Science Police on Vavalla was definitely the consolation prize when all I wanted was to be a Legionnaire for so long," Lamprey admitted. "But now that I've been here a while...it really is like being on the wild frontier! In a lot of ways it's as exciting as I always imagined life in the Legion must be!"

The heroes came to a dramatic drop in the ocean floor, and Lamprey led them down even deeper. For nearly a hundred feet they descended, the water temperature increasing the deeper they swam. "What's this substance on the cliff face?" Chameleon Boy asked, referring to a gray fuzz which appeared at first sporadically then quickly grew to cover almost every spare inch of seabed. "I hadn't noticed it before we entered this chasm."

"The Vavallans call it mossmeal," Lamprey explained. "It's a fungus that thrives around thermal vents. It was a food staple back in the old days when they settled areas with little native animal or plant life. It's kind of gross and nobody in their right mind would touch it nowadays, but it is full of nutrients. Oh, and we're here!" She raised both arms and increased her energy output, illuminating the crumbling ruins of an ancient settlement. "Welcome to Old Byssopolagia, everyone! Homey, huh?"

Chameleon Boy switched forms, duplicating a patch of the mossmeal.

"Chameleon Boy better not dirty Quislet's ship!" Quislet nagged his hitchhiker.

"The pressure's too great down here for even that sea jelly form," Cham explained. "It was starting to feel uncomfortable...Lamprey, how did the Vavallans ever colonise at this depth?"

"Better question; why fish-men colonise here?" Quislet asked, leaving a bubbling wake as his ship flew in and out of one of the ancient buildings. "No sun, no fun! Boring!"

Lamprey's long hair followed her like a sparking tail as she led the heroes between structures that were hundreds of years old. "Old Byssopolagia was a mining town," she explained. "The Vavallans thought they'd make a fortune here mining precious metals so they underwent genemods to resist the pressure and set up camp. Even with their best medical science though, they couldn't adapt to a long-term existence down here...and their equipment constantly failed. All that plus the physical and psychological isolation took its toll. They abandoned the town before too long, now there's only mossmeal left and whatever other critters are hardy enough to wander these depths."

"Is there anything here that could be responsible for the seaquakes we've come to investigate?" Wildfire asked. "Some old mining equipment maybe?"

"Doubtful," Lamprey answered. "It's been an awfully long time since any of that stuff would have been active...I imagine anything that's still down here is nothing more than another surface for the mossmeal to grow on these days. You know, don't get me wrong...I appreciate the help, but I'm surprised Bouncing Boy and Duplicate Damsel sent you all here to be honest. The quakes have been a nuisance this past week and they are getting gradually worse, but we're far from the point where we need Legion assistance. Sorry if I'm wasting your time with this mission."

"That's odd," Chameleon Boy cut in. "I was under the impression you had requested Legion assistance!" Before he could continue, all five heroes felt a pulse of motion pass through them. The vibratory force continued for almost a full minute, but Lamprey had been right to downplay its seriousness. The force was definitely noticeable, but it was far from being harmful or even uncomfortable.

Curious, Tellus noted when the shaking subsided. It almost seems there was a consciousness behind that quake. The sensation has passed now however.

"Can you do an active scan?" Lamprey suggested. "We've done seismological studies and these quakes are in no way natural so it wouldn't surprise me if there is some weird animal or something behind them. Maybe Vavalla has its own earthquake beasts!"

Of course, Tellus acquiesced. A moment later, he swam before the others and turned his head to face them all. My friends, he projected to them all, I do not sense the same presence, but there are other psyches amid these structures...fourteen of them in total!

"Animals?" Chameleon Boy asked.

No, Tellus replied telepathically. I cannot be certain at this range, but I believe they are sentient natives!

Lamprey frowned. "There certainly shouldn’t be sentients in these ruins. Should we investigate?"

Wildfire held his hands up in submission. "This is your show, kid. We're just the backup."

Lamprey's jaw dropped, then she flashed Wildfire an exuberant grin. "Drake Burroughs, I think that's the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me! Okay, I'm going to dim my glow. Tellus, can you please lead us to them?"

"She's right, Wildfire," Chameleon Boy teased as they all followed Tellus into the ruins of the old town. "You're getting mellow in your old age. The hothead who used to live in that containment suit would have taken control of this mission whether anyone liked it or not."

"So I've got a soft spot for the Academy kids," Wildfire deflected his friend's comment. "Don't get your antennae in a knot over it.”

Tellus telepathically directed the heroes’ view to a large domed building before them. It had four entrances, massive round portals circling the dome. The doors themselves had long since succumbed to age, leaving four distinct holes peering into the heart of the dome. Where it wasn’t covered in a thick layer of mossmeal, the building was a faded salmon pink. A faint reddish glow emerged from within the rounded structure.

“What’s going on in there?” Lamprey wondered aloud.

If we swim closer I can probe more deeply, Tellus offered. They will be aware of my presence however.

“Let’s not give up the element of surprise just yet,” Chameleon Boy advised. “I can get in there for a closer look without anybody being any the wiser.”

“Good idea,” Lamprey agreed. “Tellus, can you please keep us linked with Chameleon Boy so we can see what he sees?”

Chameleon Boy’s Durlan physiology enables him to interpret stimuli in his current form in a way that our minds cannot replicate, Tellus explained as the tiny patch of mossmeal clinging to Quislet’s ship detached itself and floated towards the domed building. However I can keep our minds superficially linked so that he may communicate what he senses instantly.

Concealed in the thick blanket of mossmeal which coated the surface of the building, Chameleon Boy was all but invisible. He guessed that this building at one time had been some kind of sporting arena. Circling the interior of the dome were rows to ensure that a crowd could be comfortably positioned to pay attention to the large open space in the dome’s centre. In the centre of that open space right now, illuminated by six equally placed chemical flares, thirteen men in ceremonial garb surrounded another man bound to a stone altar. The majority of the men had bladed weapons at their side, while the spreadeagled man in their centre was naked save for a loincloth and a distinctive crimson amulet. With their blue skin and shiny black eyes they were all clearly Vavallans, and Cham guessed that they weren’t up to anything good. He was sharing this information with the others using the mind link provided by Tellus when the strangely-garbed men stood in a ring around their victim and linked hands. They chanted over him, and the amulet around his neck pulsed with red light. A shockwave blasted forth from the amulet and the man at the altar grunted in discomfort, his back arched. Clearly, Cham realised as the shockwave tremored through him, this was the cause of Vavalla’s mysterious seaquakes.

We need to act now! Chameleon Boy thought at his teammates. Let’s go, Legion!

Each of them taking a different portal, the four remaining heroes made their dramatic entrance.

“Stop what you’re doing immediately and put your weapons aside!” Lamprey commanded. She saw the brown-haired Vavallan at the altar and stopped in her tracks. “Turtle?? I should have known you’d be mixed up in this!”

The man named Turtle gave her a cheeky smile. “Hey gorgeous...this one’s not my fault, I promise!”

“We will not be stopped!” one of the cultists bellowed. “Ssthyiia will not be stopped! Kill the intruders!” He drew his blade and charged Lamprey. Spurred on by his example, the other cultists attacked the heroes en masse.

“You know this guy?” Wildfire asked, casually blasting one of his attackers aside.

“He’s a very frustrating thorn in my side named Turtle,” Lamprey replied, taking out another of the cultists with a bio-electric blast. “He was a member of something called the Legion of Substitute Villains for about five nanos...the last time one of their ridiculous schemes was stopped, his Senator daddy made sure he was deported back to Vavalla to avoid any further embarassment.” She fired upon another cultist and turned to the bound Vavallan. “Turtle, what’s going on here?”

“You know how it goes,” Turtle answered as the battle continued around him. “You come looking for treasure in Old Byssopolagia, some crazy cult traps you and decides to use your indestructible body to host an Elder Demon, same old same old.” Another pulse of energy exploded from the amulet and Turtle cried out. The shockwave passed through them all, this one almost painful.

The presence I felt earlier grows stronger, Tellus told the others as he used his telekinesis to shield himself from the cultists’ weapons. I have never felt such malevolence, Legionnaires. I believe he is telling the truth.

“That’d be a first,” Lamprey quipped. She dispatched a third cultist and then turned her power full-bore on both Turtle and the altar upon which he was tied. The altar was shattered, though Turtle himself remained unharmed.

“Thanks gorgeous.” Once again free, Turtle began to remove the amulet from around his neck.

“Stop!” one of the cultists cried out in panic, his own weapon already having been disintegrated by Quislet. “The ritual has gone too far! Ssthyiia will manifest on this plane, and if nobody wears the sacred amulet when he appears he will possess Vavalla itself! The oceans will burn with his infernal presence!”

“If silly necklace the problem, Quislet take silly necklace away!” The Teallian’s micro-ship bubbled across the arena until he was floating by Turtle’s side. The hull of Quislet’s ship opened, and a tiny spark of energy leaped out of the ship and into the amulet. Just as quickly, Quislet’s essence was expelled again. “Necklace don’t like Quislet!” he complained.

Another pulse issued forth from the amuet and this time Turtle screamed in pain. For the first time, he looked frightened. “Lamprey...don’t let them do this to me!”

Lamprey was at a loss for words. Turtle was annoying, but all of his crimes were nothing more than bids for attention. She’d never known him to hurt anybody, and in fact he had gone out of his way to make sure no bystanders were injured during his occasional bouts with the Science Police. He didn’t deserve this. “I...I don’t know what to do,” she admitted, her own face reflecting the fear in his.

Wildfire finished off the last of the cultists with a mighty punch and powered towards Turtle. “If this Ssthyiia needs a host body, let’s give him one!” He grabbed the amulet from Turtle’s neck and draped it around his own.

“Wildfire, no!” Chameleon Boy shouted. “What are you doing?”

“Bringing back the old hothead that used to live in this containment suit,” Wildfire replied. “Demon or not, I’m guessing a body made of anti-energy isn’t gonna be the nice new home this creep was expecting. Just to be on the safe side though, maybe you all better get some distance.”

“Hoo-boy,” Quislet remarked, “Wildfire taking big chance!”

“With all of us!” Chameleon Boy protested. “Wildfire, think! What if you’re just giving him a more powerful body?”

“Then you’ll defeat him,” Wildfire answered. “That’s what the Legion does. But at least this way, I’m the only one that gets hurt. Now get out of here - aaarghh!” Wildfire doubled over in pain, one final shockwave erupting forth from the amulet around his neck. Tellus threw up a telekinetic field at the last possible instant, but when blinding anti-energy streamed forth from every aperture in Wildfire’s containment suit, the heroes were still knocked back several yards.

When the flaring energy subsided into cooling waters, the Legionnaires saw Turtle cradling Wildfire’s empty containment suit. “I...I didn’t want anybody to get hurt,” Turtle explained, uncommonly docile . “So I threw myself around him when I realised he was exploding. Is he...is he dead?”

Right on cue, Wildfire’s containment suit inflated as his anti-energy filled it up once more. Once he’d resumed his normal proportions, Wildfire moved away from the embrace of the almost naked Vavallan youth. “It’d take a lot more than that to kill me,” he joked as his visor snapped shut. “But that was some quick thinking, kid. Maybe you’re not so bad after all.” Wildfire held the amulet out at arm’s length. “I think that demon’s been sent running back to wherever it was he came from. What do we do with this thing now?”

“We should take it into protective custody,” Lamprey replied. “Along with these gentlemen. It looks like I spoke too soon, Legion. Thanks for your help, I’m not sure what would have happened if you hadn’t been here!”

“Thanks for the fun!” Quislet rejoined, flying in excited loops around his allies. “Explosions, crazy fish-men, Quislet have a great time! Now we party!”

**********
LALLOR
Heroes of Lallor Homebase
“Evolvo Lad! Duplicate Boy!” Gas Girl ran through the halls of the headquarters she shared with her fellow planetary champions. Life Lass was not far behind her, still clutching the datascroll which had just brought them an invitation light years away from Earth.

“Wake up!” Gas Girl shouted. “We’ve got great news! There’s going to be a party!”

Life Lass finally caught up to her over-excited teammate, just as the two women reached the door to the mens’ dormitory. “Tal, maybe we should wait till morning,” Life Lass offered meekly, twisting one lock of raven hair around her fingers. “They might be asleep or...”

“Or nothing!” Gas Girl interrupted. “It’s not every day Cosmic Boy and Night Girl send us an invitation to their wedding! Oh my gawf, I can’t wait to see the Legion again!” She turned back to the door and frowned to see they were still denied entry.

“It is quite late,” Life Lass continued. “I...I really think they might be asleep. Maybe we should wait till morning..?”

“Rubbish!” Gas Girl waved her longtime friend’s weak protests aside. “They’re just being silly boys. Well, the door hasn’t been built that could keep Gas Girl out!” The cloud of vapor surrounding her hairless scalp seemed to dissolve her from the top down until a vaguely humanoid mist took her place. Before Life Lass could stop her, Gas Girl seeped beneath the door. “Hope you boys are dressed!” Life Lass heard her tease as she disappeared into their dorm. “Because I’m coming -- No!! Somi, hurry!!”

Hearing the terror in Gas Girl’s voice, Life Lass reached out to the door with her own power. Before she could command it to open, it was blown towards her by the force of a massive explosion. Slammed back into the wall behind her, she barely had enough presence of mind to warp the door so that it didn’t flatten against her. Life Lass was momentarily dazed by the impact, but it occurred to her that if the inches-thick door hadn’t protected her from the brunt of the blast or if it had taken her completely by surprise and slammed directly into her, she might be dead now. Life Lass forced herself to remain conscious and gingerly peeked behind the door which was now shielding her from whatever lurked in the boys’ rooms. “Gas Girl..?” she called out in trepidation. “Evolvo Lad? Duplicate Boy?”

The base’s emergency response systems activated and a chemical foam subdued the firestorm that had enveloped the boys’ rooms. Seconds later, the fires were out and in their place were only the charred remains of the building they had consumed. Life Lass feared the worst.

“Ord?” she asked, a lump in her throat. “Tal? Sev?” Nothing. “Homebase, please...please locate Evolvo Lad, Gas Girl and Duplicate Boy.”

*breep*Evolvo Lad, Gas Girl and Duplicate Boy not in range*breep* came the soulless reply.

Life Lass gasped. Her hands flew to her face and she collapsed, sitting speechless and alone in the wet foam which filled the room.

...The Heroes of Lallor were no more.

Another enjoyable post Raz: loved the Espionage Squad slowly getting their evidence together though sorry to see Thom go, especially after the battle in the previous post, and have to say it was a hoot to read Tenzil disarming the Khund cyborg - perfectly written! Am sorry to see James go, I always had a soft spot for him. The Khunds having the quantum tech is an ominous development though!

Nice to see Lamprey take charge, and am I right thinking Turtle seems to be a little smitten by her? Is this him on the path of redemption now? Quislet as ever is fun to read and Wildfire's soft spot for he academy kids shone through. The underwater civilisation (and including mossmeal - a nice touch that, including something of the local fauna and how it helped the original settlers survive) were well written too.

Also great to see the Lallorian Heroes make an appearance (sort of) and am looking forward to what you have planned with them too.

More, more, more!

Raz i agree some great installments.

I really like Lampry and Turtle's banter. its cute and i have to agree with Harbinger. They are really cute together. I wouldn't mind seeing a side adventure with the two of them.

I do like the espionage squad and I kind of like how it was all almost blown because Lampry wasn't sure why they were there.

Wildfire having a soft spot is a nice touch.

Btw, will we ever see Timber Wolf and Light lad's "get to know you" time? I kind of was looking forward to seeing the two of them go at it.


Poor Thom! I hope he realizes he needs to be with the Legion....But if he's leaving does that mean someone else is coming in?????

Thanks for the comments, peeps! Turtle + Lamprey seems to me like a romcom that writes itself...kind of a reverse underwater Spider-Man/Black Cat pairing. I wouldn't mind revisiting them at some point if I get inspired...

Unlike some of the other ex-Legionnaires, Thom is still gonna be around (though not on the roster)....his story isn't finished yet.

And Omni, you are psychic! Light Lad and Timber Wolf's story is the subject of the very next installment (along with a sneaky look-in at the new Academy students and some more on poor Life Lass and her current dilemma!)

LALLOR
Heroes of Lallor Homebase
Life Lass wiped at her eyes as she recounted once more the horrific memory of the explosion which had robbed her of three people who were more like family than friends.

Standing with Life Lass in the aftermath of the bomb blast were seven Legionnaires; Bouncing Boy, Colossal Boy, Lightning Lass, Infectious Lass, Ultra Boy, Invisible Kid and Shrinking Violet. They could all clearly see how upset the quiet young woman was. “Lightning Lass, why don’t you take Life Lass back to her room?” Bouncing Boy asked gently. “I’m sure there’s nothing more she can tell us that she hasn’t already, and she could probably use some rest.”

Ayla Ranzz placed a hand on the distraught heroine’s shoulder, but Life Lass shook her head. “No,” she sniffled, looking at the Legionnaires with surprising resolve. “I need to see this through...for them. I’m not going to go cry in my room while you find justice for my oldest friends.”

“Of course,” Bouncing Boy replied with a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. The Heroes of Lallor have been staunch allies for a long time, Life Lass. The Legion of Superheroes is here for you as little or as much as you need us, okay?”

“Thank you,” Life Lass managed a small smile in return. “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I have to do it. I do appreciate your help though, Bouncing Boy. All of you.”

"I know first-hand how tough Duplicate Boy can be," Colossal Boy spoke to Ultra Boy in a hushed tone. "I don't want to know what kind of power could do something like this to him."

"Don't mourn that idiot too quickly," Shrinking Violet interjected, a bitter edge to her voice. "He's dumber than dirt, but he's also as durable as Mon-El when he wants to be. Anything that could blow him to atoms would take half this city with it."

"Ma'amselle, some respect for the recently passed!" Invisible Kid scolded Shrinking Violet.

"That's just the point," Vi answered sardonically. "I'll be very surprised if he is dead, if any of them are. There's more than meets the eye here, I'm telling you."

“You seem quite convinced,” Jacques Foccart answered soberly. “I can only pray you are right.”

**********
MONTAUK POINT
Legion Academy
Luornu Durgo Taine felt at home standing before the newest students of the Legion Academy. A small table hovered beside her at waist height, and on that table lay a neatly folded black and blue outfit. “Good afternoon,” the woman better known as Duplicate Damsel greeted the seven teenagers. “Today we’re going to learn that sometimes a clever application of power trumps raw might when it comes to being a superhero...Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad are equally capable of imparting this lesson to you all, but we thought it might have more impact if the lesson comes from someone whose whole career in the Legion of Superheroes has relied on strategic application of powers and skills rather than tearing starships in two.”

Standing at the back of the small training room, Dragonwing gave a dismissive grunt.

“Something else else you want to contribute, Marya?” Luornu asked.

“Some of us don’t need clever application of power,” the red-haired girl sniped. “I mean sure, if your only power is making one average woman into a bunch of average women I can see how you’d have to use your brain so you can play in the big leagues, but I haven’t come across a problem yet that fire breath can’t deal with.”

An irate Laurel Kent spun around to face her fellow student. “You’d better speak to Duplicate Damsel with a little more respect or you’re about to get two invulnerable fists worth of problems that your glorified halitosis can’t deal with!”

“Girls!” Duplicate Damsel raised her voice. “Laurel, it’s okay. I anticipated this reaction. Dragonwing, maybe you’d understand better if I present you with a scenario to work through.” Luornu pressed a button on the table floating at her side and the room suddenly changed to resemble the Legion of Superheroes’ hangar.

“Bouncing Boy asked to meet you all here,” Luornu set the scene. “Only when you got here, this is the only sign you found of him ever having been here at all.” She held up the outfit she had brought with her, and the students saw now that it was Bouncing Boy’s costume. “How is your fire breath going to help you now, Dragonwing?”

Dragonwing scowled. “This is stupid. As if anybody has the power to just make someone disappear without a trace!”

“You’d be surprised,” Duplicate Damsel replied. She looked over the rest of the students. “Anyone else?”

“Maybe a technopathic form...” Variable Lad mumbled to himself. He changed from his familiar three-armed purple self to shapeless living circuitry which writhed across the floor, a membranous web inlaid with veins of pulsing light. Thin rigid fibres extended from the edges of his new creeping form, penetrating the spaces between individual floor panels. “I am interacting with the main database,” an eerie face in the midst of the living web explained.

“Good thinking,” Luornu commended him. “The room’s systems have been programmed to feed you information relating to this scenario so tell us what you’ve found, Oaa.”

“Some form of exotic energy release,” he described. “The systems can’t identify it...but it seems like it permeated the hangar and then Bouncing Boy was gone. I...think there was another person here, but it’s hard to tell. It’s like they had some way of evading proper identification.” The young Jaquaan resumed his normal form once more, his head bowed. “I’m sorry, I’ve failed.”

“Wait a minute,” Gravity Kid joined in, stroking his chin. “Energy that the Legion’s systems can’t identify...someone evading technology...Bouncing Boy disappearing without a trace...sounds like magic to me! Glorith, can you help?”

The timid sorceress stepped forward, her face hidden inside her hood. “I...I can but try,” she offered. “Perhaps a spell of psychometry, to determine the recent history of an object? But what shall I use for my divination?”

“Try this.” Duplicate Damsel handed her Bouncing Boy’s costume. “I had a feeling it might be prudent to bring a real prop...everything else here is a hologram, and while it’s advanced enough to fool our eyes, I’m not sure that would extend to any spell you might cast.”

Glorith obediently took the costume and lay it out on the floor. She walked circles around it, first clockwise then counter-clockwise and then clockwise once more. She spoke barely audible words in a language that nobody recognised, and then she froze in place. The markings on her face glowed with a faintly spectral light and her eyes rolled back in her head. “I...I see...Bouncing Boy training with Comet Queen....no, too far in the past. I must bring my focus forward. He is on a ship now with other Legionnaires...Tellus and Chameleon Boy...I cannot discern the others clearly. The scene changes now....he is on a world...an artificial world made of metal and plastics....with a muscular purple-skinned man and others I do not recognise...” Her face contorted with stress and she came out of her self-induced trance, wobbling unsteadily. Chemical Kid and Lullabye Lad supported her until she could stand on her own two feet again. Shame-faced, Glorith looked up at Duplicate Damsel. “I apologise...I too have failed to find the truth today.”

“Not at all,” Luornu smiled, picking up her husband’s costume. “Don’t forget, Glorith...this was only a simulation. Chuck wasn’t really abducted, there was no truth to find.” She pressed another button on the floating table and the room reverted to its natural state once more. “The important thing is that you thought to use your abilities in deductive ways and you’ve learned that sometimes the quiet achievers have an equal or even greater contribution than the powerhouses on the team. Now, let’s move on to today’s next exercise.”

While she put the students through their paces, Luornu considered Glorith’s words. She had hoped that the time sorceress’s abilities would provide more clarity, but Luornu supposed she couldn’t get the students to do all her legwork. Still, she knew now that Chuck had found Power Boy. With what Phantom Girl and Chameleon Girl had already found out, she knew she needed to look for an artificial world which had the means to treat an injured Hykraian, a world which could be reached using the amount of fuel Phantom Girl had identified.

It would take a little more research, but they were definitely closing in.

**********
THE BALKANS
Bulgaria, Last Stout Bar
Brin Londo held his terrified olive-skinned captive up against the wall of the dingy bar by the collar of his shirt. Around the two men, the room was filled with signs of a recent brawl; men and women unconscious or groaning in pain, broken glass and furniture, puddles of spilled liquor.

“I’m going to ask you one more time,” the Legionnaire snarled, standing so close that the man could feel Brin’s hot breath on his face. “Where can I find these two men?” He held his other arm up and a wrist-mounted holo-projector displayed two small mug shots obviously taken from Science Police records.

“I already told you!” the man exclaimed fearfully, “I don’t know! I know who they are, but I haven’t seen them since they were in here last weekend bragging about how they were gonna be swimming in credits soon! Please, Timber Wolf! Don’t hurt me, I told you everything I know! I swear!”

A low growl built in Timber Wolf’s throat which released itself from him as a roar of impotent fury. He flung the man aside, Brin’s super-strength hurtling him through the bar’s one grimy window to the street outside. To the man’s utter surprise, he didn’t slam into the pavement outside but instead floated straight up a few feet until he stopped moving altogether and simply hovered in place.

“This is what you do when you’re not skulking around Legion Headquarters?” a new voice asked. “You come bully people who don’t stand a chance against you?”

Timber Wolf glared as Light Lad descended to the ground outside the broken window. Light Lad gently lowered the floating man and the man quickly scampered away.

Timber Wolf covered the thirty feet between himself and his teammate in one swift pounce. “I’m not bullying anyone,” he retorted. “I’m working. Shvaughn asked for Legion assistance finding an abducted kid, and this place is the scuzziest dive in the country. Every single one of these people is a lowlife, kid. Someone’s gotta have some info for me.”

“Even if you have to beat it out of them?” the tall Winathian asked, looking down his nose at Timber Wolf.

“What are you even doing here?!” Timber Wolf exploded.

“We’re supposed to work together on Bouncing Boy’s pet project, remember? The deadline is only a couple of days away and you’ve avoided every other attempt I’ve made to talk to you about it. Believe me, I don’t want to do this any more than you do, but I understand a little thing called responsibility...Comet Queen was on monitor duty, so I asked her to assign me to your mission. As soon as I help you rescue this little girl we can get this task out of the way and you can go back to hating me again. Deal?”

Timber Wolf scowled. He wanted nothing more right now than to punch this condescending ass into next week, but that wouldn’t help him find the kid any sooner. “Fine.” He turned on his heel and leaped straight up, propelled by powerful leg muscles to the bar’s rooftop three floors up. He crouched slightly back from the edge of the roof and waited for Light Lad to catch up.

“What are you--” Light Lad began.

“Get out of view of the street,” Timber Wolf cut him off.

Light Lad bit his tongue and obeyed, feeling foolish and annoyed as he crouched behind Timber Wolf. “What are you doing now?” he repeated.

“What do you know about this abduction?” Timber Wolf ignored Darvan’s question.

“I filled myself in on the way,” the strawberry blonde Winathian replied. “Eight year old Kyla Virgo is a distant relative of the Titanian royal family. Her parents brought her to Earth while they were on a diplomatic mission, and she was kidnapped this morning by two men...they issued a ransom demand for three billion credits an hour ago, clearly not realising that distant relative of the royal family doesn’t necessarily equate to unrestricted access to the royal coffers. So, back to my original question...what are you doing up here? Shouldn’t we be trying to find out who abducted this poor child?”

“These two did,” Timber Wolf answered, displaying the mug shots once more. “Natan Rey and Carro Danners. Already found that out with my bullying. Now we just need to find them, and we’ll find the kid.”

An awkward pause filled the space between the two men. Finally Light Lad spoke. “So shouldn’t we be out there looking for them?”

“No need,” Timber Wolf grinned, hunching forward slightly. “Not when he’s gonna lead us right to them.” Light Lad followed Timber Wolf’s gaze to see one of the patrons of the bar emerge from the building, look nervously around and then run at full pelt down the street.

Light Lad was visibly stunned. “How did you know--?”

“They can’t use comms without the SPs tracing them,” Timber Wolf explained, “I knew if I put a scare into those squajes, one of them would go warn the kidnappers we’re after them...keep up if you can, and stay out of sight!” Timber Wolf pounced expertly from rooftop to rooftop, following his prey effortlessly. Light Lad had to begrudgingly admit that despite the man’s many negative qualities, Timber Wolf was good at this.

Before too long, they had followed the man to a run-down apartment complex several blocks away. At the base of the building it looked as though there had once been a cafe, but it had obviously been closed for some time. Rather than a brightly lit sign, the Legionnaires saw only a long abandoned holo-projector. A sheet of metal barred the doorway to the old cafe, and Timber Wolf and Light Lad watched from high across the street as the man pushed the sheet aside to gain entry.

“You think they’re in there?” Light Lad asked.

“He’s not going in for a kono juice,” Timber Wolf retorted. “Let’s go.” For the first time since giving chase, Timber Wolf used his flight ring rather than his natural agility to descend to ground level. Light Lad opened his mouth to ask if they should try for subtlety but before he could voice the question, Timber Wolf had already ripped the metal sheet aside and flung it across the street.

“Give it up!” Timber Wolf bellowed, tearing into the old cafe. Light Lad followed close behind to see the man they’d followed along with the two kidnappers, all of them equally shocked. Kyla Virgo was crying in a corner of the room, her hands in cuffs and a sound suppression muzzle covering the lower half of her face. She was clearly terrified, and Timber Wolf’s dramatic entrance hadn’t helped the situation any. All of the criminals drew handguns, but Timber Wolf had already knocked out one of the men before he’d even removed his from his holster. The Legionnaire pounced at a second target, and suddenly his world turned topsy-turvy.

Struck with vertigo, Timber Wolf missed the man he’d leaped at and slammed into a wall. His mind was filled with images, memories, thoughts that were not his. He had no idea what this was until he caught Light Lad’s confused expression and realised the truth of the matter; these were Light Lad’s memories! It was as though he were living Darvan’s life, as though he himself were Darvan Locke. He felt the shame and the constant bullying of being a singleton, the stubborn drive to push himself past that pain to prove his self-worth. He felt the love and sense of responsibility he had for his sister Davana, the sick sadness at what she had become. The sensations were overwhelming, and it was all Brin could do not to bash his head against the nearest hard surface to exorcise them.

Light Lad felt as though his head were splitting in two; he was living Brin Londo’s life as Brin was living his. He felt the isolation of a childhood on Zuun, the longing for a distant father’s affection. He remembered the horror of a time when he thought he was a soulless android, and the relief when the Legion came to rescue him from Karth Arn’s manipulations. He felt a singular love and devotion to Ayla Ranzz, one which would never stop hurting. Being used by Tyr, and again by Karth Arn. Meeting his ‘sister’, Catspaw. Darvan collapsed to his knees in the filthy cafe, struggling to reason through the chaos. The kidnappers were staring at one another with the same mixture of terror and confusion. They were going through the same thing, but how? That was when it came to him.

Kyla.

She had done this. Darvan didn’t think it was a deliberate attack, she looked too panicked for that. But she was Titanian royalty, of the same stock as Saturn Queen. Darvan had no difficulty believing she had the power to do something like this, and the lack of control to prevent it. He sympathised with her but she still needed to be stopped, her fear was driving the four men insane. Trying not to think about the horrors of Brin Londo’s life, Darvan stared intently at the young girl. “Kyla!” Darvan almost screamed. “We’re here to help you, but you have to stop this! We can’t take much more of this! Please!”

Something else else in his voice broke at the end, and it was enough to cut through Kyla’s fear. Eyes wide, she gasped and jerked her head back. As quickly as it had begun, it was over. Their minds were their own again.

“Kill you!” one of the kidnappers roared, rushing the girl with his gun drawn.

“Not today, creeps!” Timber Wolf threw himself at the assailant, knocking the man out cold with one strike. Light Lad’s reaction was slower, but just as effective. The second kidnapper flew straight up into the ceiling and then slammed back down to the floor again unconscious.

Timber Wolf walked over to the young Titanian girl and destroyed her bonds, careful not to hurt her. She sobbed and threw herself into his embrace, and he held her until the Science Police arrived.

**********
Later, the two Legionnaires were on a rooftop watching the sun set over the city. Light Lad stood while Timber Wolf sat on the edge of the roof.

“That was...intense,” Darvan admitted. “Timber Wolf, I’m sorry, I had no idea...what you’ve been through...”

“Not just me,” Brin replied. The two men were silent for a moment, then Brin turned to look Darvan in the face. “It’s fading now, but what I felt, what you remember...you didn’t steal Ayla from me, did you? I lost her all on my damn own.”

Light Lad bowed his head. “I love her, Brin. But I love her as a friend. She’s an amazing person, but what we have...it’s not what you and she had. Neither of us want it to be. And yes, you have lost that, but you don’t have to lose her.” He placed a hand on Brin’s shoulder. “I know you’ve had to be a lone wolf to protect yourself, but don’t let that defence become a trap. Don’t shut out the wrong people.” Light Lad removed his hand from Timber Wolf’s shoulder and flew off towards the setting sun.

Timber Wolf sat on the roof lost in his own thoughts until long after the sun went down.

Raz another great installment! love it! I love the way that Brin and Light Lad connected and quite literally very inventive way to do that.

I didn't know Saturn Queen was of Royal stock...?

The academy kids were nice to see. I still hate Dragonwing. idk why. She's just irritating.

Variable Lad and Glorith are pretty cool and I liked that you've defined her as more of a time witch than just a regular magic caster.

hmmmm i wonder if the secret heroes are responsible/involved with the Heroes of Lallor disappearance?????

Now i just have to wait for more! which i can't.
i feel like these segments are just too short!
Great job!