Legion World: home to the LMBP, as well as various other citizens who have come here for sanctuary from those in the world who look to bring pain and persecution. It is vast and beautiful, created by the trio of Nightcrawler, Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl. These three founders looked to create a world where people would not be bothered by those who take pleasure in bringing misery to others, although this good deed was rewarded with the curse that they could now never actually leave Legion World. They were it's greatest caretakers, and all of Legion World depended on them, although they quietly depended on their friends for support since they could never again leave. A forth founder, Kid Prime, also helped create Legion World, and brought with him one of the most important contributions: the LMBP.
The LMBP was founded on many of the same principles as Legion World, the spreading of order, justice and good-heartedness. Existing as a force for 'good', the LMBP strived to make the world a better place. Enduring numerous roster changes, a long and often hard history, a cadre of enemies who looked to destroy their world and the death and loss of their loved ones, members and friends, the LMBP served as a beacon for all that was great in the world.
With the LMBP in place, Nightcrawler adapted Legion World in that the line between the LMBP and Legion World became blurry, so that the LMBP roster was almost always full and more effective than ever. The LMBP leader, a tradition stemming back from Lard Lad as the first, continued on as Legion World leader and LMBP leader simultaineously. Princess Crujectra, longtime LMBer, was elected as the first Legion World leader, although she was actually the tenth LMBP leader. Nightcrawler, Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad assumed from the onset that they would never be involved in leadership elections; their job was to make sure Legion World operated correctly, they had no desire for a term in office.
On Legion World, it's citizens began creating a life for themselves. As a colony that acted as a sanctuary to keep them safe, the citizens developed a Security Office, Cafes, and other estabilshments to create a new life there. SHAKES, a bar created by Semi-Transparent Fellow, a resident of Legion World, soon became a second home to many on Legion World, and served as an example for what this community could be about. Another place on Legion World was the Hall of Fallen Heroes, created by the LMBP Spectre, the most powerful of all LMBers, where the dead who had fallen in battle were honored. Among them were Foodmaker Kid, Bowels-Bursting Boy, Tsarin Kid and most prominently, Space Tart.
With Legion World, the LMBP was introduced to a massive amount of new citizens that were immediately inducted into the ranks of the LMBP: Space Ranger, Outdoor Miner, Arachne, Harbinger, Fat Cramer, and others joined the previously formed crew and easily filled their depleted ranks. Old and new alike, Legion World now had a massive force for security and safety, or 'super-heroes' as some prefer, to go along with it's large community.
Everything was new and different, everything had a wonderful and strange new sense of awe. And many traditions continued, including the bad ones. Tales of sadness and epic battles were an ongoing occurance for the LMBP. Here is one of those tales...
[ December 30, 2003, 10:18 PM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Esk, one of the newest LMBers, awoke in the middle of the night. She'd had a dream. Except her dreams often showed her what would one day occur. Usually they'd predict the future and give her forsight into the events of the near-future. This dream was different. It felt more like a mixture of her forsight power and a normal dream. As if it was a little of both. As if it could occur, and was likely to occur, but then again, could never exist at all.
"Likely to never exist at all" she decided, and with good reason. This dream took place many years in the future, at least five years after the LMBP disbanded. Besides some teenager kid, the words "Five years later" was all that she recalled, and after awhile, she knew that it couldn't be true, because it was starting to fade. Although it was strange...she usually never wakes up that way unless her foresight powers are kicking in.
"Who knows? Sometimes the universe acts strange and weird things happen" she smiled to herself. After all, she had already seen some pretty weird stuff here on Legion World and with the LMBP.
[ December 30, 2003, 10:27 PM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Space Ranger sat at his security desk, buried in paper work. He grumbled to himself, since Cobalt had promised him months ago that there wouldn't be much paper work. What he really meant was that there wouldn't be much paper work until the new leader was elected, and then they'd have to rush together a huge overview of all that had happened during the previous term. While Cobalt smiled and shrugged and looked at a pretty young lady outside, Emerald Empress thought about her harem and Shark Lad thought only of his next meal, Space Ranger found himself feeling a bit of guilt at not getting this done on time, and so decided to take an active hand in fixing the problem. The others helped, but no one seemed to want to get the job done as fast as possible. Space Ranger didn't complain though, he'd been used to people not thinking the same way he did: he saw a potential problem and aimed to fix it immediately. To him it was pretty simple, but he understood others saw things differently and was comfortable with it. Besides, he enjoyed working with Cobalt Kid and liked having him as Security Chief, it seemed to be something that Cobalt excelled at. Although Crujectra originally gave him the job of Security Chief to help give him something to take him away from his all-consuming grief over his dead wife, Cobalt seemed to fit perfectly with the position. Within his first week of office, Cobalt had signed Space Ranger up as his partner and the two put down an invasion by Thora with enough time to celebrate at SHAKES after the battle.
Space Ranger saw their partnership as something mutually beneficial. At first, Space Ranger didn't easily mesh with many Legion World citizens, his black and white outlook often rubbed others the wrong way and many questioned his intentions. He only had to remember blowing the doors off SHAKES to realize that. Joining up with Cobalt allowed for him to gain a new outlet into the life of Legion World and Space Ranger saw himself easily creating new friendships. He also saw the benefits for Cobalt, and knew Cobalt did the same, although they never talked about it. Cobalt was incredibly strong as a master of magnetism and wanted above all else to be a hero, although he was often impatient, emotionally-tempered and easily misled. Space Ranger acted as an influence to Cobalt to push him in the right direction, to give him a little subtle advice on how to handle himself. Unknown to most, Numf-El had once told Space Ranger that Cobalt was destined to be the "Greatest Hero of them all, and had not realized his own potential yet". At that point, Space Ranger decided that he'd make sure he did his best to help him realize that potential. After all, the Security office was just a fancy name for "Super-Hero Office" and every security officer new it. That was practically Cobalt's sell from the get-go in getting new officers.
Smiling a bit to shrug off his grumpiness, Space Ranger waded through the piles of paper on his desk. It had been one hell of a term. Between Dev-Em's return, the Invasion of Taltar against Thora, Ms. Grundy visiting SHAKES, and an ongoing problem of Illyiana Highlander, Whoredru, Climactus and the Time Mouse Trapper, this term had been fun but filled with huge battles. "Hell, Dusty and Rody are still missing" he smiled, since most of the LMBP could only imagine the kind of trouble they were getting into.
He was surprised to see one file. In it, a security officer was supposed to visit a young boy who was new to Legion World to assess his powers, since they were aware that he did possess some kind of power. No one had ever gone out to meet him, since a super-powered army of Giant Ants had ravaged the world with the Time Mouse Trapper...
"I'll have to fix that..." he thought, wondering if he should send someone, tell Cobalt Kid, or just go out himself...
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
"Elagabolus is the boys name, although I have no idea what kind of name that is," said Space Ranger to Arachne and Shark Lad.
"Who knows with the number of worlds there are Ranger, for all we know that could be the most common name on his homeworld."
"Mmph" nodded Shark Lad, either tired or hungry, although none could tell.
"Well, we have no last name for the boy and he came here over a month ago when the latest group of immigrants came in".
Legion World was still amazingly new and every month a large amount of people would apply for membership and come to live there. "The boy must have easily made his way with a larger group, although he doesn't appear to have a mother or father. It says in the file that he's staying with a small family in the farming areas of Legion World, helping out there. He was picked up with a group of weary travellers, and displayed some sort of power that allowed him to speed up the growth of plants. He seemed to be useful so they brought him along". "OK, that makes sense. So he came here, and since everyone that comes to Legion World must be reviewed by the Founders for entry, the passed this file on to us to make sure everything is alright with his power. No problem. The two of us will go out there and make sure all is OK, and then get back here to help you out" said Arachne. Space Ranger smiled, since Arachne was one of the nicer Security Officers who had no problem helping him out. Although effective and deadly in battle she had a certain charm about her. "And if he's not OK, I'll eat him" said Shark Lad jokingly for no other reason than to annoy Space Ranger. "Just get going..." he said with a half-amused, half-annoyed look on his face. ------------------------------
Arachne and Shark Lad headed out to the farmlands of Legion World. Despite the new technology that was constant in their time, people still needed to be fed and people still needed jobs to keep them busy. Farming was a small business on Legion World, but absolutely necessary: it created a self-sufficient system for feeding the citizens, helped the eco-system of the planet and gave citizens their own property. The notion of farming being a thing of the past never even approached the sophisticated mind of Arachne, as she and her partner flew overhead.
She was a newer member of the Security office, although she'd been on Legion World for some time. She originally came during the original months of Legion World's founding, where she met the other citizens there as well as members of the LMBP. Getting to know the regulars at SHAKES, Arachne joined up with the LMBP along with Semi Transparent Fellow and others, and had recently signed on with the security office since she'd become good friends with StuRat, the current leader and Cobalt Kid, the Security Chief. Shark Lad was different, since he was once a very prominent LMBer from the past, serving on the team for some time. Like other LMBers, he left the team for a bit, although in his case it was because he had suffered a period in his life where he had become evil. After finally returning to the side of his fellow LMBers, Shark Lad took time off to rest, and never rejoined his fellows until his travels took him to Legion World, where the LMBP had regrouped after a recent terrible crisis. Overjoyed to see them and surprised to see how overjoyed they were to see him, Shark Lad rejoined the LMBP and became fast friends with the Legion Worders. He joined up in the Security Office too eventually, although he was always up for any LMB mission.
Arachne was still amazed at how many immigrants came to Legion World every month. Although it was a decision that made sense. Here, on Legion World, someone could find safe haven from the misery and more common rudeness that was sadly rampant in the world. The LMBP itself had just suffered a terrible crisis when it came to Legion World. A great many of their number were lost or retired, and they had suffered a rough period. Crusader, the brother to Princess Crujectra and former leader himself, now stayed at the LMBP Outpost to monitor that part of the galaxy, and more importantly to be there if any LMBers ever turned up looking for their lost friends. This was a serious under-taking that he had created for himself and required serious sacrifice in that he was away from his beloved sister and friends. However, it proved to be an important place, as LMBers did return and were directed to Legion World from there, such as Faraway Lad, Galahadran and her own boss Cobalt Kid. Worse off than Crusader was poor Space Tart, whom Arachne never even meant. Spoken of only in the higest regard, Space Tart was a consistent LMBer who everyone loved. She sacrificed her life in the great crisis so that the LMB could live. Worse, when she died, she believed her husband, Cobalt Kid, was also dead, although he returned a mere few months later to learn of her death. She was a major LMBer who was friend to many, inspiration to more and the true love to one in particulur; her death exemplifies the loss that the LMBP suffered before coming to Legion World.
Arachne's somber thoughts took a more upbeat turn, as Shark Lad flew down and dived into a river. Shark Lad lavishly enjoyed the feel of the water on his skin and when he arose he had a large amount of fish in his mouth. He was one who did not hesitate to let his animal side take over.
Slowly, they approached the farmlands. Cobalt Kid didn't kid around when he said that many citizens worshipped them as their idols. They had to be a bit subtle in their approach. Elagabolus was the boy's name, as strange as Space Ranger thought that was. Hopefully this would be quick, it was kind of a waste of resources to have both of them out there anyway...
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
"There he is" said Arachne to Shark Lad, as the two watched from the shadows.
Up ahead, they saw a lot of people farming and doing day-to-day activities. Slightly to the left of them all, they saw a young boy playing in a garden, talking alone to himself, moving through the various crops that were there. He appeared to be as ordinary as any other boy, about ten years old, black hair and slightly shorter than average for his age. "Elagabolus," thought Shark Lad, "...that is a slightly weird name. Hopefully this will be quick..."
The boy played on, moving out of the garden into the long grass, letting his hand glide against the grass as he did. As he moved, the grass that he touched appeared to grow greener and even longer, although the boy didn't notice. He hummed to himself, trying to stay out of the view of the various farmers who were working incredibly hard. They allowed him to keep to himself and not join in on the chores, since he apparently had the power to make things grow easier. He stopped short suddenly, seeing a very pretty lady up ahead, dressed in a green outfit with sunglasses on that made her look cool.
"Hi," she smiled softely. "Elagabolus, right? I'm Arachne." The boy couldn't help but smile back, although he was weary of strangers. "I'm here to talk to you. I work for the government here on Legion World, and I know that you're a new arrival..." As Arachne talked to the boy, Shark Lad watched on, slightly paying attention to the conversation, but paying more attention to the scenario around him. It looked plain enough, just as the boy did (besides his name), and he wanted to make sure it was really as boring as he believed it to be. Besides, Arachne was more equipped to make the boy feel comfortable, and his appearance might scare him. Shark Lad let his instincts take over now, trusting them to alert him to any trouble.
"Do you talk?" said Arachne finally after introducing herself and explaining why she was there. "Yes." said the boy. "People call me Elag, so you don't have to pronounce my whole name. I just got here really. The farmers feed me and give me somewhere to sleep at night, but no one really talks to me that much. No one really has since my grandfather died...except in my dreams." Arachne felt bad for him suddenly, and almost a bit angry that the farmers didn't talk to the boy more, keeping him on to help with their plants. "Tell me about your grandfather then Elag, and how you came here. And tell me what it is you can do..."
Shark Lad closed his eyes for a second, to relax. The sun was hot, and he didn't like being out of the water for too long. Something stirred in him suddenly. He recognized his instincts kicking in immediately. Something seemed wrong. Looking over, he saw Arachne and the boy walking to him slowly, in conversation. He saw various other farmers walking around. One farmer in particulur was walking diagnolly towards Arachne and the boy. At once he felt his Shark instincts kicking in...endangering a friend and a mere boy was something that angered Shark Lad...what was this farmer doing?
Things happened fast, but Arachne reacted in stride. In mid-conversation with the boy, a farmer started walking to them quickly. He suddenly pulled out a long knife, attempting to stab the boy in the back. Shark Lad suddenly appeared out of no where, snatching the farmer with his jaws, and quickly and brutally ending his existence. Arachne had seen Shark Lad do that before, and like many of the LMB, had come to accept that that was part of Sharky.
Before anyone else could react, things got stranger. What appeared to be two black shadows suddenly came out of the grass to their side, apparently going for the boy. Arachne pushed Elag down, and prepared to meet them. Using her power to mentally create webs, she erected a large web in front of them, hoping to stop them. One lashed out at Shark Lad and his touch burnt Shark Lad's skin. Shark Lad yelled in pain, but both he and Arachne knew that if they could touch them, they too could be touched.
The boy scrambled around on the ground, looking up to see what was happening. One shadow became caught in Arachne's web, as Arachne suddenly turned into a large spider, shooting the shadow with venom. The battled Shark Lad, who attempted to bite it. And then suddenly...both shadows were gone.
"What...?" said Arachne.
"Gone!" yelled Shark Lad, "Damn that hurt! Is the boy safe?"
"Elag?" said Arachne, but the boy didn't respond. "Elagabolus?!" she said to him. Up ahead, he looked at what was left of the body of the man Shark Lad had eaten. It was bloody and disgusting, but that wasn't what bothered him. He could swear he was seeing a ghost rising out of the body, and flying off with a wicked grin.
[ December 31, 2003, 12:00 PM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Cobalt Kid stood in the Hall of Fallen Heroes. He looked up at the statue before him. "Space Tart" read the plaque. He smiled slightly, looking at his dead wife, the only woman he'd truly ever loved.
He couldn't tell whether the smile was from remembering her, or a way for him to try and hide the pain that he still felt. Things were different without Spacey around, and he still missed her so much everyday...
"Cobalt!" yelled Invisible Brainiac coming over to him quickly. Invisible Brainiac was the newest Security Officer and the youngest LMBPer of them all. Most of the LMBP found him to be refreshing, and were glad that he was around. He had already developed a few fast friendships, including one with Cobalt Kid.
"What's the matter IB?" asked Cobalt. "They need you at the Security Office. Some little boy was attacked by shadows or something like that. Something weird, Space Ranger wanted me to get you. He said to check SHAKES, but Vee said I should probably check here." "Good. I was on my way to SHAKES anyway, everyone knows me too well" he smiled. "Let's head over then, and then maybe I'll sneak you into SHAKES for a drink"
Inivisible Brainiac smiled at the thought, as he checked out the Hall of Fallen Heroes. He had never actually been in there, but he knew that the LMBP Spectre lived there somehow, like a ghost or something. He saw the statues of Fallen LMBers and felt a bit uncomfortable. Was that a price he or his friends might have to pay someday? He saw the statue of Space Tart and suddenly felt bad for his friend and boss.
"Everything OK, boss?" he asked. Cobalt looked at him, with a hint of surprise. He smiled. "Everything is great. Now tell me about this boy..."
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
"So what do we know so far?" said Cobalt to Space Ranger and the other Security Officers.
"He was attacked" replied Space Ranger, "But let's start at the beginning. His name is Elagabolus, which I think is a rather strange name. We don't have any last name and don't know if they used him on his home planet. Mainly because, we don't know what his home planet is. He said that he doesn't remember his parents, and that since he was a boy, his earliest memories are of his grandfather, whose name was Cirrus. When he was about nine, his grandfather died. From what he tells us, his grandfather used to take in weary travellers. When he heard about a place being created called Legion World from these travellers, he asked that they take the boy with them in return for his allowing them to stay at his home. They agreed and that's how he got here"
Cobalt smiled, admiring Space Ranger's bluntness and ability to weed through the details and get to the point. "OK. What else?"
"Supposedly, the boy has the power to make plants grow, and showed it to the travellers, which is probably the main reason they agreed to take him along, since they were all farmers. They've pretty much left him alone most of the time, except encouraging him to play in the crops to help them grow. That's how he got here, with the farmers. That's why I sent Arachne and Shark Lad out to see him, since Nightcrawler requests that everyone with a power undergoes an initial interview."
"Sounds good." said Cobalt. "Arachne?"
"We approached the boy and talked to him and he seemed normal enough. A bit shy, but what do you expect from a boy that hardly anyone talks to. And suddenly, we were attacked. A farmer, one Jacob Yszzger attacked him with a knife, until Sharkey bit his head off" At this point Sharkey laughed to himself, as Space Ranger raised an eyebrow. The Emerald Empress grinned. "Then two shadow-like things came at us. We fought them off and I had one incapacitated in my web, knocked out from my venom, when they suddenly dissapeared. Out of thin air. They were real enough though, one burned Sharkey."
"There's more" said Shark Lad. "When the shadows dissapeared, the boy, Elagabolus, said that he saw a ghost rise up out of the dead man's body. This guy, Jacob Yszzger, was a normal guy. No reason to attack anyone. He had a nice life, good friends, had been here for awhile, no reason to act strange, he never had before. He may have not been controlling his own actions" Space Ranger put his fingers to his eyes thinking about Sharkey killing him. Cobalt looked at him and widened his eyes, but said nothing. Sharkey was a shark after all, and had come so far from where he once was.
"So he may have been possessed or something. Great, a mystery is on our hands. What about the boy?" said Cobalt Kid.
"He's here in headquarters with Super Lad Kid." replied Emerald Empress.
"We don't really know much about him. What his power really is. Why would ghosts and shadows attack him? Who is this kid?" said Cobalt.
"We will have to protect him now" said EE.
"Agreed" said Space Ranger
"He's just a kid though guys" said Arachne, "go easy on him"
"Yeah" said Invisible Brainiac
"You're just a kid too!" said Sharkey smiling
"We'll protect him" said Cobalt. "I'll have to tell Stu though, and try and figure what's going on. Someone get Doctor One to see if he can run some tests on the boy"
"Cobalt..." said Arachne
He smiled. "Space Ranger see if you can get Harbinger to talk to him too. She's good with kids, knows how to talk to them. This looks like it'll be a Legion World problem now, we can't have people being attacked here. I'll talk to a few people, see what I can find out."
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Cobalt Kid walked into SHAKES, noticing that it was still early in the day and not a lot of people were in the bar yet. Semi was behind the counter readying the bar, while Vee was at the bar too. Kara was picking up a few glasses at the tables. Space Ranger was already there, having a Johnny Walker Black with Kid Prime, who was having a Grey Goose and tonic.
Walking over to Semi and Vee, Cobalt nodded, and Semi grabbed him a Jack on the rocks. "What's up Cobie?" said Vee. "Eh, actually a bit of business tonight." He said. Everyone knew that Semi didn't allow politics to enter SHAKES and didn't like the idea of business going on in the bar either. But every so often, Cobalt would come in not to drink, but to talk to Semi and Vee about matters of Security. As bartenders and co-owners of SHAKES, they often had access to a lot of information that they could overhear. Never one to talk about someone's secrets, Semi was still willing to help out Cobalt once in awhile if someone's welfare was at stake. Cobalt knew that preventing the death of a young boy was more than enough for Semi and Vee to volunteer any info they had.
Sadly, they had none. "Nothing Cobie, I've never even heard of this boy...Elagabolus?"asked Semi.
"Yeah, neither had I. Something strange is afoot though. I guess just keep your ears open guys...thanks".
"No prob Cobie" replied Vee, "but be careful. I know you hate it, but this sounds a bit like magic. Let Semi and I know if you need anyone for some espionage."
"Will do" smiled Cobalt
--------------------------
Doctor One stood in front of the boy as he was sitting, examining him with a device he created. A large and intimidating rock-like figure, Doctor One served as the resident, doctor/scienctist on Legion World. Although he continually tried to tell the LMBPers that he was limited in his knowledge of science and medicine, most of the LMBP knew he was being modest; in short, he was brillant. However, his large rock-like body was more of an illusion. Despite his size, Doctor One was relatively weak, as strong as an ordinary man who never worked out.
"Hm, nothing" he thought to himself, "everything on the boy seems normal, despite having the power to make things grow. Which is a bit strange in itself, usually my equipment can detect any mutations in a person's physiology..."
"Elag," said Harbinger, "is there anything else that you can do with your powers?" Harbinger was also by Elagabolus's side, having been asked by Space Ranger to stay with him. She understood, the boy had recently been attacked and now they wanted him to be examined by the resident doctor. She understood, but she also understood how children were and wanted to make sure the boy was alright. Besides being a powerful and mighty LMBer, not to mention a gorgeous bombshell, Harbinger was also an educater, a teacher to children. She understood kids, and both Cobalt and Space Ranger figured she'd be the best pick to talk to Elagabolus.
"Besides helping the plants grow Belinda?" asked the boy.
"Yes. Is there anything else you can do?"
"I don't really know, I never really tried. I don't think I make them really grow though..."
"What do you mean Elag?"
"It's more like I make them healthier. Like I just make sure they don't get dirty and sick. It's hard to explain..."
"You're doing fine. What makes you think that about your powers?"
"Well, I...I can just feel it when I touch them...and I don't know...when I wake up sometimes, I feel like I've been practicing in my dreams..."
Doctor One raised an eye-brow at this. Harbinger was apparently getting a lot more information than he was, so far nothing happened. "Do it to this plant" he said, handing him a small cactus plant. "Ok" said the boy, a bit intimidated by Doctor One's huge stature. Elag put his hand on the plant, and just like he said, it appeared to grow greener, and a bit larger. More healthy looking.
"Amazing..." smiled Harbinger, not really too amazed, having seen some incredible powers in her day. After all, why would shadows attack a boy with this small power.
"Yes..." said Doctor One, touching the cactus. The spikes were even sharper than before too! He could tell, as he accidently cut his hand on one. "Ow, that actually hurts" he half-smiled.
Elagabolus reached over and grabbed his pricked finger. The boy's forehead looked like he concentrated quickly, and then he smiled. Doctor One's pricked finger...was now healed.
Doctor One looked up, his eyes wide. "Now that...is interesting."
"Elag," smiled Harbinger, "didn't I ask you if you can do anything else?"
"Oh yeah" the boy said sheepishly, "I can do that"
[ May 27, 2004, 09:37 PM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Emerald Empress watched from the corner, as Doctor One and Harbinger talked to the boy Elagabolus. She stood upright tirelessly, a habit of good breeding and etiquette that had become part of her personality. With the Emerald Eye of Ekron, she was one of the most powerful of all the LMBers, which was only heightened by her shrewd mind and willfulness. She had recently come to Legion World some months earlier and joined the Security office sometime later, after proving herself in battle by taking on Evil Queen, the Royal Inquisitor and some others. Before coming to Legion World, she had a history of unlawfulness, often standing against authorities for various reasons. She had turned to the other side though now, and after months of suspicion had finally earned the complete trust of the LMBP, including Cobalt Kid and Space Ranger, her two friends in the Security Office. Still, this Elagabolus affair seemed to bore her slightly, she was not one to enjoy baby-sitting duty.
By her side was Invisible Brainiac, the newest member of the Security Office and the youngest LMBer of all. He stood invisibly, not very comfortable in the spotlight. He was a bright young man himself, although if one were to ask him he’d reply that he was “nowhere as smart as Doctor One”. Cobalt had recognized this as shy modesty immediately, the boy was simply brilliant. The LMBers believed his intelligence worked when he was invisible, although this was something Invisible Brainiac had led them to believe. In truth, his power worked fine, he just was uncomfortable to have people watch him think, especially the LMBers that he admired so much. He didn’t realize that the LMBers all held him in the highest regard, especially after he was able to rally them together at the Hootchie Hut to return to battle the Rainbow Man of Ekron some weeks earlier. He had shown his true colors that day and showed that he held the qualities that would make him a great leader one day, as well as a great hero now. Cobalt even looked at him as a little brother, someone who continued to grow every day as a hero. Watching Doctor One and Harbinger though, he could tell that something strange was going on with Elagabolus at the moment. The two seemed excited, and the Empress began to move forward slowly to see what was going on.
“How often have you healed before?” asked Doctor One, now visually excited to learn the extents of the boys power.
“Not often. Just myself on occasion. Sometimes animals in the woods that are injured, like birds who couldn’t fly. Is that ok?”
“That’s fine honey” replied Harbinger. “We’re just wondering how much you could heal. How far you can go. That’s quite an extraordinary power.”
“Thanks” he said shyly. He was only a ten year old boy Doctor One reminded himself.
“Elag, I’m going to bring in another hurt LMBer, Numf-El, who has a sprain collar bone. Do you think you could lay your hands on him and heal him?” asked Doctor One
“I-I could try…” said the boy.
“That’s all we ask” smiled Harbinger.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Invisible Brainiac watched as Numf-El joined the heroes in the laboratory. He and the Empress had moved up to join the others, as Doctor One continued to ask the boy questions. It was apparent that Elagabolus had the power to heal, as well as makes things grow. Doctor One had seen healing powers before, but not like this. By healing the human body as well as plant organisms, Elagabolus contained some kind of power that was able to make life grow, or make life healthier. In essence, the boy could further life to some degree. It was a very strange ability, but a powerful one.
Numf-El was one of the more colorful LMBers, and Invisible Brainiac got a kick out of him. Harbinger smiled at him with a mixture of amusement and thoughts of “here we go again” going through her head. Numf smiled back.
“What’ve we got here? Some little git makes things grow, an yer askin’ me to come by? What the hell fer?”
Doctor One shook his head. “Just to see something Numf. It’ll be quick. I promise”
“It better be. I got half a pint to finish before I move on to the next one, yer cutting into me drinking time.” Harbinger shook her head slightly with a smile. “What’re ye smilin’ at? We should be the ones smilin’ with those wonderful bazoobies around” Invisible Brainiac chuckled and the boy Elagabolus looked at Doctor One quizzically. Emerald Empress sighed and walked away. “Where’re you goin’?”
“Shh.” Said Doctor One. “Numf, how’s the shoulder and collar bone?”
“It fuckin’ hurts, what’ya think?”
“OK. Elag, I want you to lay your hand on his shoulder for me. Try to make it feel better. When you’re done we’ll see what we can do about his mouth and that language”.
Invisible Brainiac watched as Elagabolus, timidly at first, put his hand on Numf-El’s shoulder. The boy seemed to concentrate, as Numf-El gave him a look like “What the hell are you doing?”, although Harbinger gave him a nudge. Suddenly the boys eyelids closed, and a blue light came from under his hand. And suddenly, Numf-El felt no pain.
“Shite! I feel better!”
“You’re better now,” said Elagabolus. “It’s not broken anymore, I fixed it.”
Doctor One smiled widely, in shock. The boy evidently had the power to heal, and there was no telling how powerful he was. Elag smiled at the reaction, as Numf-El stretched out his arm.
The Empress came back over, and she began talking to Harbinger and Doctor One about what was happening. Numf-El made a few more comments about Harbinger and the Empress, and Invisible Brainiac laughed along with him. Elagabolus, however, froze solid for a minute. In front of him, he saw a person. The person had been in his dreams for months.
Septimus. That was the man’s name. With a thick black beard and black-grayish hair, and a face that looked worn and wrinkled, as if he had been concentrating too hard for too many years. He appeared in Elag’s dreams, and spoke to him. And he was very mean, to the point where the only word that Elag could think of to describe him…was ‘evil’.
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Lard Lad snuck into the kitchen in Stu’s mansion. He had just drank about fifteen beers at SHAKES and decided to raid Stu’s kitchen because he knew Stu had recently re-supplied it with goodies. Grabbing a huge chicken drumstick, Lardy found a keg built into the kitchen wall and poured himself a huge beer. He figured he’d finish this snack and go find a woman to bed down with for a few hours, although, why even wait until he finished when he could just find one now? He spent a good deal of his nights with Hummer Lass, but Lardy was hardly the poster boy for monogamy, and enjoyed finding new ladies to for him to spread his debauchery. After all, it was what he was known for.
He was also known as one of the major forces in the LMB. Cobalt Kid always thought of him as the LMB’s “Big Gun”, what he considered the most potent LMBer to have in battle. Lardy had always been a mainstay of the LMB, and was one of the original founders. He was also voted as the group’s first leader, with almost the majority of the vote, since he was the natural leader of the group. Everyone knew he could have been leader multiple times, but he always tried to decline his nominations to let others get a chance at leader. He was a Lard-Knight, one of the most powerful forces in the universe, who wished to serve the forces of good over evil. Using his own and other peoples Lard to power himself, Lardy’s Lardforce was immeasurably powerful.
However, he was hungry first and foremost. And a chicken drumstick wasn’t going to cut it. Then he needed to spread his seed. Then maybe some more drinking before he found a place to pass out.
Then he heard a scream. And some yelling. And maybe some…blasting? Immediately, Lardy recognized the sounds of a large fighting erupting on Legion World, and his keen Lardforce senses detected them as coming from Doctor One’s laboratory. Using his Lardforce, he ported over there immediately.
[ January 08, 2004, 01:30 PM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
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Septimus smiled at Elagabolus, a grim slight smile that appeared to be forced form an otherwise grim man. “My boy…what are you doing with these people? They are not the ones for you” The boy, very scared, just stared back. “I have not visited you for awhile…I was hoping you would visit me. Our relationship cannot always be so…one-sided”.
“I…I don’t want to talk to you” replied Elagabolus. “I am sorry then young man, because I am talking to you,” replied Septimus. “I have been visiting you for some time now, I have tried to tell you the truth about your nature. And it does not adhere to the nature of these people you have found yourself with. You are like me boy…you have power. Magic.”
“I don’t want you to visit me in my dreams anymore. I don’t like talking to you…I-I’m scared…”
“BE SCARED!” yelled the Mage. “I am offering you a chance to talk to me peacefully. If you decline like you did last time, then I will show you what happens to those who decline my offerings…like last time,” replied Septimus, this time smiling with those last three words. “Let me show you your true nature, your true power”.
“N-No” said Elagabolus. The mage’s smile left him. He disappeared.
Invisible Brainiac suddenly noticed that Elagabolus was shaking. He looked pale white, visibly shaken. On a closer looked, the boy looked horrified, frightened out his mind! “Elag, are you OK?”
The boy never had a chance to respond. All at once, shadows arose out of the floor. A swarm of them came at the boy, as the LMB reacted accordingly. The Empress immediately used the Eye to blast one, although it maneuvered around her. Harbinger leapt at one, knocking it back, although the touch of it burnt her hand even through her gloves. “What the-?!” yelled Numf-El as two shadows grabbed him by the shoulders burning him. Doctor One immediately grabbed the boy and covered him with his massive body. Invisible Brainiac knew that Doctor One wasn’t invulnerable however, and grabbed the probing device Doctor One was using to swat at the shadows.
Six shadows swarmed them, their touch burning the LMBers, as they moved in and out of the walls. The Emerald Empress blasted a shadow, destroying it, showing that these ghouls could be destroyed! Harbinger, with a renewed sense of being able to fight these things, flew at two of them, clotheslining them backwards, despite the burning sensation they gave. Still, there appeared to be too many, especially since one touch could seriously injure Elagabolus.
Suddenly, Lard Lad appeared a drumstick and pitcher of beer in his hands. “Lardy! We need help!” yelled Invisible Brainiac, as the Lard-Knight took into account what was happening. Using his Lardforce, he quickly blasted two of the shadows swarming in on Doctor One and Invisible Brainiac, instantly destroying them. Numf-El and Harbinger fought the others, pushing them into a quickly thrown together trap, as the Empress and Lardy focused their powers on the spot they were all being pushed into.
Just as the shadows began to disintegrate, a large “BOOM!” erupted! Thrown forward by the blast, the Emerald Empress landed on Lardy, as both looked up to see what made the large noise. Appearing before them, was a large demonic looking dog with three-heads grinding their teeth and snarling at them. The size of small horse, the demonic beast growled loudly and let loose a cascade of fire…
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Cobalt flew magnetically across the street of Legion World. He had heard the loud fight as far down as SHAKES, and then heard the loud “BOOM!” that came after. Using his magnetism to fly above the crowds on the streets of Legion World, he flew over the daily citizens who were rushing to get home now that it was getting pretty dark. “Look, up in the sky!” one yelled, and Cobalt smiled to himself.
The noise definitely came from Doctor One’s laboratory, and that was where the boy Elagabolus had last been left. If that was the case, and he was being attacked, this would be the second attempt on the boy’s life here on Legion World, something that had never occurred before. That made matters far more serious. Space Ranger whizzed by him at top speed, evidently aware that the noise was originating from where they had left the ten-year boy. “Good, SP will be able to lend a hand…” he was thinking, when suddenly, shadows began to rise out of the streets of Legion World, blocking the way to the laboratory.
Attacking Space Ranger immediately, the shadows swarmed around him, burning his skin with their touch, despite his natural invulnerability. Cobalt immediately used his magnetism to lift a fairly large cruiser towards them, hurling in their direction, although they phased right through. Catching the cruiser, he lowered it down, as Space Ranger regrouped on the ground. The shadows honed in on him, until Outdoor Miner suddenly appeared, teleporting him back down the street to Cobalt.
“Everyone inside!” Cobalt yelled to the people in the streets as the three LMBers looked on at the shadows. “Alright, let’s go,” said Miner to Cobalt and Space Ranger, as the three prepared to attack.
“Wait!” they heard, as they looked up to see Iron Rat levitating down to them. Stu was the current leader of the LMB and had many forms, but right now, he was in his human one. “I can sense what kind of attack this is, and it’s one that you are all unprepared for. It’s magic.”
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Inside the laboratory of Doctor One, a large three-headed dog stood in front of the six LMBers and Elagabolus, snarling and gnawing it’s teeth together. Suddenly, breathed fire at them, a large stream of it that threatened to engulf them all.
The Emerald Empress through up a shield in time to block it, while Doctor One grabbed Elag and moved him to the back of them. As soon as the fire died down, Numf-El, Harbinger, the Empress and Lard Lad went to work, swarming the demonic beast on all sides, making sure that none of its three heads was able to bite them. While Numf and Harbinger pounded away, the Empress and Lard Lad blasted it with their powers. The beast apparently remained un-phased by it, and suddenly kicked both Lardy and the Empress back, then turned towards Numf-El, knocking him to the side. Harbinger flew over and held the mouth of one of the heads open, as it tried to bite down and rip Numf-El asunder! Another head swung sideways, and knocked them both to the side.
The beast now ran full speed at Doctor One and Elagabolus, who hurled in a ball in the corner. The boy was terrified; this monstrosity was the biggest and most horrifying thing he had ever seen. And thoughts of Septimus ran through his head, this strange mage who visited him in his dreams. Doctor One moved forward to meet the best, his large form blocking the view of Elag. Nevertheless, Doctor One knew that he had no power to speak of except his superior intellect, and that would not be able to save him now. Unsure of what to do, he stood forward, hoping at least to give the boy a chance. The Hellhound slowed down and walked over to Doctor One, growling loud enough to shake the floor. It stopped short and paused for a moment. Suddenly, it snapped forward, hoping to devour the LMBer.
Invisible Brainiac leaped across the beast to tackle Doctor One out of the way, everyone having forgotten that he was in the room. The rolled to the corner, as Invisible Brainiac made sure they were far enough away to escape the Hellhounds jaws. They had nothing to worry about, the beast turned to Elagabolus.
The boy began shaking, his fear visible in his face. He was sweating uncontrollably, and knew that any second he would wet his pants. The dog let loose a loud growl “RAWR!” into the boys face, and made his ears ring. It leaned forward. Elag, a tear running down his face, had no idea what to do. The Hellhound inched its nose closer, sniffing the boy, when Elagabolus suddenly reached out to touch the snout.
The boy’s hand hit the snout, and immediately, the fear that Elagabolus felt began to swell up in his body. He felt as if he was being emotionally drained through his hand. The dog suddenly began to weep in pain. Where it had just seconds before been ready to bite the boy in half, it began to whimper uncontrollably. Underneath Elag’s hand, a red glow could be seen. The boy was terrified still tremendously, and mad at himself for being so terrified. He was madder at the Hellhound.
Suddenly, the Hellhound began slowly to disintegrate, until in a puff of fire, it slowly burnt to ashes and dust…
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Lard Lad was the first to regain his senses, and immediately ported over to the boy. His eyes amazed him. The Hellhound was now ashes and dust, slowly burning out and fizzling away. He looked at the boy wondering what the hell he was. The boy looked scared, exhausted and embarrassed.
Elagabolus didn’t know how to feel. He wanted to throw up. He stepped forward, his legs shaking. He felt like he was walking on eggshells. The large LMBer just looked at him in shock. “That was something little man” he finally said. Elag wasn’t sure whether to cry or lie down. Harbinger flew over. She scooped him up into her arms. “Elag, are you OK?”
“I don’t know” he replied.
“Did’ja see?” asked Numf-El to the Empress, who replied with a “Sshh.”
“Elag, it’s alright. You did what you had to” said Harbinger, as Doctor One and Invisible Brainiac walked over.
“Elag…you saved our lives,” said Doctor One. “Thank you.”
Elag nodded slowly to Doctor One. He wrapped his arms around Harbinger.
“Atta boy,” whispered Numf-El, “go for the guns.”
Lard Lad looked at Doctor One, as Harbinger walked with Elagabolus in his hands. “Who is that? And did you see what he did? He just disintegrated that flaming hellhound! That boy has the power to destroy!” said Lardy, still amazed at the show of strength.
“Evidently,” replied Doctor One, “that boy has quite a bit of power.” --------------------
Iron Rat moved forward using a levitation spell, focusing his magic together, concentrating to cast a spell on the shadows. He was the current leader of the LMB, and a master-mage. Of all the LMBers, he understood magic best, and was the only one who could recognize it so easily. And that was exactly what these shadow creations were, shadow-golems summoned to attack whatever was their target. Stu unleashed a spell upon them, using an ages old chant that none could understand. However, by the time he reopened his eyes, the shadows had disappeared again. They were gone.
Cobalt Kid, Space Ranger and Outdoor Miner looked on, watching the shadows, preparing to attack them if they moved out of Stu’s range or attacked someone. The watched as Iron Rat began casting a spell, something that none of them really understood. “Magic…” thought Cobalt, “…I hate it.” However, the shadows suddenly disappeared.
“Stu, was that you?” asked Cobalt.
“No…it was not. They have gone, their mission must be over, although I don’t know if it was a success or failure.” Replied Iron Rat.
“Only one way to find out” said Space Ranger, zipping off to Doctor One’s lab.
“Miner?” said Cobalt. “To Juan’s lab.” Outdoor Miner teleported the three there immediately.
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Iron Rat stood watching Doctor One cleaning up the mess in his lab, as Harbinger and Invisible Brainiac talked with Elagabolus. Cobalt Kid stood next to him, waiting for him to take in everything he saw before they started figuring out what the next move would be. Cobalt relieved the Empress to go enjoy her night, since enough LMBers would be around for the rest of it, and Numf-El decided to go grab a few pints as a preview before the real drinking began. Lardy ‘ported out too for the time being, but told them to call him as soon as the needed help. He and Cobalt had been longtime friends, and he reminded Cobalt that anytime he needed someone to back him up, there was no need to hesitate in asking.
Stu went through the day’s events in his head as Cobalt had told them to him. Apparently, this boy Elagabolus was much, much more than any of the LMB had guessed. Where they initially thought he had the ability to make plants grow, they learned that he had the ability to heal, to make things healthier. In a sense, the ability to provide life. Further, after having witnessed the boy destroy a creature that had given six LMBers a tough time, two of whom were Lard Lad and the Emerald Empress, the boy apparently now possessed another power, the power to destroy and disintegrate, possibly the power of death. Life and death…a dichotomy of a power that was threatening to anyone’s sanity, let alone a young child. It was far too powerful a power for any man or woman, and now this ten-year old kid controlled such forces. There was no question that this was the reason for the attacks on him, although they would now have to find the motives behind why these particular creatures had attacked him. They were magical, that much he knew as fact, and upon meeting the boy, Stu had immediately used a spell to detect magic on him. And the boy registered as being as magically powered as anything that he had ever seen in his life.
Most LMBers did not understand magic; that was pure fact. He was the only one for sure who understood it completely, although he had the distinct advantage of being trained as a mage. Stu came to the LMB in its third year, and fit right in, creating fast friendships. He had been leader of the LMB twice before this, one term split with Lucien Lad and two deputies, and now was leader of the LMB once again, although this time he was also the second leader of Legion World, now that the lines between both titles had been blurred. Since joining, he had been a stalwart LMBer, someone everyone could rely on. He had his own distinct outlook on life, much of it influenced by his daily use of magic. Stu understood the basic nature of magic: to understand the world in a different way from science. Since Cobalt’s return to the LMB, Stu and he had become good friends, better than they had been before. They operated in secret often, as leader and security chief, and had grown to trust one another implicitly.
“What do you think Stu?”
“He’s magical Des,” replied the mage. “Extremely. There is enough power emanating from him to make me unsure of how much power he has. Which means a lot. Which means that it’s an awful lot for a ten year old kid to handle.”
“Kind of puts a big spin on the whole farm boy who can make plants grow angle”
“Big time. This boy is immensely powerful, and we can’t underestimate it. This is the power of life and death. Who knows what he could do if he knew how to harness it…” he said trailed off.
Cobalt knew what he was thinking. “Stu, we need to protect this boy. People can’t get attacked here on Legion World, it destroys the dream we built here as a safe haven.”
“I agree.”
“I’ll make sure he’s alright for the time being. I’ll personally protect him, with various LMBers, not just Security Officers, on regular shifts. I’ll also hunt down whatever info I can from both the boy and from my sources.”
“Agreed. I’ll do what I can in the magic world to learn what is happening here. Cobie, this might be a problem you don’t know how to deal with,” he said suddenly turning to face him.
Cobalt nodded silently. “I know. Magic isn’t my forte at all. You have a lot of responsibility as leader these days…”
“You can count on me. I have He Who Wanders ready and Princess Crujectra is always ready to step back in and help out. So I’ll do what I can, I’m the only with the necessary experience I think.”
“And the boy then? Keep him protected as planned on Legion World, with the LMB as his guardians? Even though that makes Legion World a target?”
“Yes. If that is the price…of his security” said Stu grimly.
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Cobalt Kid looked across his desk at the boy Elagabolus. The boy looked scared and like he really didn’t want to be there. The boy was ten, or at least that was what they thought, and a bit smaller for his age than other ten year olds. Cobalt felt a bit uncomfortable too, he wasn’t used to young children and found them a bit unnerving at times. He reasoned that he felt this way after what had happened to all his children: three turned out to be demons or future world conquerors, and two were thrown through time, Numf-El and Umber. When his arch-nemesis, Dr. Albert Hoffman had captured him all those years ago, he told him that he would curse him to never be able to bear a healthy child and that he could never enjoy watching his children grow. At the time, Cobalt didn’t give it much though. Now he regretted it every day, regretted how screwed up his life had been because of that man...
Cobalt snapped back to the present situation. Every so often he would catch himself brooding about what he’d been through, the mental and physical torture, Dr. Albert Hoffman, his lost children and the death of his wife Fiona, the LMBer Space Tart. This wasn’t the time however, because this boy looked frightened beyond all belief and Cobalt was only making it worse. “Elag, this is hard for me,” began Cobalt. “I…I don’t have a lot of experience with kids, I’m not like Harbinger. I…I want to help you. I want to be your friend. You’re…you’re in trouble, there are people who are trying to hurt you, and I’m not going to let them. But I need you to help me. Can you help me?”
“Y-yes” replied the small boy.
“Ok. Good. We’ll make a deal then. I promise that I’ll protect you, and you promise to tell me everything you can about your powers, the things that attacked you, and what you know…about magic. Does that sound good Elag? Deal?”
Cobalt looked at the boy who looked at him. He felt bad again, Elag looked like he was going to cry. Did he scare him? Was he too hard? Elag suddenly stood up. He walked over to Cobalt, and put his arms around him, squeezing him in close. He hugged him. Cobalt was surprised, but he put his big arms around him. He hugged him back and tightly. “It’s OK buddy, you’re with me now. I’ll protect you…” He could hear the boy sniffle, as tears rolled down his eyes. “I’m here…” Elag held him tightly.
“I’m scared,” he said.
“I know.” Cobalt replied
“The deal sounds good,” said the boy.
Cobalt smiled at the little guy, for being so honest and trying to act adult. He felt good, like he could help him, for an instant he felt like that deep down when it came down to it…maybe he could be a good father. “OK then, tell me everything.”
The boy sat back down, although Cobalt moved his chair in closer to him, so that the big desk wasn’t stuck between them. “What were those things?”
“I-I don’t know. But it’s the wizard, the one from my dreams. He said his name is Septimus…he’s a wizard. He told me that he wants me to…be a bag guy. He said that I’m evil, that I should believe him…that I’m evil and that I need to be who I am…I didn’t know what he meant…I was so scared…I don’t want to be evil…”
Cobalt put his hand on his shoulder. “OK, that’s good. That’s a start. It’s OK big guy, we’re here, and we’ll protect you. Now look at me.” The boy looked at him, teary eyed again. “You are not evil. Do you hear me? You’re just a boy, and you need to hear this: you are not evil.” “Ok” replied Elag.
“Let’s go get a hot chocolate, ok?” said Cobalt. “Does that sound good?”
“Yeah,” smiled the boy. “Cobalt Kid…can I call you Cobie?”
Cobalt half-smiled. He couldn’t even remember how that nickname started, but he’d grown to like it over the years. “Sure you could. Only my friends can, so I guess that makes us friends.”
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Iron Rat entered his mansion, and immediately began walking up to the second floor. Deep within his mansion, Stu had created an inner sanctuary, a place completely for himself. There, in his sanctum sanctorium, he practiced the arts of magic. Once he arrived on the second floor, Stu followed his private path around the bends of the hallway. One misplaced step could screw up the spell, for the only way to find an entrance to his inner sanctuary was to walk the right path that had been set by the boundaries of his ward spells. For Stu, it was second nature now. He crossed into the next hallway, and the door was there, the door that only appeared when Stu walked the right path, the door that appeared for no one else.
Stu entered, and shut the door behind him, the door disappearing afterwards. He walked to the center of the room, where a podium stood with two candles on either side. Using a small cantrip spell, Stu lit the two candles with a blink of his eyes. The room lit up immediately, and the candles lit off an aroma that swirled throughout the room. Stu knew that a good mage never rushed, but he was powerful enough these days to be able to disobey that rule a tad. He uncovered a crystal ball that had it’s own place further into the sanctuary. Then, he took out some powders, various colored things, and what looked to be some twigs and spices. Stu knew perfectly what they were, although he would never tell another. He decided long ago that he would not take an apprentice, as he was once taken by a great mage, the world of magic was far too dangerous and demanding, nothing was given for free, and the price was often far too great. It was a potent life to live in the world of magic, but Stu had never meant a mage that didn’t eventually pay a price that was far too great for something as benign as magic.
Levitating off his feet a bit, Stu closed his eyes, as a pentagram slowly lit across the floor. Other symbols grew in flame slightly, including a large triangle, the ancient symbol for the male, which Stu used to power himself as male mage. Stu had learned some time ago that an easier way to cast spells and make the world around him more susceptible to magic was to polymorph himself into an animal, such has a dog or duck. By doing so, it allowed him to shut the world off around him easier, making his spells even more potent and powerful. Here in his sanctum, however, he had no need for such things.
The process of casting the spell seemed to wear on, and Stu was thankful for not having eaten yet today, fasting was often a potent way to strengthen his own will, the most important part of spell-casting. His crystal began to glow blue. He uttered the words outloud: “Elagabolus”. Images began flashing across the crystal. Then, Stu turned to a larger mirror on the ceiling, that was almost unnoticeable before. “To the Haven.” He said aloud, and the mirror began to swirl. Suddenly he was gone.
Iron Rat transported himself to another plane, a place where he could converse with other magic-users, some mages, some centaurs and elves, some things with no name at all. There, these beings could answer questions of him, especially those who owed him favors, of which there were many. And he would learn the story of Elagabolus.
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Cobalt and Elagabolus entered Café Cramer, seeing a fair sized crowd gathering for some late night snacks. Cobalt smiled, remembering that he accidentally created what he called a ‘hot chocolatte’ a few months earlier, and after trying them out, had opened up a small shop called chocolatte with Stu, although neither had the time to maintain it for long amounts of time. Cobalt didn’t mind though, he enjoyed the atmosphere of Café Cramer immensely, mainly do to the pleasant nature of it’s owner. Elag, shy as ever, stood close to Cobalt, behind his legs, so he was hard to see.
“It’s OK Elag,” said Cobalt, “everyone is a friend here.”
The boy moved further into view, as a beautiful young blonde woman walked past them. She had a blue and red costume with a mini-skirt and a cape, and she smiled at Cobalt as she walked by. “Hi Cobie” she said a bit shyly, causing Cobalt to smile and respond “Hi Kara.” She kept walking, as Cobalt smiled to himself, causing Elag to wonder who that was. The two approached the counter, and a young woman with auburn hair and a green blouse looked at them and smiled.
“Hi Ann, how are you?” said Cobalt with a smile, causing the young woman to blush.
“Hi Cobalt,” she smiled, “what can I get you?”
“Just a coffee for me, black. And a hot chocolate for this young man, although you can make it one of those nice concoctions that Cramey had cooked up.” Turning to Elag, he asked “are you hungry?”
“Yeah” said the boy meekly, almost a whisper.
Cobalt smiled. “There’s no need to be shy Elag, it’s OK. He’ll have some of those raspberry pancakes Ann” he said turning back to the girl. As she went to get them he added, “busy later tonight?” with a half-smile.
Smiling herself now, she replied “I don’t think so…what are you doing tonight?”
“Well, if you’re not busy, maybe I could drop by and we can figure something out?” Cobalt was suppressing a grin now, and Elag could tell the girl was flustered.
“That sounds good” she said smiling.
“OK then, I’ll see you later” he smiled, and brought the boy over to a table. “OK, here you go” he said to Elag, giving him his food.
“Who was that girl?” asked Elag. “And the other girl too?”
“Well, the other girl is Kara, an…old friend of mine,” replied the Security Chief, “and Ann is a girl I’ve just recently meant. Invisible Brainiac has a crush on her younger sister, who also works here, and that’s how I meant Ann. She’s cute, isn’t she?”
“It seems like you know a lot of girls” said Elag in a disapproving way.
“Well!” smiled Cobalt. “Not your style I see. Eat up, and I promise I’ll stop flirting with girls if you want.” They both smiled a little. “Here comes FC”
Fat Cramer, the owner of the establishment made her way over to Cobalt and Elag, hopping into the booth they were sitting at, next to Elag. Fat Cramer was a feline, a soft and pretty cat, who had come to Legion World with the LMB. She was sweet and gentle, and everyone on Legion World who talked to her instantly fell in love with her. She also had a rugged side too, and Cobalt pitied the moron who angered her and ending up on the receiving side of her claws. More importantly, Fat Cramer was immensely knowledgeable, and knew a great deal about a vast array of subjects. Cobalt had come to greatly respect this side of her personality, and he often came to her to discuss intellectual and cultural matters. Recently, he was delighted to here her take on a communist historian of the past and a political analyst named Noam Chomsky.
The reasons for coming to Café Cramer were threefold: to make the boy comfortable with food and a hot chocolate, to get FC’s perspective on what the boy’s possible story was, and for FC to talk to the boy to make him feel more at ease. She was naturally easy to talk to, so she could help put this very scared and shy boy in a more comfortable positon.
“Hiya Cobie,” she said while hopping up. “Hello, you must be Elagabolus. Welcome to my Café”
“Th-thanks” he smiled, realizing he was talking to a cat.
She smiled at him. “I know what you’re going to ask, so yes, I’ll let you pet me. But this is a rare thing” she added, making Cobalt smile.
Cobalt watched as FC put the boy at ease. His plan was working, and he waited a few minutes before getting into it. “OK Elag, why don’t you tell me exactly what the story is with you and Septimus.”
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Fat Cramer and Cobalt Kid listened as Elagabolus once again went through the story of how Septimus had visited him in his dreams. This time, Cobalt had him do it very slowly though, having the boy go through ever detail that he could remember. Fat Cramer talked to the boy, using her charm to get him to stop being shy and have a conversation with them. Eventually, it began to work, and Elagabolus began telling them what had happened.
The boy had known he had some kind of power, but he wasn’t sure what it was. In his dreams, the man called Septimus would visit him, and often just stare at the boy, giving him a queasy feeling in his stomach. Finally, the bearded man would talk to him.
Immediately, Elag had known that Septimus was a mage of some sort, he could feel magic emanating from him, even though he didn’t know what the word “magic” meant at the time. Septimus was a bearded man with black hair, with lines around his eyes that made him look tired and older than he was. And Elag could sense another foul stench off of him, something that told him that this was a bad man…and evil man.
Septimus would ask the boy to consider his future, a future where he could control the world. Septimus offered to train the boy, to get him to understand his power. The words he used were “to understand your nature.” Elag would cry himself to sleep at night…he had begun to believe he was evil.
In telling the story, Cobalt could see Elag getting visibly upset in recalling those feelings. FC comforted him, telling him that he was only what he made himself to be, and that evil is not something that someone was born with. Yet Elag told her that he secretly felt that he was both good and bad, that he constantly felt like he couldn’t help being both of those things.
“Elag, there is something about you that makes you different,” said Fat Cramer, “but these things you feel are things that everyone feels at one point or another. In that sense, you’re no different than me or Cobalt, than anyone in this Café”.
“FC,” began Cobalt, “you are better read on magic than I am. I hate the notion of magic, that much is plainly known. But Stu is convinced that Elag has some sort of power that is based on magic, making it hard for someone to understand who can’t understand magic. But he has the power to create and destroy, of life and death, at least, according to Doctor One and Stu. Do you think, the things that Elag has felt are connected…?”
Fat Cramer knew what Cobalt was getting at, although he was clearly beating around the bush. Could Elagabolus’ powers of life and death be causing these feelings of being good and bad? Was there truly a war raging inside the boy between good and evil? “Maybe” was all she could think to reply.
“And you’ve never heard of a Septimus before?” he asked.
“No, I haven’t. Although I’ve just thought of something. Esk comes in here all the time, and you know that she dreams of things to happen in the future. Lately, she told me that she’s been having nightmares, about some great evil. Maybe you should talk to her, maybe it’s related. The timing of these two things might not be coincidence.”
“Thanks FC, I will.” Elag smiled at her too, and pet her again. “Hold on guys, look” said Cobalt suddenly, as they turned to see Invisible Brainiac walk in. The young man walked over to the counter and began talking to a girl behind it. “That’s Sara, Ann’s sister. Watch, he really likes this girl, and it’s plain that she adores him, with his being a security officer and bonafide LMB hero and all, but they’re both still nervous around each other! I love it!”
“Oh Cobie…” said FC. “ The things that amuse you boys…”
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Iron Rat appeared in deep concentration, in the plane that was without a name, where he could converse with other magical beings who were powerful enough to travel there. Here, no one could touch or harm another, and information was currency that mattered most.
Stu was worried about the recent events with Elagabolus and this Septimus character. Was the cost for this boy’s security the endangerment of Legion World? He could only hope it wasn’t.
Suddenly, Stu sensed another presence. In front of him was a pale white elven woman, with a hood covering her head. Her teeth looked sharp like razors. “Rat-Mage…long has it been since you have come to the Traveler’s Plane”.
“Not long enough Jocelyn Moonstar, although I come seeking information.”
“You know the price of information around here. Tit for tat they say, and what is it that you could ever hope to offer” she smiled moving forward to Stu so that he could see her tattered robes. Her eyes remained hidden by her blue cloak.
“I offer you more information for your endless search for your lover, information to where he is now.”
“Do you? That is worth something then…so I may one day meet him again and make love to him one more time before I cut his body into pieces…” she responded slowly. “And in return?”
“In return I ask for information on Elagabolus and Septimus, whether you know either name.”
“Very well, I freely give you this: Septimus is a mage unknown to you and many others, for he is too frightened to leave his castle. But he is strong and wise and old and smart. And he craves the end of all things, driven mad long ago by his magic. He searches for the next son of Magic, to have the prodigal rid the world of itself. This I give to you, now tell me what you know…”
“I know this: that your lover has long ago made himself a eunuch, so that you could not use him to sate yourself ever again, this way, he knows you’ll be unable to end his life. He lives as all great eunuchs do…as a King’s Vizier.”
“NOOOO!” screamed the Pale Elven Witch! “No, that is unacceptable! You lie! You-“ and suddenly she was gone.
“Such is the way of this place,” thought Stu, “after an exchange there can be no more talking…”
Suddenly a great green blob appeared in front of him, shocking Iron Rat back! A large mouth opened, and hundreds of flies flew out, revealing disgusting yellow teeth and a ravenous pink tongue.
“Glorgylith! I did not know you traveled through here…” said Stu, suddenly aware that he was very afraid.
“I do flesh-meat, and I can sense your fear. But you know you have no need to fear me, your are full grown now. What is it you wish to know?”
“I…” hesitated Stu, unsure what to do, “I ask what you know of Elagabolus and Septimus.”
“Elagabolus? You ask wisely, for you know that I search for the flesh of children to feed myself. Elagabolus is but a boy, and would be a great dinner indeed. He is the new Nexus of Magic, the new Merlin, the new Atlantis. He has arrived in this world and magic comes and goes through his existence. He is both black and white, dark and light, proud and humble. If I meet him, I will devour him.”
“The new Nexus…” thought Stu, suddenly aware that he knew what Elagabolus was. And what Septimus was trying to do. “And Septimus?”
“Too late Rat-Mage, I have given you the currency required. Now it is my turn, and you must answer, such is the price for traveling in this realm. I ask you to tell me where Elagabolus, the light of magi lives!” yelled the giant mouth with a snort, suddenly laughing loudly, feeling a triumph as he now realized that he could have the tastiest meal in centuries in mere moments.
Stu suddenly realized that he had made a mistake. And this beast was far too powerful to fight alone. He spoke finally. “You have erred great beast, for the child lives nowhere. He lives far away with his grandfather, just a small boy unaware that he has any strange abilities. In all of this time, he has never come to accept any other place as his home. He ‘lives’ nowhere now, he can only be located in certain places.”
“Trickery! You dare to use trickery here!”
“There is no trickery! You know the rules of this realm. I have given you an answer specific to your question!”
“And you have made a grave enemy today Rat-Mage. Be weary that one day I find out where you live, and children begin disappearing from your home…”
As the beast faded away, Stu suddenly realized that he should no longer continue. He had more than enough information to know what was happening, and had now made a great and terrible enemy. Better to leave now than to make another. Concentrating, Iron Rat slowly left the realm of travelers and information.
Waking back up in his sanctuary, Stu leaned forward and blew out his candles. Picking himself up, he slowly crept over to a bed laid out on the floor and laid in it, completely exhausted
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Cobalt Kid and Elagabolus walked through the streets of Legion World, noticing that there was still a lot of activity despite it being a very dark night. Cobalt was more at ease however, since Elag seemed more at ease, without any doubt being the comforting nature of Fat Cramer. Cobalt was glad, since the poor kid seemed so nervous all the time. In fact, he figured it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to bring Elag with him to see Esk, just in case she had anything to say that might frighten the boy. That was the last thing that he needed.
Up ahead he saw Poverty Lad coming towards them, with a grin on his face. Cobalt recognized that grin well, and it was usually followed by a ‘uh-oh…’. Known for his humor, Pov constantly made Cobalt laugh, even though he was the butt of a good deal of his jokes. Cobalt didn’t mind though, he always could take a joke as long it was funny. And Pov usually was. They had become fast friends easily, and Cobalt realized that Pov could watch Elag for a second while he talked to Esk. Pov was not only known for joking around, he was a tall Martian and was strong enough to fend off any attacks.
“So, little man, have you seen Cobie’s statue yet?” smiled Poverty Lad, to which Cobalt let out a groan. That could only mean trouble.
“You have a statue?” asked the boy.
“Two of them,” replied Pov for them, with a wide grin setting in.
“Great. Elag, whatever he says, don’t listen. And don’t believe any stories about cheerleader outfits, Gary Coleman and sheep either.” Said Cobalt, as Pov walked off with Elag for a few minutes.
Cobalt Kid turned and entered where Esk was quartered, an area that was where most of the newer arrivals to Legion World lived. She was new to both Legion World and the LMB, although her power of foresight had been useful. Cobalt greeted her with a smile, but decided to cut through a lot of the small talk. He hadn’t really had the chance to meet her yet, but it was getting very late and he was curious to know what she was dreaming.
“As usual,” she began, “I can’t remember most of what I dream. Although lately I’ve had recurring nightmares, and certain things stick out in my mind. Five years later. Something about Lardlad. Something about a great evil and the end of the LMB…”
“Five years from today?” asked Cobalt
“No…five years after the end of the LMB. Something about the LMB ending because of a great evil, and five long years of suffering for all of us. The evil is what caused the end…that’s what I keep dreaming about. Something about magic and friends turning on friends…”
“Magic?” said Cobalt aloud. Both were quiet for a minute, Esk trying to remember more, Cobalt trying to figure out what she meant. If what she said was accurate, she was having dreams about something far more serious than anything any of them were aware of. The end of the LMB? Impossible. What could possibly lead to that?
Finally, she broke the silence. “There was a name that kept coming up too…something evil…the enemy, it was the name of the enemy…”
“Was it Septimus?” said Cobalt suddenly concerned that this mage who was visiting the boy may be a bigger enemy than they realized.
“No…not Septimus. Something else…Ela…Elag-“
“Elagabolus?!!” yelled Cobalt suddenly, unaware that he had raised his voice or had cut off Esk. “Was the name Elagabolus?”
“Yes! That was it. How did you…do you know the name?”
Cobalt felt a lump in his throat and sat down slowly. He wasn’t looking at her anymore, but just staring at the wall of her room. Elagabolus? The great evil that would destroy the LMB? The boy? That poor, scared kid? But…how? He felt his heart sink, and realized that he didn’t know what to do. This boy was a nice kid, he hadn’t done anything wrong…how was it that fortune would lead him to become an evil man? It wasn’t fair. Was his fate pre-ordained? ------------- Cobalt walked out of Esk’s quarters, his head pounding, his emotions swirling within. He felt a bit sick, like someone had just kicked a puppy for no reason, that there was no justice in the world after all.
Up ahead, he saw Pov walking back with Elagabolus, both smiling and laughing. “The boy was” laughing Cobalt realized. Pov got the kid to finally stop acting scared and start having some fun. How could this sweet kid be laughing and running around happy, and then one day try to kill them all?
“Cobie, we just made you a new statue!” yelled Poverty Lad, “You’ll love it!” “Don’t be mad at me though Cobie,” smiled Elag, “he made me do it”.
Up ahead, Cobalt could see a large statue of a bidet in the street. Blocking traffic. Causing a ruckus. He shook his head. Another statue of a bidet. He tried to stop it, but a large smile crept up across his mouth. He started laughing too, as Elag ran over.
“I hope you’re not mad,” the boy smiled.
“Of course not!” laughed Cobalt, as he grabbed Pov in a bear-hug and the two wrestled around, “but at this guy…” he said as they all laughed.
But in the back of his mind, Cobalt looked at the boy and wondered…
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
A short time later, Cobalt and Elagabolus walked to their last destination, the quarters of Grey Birdboy. This would be the last stop for the night, before Elag would get the chance to take it easy (under serious guard) and Cobalt would go out for the night. Both were exhausted anyway, so they were ready to call it a day.
Greybird was a long-standing LMBer, known for his golden skin, large wings and love of flying. He was further known to be immensely articulate, with an incredible degree of knowledge stored in his head. Cobalt knew that Grey might be able to shed some more light on the mystery of this boy, he had come to Grey before on numerous occasions to talk about things and Grey was often able to supply some information on very obscure subjects that Cobalt had never even heard of before.
Entering his aerie, Cobalt called out loud to Greybird, wondering if he was flying up above. Elagabolus looked around in amazement at such a place, excited to feel the energy in the room exuding from someone so content in flying. Greybird suddenly flew down.
“Can I help you amigo?” he said with a rueful grin.
“Maybe,” replied Cobalt, who learned long ago that matching wits with people was nowhere near as fun as acting silly among serious people and serious among silly people. “This is Elagabolus, the boy who has recently come to Legion World”
“I got attacked by a fire-dog” said the boy.
“Ah, I see,” smiled Greybird. “Nice to meet you.”
“I’ll get right to the point Grey, I’ve explained this story too often lately. Recently, the boy had been visited in his dreams by a mage named Septimus. This afternoon, he was attacked by the servants of the mage here on Legion World. We know next to nothing about this Septimus character and were wondering if you had ever heard of him before?”
“Hm…Septimus?” replied the winged LMBer. “Yes, I have heard of him.” “You have?!” said Cobalt suddenly. “Really?!”
“Yes, really” Greybird grinned, “the mage who refuses to leave his castle. It’s an old tale, but then again, he’s an old mage. I’ve heard the story before, long before I ever meant any of you LMBers”.
“The tale? How does it go? What do you know of him?” asked Cobalt.
“It’s an old tale, and like most old tales, must have some degree of truth. Septimus is what the mage is called, and he is very old and very powerful. And he is very mad. He lives in a castle and cannot leave it, for fear of being destroyed by the world. So in return, he wants to destroy the world instead. That’s about as much as I’ve ever learned about it, although I have to admit, I’ve never but much effort in learning more. It was told to me one day while traveling, among one of the many inns that exist around the universe. Nothing like your favorite Hootchie Hut, mind you, but just a normal inn where many Bards had come one night. One Bard told that tale.”
“You have no idea where this castle is?” asked Cobalt.
“None. Like I said, that’s all I know”.
“Grey, you’re the best! At least we have some kind of start now…” said Cobalt, although the words of Esk suddenly went through his head for some reason or another.
“You OK?” asked Grey.
“Yeah, I’m good. Thanks Grey”
“Mr. Grey Birdboy?” said Elag. “Can you hold me up while you fly for a lil’ bit?”
Cobalt turned to him, surprised. Grey looked surprised too, but then smiled. “Of course. Everyone should have the chance to fly once…”
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Nighttime - Time moves and the evening becomes night. The night life on Legion World has quickly become famous for it’s entertainment. SHAKES, the bar started by Semi-Transparent Fellow and now co-owned by Varalent is widely recognized as the star attraction on Legion World, for it’s comfortable atmosphere and pleasant company. Shameless Hussies exists down the street, known for a more hedonistic crowd and risqué atmosphere. The Beacon serves as the most renowned dining establishment on Legion World, where many of the most famous inhabitants of Legion World come to dine, Fincluding Princess Crujectra, the legendary hero Cobalt Kid, and the most famous and widely sought-after LMBer of all, Lash Lad. All of these places, and many others exist as a way to maintain a warm atmosphere on Legion World.
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SHAKES - Behind the bar, Icefyre smiled, flirting with Quislet Enq., the customer in front of him. Drinking a ginger ale, Quis laughed, as Icey’s charm set in. At a table, Kid Prime enjoyed a drink with Outdoor Miner, after a witty comment from the bug in response to Harbinger pouring a beer on Abin Quank’s head.
SHAMELESS HUSSIES - Numf-El, Space Ranger and Lard Lad enjoyed a night of hedonism, after renting out the back room with ten ‘dancers’ to keep their attention. In an adjacent room, a large group of males held hopes that Lash Lad will put an appearance in to satisfy his fans.
The Beacon - Cobalt Kid enjoyed a conversation with Anne, the girl from Café Cramer, as they await their delicious dinner. A few tables over, Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl enjoyed a quiet dinner to themselves, as Ultra Matt and Princess Crujectra smile to a young couple who beg them to sign an autograph.
Cafe Cramer - Fat Cramer smiled to Arachne, as they share a private choke after watching Invisible Brainiac and Sara, the young girl who works at the Café, get a cup of coffee together and start having small talk by the widow. After making a few jokes about Eyrk Davis Ester’s renowned bad luck, IB comfortably put his hand on Sara’s.
LMB Headquarters - Danny Blaine turned to Sonnie Bloke, with a half-smile on his face.
“How is it, that we get stuck having to watch this kid when all of the LMB is out partying?” asked Danny, half serious, half joking. Handsome and charming, Danny is not only known for being a great writer, but also a very caring LMBer, causing Sonnie to know that he’s joking.
“Well, there are some more fun things we can do while we’re waiting” replied Sonnie, also known for his fun-loving charm and skills as an artist. “Unless you’re waiting for Raging Bull to stop by again…”
Danny blushed quickly and then replied smiling with a “Shh! Elag might still be awake, he’s only been in there for a half hour.” Turning to look through the small window on the door, Danny made sure that Elag was still in bed, tucked under the covers as they’d left him. After spending most the evening with Cobalt, the young boy was exhausted and pretty much ready for bed. It didn’t take much for him to doze off after laying down and being tucked in by Danny.
After the first attack, Stu had decided to have a constant watch on Elagabolus all night long, and all day too, with a constant rotation of LMBers. Picking their names randomly, He Who Wanders, who was in charge for a few hours while Stu attending to his own magic investigations, put Sonnie and Danny on the first watch. So far, the night had been slow and boring, although both were thankful for the others company. They hoped that it would stay that way. --------------------- Up in a vent, overlooking Sonnie, Danny, and Elag’s room, Vee smiled and turned to Semi, who was by his side. “Maybe they have the right idea?”
“I think so,” smiled Semi back, “but we have to watch out in case anything happens”.
Known by their fellow LMBers as being two of the nicest and friendliest LMBers, both Semi and Vee were loved by everyone they met on Legion World. Semi-Transparent Fellow, a true gentleman and loyal friend, had the power to turn invisible (or at least semi-transparent). Varalent, who was brave, confident and just as charming had the ability to shrink himself and other things. Their powers were remarkably compatible, and they made the perfect team for espionage. In fact, both were secretly members of Cobalt Kid’s security team, although on an ultra-secret squad that dealt specifically with espionage. Being the owners of SHAKES, the premier establishment on Legion World, gave them unlimited access to information that might be passed along by their patrons. Combined with their powers, this gave both Semi and Vee the ability to subtly ensure the safety of Legion World.
In addition to the compatibility of their powers, the two were also known to be compatible as human beings, and had enjoyed a wonderful relationship. A true love story for Legion World, they made the perfect pair. Cobalt had come to them privately and asked if they could secretly watch Elag tonight, to give a little extra security for the boy. Both accepted this without a second thought, leaving Icefyre in charge of SHAKES for the night.
“Well Semi-Sweets?” smiled Vee. “I am getting a bit cold over here…”
Semi smiled. “We can’t have that, can we?”
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The Mansion - Stu awoke from his quick sleep, refreshed from being exhausted after using his magic. He knew he had to act quickly. He needed to talk to Cobalt, to He Who Wanders, and maybe even to the LMB founders and Legion World founders. If what he had learned about Elagabolus and Septimus was true, things were a lot more dangerous for all of them.
[ January 18, 2004, 03:40 PM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Across space, on a planet blanketed in fog, a crooked castle stands tall, through the clouds that hang low over a dark and bleak land. Long lost to space-faring adventures, this planet no longer has any name that it can be called. However, the castle is known to some as Irrunila. It is home to Septimus the Black, the mage who fears life so much that he seeks to end everything.
“We will have him tonight” said the mage to the shadows in his throne room. “I have waited long enough for his coming, and now that we know where he is, it shall end. Bring me the boy, and kill anything that threatens to hinder you in doing this.”
“It shall be done” replied a voice, as a skinny tall man stepped forward. Dirty yellow eyes lit up as he spoke to his master, and the Vampire known as Severus appeared out of the shadows. “The boy shall be ours and blood will be spilled.”
“Good. The shadows…” said the wizard, looking at his shadow-demons move across the walls, living shadows whose touch burned human flesh, “…work well, and their mindless devotion is their greatest asset. Yet, they lack the ability to think overtly…which is where I will need your services. Take your warriors and go. I will be there in spirit.”
“It shall be done” replied the Vampire again, as he moved back into the shadows.
Septimus stared into the fog of the night unsmiling.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Wiping the grogginess from his eyes, Stu poured himself a hot cup of water and placed a tea bag into it. He knew that he should be moving fast, but it was important to take enough time aside for getting his wits back about him. His journey into the Traveler’s Plane was draining, and left him both starved and exhausted. After a brief slumber, he awoke with a renewed vigor, although he widely acknowledged that this vigor was purely based on will, since his body was still exhausted.
In later talks with Cobalt, he’d learn that what he had found out was absolutely true. At this time however, he never bothered to doubt himself or the word of Jocelyn Moonstar or the Beast who devoured children. Elagabolus was a rare entity, a type of being that came into existence every few millennia. A Merlin. A Nexus of magic, where a person is born that has the inborn ability to sense and use magic. These mages were legendary, and many questioned their existence, although the oldest and most powerful wizards knew that they lived occasionally. Elag had the power of life and death, and was by far the most powerful being that Stu had ever encountered.
Septimus was a powerful mage, a man who was black-hearted and evil, with no love for the world. And he was going to try and use Elag by pushing the boy to his darker nature, by influencing the war going on within the boy’s inner-being. By making Elagabolus a Merlin that had succumbed to the darker-side of his magic, Septimus would unleash the most potent challenge to humanity that he could ever wish for.
Still starving, Stu ignored the hunger-pains. A quick incantation brought him the magic artifacts that he used, his robe, his rings, his pendant and his necklace. Stu had long ago learned that by turning himself into an animal, he could focus his magic more easily and make his spells more potent. He began preparing a simple spell for such a transformation, but decided to hold off for a small amount of time before the spell would take affect. This was no problem for him, a mage of his ability could create a spell and then have use a simple word to trigger the spell when it was needed. In the meantime, he quickly teleported out of the room, and to the Mission Monitor Board at LMB Headquarters.
He Who Wanders, the deputy leader, jumped at the sight of Iron Rat suddenly ‘popping’ into the room beside him. The deputy had decided to take monitor duty for himself tonight since both Danny and Sonnie had already been assigned to watch over Elagabolus. Never one to ignore his duty, He Who Wanders thought nothing of doing the grunt work despite his current high rank in the LMB.
“Stu? You look like hell! What’s the matter?”
“Quite a bit my wandering friend….do me a favor and get a hold of the people watching Elagabolus, and the Princess Crujectra, and Cobalt. And…a big gun too, we need to be more careful…” ------------------ The streets of Legion World remained crowded, as the people continued to enjoy the nightlife as time faded into the later hours of the night. Lamp posts lit up the main streets of Legion World, and young men and women enjoyed each other’s company and the feeling of a good buzz.
In an alley way off of a main street, shadows began to stir, as the horde of Septimus arrived on Legion World. The Vampire Severus, blending in with the shadow spoke first.
“The boy is near. We kill all in our way.”
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Cobalt looked across the table at the young girl in front of him. He was enjoying her company even more than he thought he would, which was a pleasant surprise for him. Her auburn hair and beautiful green eyes were what first attracted the young man to her, but he was more impressed with her intelligence and wit, and her ability to carry on a good conversation.
Still, he felt bad for Anne. He wasn’t exactly the most pleasant company tonight. His mind kept wandering back to Elagabolus and the premonitions that Esk had told him of earlier in the night. The initial shock had warn off, but the very idea that poor Elag, the boy who could barely talk to a stranger without shaking in fear, would one day be responsible for the destruction of the LMB was horrific to him. Suddenly he looked up and saw Anne looking at him quizzically.
“Anne, I’m sorry, I-“
“Don’t worry about,” replied the young woman. “I know that you have ‘super-hero’ stuff…” she smiled.
“Security stuff” smiled Cobalt back. “We’re not officially ‘super-heroes’”
“Oh please,” she replied, “then why is there a statue of you overlooking the Town Square? Unless you had them put that there?” Her smile now broke into a wide grin.
Cobalt smiled back equally as wide. “Well according to Abin Quank and Pov, that isn’t the right statue. But if we’re on the subject of ‘super-hero’ stuff, I think you’re sister is a bit smitten with a certain young security officer…” -----------------
Sara and Invisible Brainiac walked down the street of Legion World, holding hands an enjoying each other’s company. They were quiet for a moment, letting a comfortable silence seep in. IB remembered something Princess Crujectra had said to him earlier, that you know when you’ve met someone special when you both can just be silent for a second.
Up ahead, he saw a few figures moving around, and recognized Outdoor Miner and Kid Prime. Both were laughing pretty hard at something, and IB realized that they were getting close to SHAKES and they might be a bit drunk. He finally saw Eyrk Davis Ester, another LMBer, getting up off the ground, after tripping.
“You’re famous luck has struck again EDE” smiled KP.
“Who would have thought that mongoose who have confused you big toe for a baby snake?” continued Outdoor Miner.
“Haha,” replied the bad-luck LMBer. “There wasn’t a mongoose, I thought for a minute that a shadow was coming out at me.”
“Are you sure you haven’t been drinking EDE?” smiled Kid Prime, “cuz if you’re going to talk nonsense, you might as well have a beer in your hand.”
Invisible Brainiac slowed for a minute walking with Sara, unsure whether he should just hang back for a second. “Anything wrong?” asked the young lady.
“No, I just don’t want them to come over and start bugging us…” IB said, suddenly trailing off. “Is that shadow moving up along the wall?” ---------------------
Danny Blaine and Sonnie Bloke sat on a couch in the room outside of Elagabolus’s room. Watching a movie, both had began to grow tired, as the night continued on. “Shift’s not over for a few more hours” thought Danny to himself. “Maybe I should have just had Mantis come over and do this while I slept in her universe…” he smiled, then adding, “…but I’m too nice for that. Too bad though.”
Sonnie suddenly stirred. “Do you feel that? The cold?”
“Yeah,” replied Danny. “It did just get cold in here. Thats strange. What’s…that noise?”
“It’s Elag. He’s crying. He must be having a nightmare or something.”
“Yeah, I can hear him now. Poor kid, let’s make sure he’s OK, he sounds terrible…”
“Yeah, let’s-“ started Sonnie, as he reached for the handle of the door. Things happened so quickly that Danny had little time to react and had to adjust to his surroundings. Leaping out of the shadows, the Vampire Severus lept onto to Sonnie’s back, holding by the throat with his pale long-nailed hands. His mucus-yellow eyes stared at Danny with a sneer.
“Fight all you want, the boy is ours” said the voice.
Danny suddenly saw shadows swirling all around them, as he felt a sharp pain on his back, as a shadow brushed up against him. ------------------------
In his bed, Elagabolus cried in his sleep, tossing and turning to a brutal nightmare. Septimus stared at him, a huge chess board in between the two. On the board, the LMBers he had come to love were pieces, and each one was dying a hideous death. Harbinger was hung by a noose, her head twisted. Cobalt Kid knelt limply with a huge sword through the back of his neck and out his chest. And Elag realized he was the one responsible for doing it to them all. He wanted to heal them, to make it better, but Septimus stared at him, and made him so scared…
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Danny felt a sharp pain in his back, and then realized he’d been burnt by one of the shadow-creatures. Cobalt Kid had warned him about them before, they were the same things that attacked Elagabolus earlier. But this time they had some type of Vampire with them.
Severus held Sonnie by the throat, and the Scottish LMBer quickly felt enormous strength holding his head to the side, as hot breath fell across his neck. Almost immediately, he realized this thing was going to bite him. Straining to move, he looked Danny in the eyes.
Danny reacted in what he thought was the best way possible. Using his powers over gravity, he quickly made the floor holding them up super-heavy, until it’s weight increased to over twenty tons. The building began to shake suddenly, and the floor immediately gave out from under them. Sonnie, Danny and the Vampire fell through the floor, as the rubble and debris followed down after them. Sonnie was able to get free of the Vampire’s grasp, and by remaining calm and calculating, he grabbed Danny on the way down, hoping to use his powers to cushion their fall. He could only hope the Vampire was falling with them.
Back up top, the shadow warriors moved to the door to Elagabolus’s room. One touched it, and the door began to quickly melt. A large blast hit one of them, as Varalent suddenly grew to normal size and joined in on the battle, knocking one back with a smashing blow. Semi-Transparent Fellow remained invisible, hoping that the creatures couldn’t see him, and used a ray-gun to blast the beasts from afar. The decision of both of them to act as extra guards was well worth it, it now seemed. He hoped Danny and Sonnie were alright down there. ---------------------
Invisible Brainiac pushed Sara to the side, as he saw the shadows come off of the wall and move to Eyrk Davis Ester. Too far off to help, he watched as Kid Prime quickly rose to the occasion, flying at the two and turning his hands into cannons to blast the shadow creatures before they harm the Calamity King. Outdoor Miner suddenly popped out of existence, teleporting away.
IB turned upon hearing the sound of loud thuds, and saw a giant horse riding down the streets of Legion World. Upon closer inspection, the horse was flying, and a trail of fire followed it. Upon it rode a warrior completely covered in chain mail, with a large sword and shield held up, as if ready to plunder and pillage Legion World. It was only upon seeing a face made of skeleton and sinew did Invisible Brainiac realize that this abomination was some type of Death Knight, that dwarfed over any normal sized man. The Death Knight road at them fast, and IB heard Eyrk Davis Ester screaming for them to get out of the way, as Kid Prime defended himself against a cluster of shadows.
Outdoor Miner suddenly appeared back in view, this time with Abin Quank and Dev-Em in his hands. Before EDE or IB could say a thing, Abin used his Green Lantern’s power-ring to sweep them aside before being hurt, as Dev flew at the beast full-steam, to knock it down. Although half-Durlan and half-Daxamite, Dev’ strength proved to be potent but not potent enough, as he crashed into the shield, but was sent to the side in response.
IB looked around, and saw more shadows appearing everywhere. -------------------------
The noise outside was heard immediately inside the Beacon, and before anyone said a thing, Cobalt had already looked to Princess Crujectra to see what her move was going to be. He had known her for a long time and had long ago learned to trust her judgment, especially in these matters. She stood up and told everyone to stay calm, and for the other LMBers to come with her.
As Saturn Girl used her telepathy to calm everyone down and give everyone directions on what to do, Lightning Lad joined Ultra Matt and Princess Crujectra, as they went out into the streets to see what was going on. Ahead of them, the saw a woman dressed in silver armor, slender in figure, but with red blood painted on her face and arms. She held a large flail in her hand, with a chain linked to it, with a spiked ball at the end. She smiled at the three of them with a wicked grin and all at once Princess Crujectra realized that she was completely mad.
Cobalt turned to Anne and told her it would be OK, but to stay with Caroline. He wished he could say more, but he was moving to quickly now. He knew he could go with the Princess and Lightning Lad, but something told him there was more at stake here than just a simple attack. This had to do with Elagabolus, he had no doubt about that. Leaping out a window, he used his magnetism to ride a magnetic current and fly across the city at a remarkable speed. He had made a promise to the boy that he would protect him, and now he planned on keeping that promise. ------------------
A large group of men walked down the streets laughing and singing, enjoying the merriment of the moment. One pinched another’s behind, and they all laughed in response to that. Things seemed great, until a high-pitched sound suddenly became louder and louder. Someone was able to pinpoint what it was, it was a violin that was horribly out of tune, and listening to it was deafening.
They began to groan in pain from it, until it became apparent that they actually were in pain. One man vomited and the streaking violin continued to play, as it became horribly more loud and painful. One man looked into a puddle of his spilt beer and could have sworn that his face was melting before his very eyes. His skin felt like wax falling off a lit candle.
The song continued, horrible and painful. A skeleton walked into view, dressed in a leather tunic with bright green and blue colors on it. He carried a violin, and although his face was a skeleton, tears ran down from the eye-sockets of it’s skull. The Forsaken Bard continued to play his song, hoping to spread the pain that he still felt.
Bodies of men were left in his wake…
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
I hope I'm not interrupting the flow of Cobie's posts, but
MORE MORE MORE MORE!!!!
Great work, Cobie! Such a great story! But I hope you haven't forgotten that I DO have light energy powers too. But this is just a minor quibble. I LOVE everything you're doing in this story!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Thanks IB ! This is by far the story that I'm most proud of!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Elagabolus snapped back into reality, waking up to find himself crying in his sleep. He felt a distinct feeling of terror gripping him, as he realized with horror that he was being attacked. Looking at the door to his room, he saw two holes being burned into it, as a shadow-creature tried breaking into the room.
“It’s too late for you now,” said a familiar voice, and Elag instantly knew that Septimus was beside him in the room. An image of the wizard stood solemnly next to him. “We are going to kill your friends and bring you to me. And then I will make you pay for the stress you’ve caused. And only then will I allow you to learn your potential.”
“I hate you,” was all Elag could say, although only in a whisper.
“Good. I promise to make you hate me more” replied the mage. ---------------
Vee and Semi battled against the shadow-demons as they now began swarming into the room. It suddenly seemed like there were far too many, and Semi looked at Varalent with a look of worry, fearing that they would not be able to protect Elagabolus for much longer. Worse, the floor was still caving in a bit, and Danny Blaine and Sonnie had not come back up yet to help.
“Don’t let them hit you Semi!” yelled Vee, fearing for the safety of the man he loved. His worrying was unnecessary however, as both men had learned long ago how to protect themselves defensively with their extraordinary powers.
Suddenly, the vampire Severus leaped back into the room, with extraordinary quickness. Sensing the presence of Semi-Transparent Fellow, despite his inability to actually see him, Severus hurled the hero into the black hole that was now the floor, although he unknowingly sent him down into Sonnie’s arms, as he flew back up with Danny Blaine. The three heroes joined Varalent in the fight, although now the shadow creatures were too numerous for room to move. Severus ripped the door off the hinges to Elagabolus’s room.
The boy sat on his bed in a ball, tears coming down his cheeks as he realized that this Vampire wanted nothing more than to cause him as much pain as he could. Elag looked and realized that Sonnie, Danny, Semi and Vee were too busy fighting to save him now.
A whip cracked across the room, as the Vampire Severus found his neck encircled by the whip and thrown to the side.
Lash Lad entered the room. --------------------
Shadows stormed the streets of Legion World, and Kid Prime realized that normal every day civilians were being hurt and possibly killed all around him. Using his power to create cannons out of his arms, KP tried his best to bring down as many shadows as he could. This worked well for him, as he flew up into the sky and maneuvered around as best as he could, although it soon became apparent that there were far too many for him to stop.
Abin Quank joined KP in the sky, realizing quickly that he would be far more useful protecting people than fighting the Death Knight with Dev-Em. Using his power-ring, he encircled a large group of bystanders and pushed them into SHAKES, and then made sure that SHAKES was impenetrable to the shadows. Attempting to do ten things at once, Abin started blasting the shadows out of the sky along side Kid Prime, hoping that someone was figuring out what was going on.
Dev-Em turned back on the Death Knight, and prepared to make a second assault. Many things could be said about Dev, such as his great strength of calculating mind, but his foremost quality was that he never, ever, gave up The Death Knight came riding down the street, swinging his sword through the crowd, showing no signs of emotion or care. It existed for one reason, to kill and maim. Dev crashed into it again.
Outdoor Miner teleported more people out of the way, as Eyrk Davis Ester tried to get some type of order set. Immediately contacting the Monitor Board, he got a hold of the Emerald Empress, who let out a signal, code red.
Night Crawler immediately joined the LMBers in the streets, as Icefyre ripped his way through the crowd on a sheet of ice, as he blasted fire on the demons. Invisible Brainiac prepared to join Dev-Em in the fight against the Death Knight, knowing that it was going to be a lot harder bringing that down than anything else. Suddenly, he heard a cry from the side, as a shadow creature grabbed hold of the girl Sara. She screamed in pain loudly, as it burnt her fragile tanned skin…
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Saturn Girl told everyone inside of the Beacon to remain calm and quiet and to follow her to the basement in as orderly a manner as they could. Anne, the girl who was Cobalt Kid’s date, swallowed hard and followed, scarred and unsure of what was happening.
Lightning Lad blasted the Death Maiden outside, as she hurled her extended flail at him, trying to hit him with the spiked ball at the end. Ultra Matt immediately switched to Ultra-Strength and went in close to hit the insane women underneath the chin with an uppercut.
Falling backwards, the women let loose a loud, sickening laugh, showing her insanity ran deep. The red blood painted on her face glistened in the moon-light and as she rose back to her feet a sick smile came over her lips. “Pretty people, oh so pretty…” she said aloud.
Princess Crujectra, known for her leadership and quick-thinking, used her powers to cast the illusion that LL, Ultra Matt and her were the only ones present besides the maiden witch that stood before them. Unsure of whether her powers would work on the woman, she hoped for the best, as Lightning Lad and Ultra Matt renewed their attacks.
------------------
The Forsaken Bard continued to play his song as he walked down the street, his tunes so horrible to hear that men and women fell to their knees and began to cry tears of blood. Death and dying followed in his wake, as the skeletal figure continued to walk slowly through the streets. Tears flowed out of his empty eye sockets and the Bard continued to cry as his violin let loose a high-pitched wave of nausea.
Iron Rat slowly levitated down in front of him, using his magic to create a magic barrier between the two, so the people on either side of them could no longer hear the terrible music playing. Stu sensed an amazing degree of magic emanating out of the Bard, and realized that this was going to be the toughest of all the enemies to come to Legion World.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Lash Lad stood in the doorway of Elagabolus’s room, as he hurled Severus to the side. “Elag, come here!” he yelled, as he turned to face off with the ultra-strong Vampire.
Elag immediately ran to Lash, sensing that this LMBer was strong enough to protect him and fend off any attack that might harm him. Years ago, Lash had co-founded the LMBP, and was arguably the most instrumental in creating it. He was strong and confident, smart and charmingly funny, and was considered by many to be the heart and soul of the LMB. Cobalt Kid has once told him that he believed that the LMB could not exist without Lash.
In addition to being loved and admired by his friends, Lash was also dangerous in battle and cool and calculated in his attacks. He snapped his whip at the Vampire, who laughed at him in return.
“You expect to hold me off with a whip?”
“Yes,” replied the LMBer, confidently ensnaring the Vampires two hands as it lunged at him, and letting loose an electronic charge that sent the Vampire reeling.
Moving Elag to the other side of the room, Lash snapped his whip against the wall, knocking a huge chunk of the wall into the streets below. With a hole now giving them another way out, Lash quickly grabbed Elag, ran across the room, jumped out of the side of the building, and then used his whip to latch onto the flag-pole on a building across the street. Spinning around on it, Lash used his strength to leap onto the building next to where he was.
“Uh…uh, uh, oh no…” said Elag scared to death, until Lash landed.
“Relax kiddo, I have you.” Replied the LMB co-founder, as he looked across the street and saw the Vampire Severus appear in the hole. The Vampire leaped across the street.
--------------
Dev-Em fell back from the Death Knight again, although this time happy that he had knocked the beast off of his horse. He knew that he had dislocated his shoulder, but he could deal with that pain tomorrow. The flaming horse stopped in it’s tracks, as the Knight looked at the LMBer who threatened him.
Slowly, the Knight lifted up the face-plate of his helmet, revealing a skeleton face. Suddenly flies swarmed out of his eye-sockets.
Invisible Brainiac ran to Sara, as a shadow-demon gripped her by the arms, burning her delicate skin. She cried in pain, and IB could see the burn marks blackening her skin. Anger and terror flooded his mind, as he let loose a blast of his light power at the shadow which destroyed it instantly. Sara fell to the ground crying and in shock, as IB held onto her.
“Are you OK? Sara?” he asked, but she made no reply, just starring at him and holding him tightly. Suddenly Outdoor Miner appeared next to him and grabbed her. “No time IB, I’ve got her! Be careful now!” he said and suddenly he and Sara were gone.
IB turned back to the shadows as anger, guilt and horror quickly took over his state of mind. He knew that he held incredible power within him, and that he had to keep it in check to keep from risking the lives around him. But he had been practicing for some time, and he suddenly felt like he could concentrate hard enough to do anyting.
He began blasting away at the shadows, and the instantly evaporated at the touch of his light-beams. Kid Prime and Abin Quank turned in amazement at seeing this, and they suddenly realized that this gave them a chance to help Dev fight the Death Knight below.
Joining Icefyre and Nightcrawler, Kid Prime and Abin Quank surrounded the Death Knight, as Eyrk Davis Ester pulled Dev-Em out of the battle
[ January 25, 2004, 08:50 PM: Message edited by: Cobalt Kid ]
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Iron Rat faced the Forsaken Bard in silence as the Undead poet played on with his violin. Stu said nothing and concentrated hard, letting his own silence act as a concentration of his will. Around them, no one said or did anything, being blocked out and protected by Stu’s previous spell.
Quietly, Stu began to hum to himself, and the Bard continued to cry through it’s empty eye-sockets. The air around Iron Rat began to swirl, and the shapes of pink rats began flying through the sky. A beam of light reached out through the empty space between Stu and the Undead creature, and pierced the creatures torso. Stu starred at it now for the first time, fighting against the power of the song that melted away people’s skin.
And finally, the creature stopped playing, dropping it’s violin so that it dropped. The tears stopped. And it crumbled to the ground in a puddle of dust and bone. Dizzy, Stu thought he almost saw the skeleton smile. Then he too collapsed from the terrible struggle.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Severus leaped across the street onto the rooftop with Elag and Lash. A large smile came over his face, showing his yellow teeth and two fangs on either side.
“Run Elag, now!” yelled Lash, as he put his body between the Elag and Severus. The Vampire suddenly lept at him, hoping to land on his back. Lash, a veteran in one on one conflict, rolled to the side and used his whip to grab hold of the Vampire and throw him backwards.
“Pretty man, it will be a pleasure drinking from you neck!” yelled the Vampire.
“Thanks, but I’m not interested!” tee heed Lash, a grin coming over his face. A long time LMBP veteran, Lash had both the confidence and experience that allowed him to keep his cool.
Elag ran across the rooftop to the other side and saw a ladder that led him down into the valley below. Not even thinking, the young boy immediately began walking down the ladder, when he realized that two shadows were making their way up at him.
Pure instinct kicked in, and suddenly the boy reached out his hand and touched a shadow. A red glow came from his hand, and the shadow suddenly turned to dust. Elag’s eyes gleamed with a mean delight, and he turned to the other shadow and did the same. It too disappeared, when Elag suddenly realized that he might have died right there. Feeling scared and tired again, Elag continued down the ladder, as the tears began flowing down his cheeks. He suddenly became aware of the danger he was really in.
Leaping down from the ladder to the ground, Elag turned to see his worst fear: Septimus the wizard standing in front of him. An image of the wizard smiled at him with those uncaring and tired eyes.
“I’ve been waiting for you,” it said.
“No! Leave me alone! Please stop!” replied the boy.
“I’m sorry, but I will not. Come with me now, or I will burn your flesh off your bones.”
“Y-You can’t, y-your not really here right now…t-they said you…don’t leave y-your castle…”
“Smart boy, very perceptive. But unlike you, I’ve mastered magic long ago. And I can still use my spells here,” he smiled, “let me show you.”
Septimus began humming to himself, as a white energy arch formed over his head. Then, it erupted in a beam, and hit Elag in the chest.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Eryk Davis Ester pulled Dev-Em out of the battle, happy that the Durlan/Daxamite had done his job well and knocked the powerful Death Knight off his horse. He looked to see that Invisible Brainiac was continuing to unleash his light powers on the shadows, destroying them as quickly as he could see them.
“Poor kid,” thought EDE, “he enraged right now after what happened to his girlfriend. She’s in shock and he feels responsible. He’s like a man possessed right now…”
IB continued to unleash his fury as quick as possible. His rage made him focus harder than he ever had before, and he suddenly was surprised at how easily he was controlling his light blasts, something that was very dangerous to all those around him.
The Death Knight now turned on the defensive, as Kid Prime, Nightcrawler, Icefyre and Abin Quank circled it and began to strategically hit it from all sides so that it’s attention was never focused just one at a time. There strategy worked well, as Icefyre and Abin Quank were able to use their powers to knock it off balance, allowing Nightcrawler and Kid Prime to make direct contact and deliver deadly blows.
“We’ve got this well in hand now,” thought Kid Prime, glad to see that after the initial surprise, the battle had now turned. “But the damage has been done. People are hurt and scared and I can only hope that the others are fairing well."
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Severus turned to Lash again, but this time the LMBer has come up with his own strategy. Turning and running, Lash surprised the Vampire, who believed that he had given up. “I thought this one had more backbone” he thought, as he prepared to surprise him with his speed and deliver one fatal bite.
Lash had other ideas. Running to a corner of the roof that was held together by wooden planks for some type of construction and repair, Lash used his whip to suddenly smash the planks into pieces, creating bricks and wood to fly across the roof and into the street below.
“Small price to pay for this…” he thought, as he leapt into the path of the debris. Suddenly, Severus was all over him, landing on his back and putting his hands around Lash’s throat to bite down into his blood stream.
Lash, however, remained calm, and put his hand into the air, grabbing hold of a large piece of wood that he had smashed. It was long and sharp-edged and Lash realized that he would find no better stake in all of the mess he’d just made. Using his strength and fighting experience, he bent forward and thrust himself into a somersault, forcing the Vampire in front of him.
As Severus fell forward, Lash hurled the stake into his chest, and the Vampire was shocked to find that he been stabbed through the heart with a stake. He fell forward, blood running from his fangs, and suddenly came to the realization that his age old existence had mere seconds left. “How could this happen…?” he wondered aloud, as he turned to dust.
“It’s like I always say,” said Lash with a tee hee, “Vampires have no heart.”
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Septimus unleashed a spell of burning hands on Elag, hoping that it wouldn’t destroy him, but cause him enough pain and charred skin that the boy would be hurt and scared beyond disbelief. The spell launched at the boy, and Septimus was glad that he had learned long ago how to cast spells from a long distance, by using his small familiar, a black raven hidden in the darkness of the alley, to cast it for him.
Suddenly, Elag was saved from the effects of the spell, as Cobalt Kid magnetically rushed into the alley and threw himself between the spell and Elag. ‘Burning Hands’ unleashed itself onto the back of Cobalt Kid, and he found his body burning with a firey hot glow.
“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!” he cried in pain, as he fell forward into Elag’s arms.
“Cobie?” asked the crying boy.
“I told you I’d protect you…” Cobalt whispered back.
“Idiot!” screamed Septimus. “You interfere again?! You Legion Worlders will pay for that mistake! Die!!!” he screamed, furious that his plans were still being interrupted. Closing his eyes, he concentrated for a moment, and unleashed a massive fireball upon Cobalt, as it blasted him against Elag, and the two briefly were consumed in a mass of flames.
---------------
The dust cleared, and surprisingly, Cobalt an Elag were still standing. The boy was no longer crying or shaking, but breathing quietly, his eyes closed and his mouth shut, humming to himself.
In his arms, he held the charred body of Cobalt Kid, burnt beyond belief, his lungs unable to allow him to breath. A strong blue glow swarmed around his hands, as Elag now concentrated as hard as he could.
Deep in his mind, Elagabolus now understood that he had the power to heal. And when he realized that Cobalt Kid was dying to save him, he grabbed him and began concentrating, trying to use a power that he was unsure how to use. He would heal this man who promised to protect him, no matter what the cost was to him.
Septimus watched on, amazed that either were still standing. Suddenly, a long whip snapped down at him from the rooftop, as Lash Lad spotted the raven in the shadows and realized it was casting the spell that allowed Septimus to view what was happening from afar. Regretting that he had to kill a living creature, Lash smashed the bird into pulp, hoping that it would snap the spell out of use and make the image of Septimus leave. He was correct. Unbeknownst to him, the shadows around Legion World began disappearing at the second that the image of Septimus was gone.
Elag concentrated, and the blue glow became larger and larger until Lash couldn’t see into the alley any longer, seeing only light. Below, Elag held Cobalt in his arms as tight as he could, and he suddenly became very aware that he could see into Cobalt’s mind, possibly his soul.
He saw an image of a blue woman, amazingly pretty, who was smiling at him, and for some reason, he felt like crying as hard as he could. He suddenly understood that this was Space Tart, Cobalt’s dead wife, and he felt sad. He suddenly grew scared and angry as he saw the image of a doctor in front of him, and he felt the pain and shame of being tortured and beaten for months by Dr. Albert Hoffman, as Cobalt once did. And then he realized that Cobalt was seeing into his mind as well, and that the two of them were connected in some strange magical way.
Cobalt opened his eyes and looked at Elag, who was now crying again, snapping back into reality. Cobalt looked at his hands and was shocked to see that he wasn’t burnt anymore, that the only place that still hurt was on his back from the initial spell of Septimus. He was whole again, Elag had saved his life. The blue glow continued to dominate the alley, and Cobalt wondered why Elag hadn’t turned it off. And then he realized that it was because it was coming from him. He was creating the blue glow.
Figuring out what he was doing, Cobalt suddenly stopped the blue glow, and the bond between the two broke. He looked up into the boy who was holding him, and they stared at each other. Suddenly, Cobalt realized that the healing powers of Elag had been transferred to him. That he now held part of the magic, part of the spiritual awakening that had opened up in Elagabolus. The boy looked scared and shocked, and unsure what to do.
Cobalt stared into this eyes. “Thank you,” he finally said. “You just saved my life.”
Elag remained quiet. Finally, Cobalt smiled at him, and got up to his knees, so that he was level with the boy. Elag grabbed hold of him. He hugged him. And Cobalt hugged him as tight as he could.
Cobalt gulped. “So…what happens now?” he wondered.
[ February 06, 2004, 05:15 PM: Message edited by: Cobalt Ameoba ]
Posted by Cobalt Ameoba on :
For a few long moments, neither Elagabolus or Cobalt Kid said a word, until Lash Lad managed to make his way down the ladder to them.
“Cobie, Elag, are you alright?!”
“I…I think we’re good Lash. I’m not sure what just happened, but I know that this boy right here just saved my life.”
Lash smiled at Elag. “Nice work”
Elag nodded slowly, very scared still. Finally a small smile crept across his face.
As Lash rubbed the kids hair, Cobalt thought for a minute about what just happened. Somehow, when saving him, Elagabolus had just transferred a measure of his power to him. How could that have happened? Magic. Something that Cobalt had a hard time understanding. But he was the one who was using the healing powers at the end there. And something else was bothering him, a hum in his head. Quickly, Cobalt realized that he somehow was aware of where everyone was on Legion World. He saw an image of Danny Blaine, Sonnie, Semi and Vee making their way across the streets of Legion World looking for them, wondering how the shadows were gone. These new powers of spiritual awareness were strange to him, but his analytical mind realized what this meant: Cobalt had gained the portion of Elag’s power that healed, and whatever else it did. He’d have all the time in the world to figure out what these other spiritual powers were. But something else occurred to him quickly that made him gasp.
After all he and Stu had learned about Elag, and after having his mind melded together for a brief second with the boy, he was starting to understand what Elag was. And by losing his healing half, the half of his power that worked towards good, Elag was now left with the remaining portion of his powers. This second portion, was the part of him that destroyed, that strived towards the path of evil. Elagabolus was a conduit for magic, between the forces of creation and destruction. Now, he was left only with destruction.
Cobalt’s world suddenly came crashing down on him again, and he realized that the low hum in his head was his new spiritual powers making sense of Elagabolus. They were telling him that the aura around the boy was red, the same red he used when he destroyed things. That the boy was now a being of pure destruction. The dreams of Esk were beginning to come true, when she dreamed that Elagabolus would destroy the LMBP, and would wield great destructive powers. He looked at the boy, who was looking at him, and he realized that they both were understanding the same thing at the same moment.
Elagabolus now acted as a conduit for destructive magic. Septimus’ plans were proceeding exactly as he had wanted. By losing his healing powers, Elag was on the path to lose his healing nature.
“No,” thought Cobalt. “I can’t let that happen. He’s only a boy…”
“Cobie?” said Lash suddenly, jerking him back to attention. “Here comes some of the guys. Wanna check out Legion World and see what the damage was?”
“Sure” replied Cobalt, who grabbed Elag by the hand, as they walked forward.
Posted by Cobalt Ameoba on :
Abin Quank, Kid Prime, Icefyre and newly rejuvenated Dev-Em joined the people who were working to put the damage of Legion World back together. Out of nowhere, people began pouring back into the streets, looking to clean up the debris and make sure things were alright again.
The second Lash Lad destroyed the raven, the shadows began to disappear. Startlingly to the LMBers battling it, the Death Knight suddenly called it’s mount, leaped upon it and rode to the end of Legion World, where it magically disappeared.
While everything was still in chaos, He Who Wanders, the deputy leader, emerged from the corner and quickly began issuing orders to get things back in order.
Nightcrawler immediately bamfed away to where Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl were, to discuss with his fellow founders what the damage was to Legion World.
Things moved along smoothly for a bit, as on the other end of Legion World, Princess Crujectra began doing the same as the deputy leader, and made sure that things stayed organized despite the chaos of the attack. LMBPers, Legion Worlders and ordinary citizens alike did what they could to help.
But things were not all good. Eryk Davis Ester appeared with very bad news, that there had been a large number of people injured by the shadows, and that there were even a few deaths. Suddenly, Outdoor Miner appeared with Stu in his arms.
He informed them of the massacre of bodies down the street, left over from the brutal murders of the Forsaken Bard, until it was stopped by Iron Rat.
“So much Death…” thought Kid Prime, using his skills to make sure the surrounding buildings weren’t in any danger of collapsing.
Invisible Brainiac had immediately ran to where the injured were being housed. There, he saw Sara, shaking and trembling, still in shock of being attacked. Both of her forearms were badly burned, and she looks disheveled and ready to burst.
“Sara, it’s ok now…it’s over.” He said calmly into her ear.
She stared ahead for a few moments and looked at him finally. She rested her face on his shoulder, and suddenly began sobbing loudly. She was in shock, and terribly scared still. In fact, most of Legion World was. They had been attacked, and people suddenly felt like they were no longer safe.
Invisible Brainiac held her, unsure of how he should feel. He felt guilty for some reason, although it clearly wasn’t his fault. What is she had died? She continued to sob on his shoulder, until finally she held onto him as tight as she could, her arms around his neck.
He looked on, seeing the chaos continue.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Nightcrawler turned to Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl, as a fierce look came to his eyes. Having just heard the news from Eryk Davis Ester about the dead men and women on Legion World, it had taken him a few moments to comprehend the damage done.
“Scott, this is too much. What we’ve built here…so much death and destruction…this cannot be allowed.”
“I know Gary. We need to get to the heart of the matter here. When Stu is alright to talk, we’ll find out immediately what we need to.”
“This kind of destruction can’t happen again here. People have traveled from all over to Legion World for safety, to feel secure. To get away from the danger of the rest of the world. We built this place as a safe haven…”
“I know, I know” replied Lightning Lad, feeling the fury build up in him.
Finally Saturn Girl spoke up, looking at both of them. “First, let’s survey the damage and make sure everything is under way to be repaired. Then we can have an emergency meeting.”
“Caroline’s right,” continued Nightcrawler. “Get word to Stu and He Who Wanders and the LMBP founders too. An emergency meeting is in order as soon as things are less chaotic.” --------------- Cobalt Kid walked with Elagabolus hand in hand, next to Lash Lad, Semi-Transparent Fellow, Varalent, Danny Blaine and Sonnie Bloke. The feeling was mutual for all of them. They felt overwhelmed by the chaos that they saw, and couldn’t believe the degree of destruction on Legion World.
Buildings were smashed, debris littered the streets, and whole tents were being put up to house the injured. Worst of all, there were dead bodies being carried away, somewhere out of sight, to be given a proper burial when there was time. Legion World had been attacked, and in a worse way than ever before. “A great price has been paid this night” was the common thought among them.
Up ahead, they could see Ultra Matt and Princess Crujectra, leading out a group of people from the Beacon, where they had hidden in safety. Or so it seemed. Cobalt soon began to see that many were being carried out on stretchers, and that the shadows had managed to attack them.
It took Cobalt a minute to realize that he had run off ahead of them, and that he was trying to get to the Beacon as soon as possible. Rushing past everyone, he saw Ultra Matt.
“Cobie…it’s bad. People have been hurt” he said, his face expressing his sincere sadness over the fact.
“Matt, the girl I was with for dinner, her name was Anne, is she alright? Do you have any idea?”
Before he could answer, Crujectra intervened. “Cobie…she’s not alright. She’s over here.”
Cobalt felt a hot churning in his stomach, as he turned to see Anne in a stretcher, being led away. From where he was, she looked still and unmoving. He was by her side in moments.
“Anne…Anne, are you alright, can you…”
“She’s comatose Cobie,” said Crujeckie, by his side with a hand on his shoulder. “She was hurt badly by the shadows…we aren’t sure that she’s going to make it.”
Looking at the girl, Cobalt felt a surge of images flash in his mind. How pretty she really was, he sweet and confident she had been, and how still she was now. She looked like she was on the verge of death, and Cobalt felt his knees wobble a little.
“No…” he whispered to himself, as he put his hand on hers. Suddenly, he noticed that Elag was by his side again. As he looked at the boy, he saw that Elag was tugging on his sleeve, that he wanted to tell him something.
“Use the power, Cobie. Make her better. Like you did me.” He said.
Cobalt’s eyes widened as he realized what Elag was trying to tell him. He had the healing power now, although he didn’t understand how and why. Focusing, he realized what he had to do. “Stand back everyone. I’m going to save her.”
Princess Crujectra eyed Ultra Matt for a second, wondering what Cobalt Kid was talking about. But Elag stayed by his side, as Cobalt layed his hands over the body of the girl. A blue light emanated from his hands, as suddenly, Cobalt felt his body stiffen. He wasn’t really sure how to even work the power, but after concentrating for a few seconds, Cobalt felt himself master it.
Slowly, Anne began to stir again. Using his concentration as a beacon, Cobalt healed her with his new found abilities. Elag held Cobalt tight, his face showing a degree of sadness. Suddenly, Anne was alright again.
“D-Des?”
“That’s right. I’m here Anne. Do you feel alright?”
“Y-Yes. Ugh…I’m not sure what happened.”
“I know. I’ll talk to you soon, but these people will take care of you now.”
Princess Crujectra eyed him once again.
“Long story,” he said. “But find out how many other injured there are that are critical. I think I can help them.”
“Alright,” she replied, “but go easy on yourself. While you were doing that, your magnetism kicked in and bent all the metal in a block radius.”
Cobalt looked around, realizing that he had done exactly that. All of this power was extremely dangerous, and he’d have to be sure to concentrate harder. But Anne was alright, and that was good. However, he felt like she was hurt because of him. Because he and Stu had chosen to protect the boy, Legion World had paid the price. He could see it in her eyes, Anne was scared of him. Somehow, she understood that Cobalt and this magic were different than her, and that it was a world she wanted no part of. Cobalt sighed, and realized that he had already made the decision and would grant her that wish. He’d make sure she was alright, but that would be the last time he dated her. Besides, he thought to himself, people around him had a bad track record for survival.
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It has been said by man that out of extreme chaos comes extreme order. Throughout history, this theorem has often been proven right. Where a sporadic chaos had overtaken Legion World mere hours before, a systematic method of order now silently controlled the movement on the Legion World streets.
With the morning sun, people came back out of their houses and buildings, seeing that the reconstruction of Legion World had worked well through the night. He Who Wanders, the deputy leader of Legion World, had been put in charge to oversee the logistic of such an undertaking, as he oversaw the restructuring and refurnishing of the various buildings that had been destroyed or damaged in the previous night’s battle. Mechanics and architects used their ages old knowledge, and combined with scienticians and micro-metallurgists to make sure the buildings and infrastructure of Legion World was re-enforced.
Eryk Davis Ester, the deputy leader in the previous term, was joined by Faraway Lad and Lucien Lad, long time LMBers who had proven time and time again that they were natural leaders. The three of them began making a systematic check of all the people on Legion World, the ordinary citizens, the tradesman and workers who were absolutely necessary in running a proper city and the super-heroes who comprised the LMBP. Although no heroes had fallen that night, there were enough dead to leave them all disturbed.
By this time in the morning, the sick were all either healed or stable, thanks to the constant work of doctors, surgeons and nurses, led by Doctor One, Invisible Brainiac and Sanity or Madness, who had been generous enough to maintain a mask of sanity for the evening. Most of the LMBers who could be spared spent the evening in the sickbays, helping out where they could and giving hope to those who felt the trauma and shock of being attacked.
By morning, Sara, the girl who had dated Invisible Brainiac, began to return to normal, slipping out of her traumatized state. IB, who had worked hard all night by Doctor One’s side, went to her, and found her crying and apologizing for the way she acted. IB, on the verge of breaking down himself told her it was nonsense and there was no reason to apologize, she had been through a great ordeal, and the fact that she could talk to him now was a show of bravery in itself. After a longer exchange, he left her to sleep in her bed, and get the rest she needed. He, however, would not. He had heard rumors of an emergency meeting of the Legion World founders, Stu and the LMBP founders, about what to do in response to this attack. His adrenaline was pumping too quickly now after talking with Sara, and he wanted to sneak in and see what it was all about. Glancing to Sara’s side, he saw her sister, Anne, the girl who had dated Cobalt the night before. Although fully healed, Anne looked at him with a glimmer of terror and distrust, although she desperately and guiltily tried to hide it. IB understood that Anne would never look at the LMBP or super-heroics in the same way. Cobalt was right after all, she would want no part of him, whether he saved her life or not. It wasn’t her fault however, that much IB was certain…it was just the way the world worked he guessed.
Numf-El, Kid Psychout and Space Ranger went to SHAKES for a quick beer before turning in for a few hours of sleep. IB hesitated, and considered whether he too should just go home. No, he decided, he was too curious to know what was being discussed.
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At the Legion World capitol, where Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Nightcrawler and Kid Prime did their logistically work for maintaining and running Legion World, a small de facto meeting took place that decided the response to the battle of the previous night, and therefore, the fate Elagabolus.
Cobalt Kid waited outside for a moment with Elagabolus, the boy who had indirectly began this whole thing. Elag was scared and sick to his stomach, needed sleep and food, and felt guilty because he was convinced that he would one day grow evil. Cobalt felt bad for the boy, and had stayed with him the whole night, never letting him leave his side, even when he healed the sick during the night. They had some type of bond now, they shared different sides of the same power. Elag had lost his power to heal, his connection to that part of the spiritual world, but had maintained his power to destroy. Because of this, both the boy’s and Cobalt’s greatest fears had been realized, he was now on the path to evil that Esk had predicted in her dream and that Septimus had hoped to begin. “Wait here, Elag” said Cobalt softly, “I’ll be right back. I have to go in there, it’s important…”
In the room, specific members of the Legion World community had gathered: Nightcrawler, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl and Kid Prime were there, the four Legion World founders who had built this world that people all across the universe hoped to get to. In addition, Stu, the current leader of both Legion World and the LMBP was in attendance, and acted as a moderator for the discussion at hand. Further, LardLad and Lash Lad were there, two of the five LMBP founders, since Shadowlight in Candlelight Lass was not on Legion World, Mystery Lad choose not to be involved and Cobalt Kid had just entered. LardLad, the first LMB leader, and Lash Lad, the second, were widely acknowledged to be the big guns of the LMB, whose decisions were respected. In addition, Princess Crujectra was in attendance, since she had served as Legion World’s first leader and was a longtime LMBer that was also considered to be part of the heart and soul of the LMB. She was a natural leader and her decision making had helped save the LMBers on enough occasions that when she spoke, everyone listened.
“We must strike back, and quickly,” began Nightcrawler. Nightcrawler was dashing, heroic and known to cavalier in his attitude toward battle. “That is unquestionable. Whatever we decide her today, there must also be a strikeforce created to learn whatever it can about this Septimus and then bring fight to him.”
“Agreed” said Crujectra, her features refusing to display any emotion. “That will be a second order of business to be decided by Stu, as Legion World leader.”
“In the meantime,” said Stu, “we must get to the problem at hand. Nobody here wishes to say it, or even consider it, but it’s my job as leader to make it a point of discussion. What do we do about Elagabolus. You all have been told the entire story as we know it, by Cobalt and I. By continuing to keep him here on Legion World and protect him, we are inviting further destruction. His security will cost Legion World a terrible price.”
“Then it might be worth the risk!” said Nightcrawler. “We cannot turn the boy away, or turn our backs on him. He is a small boy, eleven years old, and it’s our duty to protect him.”
“Gary is right,” said LardLad, “What other options do we have besides keep him here. While he’s here, he’s surrounded by a large force of super-powerful people who consider themselves heroes, in that they hope to do the heroic thing. Legion World may be Elagabolus’s only chance.”
“But there is more to think about,” said Lightning Lad, speaking up. “Legion World is home to a lot more people than super-heroes. The LMBP is loved and admired here, but the majority of Legion World’s citizens are ordinary people, and are highly at risk. If there’s another attack, there will definitely be more deaths. People died last night. A lot of them. Innocent people, who had no means to defend themselves. By lessening the risk for Elagabolus, we put them all at a higher risk. You all know that I would never turn someone away from Legion World, particularly a small boy, but we have to consider our options.”
“These are all good points, and their all getting at the point of this matter,” said Saturn Girl, picking up after her husband’s silence. “If Elag stays, we risk the Security of Legion World. If we protect Legion World by sending him away, we risk his security. There can be no tougher decision, but that’s why you all are leaders: because you are forced to make tough decisions, even if you disagree with them.”
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The room stayed silent for a minute. In the corner, Invisible Brainiac realized that he was holding his breath, not out of a fear that he’d betray his invisible presence, but because the tension had grown too great.
Finally, Lash spoke up. “There is no right decision, we know that. This poor boy has been thrown into a war that he wants no part of, and whoever helps him will feel its wrath before he does. I saw the bodies of those dead men…it was a terrible waste of life. And I also saw Elag’s eyes when that Vampire tried to kill him. But people are scared to walk the streets of Legion World now…”
“So,” said Kid Prime to them all. “What do we do? It’s time for us to make a decision.”
“Right,” said Stu solemnly. “Is there anything anyone else would wish to add?”
“Yes.” Said Cobalt, suddenly moving into the center of the circle. “There is. My friends, you are all some of the most caring people that I’ve ever met. I know that you don’t want to send this boy away, and that your hearts won’t let you. Even against your better judgment, you would not send him away from Legion World. And that would have been a mistake.” Stu raised his eyebrow, as he tried to understand where Cobalt was going with this.
“But I made a promise to that boy that I’d protect him. He saved my life, and I’ve saved his. We’re connected somehow, and we both now share the same source of power. But he cannot stay here, not after last night, or the possibility of another last night. The girl I dated less than twelve hours ago won’t look me in the face. Lash is right, people are afraid of what’s going to happen when it gets dark again. I’m taking Elagabolus off Legion World.”
With those words, everyone sat up strait, and prepared to ask Cobalt exactly what he planned. However, with the patience that all had learned to master long ago, they waited for him to finish his explanation.
“With Elag off Legion World, there will be no reason for Septimus to risk attacking here, especially with so much power here. So I will take him on a journey across space, in secret, with a specific purpose. To learn what his power is, to learn what can be done to protect him from becoming the evil force he fears he will be. And to destroy Septimus. It is apparent that the man will not stop until Elag is either his apprentice or dead, so he must be stopped. I’m going to find his castle and do it.”
“Not alone” said LardLad before anyone else had the chance to speak up. Everyone turned to look at Lardy. “I’m coming with you, no objections. That’s a big responsibility you’ve taken on, and you’ll need help.”
Cobalt couldn’t help smiling. Lardy was one of his best friends, and one his longest. Cobalt smiled and shook his head and knew that he couldn’t change Lardy’s mind, and for the more he thought about it, the more he really wanted Lardy to be with him. “Thanks Lardy.” He smiled.
“As if I wasn’t coming.” Smiled Lardy back.
“So then, do we all think this is a good idea?” asked Stu to everyone.
It was quiet for a second, until Lightning Lad spoke up. “Maybe,” he said slowly. “It will do it’s job in helping Legion World, but will Elag be safe with Cobalt and Lardy? No offense to anyone, but Septimus is extremely powerful. Shouldn’t it be a bigger group?”
“No, a small group is necessary. Small and subtle to move in secret and in silence,” said Nightcrawler, “But powerful if possible. Both Cobalt and Lardy are powerful…”
“I’m going to then,” said Lash. “I’ve seen the fear in the boy’s eyes, and I’m worried about him too. And besides…I’m not missing out on this party” he said with a smile.
“Before any of you say it,” began Stu, “we’ll need people here on Legion World. We can’t have everyone volunteering for a secret mission. And besides…I’ll be needed on this quest.”
“What? Stu? But you’re needed here, as leader!” said Kid Prime.
“Is this wise Stu?” said Princess Crujectra.
“Wise? I hope so. They’re going to need me. Septimus is an extremely powerful mage, and the LMB has only one powerful mage to match him: me. I’ve studied the mystic arts my whole life, and have mastered them to the point where I feel that I can magically protect them from Septimus’ gaze and his monsters. Crujeckie, you’re the only other magic-user that is in the LMB, but you’re magic is in your illusions. I have hard, invocation magic, that can be effective. What do you think?”
“I think you’re right,” replied the Princess.
“So do I,” said Nightcrawler.
“Then He Who Wanders will take charge of Legion World and the LMBP for a brief time. Princess, as the last leader and since you could have been deputy leader had you chosen so for this period, you will be deputy until I return,” said Stu, “So we’re good then. Two very able leaders running things, allowing to bring my abilities along with Cobie and Elag.”
“Then it’s settled,” said Cobalt, “we’ll leave in secret tonight or tomorrow. No one will know that we’re leaving or where we’re going, with few exceptions, even LMBers. Thank you, all of you. Thank you Lash and Stu.”
“If you decide to bring anymore,” said Nightcrawler, “let us know. But remember, if you’re going for espionage and shadows, you’ll need to be small. As Head of Security you know this Cobie, but after years and years with these powers, I treat subtlety as a science.”
“Alright,” finished Caroline, “now, everyone get your rest! We’ll all need it.”
As the heroes and leaders made their way out of the room, IB watched as Saturn Girl put her head on Lightning Lad’s shoulder, Nightcrawler bamfed out, and Cobalt turned to speak with Lardy, Lash and Stu. “Secret mission?” he thought to himself. “They’ll need all the help they can get…”
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“So…what the hell do we do from here?” smiled Lardy, unable to conceal the feeling of comraderie that could be felt by all of them.
“I’ve been doing some thinking,” began Cobalt
“Uh-oh” smiled Lash
Cobalt smiled. “Since this is a serious matter…” he began again with a grin, “I have a few ideas about a route we can take through space to at least get us far enough away from here, before we start searching for Septimus’ castle.”
“I’ve also got a few ideas,” said Stu, interrupting.
“Great, I was hoping you would Stu.”
“After all the investigating I’ve done through magic, I’ve got a few notions about where Septimus can be located, since he more than likely cannot through any means other than magic.”
“Great,” said Cobalt, whose distaste for magic was known.
Lash, who also felt uncomfortable around it agreed. “Well, that can be your end of this journey,” he started, “but I’d like to hear about the initial phases of getting out of Legion World and far enough away where we can’t be followed or tracked.”
“And have you decided on whether it’s just going to be us four and Elag?” asked Lardy.
“Well, I figured I’d ask all of you. Here we are, all four of us former LMB leaders, so there’s no need for protocol here. There’s no leader among this group, and that doesn’t even need to be said. Is there any others that you think might be a good addition?”
“Hm, let me think on that,” said Stu. “It might be beneficial to have another espionage type member. I’ve already decided on the form I’ll be taking for this journey anyway, for a variety of reasons.”
“Form?” asked Lash. “You’re changing again?”
“Yes. As you all know, I can cast my spells at an accelerated rate and with a more encompassing range when I’m in the form of an animal, it’s the way I learned how to practice magic. While you’ve all seen me in dog, duck, monkey and of course human form before, I’ll be changing into something similar, although less suspicious than a monkey and more practical for this mission.”
“We should definitely hit up Bevis’s boutique before we go then!” smiled Lash. “Out of pure necessity of course” he grinned.
“We will,” said Cobalt. “We have a few more stops to make before we get going. In the meantime, I’m going to talk to Elag. I think we should leave immediately.”
“Agreed,” said Lardy. “We’ll go as soon as the boy is rested up and we’re all packed with supplies. No longer than two days time. In the meantime, we’ll try to tell as little people as possible.”
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Cobalt approached Elag as soon as he had the chance. The poor boy looked exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and in desperate need of sleep. Cobalt wanted to spend some time with him, and talk about all that had happened, but he knew that there’d be time enough for that on the road. For now, he’d have to rush through everything and break the news to Elag that they’d be leaving Legion World soon.
Suprisingly, Elag looked relieved. It was then that Cobalt could see that guilt had been eating away at Elag since this whole thing had started. He blamed himself for everything that had happened, and Cobalt was sure that the boy had heard the rumors of the dead men that resulted from the battle the night before. The more pressing concerns of Elag’s nature made matters exponentially worse. After talking with Stu for some time, the two had come to logically conclusions as to what Elag was, although it seemed totally illogical in nature. He was what Stu called a nexus of magic, a focus. Like Merlin, like great mages who had lived before, or even like Atlantis and Sorcerer’s World, Elagabolus served as a focal point for magic to move in and out of this world. In response, he had gained the abilities to harness the magic to both create and destroy. However, he had lost the power to create and heal, given it to Cobalt to save his life, and only kept the power to destroy, which was Septimus’s plan all along.
Esk had warned Cobalt that in her dream, Elagabolus was the enemy that would destroy the LMB many years from now, killing some, dividing them among each other and literally ending their Legion. Now, with only the power to destroy, Elag seemed to be moving down this path. Yet, Elag was a sweet young boy, only nine or ten years old, with a timid nature that covered up the smiling sweet kid who lived inside. Cobalt refused to believe that the future was already written and that fate was pre-ordained. There must be hope still, Esk must be wrong. And now, he would have to count on this feeling. But the guilt still ate away at the boy, and he had begun suspecting that he was indeed, evil.
Cobalt had decided he had to start now. “Elag,” he said. “Look at me.”
“Yes?”
“I want you to know, that this is not your fault. Nothing that has happened is your fault, you didn’t cause any of this. No more than I did, or Stu did, or even Doctor One or Harbinger. Do you understand me?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t think you do.” He said, looking into the boys eyes. “Elag, you’re not a bad person. That’s what Septimus wants you to believe, he wants you to be so scared and so hurt, that you start thinking that you are a bad person. Don’t let him win. You’re a great kid. I told you I was going to protect you, and I am. We all are. We’re going to take you away from here, so no one else is hurt. But not because you did anything wrong. Because that evil wizard, Septimus, is the one who has.”
Elag nodded. “Ok Cobie,” he said with a half-smile. Cobalt couldn’t tell whether the boy felt this way, or was simply humoring him.
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It didn’t take Invisible Brainiac long to decide that he was coming on the mission. Whether it was his sense of duty to Cobalt, whom he considered a big brother, or his shock at seeing a girl he liked, Sara, be so hurt and so scared over what happened. But he had decided, although he knew they’d never let him go.
The LMBers had come to love Invisible Brainiac, and he loved them back, but they were immensely protective over them. Part of the reason Cobalt and IB got along so well, was that Cobalt was always game for sneaking IB into places that the others wouldn’t approve. And why not? Cobalt wasn’t much older than IB, only a few years. But the rest of Legion World, at least the majority, would consider this mission far too dangerous for Invisible Brainiac.
Yet, considering his skills, IB thought he’d be perfect for the mission, if he wasn’t so young. He was highly intelligent, his codename even said it, and intelligence is beyond valuable on any mission. He could turn invisible, and Cobalt said that espionage would be a major factor in this mission. And he was beginning to get a hold on his light powers, which made him one of the most powerful LMBers on the whole team, at least on par with Cobalt Kid and Abin Quank. They might not let him go, but they’d need him.
This time, it wasn’t up to them anyway. He was going no matter what.
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“Of course I’m coming,” said Grey Birdboy with a rueful grin. “You’ll need someone with tracking abilities, and with enough speed to get out of a tough situation—or into one—as soon as possible.”
Cobalt Kid smiled and Lash Lad gave Grey Birdboy a pat on the back. “I knew you’d want in!” said Lash.
“I was thinking more along the lines of someone with a clear head and the willingness to speak up dissentingly if the need arose, but those attributes finish the decision” finished Cobalt.
Lash and Cobalt had come to Grey Birdboy’s aerie a bit earlier, in hopes that Grey would be willing to join them for their journey across space. After discussing it for a bit, and throwing around potential names for people to bring with them, it became apparent that Grey Birdboy was an extremely valuable person to have with them, for the reasons Cobalt just listed. Added to the fact that he was extremely knowledgeable in cultures around the world, Cobalt and Lash decided to make their way over to Grey’s aerie and ask him right away.
At first extremely interested in hearing the full tale of Elagabolus, Septimus and the plan to escape into the night from Legion World, Grey thought about it for only a few moments before announcing his decision.
“What’s your plan for leaving Legion World?” he asked.
“Don’t worry, it’s flawless. From there, there a couple of places that we can get to that can begin us on our journey.”
“Good. I know some other places, inns, bars, arenas and that sort of thing that are stationed throughout various sectors of the universe that we can use to map our journey.”
“Great,” said Lash, “so, it’s us three, Lardy, Stu and Elag. It should be a hell of a journey.”
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Arachne sipped a cup of Opal Nera in SHAKES, as she watched the cool air that had come into Legion World that afternoon make steam rise from the previously warm streets. Semi filled a martini glass with his own masterfully concocted martini and sipped it himself, as the two shared an enjoyable silence that was rare at SHAKES sometimes. The rest of the bar was empty, as Stu walked in.
“Stu, it’s hard talking to you in human form,” smiled Semi, filling Stu up with a drink before the mage had to ask.
“I know, it surprises me too sometimes to see what I really look like.” Smiled Stu back, as he took a seat next to Arachne. She had a pad in front of her and was doing some light sketches, mainly for her self enjoyment, not for show.
“How’s it going, fearless leader?” joked Arachne with Stu, the two being fast friends after many nights spent inside SHAKES, as part of the series of regulars who made their way in and out.
“It’s…going. Things have been as hectic as could be, although that’s about par for leader of this group,” he said with a half-smile. “I’ve actually come to talk to you about a possible little mission that could really benefit from your presence.”
“Oh? Tell me about it.”
“It’s about the boy Elag, the one you and Sharky brought in to Legion World.”
“I knew it would be. The whole city is abuzz with talk about the boy. No one knows what’s really going on right now.”
“They will soon enough. But I’ll give you some inside information. We’re taking him out of here, and as soon as possible. Away from Legion World, so it’s not attacked anymore.”
“Who is? That’s a pretty big risk to the boy to take him away from here.”
“I know. That’s why Cobalt, Lardy, Lash and I are taking him out of here ourselves. That is a tremendous amount of power for a group, although it’s not the most subtle for a group that supposed to be based on espionage.”
“I see.” Replied Arachne, finishing her Opal Nera. Semi walked over and gave her a new one. He walked on, not wanting to disrupt any conversation, and never prying into one either. “Then you’ll need someone with espionage skills, but someone with a little sting too. I’m in then. The poor boy has been through enough, and it sounds like he’s going to be through a hell of a lot more in the days to come. I’ll help protect him, and I’m good enough at espionage to make up for any lack of subtlety that the others might have.”
Stu put his arm on her shoulder. “I knew you would. Thanks,” he smiled. “It’ll be a rough road, but the more I look at the group we’re assembling, the more I feel we have a fighting chance.”
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LardLad looked in on Elagabolus, as the boy finally drifted to bed and got some overdue, much needed sleep. He waited a second, and then content that the boy was alright, turned to He Who Wanders, Princess Crujectra, and Nightcrawler. “Alright, he looks out of it. For the next day and a half, we’ll have triple duty watching him,” began the Lard Knight.
“Already taken care of Lardy,” replied He Who Wanders. “Kid Prime, Minesurfer, Americommando, Super Lad Kid, Kara, Icefyre, Rickshaw and Starboy have the first duty, and it changes every four hours. Nothing is going to happen to him in the next two days.”
“Good,” said Nightcrawler, “Now is the time for you all to get your affairs in order. You’ll slip out in two days and then go on your own. If any of you can word to us from time to time for updates, that’d be great, but if it’s too great a risk, we understand. You’ll need to get your own supplies, and you’ll have the chance for one last night out to hit up the town before the big journey.”
“A warrior’s tradition,” said Lardy matter of factly. “It’s good look you know?”
“I’m sure it is,” smiled Princess Crujeckie. “Don’t stay out too late though, you’ll need your rest.”
“Us? Never.” Replied Lardy, laughing at his own notorious history of late night debauchery. “We’ll be alright, it’ll be the same as usual, no less, no more. We can’t raise suspicions that we’re leaving on the following day. And you all have everything in order for when we’re gone?”
“Yes, Legion World will be fine in your absence. Just make sure that you guys are taking care of yourselves.”
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
There was an air of silliness from the moment the seven LMBers stepped foot inside Bevis’ Boutique of Fabulousness. Bevis, a true fashion guru in every sense of the word, had a sense of humor so witty and biting, yet so silly and fun, that no one can be around him for long without smiling ear to ear. In addition to being a fashion guru, Bevis was also known as Lucien Lad among the LMB, a long time LMBer that had joined up with them during year one on the famous road trip that was remembered so fondly. He was handsome, outspoken and every bit a queen as any other person that most of these LMBers had ever met. He was also dangerous in battle, equally cunning and powerful, as his nostalgia powers were extremely potent, while also ambiguous enough to confuse even the most intelligent of villains.
Once inside Bevis’s boutique, the serious demeanor of the cadre of would-be journeyman quickly faded away. Cobalt Kid, Lash Lad, LardLad, Iron Rat, Arachne and Grey Birdboy had made the decision to come to the boutique to gather whatever materials they’d need on their journey. Moving in secret, they figured it’d be more than wise to have cloaks, packs, pouches, boots and other wardrobe accessories that would make the long and dangerous trip more manageable. Letting Bevis in on the secret, knowing that he was among the most trustworthy of LMBers (after years of friendship), it took him no time at all to begin finding them items to where.
“A long grey cloak, Cobie?” he began, sorting through his stuff. “Hm, you don’t want to be noticed, so I guess flashy or sparkly out of the question. You really should let me dress you up sometime Cobie, I can get rid of the “I don’t know how to dress myself” look that you go for and make you absolutely fabulous! In the meantime, I’ll give you the “dreary, drab traveler” that you seem so intent on wearing.”
“Um…thanks Lucien.” Replied Cobalt, a bit bewildered by all the clothes around him.
“Lardy, I don’t know what to do about you…are you going for the same look, or do you want the whole “hedonistic barbarian come for the women and booze” look?”
“Yeah, I want that one!” said Lardy with a hearty laugh.
“Perhaps you should stick with the drab traveler look too,” said Grey, jumping in. “It’ll be hard enough for you to act inconspicuous, so lets at least try to make you like it.
To make matters worse, at the exact time that the six LMBers were picking out their costumes, Homecoming Queen (Amber), and Umber, her Earth-2 counterpart entered Bevis’ boutique, with the implicit intentions of going on a large spending spree with Amber’s father’s credit card. “Girls!” said Bevis with a smile. “Looking fab! So, what are you going for today? “Don’t touch me, you’re dirty” or “I’m even naughtier than my skirt says”?
“A bit of both” said Amber with a tee hee.
“Amber, your such a skank!” said Umber and they both giggled with a titter of amusement.
Lash laughed along with them, and Cobalt and Lardy made their way over to the girls. Although Umber was Cobalt’s daughter with Thora, sent back in time to another dimension and then miraculously showing up and joining the LMB (although she didn’t know she was Cobalt’s daughter, she never let him tell her), he was still always interested in Homecoming Queen. Lardy, who never was one to discriminate, was ready for either or both. Stu and Arachne shook their heads in amazement, while Grey sighed a bit.
And so the day went on, as Invisible Brainiac and Sara, his fast becoming girlfriend, entered the boutique, under the guise that IB was watching Sara go dress shopping. Learning long ago from Cobalt that the only reason to go dress shopping with a girl was for security reasons, IB saw this as a great opportunity. He watched the six closely, picking up on Bevis’ recommendations for each, so that he could buy his own matching wardrobe.
Bevis suited them all to perfection, providing them all with long grey cloaks and soft and silent boots to help keep them concealed and unnoticeable. For Arachne, he fitted her with a new suit of black and green, in leather-like substance, but more comfortable and easily adaptable for some ass-kicking. Of course, Bevis gave her sunglasses too, to add some extra intimidation. Iron Rat declined on any items and when asked why, he replied that they’d see soon enough, there wasn’t a need for clothing. Grey Birdboy, more comfortably when under-clothed, was fitted with a new Starhaven loincloth, with extra breeches in case they went somewhere where the weather was cold. Cobalt was dressed in grey, although he kept his new red and black costume in his pack in case he decided to wear it. Lash and Lardy the same. All were given pouches and packs, and a bit of rope, in case they needed it.
After a few hours work, Bevis was thoroughly satisfied with his accomplishment. “Look at you!” he said with a little glee. “My own fellowship!” He then turned with a smile to see Amber and Umber still going at it, not even the slightest bit tired. “Well, now it’s off to see how fabulous I can make these girls look, who are in so desperate need of my help…”
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
As the day wore on, Elagabolus continued to sleep, and the LMBers continued to get their affairs in order to make things went smoothly while they were away. Later, they’d all go out for a few drinks, and then have one last night of sleep, sleeping as late they could without being woken up, since they knew that it’d be the last real sleep any of them would get for some time.
Cobalt looked around at his office in the Security Building, and considered the trip he was about to take. He was leaving Legion World on a quest that might take some time, to do what he believed in his heart was right, even though he did have some misgivings about it all. He hoped that it was the right thing to do, and that his feelings about Elag were right, that the boy had a chance at becoming a better man that Esk had predicted.
In the meantime he felt that a meeting with Space Ranger was necessary, to make sure that the Security Office carried on smoothly in his absence. The Ranger walked in and sat down, and not one to beat around the bush, spoke up immediately.
“What’s on your mind, Cobie?”
Cobalt smiled. He loved that about Space Ranger. “I don’t know how much you’ve heard, or what you know about the boy, Elagabolus, but I figured now was a good time to talk to you about it.”
“Alright, shoot.” Replied Space Ranger, and Cobalt related him the story of Elag and the plan to take him off Legion World.
“I see. This is probably a move for the best—provided you can protect him. From what it sounds like, you’ve assembled quite a crew.”
“I think so. Initially, I wanted you along too. But then I thought about it…and I have a more important job for you. I need you to run the Security Office, while I’m gone. You’re my second in command, although really my partner in all this, and no one knows the ins and outs of security better than you around here.”
“Done. I’ll make sure everything runs smoothly around here, and since Arachne is the only one accompanying you, I’ll have plenty of Security Officers to make sure things get done as usual.”
“I knew you would. Thank goodness you’re here though, I wouldn’t want this place falling apart…”
“No problem, Cobie, you know that. Is everything alright? You look a bit stressed.”
“I am. This whole thing is bothering me, I don’t like it at all. I’m worried for this boy…I feel like it’s going to turn out very bad for him. I hope I’m not doing him an injustice…”
“Nothing of the sort, in fact quite the opposite. You’re doing what you think is right, and you’re doing it in a way to protect the most amount of people as possible. You’re doing great Cobie.”
They were silent for a bit. “Thanks Ranger,” Cobalt finally replied with a smile. “We’ll be leaving tomorrow.”
“Good luck,” he replied, “and you know who to call if you need back-up.”
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Invisible Brainiac walked around Legion World as the late afternoon turned into the evening, having some time alone, now that Sara went to go eat dinner with her sister, Anne. Doing some heavy thinking, IB considered all that had happened with this boy, and what he was going to do in regards to this mission. “The world isn’t fair,” he thought, although he had been told this all his life. “It really isn’t,” he added to himself.
Security. That was partly what this was all about. The decision to protect one and endanger all others or to protect everyone by excluding the one. Each one paid a terrible price. Yet each one was always destined to failure, because no one could ever truly be secure. That was a fact, as plain and as true as any other. There could never be absolute security, everyone was always in danger, everywhere. The second security begins to dominate anyone’s life, or any world’s life, there is a terrible price to pay. The more secure, the more terrible the price.
And being secure went well beyond protecting your life. By securing yourself financially, people could make the lives of other people less enjoyable. Luckily on Legion World, this sort of brutal capitalism wasn’t allowed. Even more, how secure could one be in one’s self? Cobalt Kid could be one of the nicest people in the world, yet he often came off as an egotistic, womanizing prankster who took nothing serious. This couldn’t be further from the truth, but it was his way of getting others to think that he was OK. Of getting himself to think that he was OK, despite the fact that he obviously was not. He was shattered from the loss of Space Tart, his long time love and wife, and only further disturbed by the feelings of helplessness he suffered from while being tortured by Dr. Albert Hoffman and Dark Conan. Shark Lad was another who never felt secure, always afraid that his animalistic instincts would kick in and take over. IB had heard others talk about LardLad as well, about the fear among all the old-time LMBers that LardLad had a dangerous and potentially mean streak in him that could push him over the edge.
“Security…” he thought. Stopping to look around, IB noticed that he had wandered into the Hall of Heroes, the place where statues of deceased LMBers were erected to honor those who had fallen. He looked up and viewed some: Foxy Roxy, Foodmaker Kid and in front of him, Space Tart.
“Invisible Brainiac,” said a voice suddenly, and IB turned to see a green mist arising from the corner of the room, as the LMBP Spectre formed in front of him. Looking exactly like Donna Troy (for that was the body she lived in), but with the personality of the deceased Foodmaker Kid, the LMBP Spectre was the most powerful LMBer, who served as a reserve member, for times of great danger. She had long ago come to accept her new life as an amalgam of these people, and had done just that: moved on to a new life. Her name was Josephine, but IB wasn’t friendly enough with her to use it familiarly.
“Hello,” he said. “How are you Spectre?”
“I am good,” replied the powerful woman. “I know what you are considering, in joining those others. I can see that you are disturbed by it, and that you are unsure. I do not give advice to others, for I think on a different level that you all do. But follow your heart young one…follow your heart.”
IB was silent for a moment and then nodded. “The world is a sad place sometimes…” he finally said, although he didn’t know why.
“I know…that’s why it is our job to fix what we can. Here…take this.” She added, suddenly handing him a pendant.
“What is this?”
“If things are too much for you, use it to call me and I will do what I can, although I cannot always be there to interfere or fight the battles of others. But I can give you advice and bring you home if need be. You are the youth of the LMB, and you hold a special place among its membership, although you do realize it. I will not let you fall…” and suddenly, the LMBP Spectre was gone.
IB stood there, staring at the pendant. His mind was made up.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Iron Rat made his own preparations during the night, knowing that there would be a variety of tasks that would need to be accomplished.
First, he secured his mansion, to ensure that no one could break in or enter any of the rooms that he wanted to be secure. Secondly, he began meditating for an extended amount of time, memorizing the spells that would he considered to be the most useful for such a journey. Next, he began packing all of the items, books, scrolls, records and weapons that would also be useful, packing them into a magic pouch that he had won long ago that allowed the holder to put as many things as he wished in there, while never growing in size or weight.
Iron Rat then turned his attention on another task. He began creating items that night, through magic means, at an advanced rate. These gifts would serve to protect the boy and aid the others on their quest. He had learned the skills of magical weapon making long ago, although such a practice was dangerous to use, for magic weapons should not become common in this world. Using a plain leather belt, he imbued it with spells of protection, for the boy wear. This would not bring any unwanted attention, being such a plain belt, but it would do it’s job in deflecting attacks that came from those with a significantly weaker will than Stu’s—which was many. Next, he created two small bracelets for the boy, to where around his wrists. The bracelets of defense would act as a deflection against spells, sending them back at the universe at double their potency. In addition, he used two small mirrors to create a teleportational gate. He had considered doing this earlier: he’d give one to Princess Crujeckie and keep one for himself, to allow a small dimension door to open for long-distance teleportation. Although the mirrors were too small to allow more than one person through the gates, he considered that if Outdoor Miner were to combine his own teleportational skills, he’d be able to go through once, grab a few people and go back through again. Lastly, Stu took four rocks, and cast a spell on them to give them the ability to cast light no matter how terrible the darkness was. One each for Lash, Arachne, Grey and of course Elag, to come in handy should the darkness become a question. Cobalt and Lardy would have to fend for themselves.
Stu decided that after this exhausting work, he should go to bed. It would be a long, tiring journey, and he would need as much rest as possible now. For who knew what types of magical enemies they’d encounter on their way?
Posted by Juan on :
Wow, I hadn't read this. Good job!
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Thanks Juan !
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
While Stu caught up on some much needed sleep and meditation, the rest of the would-be journeyman enjoyed one more night out at Legion World. Remembering to act as if nothing was out of the ordinary and they wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon, the six LMBers did as they always did and joined their comrades throughout the various establishments on Legion World.
Grey Birdboy made one of his enjoyable appearances at SHAKES, joining his future journeying partner Arachne, as well as Kid Prime, Icefyre, Harbinger, Danny Blaine, Kara and of course Varalent and Semi-Transparent Fellow. Cobalt Kid made sure to pop in for a few drinks, before joining Lash Lad and LardLad at Shameless Hussies for an over the top night of debauchery.
Invisible Brainiac took Sara out for another night for a cup of coffee at Café Cramer, until she eventually had to go home before her sister began to worry. He then made his way to Shameless Hussies, where Cobalt and Lardy snuck him in, both already pretty smashed, until Shameless Hussies drew the attention of the passer-bys in the streets of Legion World, as Abin Quank and Numf-El had a competition of who could climb up the strippers poles the fastest.
Elagabolus, still exhausted from the previous week’s activities slept well into the night, guarded continually by a variety of Legion Worlders who had volunteered their services. He did not dream at all this night, which was a blessing for him.
Legion World continued on as it always did, and Nightcrawler and Lightning Lad were happy to see that the events of the previous night didn’t disturb things to a degree where Legion World was fundamentally different.
Finally, everyone got the rest that they needed, and the six LMBers who prepared to embark on a journey slept well into the mid-afternoon, not getting themselves up unless it occurred naturally. It would be the last time that they would be able to sleep that way.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
People crowded around the streets of Legion World, and the tumultuous last few days appeared to be forgotten, as crowds were cheering in delight. The LMBers flew above the crowds, and watched, as the denizens of Legion World gathered together into two sides, leaving the streets open for what felt like a parade. At the end of the street, Princess Crujectra stood regally, with Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Kid Prime and He Who Wanders in back of her.
Beagle Boy had returned. A long-time LMBer and galaxy-wide recognized hero, Beagle Boy had made a long-awaited return to the LMB, coming to Legion World to rejoin his long-time allies and friends. World renowned, Beagz was surprised by the reaction of the Legion World citizenry, many of whom had only heard tales of his many heroic exploits with the LMB. However, the people love their heroes, and Beagle’s return marked a time of joy and fun, departing from the grim and tiring atmosphere of the last few days.
Beagle Boy raced up and down the street with his super-speed, giving the crowds a show to let them know it was worth coming out to catch a glimpse of this legendary hero. He smiled and waved, and although he was more than anxious to see his old friends, as well as the new faces and new scenery of Legion World, he made sure that each citizen had a moment where they were able to catch a glimpse of the speedster.
At the end of the street, Princess Crujectra smiled and waved to the crowds, eager for her long-time friend and ally to join her up on the stage that she and the others had stood upon. She had missed Beagz for a long time, and knew that others had also. She was also glad of the distraction his homecoming had brought—most people had forgotten, however briefly, the terror of the last few days and the boy who had brought it upon them.
Still, her mind constantly wondered about the LMBers who were about to depart on a perilous and dangerous journey. Nightcrawler had gone to see them off, and she wished she could have a chance to say a few words to them all. Gary would handle it, she decided, and there was nothing else any of them could do but stand by their decision and wait. In the meantime, she would enjoy the return of a long-lost friend. Still, she wished all her friends well, as well as the strange boy they promised to protect.
Beagle Boy ran down the street, laughing and yelling to the crowd, stopping by each LMBer he saw on the ground to give them a quick pat on the back and ‘hello’. Legion World scarcely remembered the panic of the previous days.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Nightcrawler watched as the group of journeyman secretly gathered on the outskirts of Legion World, in an area behind Stu’s mansion that went off on a slightly deserted road used for supplies and warehouses that housed small ships. There was a certain melancholy in the air, and Gary noticed for the first time how green and pretty this area was, despite the prominence of technology and mechanics. This was an area of Legion World that saw little visitors, and the architect of it, most likely Kid Prime, had put a good deal of care into making it pleasant on the eyes.
The air of melancholy was reinforced by the silence that seemed to be prevalent among those assembled. Grey Birdboy had been the first to arrive, followed by Arachne, both of whom were early. Stu eventually made his way over, after going through one last check with He Who Wanders about the logistics of running Legion World. Lash and Lardy eventually made their way over, the latter of the two walking with another LMBer who they weren’t expecting, Faraway Lad.
Faraway Lad was also a long-time LMBer, although he joined during the second year of it’s existence. He was an old friend of LardLad and the others, and was widely liked by most of the people who met him. A true hero, he was both noble and intelligent, calm and confident, and was easy to talk to. He had served as leader of the LMB for a term, and was considered to be one of the more responsible LMBers. That being said, he was also fun to have around, with a wry sense of humor and a penchant for drinking dark beers and port. His powers, as his name revealed, were the ability to make himself, other people and object go faraway, although he was usually unable to control the precision of this teleportation.
As Faraway walked over with Lardy, it became apparent that both were drinking a glass of beer, and it obviously wasn’t their first. Far had a subtle smile, and Lardy appeared to be feeling good, as his smile reached ear to ear. Over Lardy’s shoulder was a keg of beer.
“Far? Are you coming with us?” asked Lash, a smile going over his face.
“Not exactly,” he replied, “although I’m here to see you off.”
“He’s going to send us on our way.” Said Cobalt Kid suddenly, as he appeared from the sky, with Elagabolus in his arms. “His powers are perfect for this.”
“But I thought that he had trouble with the precision of his teleporting…” began Grey Birdboy, although he suddenly realized what Cobalt had in mind.
“Exactly. Until now, we’ve all been unreliable in giving away our plans and our destination, since our minds can be read by whatever magic Septimus has. However, in using Far’s power to send us far away, we can give Far a fairly tentative place to be sent, and then let his power work naturally, so wherever we land, we can work from there. However, by doing it this way, there’s no way that anyone could ever hope to stop us at our destination or attack us, since we don’t even know where we’re going.”
“Excellent,” said Nightcrawler. “Then you won’t have to worry about attackers waiting for you. But they will be searching, so you’ll have to be careful. However, this should give you a needed edge, and a head start on your journey.”
“Good thinking,” added Stu. “And what exactly is the plan then?”
“Well, Grey and I have worked out a tentative route for what we plan, although I was hoping that once we’re off Legion World, you can start giving us an idea of where you think Septimus’ castle is hidden, Stu. Through your magic.” Replied Cobalt.
“That can be done. I see we’ll be doing a lot of improvisation as we go, but that should work to our advantage.” Seeing the others were all agreeable to this plan, Cobalt and Stu then turned to Faraway Lad.
“Before you go,” began Far, “you’re going to have to fill your glasses and raise them. Before you lies a big journey and a tough one, and not one LMBer on Legion World doesn’t wish he was with you. You’ll all be in our thoughts, and I want you all to be careful. You don’t need to hear it, but I want to say it. So watch out for each other, watch out for this little lad here,” Far continued, looking at Elag now that the cups were all full, “and be safe. Now come here…” he finished, tipping glasses with all of them, “and Sweet Ass Sweet!”
As the LMBers tipped their glasses, they drank down the dark brew that Far had brought, and Lardy let out a loud burp to signal their appreciation. They all nodded at each other no one said a word. Elag turned to Cobalt, who nodded and put his hand on Elag’s shoulder. Elag hugged his leg tightly in return.
Suddenly, a burst of light lit off in the middle of them, as they all turned to Stu. In place of his human form now stood the form of an owl. In casting his magic, Stu was able to concentrate better when casting his spells in the form of an animal. Previously, he had chosen to be a dog, a duck and a monkey. This time, he choose the form of an owl, and as he flew around two short laps of the group, he landed on Elag’s shoulder.
“This, master Elag, is the form I have chosen to take on this journey. I shall be your guide, your friend, and your advisor. I promise, as we all have, to protect you as best I can.”
Elag was silent at first, until he overcame the fear, and smiled widely. He put his hand on Stu’s head, and felt the soft feathers of his owl form. “I like it…” he began, “you’re cute as an owl.”
“Thanks. An appropriate form for the guide of a young mage.” As the other LMBers smiled, Stu turned to Far. “Now, sir Darden…?”
Darden smiled back. “It is time.”
“Good luck LMBers,” said Nightcrawler. “Come back to us in one piece.”
And suddenly, Faraway concentrated his power, and blasted the six LMBers and Elagabolus. Taking a few moments, Far allowed himself to concentrate a bit less than usual, and allowed whatever destination his powers choose to be the destination the LMBers would land.
“Sweet Ass Sweet!” yelled Lash, as they all suddenly began to fade away.
“And so they go somewhere faraway…” said Faraway Lad.
“Yes…” said Gary, “I hope they get home soon,” he finished, although he knew that they most certainly would not.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Invisible Brainiac watched on as the six LMBers and Elag were hit by Faraway’s blast, and began to slowly disappear. He had followed them to this spot, after listening in on the secret meetings leading up to this point. His decision had been made already, and he suddenly felt the slightest bit of doubt in what he was about to do.
And suddenly, the image of Sara flashed through his head, and her unwillingness to let go of him as she lay in the make-shift hospital two nights before. “No…” he said to himself, “I am going.”
Invisible, he quietly made his way over to the group, hoping to slip in back of Greybird Boy and Arachne. Faraway was concentrating, although Nightcrawler looked on. IB suddenly felt like Nightcrawler was looking right at him, although he wasn’t sure. The LMBers were beginning to disappear, and IB heard Lash yell out a quick “Sweet Ass Sweet!”
Suddenly, the six LMBers and the boy were gone, and IB looked to see that he was still there with Faraway Lad and Nightcrawler. Panicked, he wondered what was happening, and if he wouldn’t be going with them after all. And suddenly, his stomach felt sick, and he felt as if he was coming apart at the molecular level.
And he was gone.
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
Nightcrawler bamfed back to the streets of Legion World, his arm around Faraway Lad, bringing him back to join the others. Beagle Boy had finished his show for the people, and the LMBers were gathering at Varalent’s Villa for small party. Princess Crujectra looked at Nightcrawler, and Gary simply nodded. She turned away, deciding not to nod back. “Security…” she thought, as she watched the crowds walk away laughing and yelling, walking into the various shops and venues on the streets. ------------- Septimus watched over Legion World, scrying over the events happening there. His servants were suddenly startled to hear a loud yell from his chambers.
“They think they can outwit me?! They will pay for it, all of them! Without an army of their friends to protect them, I will find them all, and they will suffer like they never have before…” he continued, his voice lowering to a mad whisper. “And then I will have the boy, whether he wants his destiny or not.”
Posted by Cobalt Kid on :
--Not the end--
To be concluded in 'LMBP Onevision: "Journies and Destinies"'
Posted by Harbinger on :
That was fun Cobie, more more more soon please!
Posted by Numf El on :
Chuffin' A, Cobie.
Posted by LARDLAD on :
Just finished it and all I can say is: Awesome, Des! I eagerly anticipate the conclusion!
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
But this is just a minor quibble. I LOVE everything you're doing in this story!