RJ Brande remembered his words to then-Legion leader Invisible Kid at the end of the campaign against Mordru, and sighed.
The Legionnaires had been lost many times before; tossed back to the 20th Century, stranded in the Second Galaxy, scattered across the worlds of a galaxy without Stargates.
Yet, they’d always come back.
This time, though…
The Legion was last seen fighting the Fatal Five Hundred, the Fatal Fives of several realities banded together. They’d succeeded, of course. They’d saved the United Planets again.
And they’d disappeared alongside their adversaries.
Nobody really registered it at first. Most sentients rejoiced or said prayers to their deities in thanks for sending them saviors. A fair few cursed the Legionnaires for attracting the attention of such villains. But everyone just assumed the Legionnaires had survived unscathed as they usually had, and would continue on doing their jobs.
Those who did know had scrambled to do what they could to find the missing young heroes. But with all their 31st Century technology, they had failed.
And then, a few days later, the Crisis came. Gigantic hands, ethereal in nature, had appeared in the skies above Earth. And above Bgztl. Imsk. Aleph. Thanagar. Titan. Khundia. Elia. Even the Second Galaxy saw the hands. And no Legionnaires were there to answer the call.
The Legion cadets did what they could, but they were inexperienced and lacked team cohesion. Colu’s group mind tried to study the phenomenon, but science came up empty. Naltor’s seers were blindsided. The Titanians could only determine that there was no sentient they could reach behind the hands. Even the Daxamites and the galaxy’s sorcerers, led by the Lady Mysa, could do nothing.
And then the Legionnaires had reappeared, magically, as if in answer to the prayers of a myriad of hearts. A harried Kid Quantum had quickly explained that the Legionnaires had been lost in the timestream, then had suddenly been pulled back to their universe. Brainiac 5 had theorized that the same hands which were reshaping reality were also the hands which had brought them back, possibly as a side effect. Shikari had then led the Legionnaires off into the hands’ origin.
The hands had disappeared. And the Legion had disappeared along with them once more. Even though numerous allies had been with them in the thick of it, only the active Legionnaires had gone.
The vast uncertainty about what had happened had left everyone numb. Nobody was sure what to believe. There was no finality about it, like during the Great Rift Disaster. No bodies had remained, like when Apparition or Leviathan had died. No traces of energy, like when the Emerald Eye had banished them.
RJ knew the Galaxy would endure. New heroes, like Chuck Taine, Nightwind and Infectious Lass, would emerge. But no matter how much he knew that, nothing could heal the wounds of that day. Legends had been lost. Many of them had been lost several times before. And even though he’d held on to hope before… he felt, with a deep aching inside, that hope would be no help now.
1. The Legion first vanished into the timestream at the end of the Teen Titans/Legion Special. Present were all active Legionnaires, and Chuck Taine (there was a figure with a cap and jacket). Shikari was separated from her teammates, and emerged in an unfamiliar world. Unfortunately, this was not picked up on.
2. In Infinite Crisis 6, the Legionnaires are shown in one panel, back home on Earth-247. Shikari reappears as well, stating that she has finally found them. Apparently, at the end of Infinite Crisis, Earth-247 ceases to exist.
3. The Legionnaires next appear in Legion of 3 Worlds, trapped once more in Limbo. Chuck Taine is absent, but Andromeda is present.
4. This story assumes that Earth-247 had somehow continued on after Infinite Crisis. Perhaps I will explain how at the end...
5. Magno had resigned from active Legion membership, and remains on Earth-247.
6. Thunder resigned from Legion membership, and apparently still remains in the 90th Century of her Earth.
7. Inferno had resigned from Legion membership, and is apparently still in the 31st Century.
8. XS and Gates are with the Retroboot Legion on the new post-Flashpoint Earth.
9. Kinetix was apparently killed in action during Legion of 3 Worlds. Her magic was absorbed first by Mordru, then by the Black Witch (Mysa).
10. Element Lad, Monstress, Leviathan and Kid Quantum I all died in the universe of Earth-247 long before the events of the Teen Titans/Legion Special.
11. The current Legion of Super-heroes consists of Nightwind (leader), Infectious Lass, Polar Boy, Babbage, Magnetic Kid, the White Witch (Lady Mysa), Impulse (Kent Shakespeare), Lume, Particon, and Spider-Girl (who just joined). Chuck Taine works with them but is non-powered.
12. Other supporting cast members who work with the Legion include Dyrk Magz, Shvaughn Erin, Gigi Cusimano, Tenzil Kem, Lori Morning (minus her H-Dial), RJ Brande, Marla Latham, Proty, Dr. Ryk'rr, Dr. Gym'll and Winema Wazzo. The Uncanny Amazers and the Legion Cadets are also active.
[ December 08, 2012, 08:27 PM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
KINETIX
Azra Saugin settled in her seat and closed her eyes. Her fingers closed around the pendant she wore around her neck, caressing it as gently as she once had her daughter.
Zoe.
Life as a Legionnaire’s mother had not always been easy. A depowered Zoe had disappeared once before when the Daxamites were running amok, but she had reappeared with her powers restored, albeit with a tail!
She'd lost the tail when she and Azra had confronted her manipulator, the witch Mysa. Luckily, she'd kept her powers.
She had disappeared again when she’d been transformed into a Terrorform – she was still existent, but her physical form had been altered, and there was almost no trace of the old Zoe.
The Zoe that loved to laugh, to playfully mother her friends, to fire off an occasionally biting yet witty comment.
Her heart had broken that day, when she and her son Thanot had visited Legion World to see Zoe once more. Zoe’s best friend, Violet, had glowingly told her that Zoe had been responsible for gaining the Legionnaires entry to Earth in order to defeat Computo. Azra had rushed forward as Zoe had entered the room, embracing her only daughter. And Zoe had just stood there, unmoving. When the silence broke, Zoe only spoke. Or perhaps "thought" was a better word, as her daughter’s voice had appeared in her head.
“Mother, you look well.”
That’s all. No excited recounting of her role in the battle. No showing off her new costume designs.
Even the phrase hung dry in the air, as it were a simple declaration, devoid of emotion.
Azra cried that night. How could she really say Zoe was there, when only her striking auburn hair remained?
Brainiac 5, bless him, had given her hope, though. He’d theorized that Zoe would eventually expend all her Hypertaxis energy and return to normal. It would just take some time – she had absorbed a lot, much more than any other Terrorform had.
It would just take some time. Azra got rooms on Legion World to wait. And wait she would, even if it took years.
Brainiac 5 had been right. Over the months that followed, Zoe started sounding more and more like herself. Her old zest had returned; Violet reported she’d started to make quips in battle again.
One of the biggest signs the old Zoe was back was when she'd organized a shopping trip "for girls only"! She'd invited Azra along, and excitedly introduced her to each of her Legionnaire friends.
Finally, four months after Azra had come to Legion World, Zoe had come to her.
“Mom! I just realized how much I’d missed you!” Mother, daughter and son had hugged like the world was ending right that moment.
They had packed right up and gone on a dig, just like old times.
As they were dusting off the treasures they'd unearthed, a task made easier by Zoe's vast powers, she had turned to her mother and said, “Mom, I’ve been thinking. As I've been using up the Hypertaxis energy, I've slowly realized again how much I missed being me. It's like I can feel again, like I'm slowly transforming back to human."
Zoe paused as her mother held her hand. No words needed to be spoken to convey Azra's message: "Me too."
"Now, I'm not in a hurry to use all this power up. I mean, I can do a lot of good with it, and I'm willing to wait a while longer."
"You always did love the feeling of helping people," Azra had said.
"Yes, but all the changes I've been through have made me think - I lost my powers once. Became almost catatonic another time. And now this. I've gone through so many changes because of all the powers around me. No mom,” Zoe held up a hand to stop Azra, who had been about to lecture her on being a hero. "I know, I know. Being a Legionnaire is dangerous, but I love doing good. It's just me, you know?"
"But I can't help thinking. None of us know if I'll lose my powers, get transformed, or... well, none of us knows what might happen. And I keep thinking I should do more. I should leave something lasting while I still can."
Azra had stroked her daughter’s hair (not easy to do when Zoe towered above her!) and told her how proud she was of her for thinking about that. Then they’d sat down and thrown ideas around. Azra had suggested Zoe think about a need to fulfill that lay within her own interests.
Zoe had finally settled on a scholarship foundation for budding fashion design students. One requirement was that grantees had to devote part of their time to working on functional designs. Zoe would raise the funds using her clout as a Legionnaire, while Azra and Thanot would set up the administration. Their first grantee, a brilliant young Alephian, had come up with several suits and accessories for archeologists. Azra was wearing one such creation now; the suit had pockets in all the right places for a variety of useful tools, and used fabric that could adjust to sudden changes in temperature.
The girl, named Mabuhay, had been a childhood friend of Zoe's. They hadn't seen each other much after Zoe had been old enough to accompany Azra on digs, but they'd always kept in touch. True to her nature, Zoe had contacted her friend immediately after they'd settled on the scholarship.
As a tribute to Zoe, she'd made her first collection entirely in shades of green.
They had always planned to do more after that. But then, Zoe and hear teammates had all been lost…
Blinking back the tears, Azra chastised herself. She could cry later. Now, she had to make sure she could fulfill whatever of her daughter’s dreams she still could.
She would not take no for an answer.
She wanted this so badly for Zoe. All Zoe had ever wanted was to help people and earn her place in the universe. And she had - all Azra would do was make sure everyone knew that.
[ October 14, 2011, 06:20 AM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
MONSTRESS
Insect Queen, Lonna Leing, crossed her arms and nodded with satisfaction. The grand opening of the Zoe and Candi Institute of Design was going extremely well.
She glided to her seat and settled back to listen to the ending words of Azra Saugin’s speech.
“… and with the support of everyone here today, we are pleased to say that together, we can continue honoring the memories of Zoe Saugin and Candi Pyponte-Le Parc III. These two young women gave their lives… but they also gave us hope, and a promise that while our lives may end, our legacies can live forever.” Azra smiled in her dark green business suit as the crowd erupted into applause.
A strong, graceful women, Insect Queen thought. She had only met Kinetix a couple of times, but she could see where she’d gotten her forceful character.
Unlike with Monstress. Candi had been a sweet, caring young woman. She glanced quickly at Monstress’ father, seated towards the side with his hands on his walking stick, face wooden. Amidst the cheers of the audience, he just sat there, unmoving. Perhaps unfeeling, as well.
Lonna wondered how someone like Monstress could have someone like that as her father. It was always the same, every birthday, every anniversary, every time the Amazers were recognized. Monstress would receive a gift or a card, pause for just one moment, and make a comment about how her father was busy, but “he was so thoughtful to send me this wonderful pair of shoes! They match my costume so perfectly!”
Lonna knew that Candi had spent many birthdays crying herself to sleep.
As the crowd around her organized into smaller groups to tour the building, Lonna set off on a brisk pace towards Mr. Pyponte-Le Parc.
“Sir, I’m Lonna Leing, Insect Queen. I was a teammate of your daughter’s, back in the Uncanny Amazers.” He tilted his head to her, nodding, and accepting her hand with a strong handshake.
“I’ve heard about you. Thank you for helping with the preparations for the opening.”
Lonna was slightly surprised. She’d imagined he’d be more… dry. His grip was firm, his greeting fairly warm. “Candi was a good friend. I’m glad to have helped. This is definitely something she would have wanted.”
He closed his eyes and nodded. Emboldened, Lonna continued, “She loved your very much, sir. She was always showing off the gifts you sent her. I think she’d be happy to know that you built this in her memory.”
He nodded once more, and his eyes closed for a second. “Azra Saugin was very convincing. And her words rang true. She told me that no matter where our daughters were, or what they looked like, we still loved them.” He paused, leaning heavily on his stick. Lonna could tell it wasn’t because of weariness. It was a sense of loss that now weighed on him. Loss, and guilt.
“Ms. Leing… Thank you for telling me about Candi. I was always worried that my actions had caused her great sadness, but it was hard for me to face her since I always felt responsible for the changes she went through. But seeing you and all the others who came her today to honor her memory made me realize that she still lived a full and complete life even after her accident. And that is all that I wanted for her. I like to think that she knew that.”
Lonna honestly didn’t know if that were true, but she placed a hand on Candi’s fathers, and gave a light squeeze. “I think she did, sir. I think she did.”
Above them, the statue of Monstress that adorned the institute’s main hall gleamed in the light, as if it had just shed a tear.
[ October 10, 2011, 04:12 AM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
TIMBER WOLF
The full moon glowed over the urban jungle that was Rimbor. Panting, Hubble scampered along the crowded alleyways, making his way to the meeting place.
A few months back, it would have been nearly impossible to have run along this area. But the Wolf Pack had taken a new pride in their territory, and part of that pride involved maintaining the area. If Rimbor did have any sort of community, this was the closest thing to it.
Hubble finally made it to the meeting place, and handed a package to Crody. “You made it just in time, bro.” The older man patted him on the back with a smile. “No thanks to Rn’drr here.”
“Hey, nobody told me that silverale was for tonight! You shoulda warned me, bros!”
“Just the same, you’re forking over the cash for this, ayt? Now quiet down, bro. We’re about to start. Get everyone together.”
Rn’drr threw up his arms in a annoyance, then stomped off. “Mash! Race! Round everyone up, boss man says it’s time!”
Hubble noted that Rn’drr’s limp was almost gone. He glanced at Crody, and saw that the scar on his face had faded, too. In the moonlight, it was almost imperceptible. Hubble’s own scar was still pretty deep, but hidden in his hair. He was just thankful that their entire gang had survived the three bounty hunters that had come hunting for the Legionnaire Apparition when she was hiding out with them. The whole gang was still together, save one. They’d grown since then, too.
Hubble felt a small pang of sadness that was quickly suppressed by a swelling of pride. Sure, Brin Londo was gone, but he’d done good while he was alive. Rimbor gang-boy who’d escaped the hellhole of a planet and gone on to become a Legionnaire, flying into battle alongside teammates who’d come from much better pedigrees than he had. He could hold his own against the best of them, too.
Brin had returned a couple of times during his Legion career. “Bros,” he’d tell them, “being a Legionnaire… it ain’t just about bashing some guy’s head in when he’s making trouble. Nah, first you show him who’s the alpha male, then you fix what he’s done. I say we keep doing that here. Rimbor may be a hellhole, but it’s our hellhole, and I sure am sprocking sick of living in a filthy hellhole. Let’s do something about it.”
And so they had done something. Their little neighborhood was relatively clean by Rimbor standards. Legit businesses had sprung up; families from elsewhere had relocated here. The place was a community now, almost like the ones he saw on the holoseries.
Crody cleared his throat, and Hubble listened attentively while scanning the circle gathered around the bonfire. The glow lit up around two dozen faces, all listening raptly to their new leader.
“Bros, thank you all for showing up tonight. Not a one of you drunk on your asses, either.” Crody tapped the bottle of silverale in his hand. “Plenty of time for that later, right?” Cheers resounded through the circle. Crody held up a hand, and the pack quieted.
“But first, let’s remember our bro, Brin. We wouldn’t be living this well without him and his crazy ideas. When he told us he wanted to clean up the ‘bor, I told him he was smoking something. But hey, it’s working. We’re getting better every day. Even the Emerald Dragons want to know how we’re doing it.”
Hubble could feel his head nodding, and those around him did the same. For their hated rivals to do that was a major validation.
“We done good, boys. And we did it as a pack. A wolf pack. And wolf packs take care of their own. Remember that. All the people living on our turf – they’re our own now too. We got a lot of work ahead of us, if we want to keep making what we’ve built.”
“But for now, we celebrate. Hubble, pass the cups around.” Taking a bottle from the package, Crody held it up high. “Premium silverale from Ventura! You don’t get to drink this every day, boys!” Soon, all cups were filled and raised high in the air.
“Long live Brin Londo and the Wolf Pack! We done good, boys!"
"And to anyone gets in our way - take that, you squajes!”
In unison, they all drank. Then, as one, they threw their heads back and let out a howl in a celebration of brotherhood and purpose.
The moon glowed bright, a promise that things would keep getting better.
[ October 11, 2011, 12:52 AM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
KARATE KID
Communique from Captain Shvaughn Erin to Legion World Science Police Detail
Subject: “Val Armorr” Training Program
Science Police High Command has approved the Val Armorr Unarmed Combat Training Program for integration into the Science Police Academy Curriculum.
The Program will begin use in seven earth-cycles. All current Science Police Officers are also required to take classes. Competence will be assessed in six standard Earth months. Trainers and equipment will be provided at all Science Police District Offices. Please see file attachment for a list of offices and training schedules.
The Val Armorr Training Program was developed with the aid of Val Armorr, Karate Kid of the Legion of Superheroes. The Program’s keystones are:
Use of non-lethal force to subdue an enemy
Unarmed combat against common weapon types
Modules for disarming and disabling an enemy without causing permanent physical harm
Science Police Command would like to thank Lieutenant Gigi Cusimano and Officer Dyrk Magz for their crucial roles in developing this program.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
INVISIBLE KID
Condo Arlik stepped out into the rain, not caring as it poured on him. He felt that it matched the storm in his heart.
Before he met, and fell in love with, Lyle Norg, his thought life was good. But being with Lyle had added so much color to his life – it was as if the colors were a bit brighter, the smells more vivid, the sounds more melodious.
Rainy days were the worst. They reminded him of their first meeting.
Lyle had just stopped a thief, and a Condo in the budding stages of his career had managed to talk him into giving an interview. He’d asked many times before, but never really had the chance to talk before now. His persistence had finally paid off. They were sipping coffee while Condo was taking notes feverishly. Lyle was leaning back, not quite relaxed, but still confident.
“What do your parents say about you being a Legionnaire? We know not all Legionnaire parents are open to the idea,” Condo had asked.
“I’ve been in dangerous situations for a while now, Condo. I don’t think my parents would mind.”
“Oh, you don’t think so? Don’t they have any worries at all about you going into danger? You’ve already lost three teammates – Kid Quantum, Leviathan, and Apparition.”
“I… My parents are fully supportive of all my work as a Legionnaire.”
The change in Lyle’s tone didn’t escape Condo. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…” He reached out his hand in a gesture of conciliation, and got a lapful of hot coffee for his trouble.
“Oh nass!”
He grabbed tissues quickly, more concerned about his Omnicom than anything else. Lyle quickly stood up too. “Easy now, your Omnicom is fine. Worry about your legs, you wouldn’t want to get a burn down there.” Lyle reached over with a few tissues in his hand.
Condo blushed. Both at his spilled coffee and at having Lyle fuss over him. “I’m sorry, you must think I’m a class-A nasshead by now. It’s just, you’re the first big name I’ve interviewed in my whole career, and… It can be intimidating.”
Lyle paused for a second, and smiled. “If you had interviewed me a couple of years ago, I’m sure you would have had the upper hand. I wouldn’t call myself shy, but I’m just not that comfortable in the spotlight. I’m actually glad we didn’t do a live interview. They make me want to use my powers right away.”
Condo smiled back. Lyle Norg had probably the cutest smile that he’d ever seen before. Whoa, what was he thinking? He had work to do…
He quickly grabbed his Omnicom to cover up his confusion. “Er, thanks. I know you’re busy, and my pants make me look like I have poor bladder control, so I just have a few more questions…”
“Do you live nearby?”
Condo’s heart stopped at that question. “What?”
“I think you have a lot more questions to ask, and I actually want to ask you some things too. But I’m sure you can’t concentrate while wearing those. Now, we’re pretty far away from Legion HQ, so if your place is close, you can get changed and we can continue while we’re there.”
Condo could tell from the look on Lyle’s face that that wasn’t all he wanted to continue. He couldn’t believe this was actually happening. His mouth hung open, and then he forced himself to speak. “Yeah, yeah sure. I live just a block away.” Lyle made a small bow. “Lead the way then, Condo.”
As they walked along, Condo thought of all the things he wanted to say. Pushing his thoughts aside, though, he decided to finish the interview now in case they ended up turning their attention to other matters later.
“So, uh, the thief you stopped… Was he trying to steal anything important?”
“Just some jewelry. Right now, though, there’s something important I want to steal…”
“Oh my gods, what a flirt,” thought Condo. But he liked it. He liked it a lot. “Why steal it when you can just ask, Invisible Kid?”
The two walked off, big grins on their faces.
Condo flashed back to the present. He was now standing underneath the memorial statue of his lover. The golden visage was determined, so unlike the mischievous Lyle he knew in his most private moments.
Underneath the statue was a small goblet with a simple inscription: "To my one and only brother." It looked like one of those toy cups handed out as promotional items from a fast-food place. Condo thought it might have been placed there by the Foccarts - Lyle had told him about them and his lost "brother" Jacques.
He started suddenly. Did the goblet just move? As if someone were holding it invisibly?
Shaking his head, he buried his face in his hands. “Get it together, man. What would Lyle think of you letting yourself go to pieces like this?”
Calming himself, he crouched before his own humble offering: a mug from the coffee shop where he and Lyle had first talked, all those years ago. Inscribed on the bottom was a simple message: “To my inspiration. You were once, and you always will be.”
Condo closed his eyes for a second, picturing happier times as the rain fell on him. He hoped it would wash away his sadness… but never his memories of the all too short time they had together.
[ October 13, 2011, 01:45 AM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
UMBRA
Jazinda lowered her head in greeting as she passed the offworlders walking along the streets of her village. They paid her little heed, though; they were too busy gawking at the sights around them. She smiled to herself. How strange it must be for them… after all, Talok VIII was unlike any other UP World.
It was only recently that Talok VIII had opened itself up once more. They had joined the UP with much excitement, even sending their planetary champion off-world to gain more recognition. Yet, the recent disasters with the Stargates, the Rift, and the odd happenings on Earth had convinced them to close off once more.
And then their champion had come back. And she had shown them the light.
In a passionate speech for the leaders of the 12 tribes and the shadow priests, Umbra had talked about how they had sent her out of Talok VIII to learn. She had faced her fears of losing her identity amongst the wide universe outside. She had grown and changed. And now Talok VIII must do the same, lest their hiding destroy them from within like what had happened when the Shadowforce had run amok.
Jazinda felt a little shame. Umbra had been right. They had hidden. That had not been true to their old proud nature as fierce warriors. Still, as warriors do, they had atoned for their mistake. Working with the Legion of Superheroes and the United Planets, Talok VIII had stepped comfortably into their current place in the UP. In exchange for valuable minerals, the UP traded them technology. Many Talokians now walked on far-off planets, and offworlders such as those she passed a while ago were becoming more common.
All thanks to one strong young woman.
Jazinda entered her home and looked around. Her daughter was not home yet.
Jazinda knelt at the statue of Umbra that adorned their mantle, saying a silent prayer that Larysma would bring home good news. Yes, she knew Umbra was no deity. She was flesh and blood, like all other Talokians. Yet her connection to the shadows, and her good works as a Legionnaire, made her worthy of respect. All of Talok felt that way.
Hopefully, the shadows would not die with her. Jazinda knew, from gossip, that UP Officials had been seen talking with the shadow priests. Jazinda trusted that the priests would handle the matter well. They must. Talok VIII needed to cooperate with the UP to prosper in these times, but it also needed to be able to protect itself. And with none of the Mallor bloodline remaining… They would have to find a way.
Jazinda was shaken out of her worry by the sound of her Omnicom ringing. She hastened to it, fumbling with the buttons. It was probably her daughter! Heart pounding, she finally pressed the right button.
“I made it mother! I made it! I’m going to study on Earth!”
Jazinda smiled as only a mother could. “I’m so proud of you, Larysma. When you come home tonight, we’ll have a feast.”
“Thanks mother! I can’t wait!”
Setting the Omnicom down, Jazinda smiled and knelt once more at the statue of Umbra. “Thank you. All this is because of you.”
[ November 11, 2011, 03:02 AM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
INFERNO
The young man muttered to himself as he feverishly switched back and forth between the Omnicoms on his desk.
On his wall were photographs of each of the Legionnaires. All of them had a small tick mark crossed off, save one.
Was she even truly a Legionnaire? He could not find a single story, a single holo, that suggested she was. But he knew she must be.
As if to convince himself he was not crazy, he scanned through the timeline he had constructed. There it was: Inferno was last reported leaving McCauley Industries Headquarters the same day the Legionnaires were reported under the thrall of the Emerald Eye. The day before it was announced Shrinking Violet had been possessed, and half the Legion had departed on a “secret mission”.
Inferno had never been seen again.
Any and all news comments merely mentioned that she, along with Shvaughn Erin, had accompanied the team as allies. Yet, why had she not come back? Everyone else had, along with a resurrected Apparition and a new member, Ferro.
There were not even any official reports that showed her among the rolls. She wasn’t even included in listings of Honorary Legionnaires. She was just casually mentioned as an ally, and that was that.
What had happened to her? Had she been a real Legionnaire? Had she even joined the Legion at all?
He wanted to know. No, he was compelled to know.
He had attended almost every public Legion appearance on Earth since then, vainly trying to be heard over the din of the crowds, shouting for them to tell him about Inferno. He had even cornered Spark once, but all the Legionnaire would say was that Inferno had decided to be left behind. And then she gently brushed him off and flew away.
Now that the Legion was gone, it would be much more difficult to find answers. But he would know, somehow. He would know.
Posted by Omni on :
I'm loving this tribute to my favorite legion! I wish they would bring them back!
i think my favorite vinyet is the one for Invisible Kid. i know it was an aspect they hinted at but i loved that you brought it out more! I also love the one about Inferno! I always hated that they just left her and so did dc!
i also like that you threw in Crisis in there to help give it a real legion feel.
i can't wait to see more... are you planning to do one for each legionnaire?
also.. if i may i think your building to a new legion serious with this one...whit some of the characters your bringing in... i could be wrong... please let me know if i am..
Posted by Doctor One on :
Wow, IB, this is awesome! You really have the makings of a writer, I think. These little vignettes somehow really manage to encapsulate what we loved about these characters. Excellent job!
Posted by Set on :
This is good stuff, Inviso-Brainy!
I'm not hugely familiar with the characters, but you're really doing a great job of making me feel for them!
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
quote:Originally posted by Omni: I'm loving this tribute to my favorite legion! I wish they would bring them back!
i think my favorite vinyet is the one for Invisible Kid. i know it was an aspect they hinted at but i loved that you brought it out more! I also love the one about Inferno! I always hated that they just left her and so did dc!
i also like that you threw in Crisis in there to help give it a real legion feel.
i can't wait to see more... are you planning to do one for each legionnaire?
also.. if i may i think your building to a new legion serious with this one...whit some of the characters your bringing in... i could be wrong... please let me know if i am..
Thanks, Omni! I've actually been planning this for a while now, but your own fan-fic spurred me to actually write them.
Re Lyle, I was torn between using Condo or Jacques for his piece. I actually plan to go back and write in a segment where Condo notices something pointing to Jacques, like maybe a token inscribed with "To my brother". I always thought it would be cool if Lyle and Condo were indeed gay.
And Inferno, yeah that bothered me too!
I plan to do one for each Legionnaire eventually, even Thunder, Magno, Chuck and Kid Quantum I - Legionnaires who were "lost" way before the Crisis.
I'm not really planning on focusing on a new Legion, but they will appear throughout the "series". Mostly, though, as a way to show how important the "lost" Legionnaires really were to the galaxy.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
quote:Originally posted by Doctor One: Wow, IB, this is awesome! You really have the makings of a writer, I think. These little vignettes somehow really manage to encapsulate what we loved about these characters. Excellent job!
Thanks, Doc! I'm glad you think I'm doing a good job with them. I hope I can do them all justice.
quote:Originally posted by Set: This is good stuff, Inviso-Brainy!
I'm not hugely familiar with the characters, but you're really doing a great job of making me feel for them!
Set, that was probably the best compliment anyone could ever have given me. Thank you!
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
CHUCK TAINE
Tenzil Kem peeked into the office of his best pal, in his hands a tray carrying a platter of doughnuts and a tall pitcher of hot chocolate. If he knew one thing about his pal, it was that he was a stress-eater and would greatly appreciate the energy boost.
"Okay, Nightwind, you've made your point. You can't be full-fledged Legionnaires if we don't let you go on missions unsupervised. So I won't tag along on the next one. But..." Chuck made a show of stressing that word. "Any collateral damage comes out of the duty allowance of whomever caused it. Deal?"
"Deal, Mr. Taine. Thanks, we won't let you down."
"I know you won't. I also know you'll probably give me a few more gray hairs, but that seems to be in the job description of any Legionnaire," Chuck replied, not without humor.
"Don't worry, you don't look a day over 27." And with a small laugh, Nightwind winked out before Chuck could retort.
"Looks like insult humor is in the Legion job description too, huh?" Tenzil smiled at Chuck's annoyance. "Here, have a doughnut to take your mind of your aging."
"Har har. You just wait until I beat you at pool again."
Tenzil laughed. "No way I'm gonna play you for bets again - especially now that you've gotten much better at angles, thanks to the Bouncing Boy."
"Have to. With such a large ship, I have to aim just right, or I risk flattening the criminals we're after." Chuck sighed, his hand on the small of his back. "All that piloting does get tiring though. Still, the new kids will be ready soon. Nightwind, Infectious Lass, Polar Boy, Magnetic Kid, Impulse, Lume, Particon, Babbage and the White Witch make a good team. Nothing yet like the old team, though..."
The two friends shared a moment of silence. What hurt more was that the Legionnaires had been their friends. What probably hurt most was that two of them had been a little bit more.
Tenzil sighed. He did have a crush on Violet, but they hadn't shared much more than a few group dates. But Chuck... Chuck and Triad had had something going on. Anyone could see that.
He put a hand on Chuck's shoulder. "She would be proud of what you're doing now. Keeping the team alive, and all that. And besides..." Tenzil took a bite of the tray he was holding. Crunchy and sour, just like iron. "She always thought you looked much better while smiling." He held up the tray, now in the shape of a large smile. "See?"
Chuck couldn't help but laugh. "I don't get it. Even though your jokes are truly awful, I still can't stop laughing at them. Thanks, pal." His grin quickly faded, though.
"I was with them the first time, after the Fatal Five. And we came back. But I was saved from... from whatever it is that took them away again. I can't help thinking... I was left behind for a reason. And if they do come back again... I want things to be ready for them."
Tenzil nodded. "We all do, Chuck. We all do. And we have your back, don't worry."
Chuck took a sip from the hot chocolate. It was warm, just like Triad's smile used to be. He missed her... but deep down, he knew he'd see her again. The only question was... when?
[ October 15, 2011, 12:44 PM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by Omni on :
Thank you so much! i really appreciate that as well and glad that it could help you!
nice. i think that is a great idea! to hear from these characters that we haven't seen since way before the Crisis. the thunder one could be really interesting....
you could continue Condo's with him searching for Jacques to get some closure... or something. i can't wait to see more!
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
quote:Originally posted by Omni:
you could continue Condo's with him searching for Jacques to get some closure... or something. i can't wait to see more!
That's a good idea - I'd planned for each Legionnaire to be revisited only once each, but I do have a closing segment in mind that will wrap everything up. I may have characters like Condo pop up in others' segments too, though, like what I did with Azra Saugin.
I can promise that Condo and Chuck, at least, will be seen again.
I can't wait to read more from you as well, Omni Posted by superboymddjr on :
aw....reading Monstress s story made me feel so sad...it is the saddest and poignant story ever...and I had to go back re-read it all over again, especially Monstress. I miss her!... thanks IB for writing such beautiful narrative on each Lost legionnaires. Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Supes, thanks for the kind words! I'm really glad to know I'm doing these Legionnaires justice, given their long histories.
I just went back to flesh out Kinetix's story some more.
As for Monstress, after the great job DNA did with her in Legion Lost, I knew she deserved a killer tribute as well.
[ October 14, 2011, 06:21 AM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
KID QUANTUM II
Nightwind dove as a laser shot past where her head had been. Rolling forward on the ground, she let loose a gust of wind at her opponent, slamming him against a wall. Satisfied that he was out, she glanced around at her teammates.
Polar Boy had his on ice, literally. Lume was blinding his, though the man kept firing his weapon erratically. Infectious Lass was dodging blasts too; Nightwind guesses their opponents’ armor was delaying the effects of whatever pathogen Drura was using on them.
Quickly scanning the surroundings, she barked a few orders.
“Brek, crowd control. Use your powers to seal the combatants off! Lume, destroy your opponents’ weapon first! Drura, hang on!”
Berta quickly flew to Drura. She could probably take this one out too, but with Brek taking care of the crowd, she could afford to give Drura a chance to do the job. It would be good for her morale, and give Berta a chance to gauge Drura’s powers. She used her powers to push the masked man off balance. “Go for it!”
Drura quickly leaped forward and grabbed the man’s helmet. “Nice armor, tough guy. Too bad you still need holes for air.” Within seconds, the man had crouched on the ground in a fetal position.
Looking back up, Berta saw that Lume had used his light powers to disarm his opponent and had knocked him out.
That was four. There was a fifth, though.
Where was…
“Stand back, lady! If you so much as twitch, your teammate goes down!”
Berta froze. Brek stood with his hands in their air, facing the sides of the dome he had created to seal the area in. A final armored man had his blaster pointed point-blank at him.
She knew what to do, though. Keep him talking for a bit. He was breathing heavily already. It wouldn’t take long.
“Don’t move, guys. What do you want?”
“I want you all to stand down, and let me out of here.” He was panicking. Good.
“And where will you go?”
“I… I will…” he suddenly grabbed his head. “What… what’s…I can’t… breathe…”
Polar Boy quickly subdued him. “Thanks, Nightwind. I love how creative you’ve gotten with your wind powers.”
Berta smiled. “Another thing I learned from Kid Quantum. She was the one who taught me that my wind powers basically allow me to control the air. It was a simple matter to prevent any from reaching this guy’s head.”
She turned to survey the area. “Great work on our first solo run, team. Minimal damage to the area, no bystanders hurt, all loot recovered, and no injuries. I say we deserve floats when we get back.”
“Shall we address the reporters, though?” Lume asked. “There appear to be a large number gathered outside.”
Berta considered for a second. “Are you all up to it?” Seeing three Yeses, she smiled. “Let’s go then.”
*********************************************** Berta relaxed back in her room as she recorded a log of her day. This was another habit she picked up from Kid Quantum.
She sighed, thinking of all the Legionnaire had done for her. Even as a cadet, Jazmin had mentored her. Apparently, she had reminded the Kid of a younger her – headstrong, not afraid to question authority, somewhat rebellious, but with a big heart.
It had been Jazmin who’d impressed upon her the importance of watching out for her teammates. “Girl,” she’d said, “you have to remember one thing. The Legion is a team. You have to take care of your teammates to keep strong. That means, even in the heat of battle, you have to keep an eye out on them. Let me tell you, it can get hard while you’re dodging some nassheads energy blasts, but it’s part of the job. And it will pay off.”
And it had. When the Legion had reformed, Berta had been chosen to be the new team’s leader. She took that role with pride.
And sadness, of course. She’d always looked forward to working alongside Kid Quantum and the others. She never imagined she’d be replacing them instead.
She’d been asked that many times by reporters. She pretty much had a standard answer now – “As a cadet, I knew the Legionnaires. Each one was a hero and an inspiration. We can carry on in their stead, but we will never be able to replace them.”
Another common one was, which one had she admired most?
That was easy as well.
“Kid Quantum. It’s not just how powerful she is – and she is, believe me. Her quantum powers allow her to manipulate time and matter, and if you’ve ever faced her in a combat training session, you’ll know it’s as amazing as it sounds. More than that, though, she’s THE type of hero to emulate. She made Legion leader despite her relatively short tenure with the team. She had knowledge of biophysics. She was effective, and commanded the respect and trust of all her teammates. She took time out to help all us cadets with our training. She managed to maintain a healthy relationship with her family. And she saved the galaxy almost single-handedly, got lost doing so, and came back. Kid Quantum is my hero, because she taught me that hard work, heart, and a love for the job can make you a success no matter what disadvantages you start with.”
She paused as a message popped up. She was pleasantly surprised to find it was RJ Brande.
“Lass, Chuck told me about your success today. Congratulations on your first solo mission! By damn, you’ll be an excellent Legion leader.”
Berta smiled. She would be, at that.
She would make Kid Quantum proud, and honor her legacy. And the Legion’s.
[ November 19, 2011, 12:20 PM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
APPARITION
Winema Wazzo steeled herself as she prepared to address the United Planets. As UP President, she had to be strong. Even if she felt like she were dying inside.
She smoothed her suit and the white flowing cape she wore. It was a time for ceremony, and she wanted to remind the galaxy that she was also the mother of a Legionnaire.
She didn’t know what made it more difficult this time. The fact that she’d lost Tinya so many times that she felt like she were on a rollercoaster ride; or the fact that she and Tinya had truly, finally started to reconcile just before she had…
She closed her eyes again. She had done wrong by Tinya, and she knew it. She had been harsh, controlling, overbearing. She had nearly cost Tinya her life by sending mercenaries after her; mercenaries whom she was wrong to trust.
Yet she was proud of all Tinya had accomplished. Grief had blinded her before, but she saw now that Tinya had been a hero. She had sacrificed to protect the United Planets. And despite how she had suffered, being betrayed by her father, dying and living as a wraith, dealing with the combined memories of two selves merged into one, she had become a strong woman.
She smiled as she remembered Tinya’s words to her when they had finally talked, after Winema had nearly been felled by an assassin’s bullet.
“Mother, I’m glad you are well. But we must talk now. We’ve both nearly lost each other so many times. Now, you are my mother, and I know you love me and want what’s best for me. But I will not allow you to keep micromanaging my life. I am old enough to make my own choices; you may disapprove and advise, but do not interfere. I love Jo, and he has proven himself over and over again. I trust him. If you were able to accept the Legion, then you can accept him and my son too.” Tinya had paused then; Winema could see she had been overcome with emotion, but she had kept it controlled. “Mother, please. I want you to keep being a part of my life, but under terms we both can agree to. I was wrong to avoid you before. But then again, you were also wrong in how you offered your help. Alright?”
Winema had just hugged her daughter. She was proud. Where she was harsh, Tinya was firm; where she was strict, Tinya was compassionate. Winema used to think those qualities were weak, but she could see how strong they could be. It was odd, how the mother learned from the daughter.
“Madame President?” A voice broke through Winema’s thoughts. “Ma’am, it is time.”
“Thank you,” Winema said, smiling. She would not have done that before. “I am ready.”
She stepped onto the stage, ready to address the galaxy.
“Sentients, today I stand before you today with little in the way of words. For what words can truly encapsulate the heroism of those we celebrate? Nothing, nothing we do can fully repay the Legion of Superheroes for what they have done for us. They have saved our homes, our families, and our lives many times over. They have given of themselves, at an age where most of us are still worrying about our next allowance.”
She paused, taking in the faces of the crowd. All she saw were nodding in agreement.
“The best way to honor them is to soldier on. To show that we are worthy of all the chances they have given us to better ourselves. Hopefully, that will be a philosophy we can all adopt.” “Like I have,” Winema thought.
“Let this be a month of renewal and of hope. The United Planets member worlds have all agreed to use this month to celebrate not only the individual Legionnaires who have gone, and those who now take up their mantle.” She paused and waved her hand as a light flashed on the nine new Legionnaires who now strode out on stage. She smiled; she would love to have them as allies. Their leader Nightwind smiled back and bowed respectfully. Winema continued, “We also gather here to celebrate their example and their legacy. Let this month be… Legion month!”
Winema smiled to herself as the crowd cheered, and tears welled up in her eyes. She quickly turned to exit the stage; it would not do to be caught crying on camera. “Thank you, Tinya baby. Thank you.”
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
GATES
Infectious Lass wiped her brow as she bent over her next patient. She had already identified the disease he was afflicted with, and was considering how to draw it out.
She could command the microorganisms to enter her system, but was there a more efficient way? Drura was quite exhausted, and she needed to conserve her strength to help as many as she could.
She remembered what she had learned from Dr. Gym’ll’s lectures. Outpost fever was fairly easy to avoid if one kept in good health, but malnourished sentients were at risk. And once it was contracted, it was difficult to get rid off.
Unless…
The bacteria causing it was also susceptible to the bacteria that caused Yorggian fever. And since the disease was only deadly to Durlans…
She quickly gave the woman a small dose of Yorggian fever, and waited.
A few minutes later, her gamble had paid off. Only trace amounts of the bacteria for both diseases remained, enough so that the woman’s immune system could handle the rest. She would recover within a day.
She stood up and wobbled, steadying herself on a chair.
“Still pushing yourself, Legionnaire? Bah! You heroic types!” Dr. Gym’ll’s voice was harsh, but Drura new he was just concerned.
“I can handle it, doctor. I’ve only seen 57 sentients today. I only need a few minutes for most of them.”
“And what good will it do them if you wind up falling over from exhaustion yourself? You may be immune to disease, but that doesn’t make you immune to everything!”
“You’re… right. I’ll take a break now. Please send for me if there’s anything urgent, though.” Drura knew enough not to argue. Having recently survived a gunshot wound – barely- had made the doctor even more hard-headed then before. She decided to change the subject before he lectured her further. “Gates would be happy to see how well his idea is working out.”
“Not well enough! Why, look at how inefficient we are! If only the UP would get more volunteers from your homeworld…”
“Uh-oh,” Drura thought. She thought of an excuse to get away, when her rescue came in the form of her teammate, the White Witch. “Excuse me, doctor, I need Drura’s help. Now don’t worry, I’ll make sure she rests.” Before Dr. Gym’ll could do more than open his mouth in protest, Mysa had pulled Drura away.
As they exited the tent, Drura thanked Mysa. She smiled; the sorceress had come to offer her services to the Legion after the Crisis, and had been accepted quickly based on her past history. She was now one of the most powerful members of the team. She was now a bit of an elder sister figure to them all.
Mysa smiled back. “Temperamental, isn’t he? But his heart is in the right place.” She paused, considering. “You know, Gates used to be like that. I only met him on a handful of occasions, but… It was quite refreshing.”
Drura remembered it too. “He was one of the most… colorful instructors we had, back on Legion World,” she said. “His economics and sociology classes were always interesting. He was irritable at times, but I like how he never made you feel stupid even when you didn’t know anything.”
“I agree. If he offended anyone by his words or deeds, it was always unintentional. And he would apologize. He always had a way with words... I also hear he pitched this medical corps idea to the UP quite convincingly.”
“I was there,” Drura said proudly. Along with Dr. Gym’ll, Brainiac 5, Kinetix, Chlorophyll Kid and Impulse, Gates had tapped her for her skills and her desire to help. He had addressed the UP Assembly and had moved them with a mix of facts and passion.
She recalled Brainiac 5 telling Gates to put his opinions to good use by backing them up with facts. The two had worked wonderfully well together.
It was quite inspiring, really. When the UP had approved his motion, she saw how naïve Gates truly was, in a way. He had stood dumbfounded for a second, and then exclaimed, “By the egg! I didn’t think it would actually work!”
Drura hadn't expected that at all. Gates had been so sure, so ardent while they were preparing. His favorite line had been, "Think of all the money we're wasting on defense when children go to bed sick and hungry all over the galaxy!"
It was a warm, satisfying moment. And it had also opened her eyes to the fact that the Legionnaires were just normal people. They were fallible, too. What made them great was that they soldiered on despite that.
It made her even more determined to soldier on.
"You know, I had half-expected Gates to organize a mission himself, without talking to the UP. He always seemed to believe the system was corrupt." Mysa pondered.
"I believe his time with the team led him to see that not all politicians are greedy," Drura said. Another lesson - keep an open mind.
“Tell me more about it over some cold zenflower tea,” Mysa said. “It sounds like an inspiring moment.”
The two teammates walked on, energized by the aura of healing around their camp.
[ October 18, 2011, 01:59 PM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
GEAR
Hannah Wells, the reporter formerly known as Trudi Trusoe, worked feverishly to worked tirelessly to finish her piece. She wanted to time the release just right to coincide with the kickoff of Legion Month.
Her desk littered with omnicoms and cups of coffee, she quickly ran her eyes over the list of Legionnaires on her wall.
She was determined that each one would get their share of the limelight. They deserved nothing less.
It was a challenge for some of them, though. The likes of Saturn Girl, Brainiac 5 or M’Onel were easy – they had a lot of fans, and a lot of people shared stories about them.
But what about the likes of Magno, who had only served a few months? Or Thunder, the mysterious Legionnaire who some whispered wasn’t from this era?
Hannah was currently worrying about the Legionnaire called Gear. Not only had he only been a Legionnaire a relatively short time, but he had spent much of that time on Legion World, building and maintaining the systems that kept the artificial planet alive. She felt there was more to it than that. As a journalist, it was her job to approach the subject from the right angle, much like how a jeweler should polish a stone just right to show it off to maximum effect.
She had a lead, though – Black Star. If she got this just right…
She took a sip of coffee and went back to work.
“This is Hannah Wells, welcoming you to the Legion Months Specials. Today we’ll talk about the hero called Gear.”
“Legion World is known far and wide as a miracle of engineering, a marriage of science and art. Sentients from around the United Planets have stepped onto it and been amazed at how much it mirrors their homeworlds. It’s been billed as a way to tour the UP on a budget.”
“All this is due to the genius of Gear. His birth name is IZOR, his home world, Linsner, home to a race of bio-mechanical beings. Linsner was a world whose people considered them tools; though they ate, slept and learned like other sentients, they always worked for others.”
“Gear thought the same when he began at Blackstar Juvenile Correctional Facility. Ostensibly a place where youth with posthuman abilities could be guided away from misusing them, Blackstar instead was a prison that raked in money from those who had opponents they wanted to disappear, forever.”
“All account say that this is when Gear saw the error of his ways. He began to feel guilt and shame, right and wrong. Together with his future teammate Sensor, Gear was able to free all the prisoners and end the threat of Blackstar forever.”
“RJ Brande was so impressed by Gear’s skills and sense of justice that he tapped the youth to help construct the busy Legion World.”
“But that is not his whole legacy. An astounding number of Legion cadets – one out of five – were previously imprisoned at Blackstar. Gear managed to contact the majority of the former inmates, and several responded to his call to boost the Legion reserves.”
“Besides effecting change hands-on, Gear was also able to passively cause it with his deeds. Linsner’s governing bodies recently voted to outlaw its citizens from accepting contracts to provide services for military installations, prisons and the like.”
“The Robotican homeworld also recently called for a resolution to honor Gear and his teammate Brainiac 5 as Robotican planetary heroes for their roles in the development of Robotica.”
“Even though his career was brief, Gear left a mark on the universe. He will be missed just as much as his comrades.”
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
VIOLET
The being floated in their air, pondering. It needed to think carefully.
Its latest “alliance” was of little use to it. The Fatal Five were powerful, but they had no imagination. Power, money, excitement – that was all they craved.
The Emerald Eye wanted to be free. It did not seek destruction, power, riches or glory – in fact, it was not quite sure what it did want. To grow in power, yes, but not to wield power over others. It was much more interested in being able to better use its own power, to prevent it from being captured and used as a tool by those like Mordru.
The Eye hovered in the prison that the Legion had placed it in after their last encounter. They needn’t have worried: the Eye did not plan to leave. It could hone its skills just as well inside there. And it gave much time to think. Violet had still been his favorite host. There was something… pure about her. She had only wanted to use its powers to grant her teammates desires. The only other “host” like that had been Kinetix; the difference was that Kinetix had given off a desperation for power, like she would not be whole without it. Violet had been stronger. At first, she had been desperate to be more confident, but she was able to struggle through it. The power helped her, but she was more able to let it go once it had gotten her to where she wanted to be.
Strong, confident. Secure in herself.
And yet, Violet was gone. The Eye could no longer sense it. It was a pity.
The Eye briefly considered each of the others it had encountered. None of them matched up to Violet. Perhaps Mysa did, but she was a trained mystic, and the Eye wanted none of that.
She even considered the other Legionnaires. The one known as Element Lad had blinded the Eye, but the Eye sensed an instability in him. The one known as Timber Wolf was clever and crafty, but too feral.
No, Violet had much more self-control. Only her own insecurity, at least at first, had blinded her to her inner strength.
The Eye had been tempted so when they’d met again. Violet had grown, and not just because the Eye had granted her the ability to grow. She had been through a lot, and she had endured. And Violet never knew how appealing that strength was. It radiated from her; not boastful or loud, just a quiet feeling that enriched those around her. And it was all because she had endured.
Just as the Eye would have to. At least until it found a host as worthy as Violet had been.
Posted by Omni on :
oo the Emerald Eye! love it!!! i like your reasoning for why the Eye was into Vi.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
DREAMER
In the haze of a dream, reality and fantasy blend and mix together. One cannot simply trust one’s senses, or even one’s sense of what is real. Common sense isn’t a useful tool here, for the unwary dreamer does not even realize whether he or she is asleep.
Myra walked the corridors of her dreamscape, treading slowly. Many outsiders thought that dreaming was easy; that a dreamer simply reclined and waited for visions to come.
No, they had to be searched out.
She came to a series of closed doors, each one leading to a possible dream. Sometimes, one could open a half dozen and see nothing of use – there was always a vision, but one had to choose carefully to see if it were a true vision or simply a dream created by one’s subconscious.
She peeked through one, and saw flashes of… celebration? It looked like her native Naltor; she could see the pink and orange sunset gleaming over the reefs that their cities were built on. What were they celebrating, though? She glimpsed harder, but could not see.
She peeked through the next one, and saw… a staff? Coming at… her?
She barely had time to react. Waking, she dodged just in time.
“What?” she asked. She’d been kneeling in front of her desk, practicing how to enter a trance. She looked up to see her roommate Gilda with a smile on her face.
“You’re getting better, Myra. You dodged this one perfectly.”
Myra reached up to rub her arm instinctively. Her bruise there had healed, but she was not anxious to get any new ones. She said, “If I want to see combat, I have to be.” Standing up, she yawned. “But I still prefer searching for visions while totally asleep.”
“Well, both have their uses.” Glinda said. “Though it was said that Nura Nal could see far into the future even while awake.”
Myra shrugged. “She was extremely talented to begin with, and had the benefits of Khundian training. The rest of us… well, maybe in time we’ll get that good. For now, though, I don’t know of any cadet who can see more than two days ahead while awake.”
It wasn’t that big a problem, though. The more awake a dreamer was, the clearer her visions. On the other hand, they were also more imminent. As a dreamer went deeper and deeper into the trance, the visions became hazier and were likely to come true later on. Myra had been in a very shallow trance a while ago. She still wasn’t able to trigger a full waking vision, though.
“Come on,” Glinda said. “They’re going to unveil the Dreamscape Sanctum tomorrow, but we can take a sneak peek at it while they’re finishing the preparations. I can see – “ Glinda paused as she tranced out slightly; it lasted all but three seconds. “Many others are already there. The captain is organizing them for a quick tour.”
Three seconds only; but enough time for a dreamer to be gunned down in the line of fire.
Myra quickly grabbed her uniform. The Dreamscape Sanctum was a sister building that would be right beside the Titanet. It had been borne from the efforts of Legionnaires Dreamer and Saturn Girl; they had spent many months experimenting on using their abilities in concert. It had been extremely successful, and now Naltor and Titan were working together to create an early-warning and communications system that would serve the whole UP.
Myra and Glinda were among a small pool of Naltorians who were found to have dreaming potential. Nura Nal had been the first precognitive born in seven generations, and all cadets were younger than she had been. The dreaming talent was still rare, though.
As they exited their room, they ran into a pair of Titanians – Zeela and Portela. The girls smiled in greeting. “Heading to the Sanctum? It looks like it’ll be just as grand as the Titanet tower. You must be so proud to see it finished,” said Portela.
Myra smiled back. These two girls had become good friends during their time training here. Titanians and Naltorians had to learn to work together; the plan was to assign one Titanian to every Naltorian so their abilities could work in concert. It would be implemented in both the Science Police and the Titanet – Dreamscape when their class graduated. “Yes, and we’re especially proud that we’ll be able to finally join Titan in proudly serving the UP.”
“Hey now, enough of the mushiness,” Zeela joked. “There’ll be time for that after!” The four girls took off down the corridor. As they rounded it, Myra stopped. “Wait a moment!”
Glinda was about to ask why, but she stopped. Closing her mouth, she stood at attention as well. All four girls saluted in unison, facing the statues of Dreamer and Saturn Girl in the hall.
They would be proud to see what was happening now.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
quote:Originally posted by Omni: oo the Emerald Eye! love it!!! i like your reasoning for why the Eye was into Vi.
Thanks, Omni! I was racking my brain as to who to pick for a Violet POV, since we never saw her family. At first I was going to use Micro, but realized that the Eye would give better insight into Vi.
When will we see more from your fanfic? I can't wait to see who'll make it.
Posted by Omni on :
oh don't you worry you'll see soon enough! and the eye was a great choice! it was a side that we haven't really seen in a while, if ever.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Thank you I'm trying my best to look at each Legionnaire from a different angle, and I didn't want to keep using POVs from family and friends only.
Posted by Omni on :
Villains are a good way to go...you could do that for Thunder... yet another one i wish they did more with!
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
BRAINIAC 5
Babbage’s mechanical consciousness found itself in the Sleepnet. It was like plunging into a pool of water, Babbage noted. It had to compensate for the currents around it.
Beside it, his Coluan colleague – and Legion cadet - Zaron Lux swam. Or perhaps that was not right. He did not swim, or float, or even fly – he just stood there and let the Sleepnet move around him. Babbage remembered what Zaron had explained – the secret to success in the Sleepnet was to change its flow, instead of allowing yourself to be caught by its currents.
As Babbage righted himself, he took stock of the Sleepnet. It could see the forms of Coluans all over. Most of them were sedentary; somehow, they could allow only the information they were seeking to flow towards them.
Zoran suddenly appeared beside him. “Wonderful, is it not?” It was more a statement than a question. “This is how we Coluans add to our knowledge base quickly and efficiently. We sort through all the accumulated knowledge, and select the right pieces to appropriate. For example, one interested in the newly discovered moon of Aleph can pull that knowledge to himself,” he paused, shutting his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, “like so. It is named Saugin, by the way, I assume in honor of the Legionnaire Kinetix.”
“That is most helpful. I shall attempt to sort through information as well.” Babbage replied.
Reconfiguring itself, Babbage tried to look up any recent information on their efforts. There was surprisingly little – just mention that the UP had assigned the Legion to assist in forging ties between Robotica and Colu.
There was plenty of mention of Brainiac 5’s appeal to the UP Council. That had set things in motion. Babbage reviewed his own data banks, for he had been present at that historical moment.
“I respectfully disagree with the Coluan representative’s assertions,” Brainiac 5 had argued. “The Roboticans ceased hostilities immediately once they were freed of Computo’s control. Or would you have us judge their entire species by the actions of one? If so, should we not submit ourselves to the United Planets’ condemnation for the actions of my ancestors; of Brainiac 4; Sharn Nux; and yes – of Orin Fex?”
Babbage could understand why there was a lot of emotion involved with that memory. T Orin Fex had planted Sharn Nux as a mole, and she had nearly jeopardized efforts to halt Computo.
“I did not know it was possible to register emotion in the Sleepnet.” Babbage stated. “There is a lot of emotion involved here. My sensors are scanning plenty of confusion, anger, and curiosity associated with this.”
Zoran didn’t concentrate this time. Babbage was sure he kept updated on the issue – it was highly personal. “It is possible, though usually it is faint and pleasant – wonderment, satisfaction, pride. But ever since Orin Fex was imprisoned for his crimes and the new councilors took over, things have been mixed. You know that recently, Colu has shifted towards appreciating emotional and social skills in addition to intelligence. Pure theory is no longer as prized as it once was; the prevailing view is that our intelligence must create something useful. However, Coluan society is still split – the Brainiac lineage is at the heart of this division.”
Babbage suddenly registered a jolt, as though the Sleepnet was pushing it away. It hastily disconnected before further damage could be done. “It seems the safeguards are working well. Us Roboticans may observe in the Sleepnet, but we are barred from fully participating. I apologize, please continue, Zoran.”
Zoran nodded. He was used to working with Babbage. The two had formed a sort of friendship, strange though it was. “In any case, some felt there was wisdom in Brainiac 5’s idea to ally with Robotica in order to create more. Others, motivated by pride, wish to enter into a sort of competition. However, all did agree to allow our experiment to proceed – as long as Robotica shares knowledge of its own with us. And as long as Colu monitors what knowledge Robotica can access.”
“I concur, it is a wise decision to proceed cautiously. And now to fulfill my part of the bargain.” Babbage’s systems hummed as he released some information that had been approved by the Robotican council – schematics on some Robotican drones. Older models, of course – enough to allow Colu to see the value of this proposed alliance, but not enough to pose a threat should Colu turn hostile.
Babbage did not think that would happen, though. The Coluans may be prideful, but after their involvement in the Sharn Nux – Computo fiasco had been exposed, they were working hard to make amends.
Brainiac 5 had also gained great respect – though grudging – for his actions with the Legion. The younger Coluans, especially, were fascinated by the idea of heroism. Young Coluans like Zoran, here, were at the forefront of a wave of change on Colu.
Robotica, on the other hand, had thrown full support into integrating with the UP. Their lack of emotion made it easier – though Babbage understood that their lack of passion also meant they needed the Coluans.
He hoped both worlds could see that.
“I believe our exercise has been successful,” Babbage said. Zoran nodded, and the two exited the Sleepnet.
Brainiac 5 would have been proud.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
quote:Originally posted by Omni: Villains are a good way to go...you could do that for Thunder... yet another one i wish they did more with!
There is a villain we could use for Thunder, but I have someone else in mind for her
Maybe Alux Cuspin for Cosmic Boy? Hmmm...
Posted by Omni on :
he's a good one...maybe combine him and Domain, maybe he recruits Domain to try and find him again... but i'd also think i'd want to see his brother... maybe his brother moves up again to the legion.. foot steps and all... a legacy character or two is nice...
i swear if you have Captain Marvel, make an appearance or have her return and see the changes i'm so going to start thinking i'm in your head!
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
That could work. I have included Pol in the new Legion, though he hasn't actually appeared on-screen yet. Maybe Pol and Cuspin could have a little chat.
Or you could just be a really good guesser!
Posted by Omni on :
ooo that means i'm either right or really close ;p
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
You get a gold star Thanks for all the ideas you're throwing around. It's helped me figure out some of my own posts.
Posted by Omni on :
any time! its helping me as well!
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Just a note, but the following are the current active Legionnaires in this new universe:
NIGHTWIND INFECTIOUS LASS POLAR BOY BABBAGE MAGNETIC KID LADY MYSA - THE WHITE WITCH LUME PARTICON IMPULSE (KENT SHAKESPEARE) Posted by Omni on :
i love that your using Lume!
Posted by Set on :
I'm not finding a bunch on Lume or Babbage online. What sort of abilities did they have?
Enjoying the tributes, as always, and searching around for information is cluing me to all sorts of forgotten characters, like Amp Girl and Retro. Neat!
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Thanks for the encouragement, guys. A lot has been going on in real life but I already have outlines for the next four Legionnaires.
Lume is a sentient who seems to be composed of light energy. He/she/it appeared in LSHv4 66 as a potential Legionnaire who declined to join because he "couldn't leave homeworld to go into space - space is dark'. Lume appeared again in Legionnaires 56, assisting M'Onel in repelling a Khund raid on Lume's homeworld.
Babbage is the Robotican Legion cadet who appeared in Legion 25 (I think). Nothing is known of its abilities.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
I should have a few posts up this weekend
Set, I'm glad my writing has inspired you to learn more about the characters I've been mentioning! A few of them are originals created for this, but several are minor characters who've popped up in the comics.
I'd also like to acknowledge Omni, who has been sharing a lot of ideas with me via PM. It's awesome meeting another diehard Postboot Legion fan who wants to keep that era and its characters alive Posted by Omni on :
AWWW thanks IB!!! i agree we need to see these characters more and i can't wait for what you have in store for us!
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
M’ONEL
Shvaughn Erin sat with her back straight, feet flat on the floor. The badge on her chest marked her as a Captain of the Science Police; it gleamed with care. It should; she’d only had it a few months, granted for her outstanding service in helping to fill the void after the Legion of Superheroes had disappeared.
Shvaughn had worked closely with RJ Brande, Chuck Taine, and the new Legionnaires led by Nightwind in order to organize and train the new team. It wasn’t quite the same yet, but the new kids were getting there.
She was helping keep the Legion alive in other ways, too. Like now.
An aide scampered up to her and whispered, “Are you ready, Lieutenant? You have 15 minutes for your segment.” Shvaughn smiled and nodded. While she didn’t love the camera, she didn’t hate it, either.
She had also carefully considered what topics to discuss. Nothing personal, of course – she’d stick to his good works as a Legionnaire.
As to the rumors, she would lie if she had to. Even with him gone, there were aspects of his life that he deserved to be kept private. And who was to say that he wouldn’t come back? They all would, eventually.
“Lieutenant Erin?” Hannah Wells’ voice jolted her our of her reverie. “Can you comment on why M’Onel was the sole Legionnaire approached by Earthgov to remain active?”
“I’m not privy to what was going on in President McCauley’s – or Ra’s al Ghul’s – mind when he decided that. The Science Police had nothing to do with it. But official sources say it was a combination of M’Onel’s power and the respect he’d earned during his tenure as a Legionnaire.”
“Nobody can argue the extent of his power, but some analysts speculate as to why just M’Onel? Why not also Legion founder Cosmic Boy; former leader Invisible Kid, who had close ties with Earthgov; Sensor, princess of Orando?
Because that bastard Ra’s probably knew M’Onel was the legendary Valor, and wanted him firmly under his thumb as much as possible, thought Shvaughn. “Any Legionnaire would have been a fine choice, but the Anti-Vigilante law had just been passed. I’d assume that bringing in too many Legionnaires would be considered toeing too close to the line he himself drew.”
“As we all know, despite his great power, M’Onel was always one of the Legionnaires more distant from the public. He never revealed his real name, or his homeworld. Did he have something to hide?”
Shvaughn almost bristled at that idea. Yes, he did have something to hide – but it was something noble and inspirational. She couldn’t reveal that, though. That secret was his alone.
“M’Onel was a very private man.” True. “I cannot say for certain why he didn’t reveal anything about his past,” Partially true – she only found out about it while they were trapped in the timestream, and she had respected M’Onel’s silence by not bringing it up, “but what I can say is that he was a very noble man, a loyal friend, a compassionate hero and a model Legionnaire.” All definitely true.
Hannah Wells nodded. Shvaughn could see that Hannah knew not to press further on the issue. “In any case, several comparisons have been drawn between M’Onel and the legendary hero Valor, whom the Legion failed to rescue a while back. It is curious that M’Onel appeared a short time after this failed rescue, and that the Legion never attempted it once more. We are due for a break now, but we will delve deeper into it afterwards.”
As the holocams turned off, Hannah stood and approached Shvaughn. “I wonder if you noticed that…”
“…that the break came early? Yes, I did. Thank you.”
“I shouldn’t be surprised that you did. You are Captain after all. Listen, I just wanted to say that, whatever the truth is, I will respect his right to privacy. He deserved that much. As a journalist, I am bound to uncover the truth… but I won’t force it out of you, or anyone else.”
Shvaughn almost cocked an eyebrow at that, but stopped. Hannah truly did seem to have changed from her days as “Trudi Trusoe”. “Thank you, I appreciate that. M’Onel was a great man, and I’m sure he would be pleased to be compared to Valor. However, whatever his past, I still believe it is for him to reveal.”
Hannah just nodded, and excused herself. Shvaughn took a moment to close her eyes. When M’Onel comes back… let him decide whether to reveal it all. At least I kept his trust.
[ August 19, 2012, 08:27 AM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
LEVIATHAN
“Looks like our Captain is well on her way to becoming a holo celebrity,” came the amused comment from the Lieutenant with the close-cropped brown hair. “Greetings, Ma’am.”
Shvaughn smiled as she waved her hand. “You don’t need to do that, you know. Not when we’re off-duty, anyway. And you know I’m only appearing on these shows because of my role as Legion liaison officer.”
“I don’t know how you do it. I mean, Captain AND Legion liaison officer, and all these appearances? Are you sure you’re not part Carggite?”
“Sometimes I wish I were,” Shvaughn said with a hint of a sigh. “But the Thresholds make it easier, and to be honest my staff does most of the report filing and grunt work. I wouldn’t trade it for anything else, frankly.” Gigi nodded at that. “But enough about me,” Shvaughn continued. “How’s the new assignment going?”
Gigi paused for a moment. A couple of months back, she had been assigned to lead the Science Police contingent on Legion World itself. She still had mixed feelings about it, and many of her Science Police colleagues knew that.
“Better than I expected, frankly. The more I work with the Legionnaires, the more I come to find myself respecting them. I no longer see the Legion as something that stole Gim away from me. The Legion was his home too; it just happened to coincide with the home he had with his family, me, and the Science Police.” She took a sip of her drink at that. It was true, but still a little bit painful. “Since he was one of the first to… One of the first the Legion lost, he also tends to be forgotten, so to speak.”
“But the new Legion has made it to a point to celebrate each and every former Legionnaire. Even the first Kid Quantum, and still-living ones like Magno and Thunder.” Shvaughn stated it as a matter of fact, and Gigi was grateful that her friend was being gentle.
“True, but you know how sentients are, Shvaughn. Still… I do appreciate that the people who mattered to Gim do make it a point to remember him. People like me, and you, and RJ Brande, Chuck Taine, Tenzil Kem… Also, being able to drill my new team in the tactics Gim developed helps keep him alive.”
“Those were the ones he instructed the SP on early on, right?”
Gigi nodded. Funny how the Science Police and the Legion owed each other so much. Leviathan and Saturn Girl had come from SP ranks, but they and their comrades, such as Karate Kid, had taught the Science Police a lot, too.
“Actually, Shvaughn… Ma’am… That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. We’ve already integrated the training module that Karate Kid helped develop into Science Police training. But I think we can do more.”
“Tell me more.”
Gigi smiled. She knew Shvaughn would be receptive. This was a great way to keep Leviathan and his legacy alive, and strengthen both organizations. “Well, we’re expecting the Legion to grow rapidly in size, and they already have several cadets. At the same time, the Science Police are facing more and more lawbreakers with posthuman abilities…”
The two women sat, food untouched, as they made plans for the future, all the while honoring the past.
Posted by Omni on :
i like this and can't wait to see what it is they want to do.. that is if you go into it...
M'Onel's is really good! i like Shvaughn's inner monologue mixed with her real responses.
also trying to pm but it keeps telling me your inbox is full. got an idea for you!
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Omni, I sent you a new PM! Thanks
Glad you liked M'Onel's entry. I had a hard time with him - I didn't want to delve into the whole Valor thing again, since it's been explored already in the Postboot (Legionnaires 56, for instance). I preferred to focus on his impact on his friends.
The plan Gigi and Shvaughn are working on will likely be revisited again in passing later on I already know which character I'll likely have for that.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
XS
How long had it been since she’d been left powerless? Two years? Three? More than one, definitely. It had been just before the Legionnaires were lost.
Time seemed to swim around her, now. It wasn’t an illusion, nor was it meaningless. However, it did only have as much meaning for her as she allowed it to have.
She walked along her domain, the walls covered with images of her favorite moments in her history. The time she stopped the shapeshifter. Other times she had wielded power.
She paused, coming across a panel that depicted her first true brush with the 30th Century.
The time she’d met XS. The speedster had been a good friend to her. Kinetix, Monstress, Saturn Girl had also been friends, but XS was the best of them.
The screens shifted, trigged by her will and her memories. Flashes of XS’ best moments were shown – rescuing the rest of the Legion from a bomb; the first activation of her powers; fighting to save Xanthu from Robotica.
Many quieter moments appeared as well. XS laughing with her teammates and friends. XS being there for them in times of need.
What had happened to her? She hadn’t looked in on her in a while. She waved a hand, and the wall shifted to a view of another 30th Century, in another reality. XS was sitting peacefully, finishing a mosaic. Curious.
She didn’t belong there, of course. No, none of the Legionnaires belonged where they were now. They should be here.
She let the screens shift again, glancing through each of them. She saw the final moments of Monstress. Element Lad. Leviathan. Kinetix; though her magic had been absorbed, her soul was free. Gates was lost now, but would be found again soon.
Perhaps she should simply reach through time and return them all to the present. She could destroy the new reality XS had found herself in, and pluck her free to come home. It would be a simple matter to release entropy into that world.
She raised her hand, then stopped. What was it XS had told her? “You’re still a hero, no matter what. Your choices make you even more of a hero than your abilities ever did.”
That was a good point. She could destroy that reality... but she could choose not to, and spare the lives of everyone in it. There was no NEED to kill them all.
She would let events play out as they would.
In any case, XS’ ultimate role was yet to be unveiled. So she would wait. For it would come… in time.
She turned away, letting the screens melt before her. She should return, for now.
She walked off, leaving the era of entropy for one of life.
Lori Morning woke up to a licking. “Proty, cut it out!” She said with a laugh. “Hey, I had this weird dream… I was like, watching holos of all the lost Legionnaires. Especially XS.” She grabbed Proty, who taken the form of a Shih Tzu, and held him tight. “You know, I miss them all, but I think I miss Jenni most. She was the one who was coolest about me being a kid compared to them. After I lost the Dial, she really talked to me like an adult.”
She sighed, looking out her window. Stars shone faintly in the distance. She missed having powers too; sometimes she wished things could go back to the way they were! She realized now she was lucky that Ra’s al Ghul had left her alone when he’d impersonated McCauley.
She was grateful for a lot of things now, but they were almost all gone.
Well, nothing to do about it now. What had Mr. Latham told her? “Instead of crying over spilt milk, clean it up…” Maybe her dreams were just a way of telling her she should have appreciated what she had more, when it was still there.
It was good to be able to see things so clearly, though.
Lori jumped out of bed and began to get dressed. She would work hard again today; she owed them that much.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
SHIKARI
“Matriarch Enkenet? Would you like some rainbowbird?” Enkenet looked up to see a young Kwai enter with fresh meat in his arms.
“Thank you, Ramses. I shall join you for your meal later. Right now, though, I need to find my path.”
Ramses exited with a bow, while Enkenet returned to her troubles.
Like most leaders who love their people and have the luck to sit at a time of great change, was deeply troubled. Recent events and their future developments were making it harder and harder to be sure of their path.
It was troubling not because the path of the Kwai was changing; they were nomads, but they were used to change. It was troubling because, for the first time in a while, Enkenet was not certain if they were taking the right paths. This hadn’t happened since she was but a child.
Some outsiders thought that path-finding merely meant closing your eyes and letting your instincts guide you. Yet a skilled path-finder did not trust instinct alone, for such was the way of disaster. Skill had to be honed and sharpened. The best path for a certain destination had to be chosen; for that matter, the best destination among many had to be selected too.
She had to decide soon – to what destination would she lead the Kwai? There were many suggestions, proposed by many individuals, but none of them seemed suitable for the Kwai as a whole.
She buried the urge to simply let each follow his or her own path. That was a weak leader’s decision. Or was it?
She had let Shikari follow the urges that burned bright in her blood – the warrior’s urge. When the Progenitor’s rule collapsed, whispers spread that it had been the Legion’s doing. When the Legion themselves came, those whispers turned into praises. When the Legion again stopped the Credo, those praises became songs and legend. Shikari had accomplished a great deal for the Kwai without causing them any harm, and more importantly - she had been truly happy.
Shikari had become a hero to many of the young. Enkenet was pleased with that. What displeased her was how many of the young confused the heroism of being a protector with the disgrace of vengeance. More of them were using their skins to hunt – and a few lost ones were still active with the remnants of the Credo. Unlike with Shikari's path, this path could only lead to disaster.
Perhaps what was needed was a way to guide the paths of these young ones. Much like with catching passing lights – a path-finder had to gently guide one into orbit. To do so, one had to allow oneself to be caught up in its path. Forcing it would not work. The young would no longer be satisfied to act as mere guides. They had to feel more involved in the destiny of the Kwai.
Perhaps she would benefit from discussions with another leader who had guided the young of his own society...
She quickly looked through the Omnicom that Shikari had given her, and left a message with RJ Brande. Thankfully, she was becoming adept with such things.
And then, she went to dinner. To enjoy the spoils of the young lone stars who had turned into hunters. She smiled a little as she remembered how good rainbowbird could taste.
Certainly, their new path was not all bad.
[ November 23, 2011, 01:20 AM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by Omni on :
Matriarch Enkenet was very well thought out. you really get her sense of leadership...but i will say i would have thought she'd be a little more torn... but we didn't see much of her so this could be very true to her... I'll have to reread those issues.
i loved Lori's duality and how you captured her friendship with XS.
i wish we knew what this ultimate destiny for XS was though...
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Thanks, Omni. I was struggling with the new "path" as well. I reread Legion 5, and got the sense that Enkenet was willing to tread new paths BUT she didn't want the Kwai involved in any violence. That is, she'd be OK with trying new things as long as the Kwai didn't turn into aggressors.
I didn't want her to be too torn since this has been brewing since before Legion 5, but looking back I could have captured that better. I was trying to make it so Enkenet had been thinking about it for a while. I've gone back and made a few edits for the Shikari post - hope it's a bit better now
Re Lori, thanks! It's quite a challenge, since the Legionnaires aren't available. I can't let the characters interact with one another.
re XS' ultimate destiny... i'm not sure, either. I have some ideas, which I'll bring up via PM
[ November 23, 2011, 01:21 AM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by Omni on :
can't wait. for all of it!
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
ULTRA BOY
The figure tensed her muscles, peering down the hallway. The coast was clear. She hurried, footsteps muffled by the technology in her costume. The technology also allowed her to blend into her surroundings, though it was certainly nothing like true invisibility. Still, she was skilled enough for it to be a huge advantage.
She came to an intersection. She crouched silently, waiting for the guard drones to pass. She’d memorized their patterns from footage she’d hacked into earlier. 3… 2… 1… and as predicted, a drone floated past. She had 3 seconds before the next drone.
She pulled herself up to the ceiling. As a child would crawl across a set of monkey bars, she made her way across to the door housing her prize - a replica of the Legion symbol that was indestructible as inertron yet light as a feather. Said to have been created by Element Lad, it glowed with a rainbow of colors.
She attached a device that would disable the alarms, and picked the lock of the door. As it slid open, she took in the glow of the sculpture for just a second before reminding herself to focus on the job. She sprayed the area before her with a gas and watched as an array of lasers appeared before her.
Her hair snaked through the web and reached the switch at the far end. With the sensors off, she made her way calmly to the treasure.
She was out of the area in another 15 minutes. The whole thing had taken less than an hour.
Standing outside, she took off her mask. “Well? Do I make it in?”
“We’ll know tomorrow, after we have the active membership vote. You’ll be getting my vote, though,” said the yellow-skinned girl. “We could really use your skills in espionage on the team. It’s a major hole we have to fill right now.”
“I am curious, though,” said the boy in the red jacket. “With your skill, you could always hire yourself out as a security consultant. We pay well, but given your past, I’d have thought you’d go after the bigger credits.”
She shook her head, letting her red hair flow in a wave. “To be honest? That big lug Jo – Ultra Boy – always made me wonder why he joined the Legion and picked Apparition over me. After McCauley tossed me out without so much as a thank you, I realized that I was tired of being completely selfish, and I think Jo was too. If I can take care of myself while helping others at the same time, why not? It does feel good too.”
Nightwind smiled. “That is a pretty good answer, Spider-Girl.”
Sussa looked her right in the eye. “Make no mistake. I had a hard life growing up, so I’m not about to become a charitable 100% do-gooder. Maybe I’m not as pure as Apparition was. I can promise you, though, that my morals are in the right place. I may stay only until I get tired of this, but at least I won’t turn to the other team. Fair enough?”
Chuck stuck out his hand. “Fair enough. Thanks for being honest – we’ll consider that when we discuss your application.”
Sussa took it and shook warmly. “Thanks. Now… can you point me to the memorial room? I’d like to say one last goodbye to Ultra Boy.”
“Because even though I won’t admit it, she thought, he still did break my heart. But he also showed me the path to a better life. If I had been smart enough, I would have followed him earlier.
She followed Nightwind and Chuck Taine silently into the building. The past was the past, but she would make sure she had a bright future ahead.
She’d also ask if she could keep the sculpture as a souvenir. Hey, it didn’t hurt to ask right?
Posted by superboymddjr on :
absolutely loved how you wrote Spider Girl! ;sniff sniff: LOVED it!! her tribute to Ultra Boy is absolutely spot on!
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Aww thanks Supes I find Spider Girl a cool character, especially how she was written 5 Years Later. It seemed like a natural development for Sussa.
Posted by Set on :
Excellent use of Spider-Girl. I like how she's portrayed as competent at her role, even before busting out her super-power, making her kind of a double-threat.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Thank you, Set. I borrowed heavily from the Spider-Girl of 5 Years Later. Frankly, living hair isn't that impressive a power; however, like many other "weaker" Legionnaires, Sussa has earned her stripes.
Posted by Omni on :
quote:Originally posted by Set: Excellent use of Spider-Girl. I like how she's portrayed as competent at her role, even before busting out her super-power, making her kind of a double-threat.
i agree with this totally! i think that its actually the best use i've ever seen of her.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Wow, that is high praise indeed Omni! Thanks!
Posted by Omni on :
MORE! MORE!
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Thanks Omni! I've had to park this for a while, but I'll be coming back later this year when things have settled down at work.
More from you too I hope!
Posted by razsolo on :
I don't know how I missed all these till now, but I just read them all and they're great! The tribute for Monstress gave me a case of the wibbles....she was such a great character.
I like the way you've showed how the world goes on without the Legion in it, it's an interesting concept to explore Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Thanks, razsolo It wasn't that hard to put myself in the mood, since I was devastated by the loss of the Reboot Legion. I'm glad you liked it
I'll be continuing these after the Dark Oval novella is wrapped up. Already thinking of how to work with the other Legionnaires.
Glad you liked Monstress' She was always so sweet and happy that when her origin was shown, I was shocked. I thought it must be a partial facade - no way she didn't have scars from what happened!
Posted by Harbinger on :
Hey IB, I love this! Your tribute to M,Onel with Shvaugin handling herself in the interview and Trudy not pressing her for more information being very telling, and Ultra Boy's tribute with Sussa accepting her feelings, are my favourites but they have all been great, as has your choices of replacement Legionnaires! Splendid stuff
More, more, more!!
[ August 19, 2012, 08:36 AM: Message edited by: Harbinger ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Harbi! Thank you, it's wonderful to hear such praise from a writer like you More to come after I finish with my parts in the Dark Oval Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
MAGNO
The blond young man stared silently out the window. He’d stepped into the doctor’s office just a minute too late, and someone had gotten in before he did. He laughed a short, bitter laugh. Lately, his timing had been laughable. He’d joined the Legion of Super-heroes and completed Legion basic just in time to fight Mordru and lose his powers; he’d joined the Science Police just in time to miss his former teammates’ return from the Second Galaxy; and he’d been posted just in time to arrest fellow Braalian Cosmic Boy (though he did help Cos escape).
And when he’d finally requested for a transfer, he was assigned to Legion World just in time for the Fatal 500 to attack. He’d been injured again, and was forced to sit out the rest of the battle while his former teammates had saved the day… and had vanished.
He hadn’t even managed to see XS again before she…
He hung his head in shame. She had made him very happy, those few months before the Blight came. He closed his eyes and tried to remember her scent, and the feel of her hair on his hands… SLAM! The crash jolted Dyrk Magz out of his reverie. He quickly pulled his blaster and barged into the doctor’s office. “Hands up!”
“Noooooo! I told you, I told you, they’re all out there! They are, they are!” The patient, a youngish orange-skinned humanoid with three arms, was pulling at his hair. Behind her desk, Dr. Ryk’rr was trying to calm him down. To her credit, she was calm and wasn’t even hiding.
“No, Pranid, no. This is my friend Dyrk. He’s a Science Police officer. He will not kill you.”
Dyrk took the hint and held his blaster up. “Yes, Pranid. I’m Dyrk Magz. Here, I’m holding my blaster up, okay? I’m not pointing it at you. Now, I will very slowly reach into my jacket and show you my badge, okay?”
Pranid began tearing at his hair again. “No! No! I don’t trust you! It’s probably a weapon, or a bomb, or something. Stop! Stop!”
Dyrk cursed to himself silently. What could… Ah. He didn’t use it often anymore, but lately he’d taken to wearing it again as a memento.
“Okay, Pranid, okay. Look at my finger, do you see this?” Dyrk held his hand up, and light glinted off the golden band. His flight ring. “This is my Legion flight ring. I was a Legionnaire. I used to be called Magno.”
Pranid stopped, his eyes hopeful. “Is that real? Is it?”
Dyrk smiled as he used the ring to lift himself into the air. “Yes, yes it is. The Legionnaires may be gone, but the Legion will be here forever.”
Pranid sobbed as he fell to his eyes. “Oh thank grife, thank grife! There is still hope!” Within moments he had curled himself into a little ball.
Dyrk quickly handcuffed him and called the guards, before turning to Dr. Ryk’rr. “Did he hurt you?”
The diminutive doctor smiled. “No. I thank you, Dyrk. It looks like you are still fighting the good fight.”
Dyrk couldn’t help but return the smile. “I guess I dealt with all my issues long ago, huh?”
Dr. Ryk’rr gently took his hand. “Dyrk, I received a message earlier today. They say they tried contacting you, but your Omnicom was off and the Science Police wouldn’t let them patch it through since it wasn’t an emergency. They have an offer for you, but I have to warn you – it’s not a sure thing.” Dyrk’s eyes widened. Could it be? “I… Is it more false hope.”
The doctor squeezed his hand gently. “I have to warn you that it might be. But then, I also know you are strong enough to not lose hope forever.”
Dyrk smiled. “You’re right. After all this time, I won’t get discouraged so easily.” He clicked on the Omnicom, and was surprised to see Legionnaires Kent Shakespeare and Lady Mysa, the White Witch, on the other end of the line.”
“Hello, Dyrk,” Kent said. “I’ve been going over your medical records after we treated you. It seems the Emerald Empresses’ attack may have been a good thing, after all.”
Dyrk listened as Kent went on, and his smile grew larger and larger. He tried to tell himself not to hope too much… but the news was just that good.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
THUNDER
A teenaged Cece Beck piloted her ship through the vastness of space. It was good of her parents to finally let her bring the cruiser out; after all, she’d gained her license weeks ago.
Her heart beat with trepidation as she approached the monolith known as the Rock of Eternity. It had taken some digging, but she’d finally found it. Somehow, it had been transported back from Rimbor to its normal location in space. She supposed it could have been here for a long time; the last time she could say for sure it had been on Rimbor was back in the 31st century.
She gently let the ship land on the Rock, in the same area she had carved long ago, just in case she had to return here without her powers. She was very glad the wisdom of Solomon had given her such foresight.
She did miss having her powers here in the future, but she didn’t miss being away from her family.
She entered the chambers tentatively, blaster drawn. Best to be careful…
A bright light and a loud boom greeted her. She was stunned to see that neither her eyes nor ears were damaged; she registered the thunder and lightning without being harmed by it. Her breath caught in her throat. “Wizard?”
“It is good you have returned, Cece. You have grown much in my absence.”
“Oh, Wizard!” Cece hugged the figure she had been worrying about ever since the Rock exploded.
“It is good to see you too, Cece,” the Wizard replied. “No doubt you have many questions, which I’ll answer… like so.” He touched a finger to Cece’s head, and she stiffened. She could feel knowledge rushing into her. She could see Captains Marvel throughout the ages slowly restoring the Rock to where it began. And she could see her old friends in the Legion of Super-heroes, and knew they were in dire straits.
“Oh, Wizard! I have to help them!”
“I know. Say the word, and I shall transport you to your time.”
“But… my family…”
The Wizard smiled. “Your normal form will not age while you are transformed. And you will be time-traveling, remember? I can allow you to return to this very spot, one second after you leave.”
Cece smiled. “Then what are we waiting for? CAPTAIN MARVEL!”
Cece was in pure bliss as the power returned. And then she felt sick, as the Wizard waved his hand and used the magic of the Rock of Eternity to transport her through the timestream.
But more than that, she felt overpowering excitement at seeing her friends again… and determination that she would not let them down one more time.
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
SPARK
“Hurry up, we’re going to be late!”
Hegga rolled her eyes as her twin Megga hurriedly put on her shoes. “Sue me, okay? I overslept. I’m not the disciplined Sci-cop that you are.”
“I’m sure Garla and Lando are already on their way, and neither of them is a Sci-cop, you know?”
“And you’re too reckless. Remember that time you smashed into Mr. Arzz’s cruiser?”
“Fine, fine, already,” Hegga said as she headed out the door.
As they passed the street corner outside their house, Hegga was startled to notice that the crossing guard, Mr. Hanz, was alone. She rolled down the window to wave to him. “Mr. Hanz! How are you? Where’s Mr. Hanz?”
“Hegga, Megga! How are you? Why, he’s on vacation today!”
“That’s a first,” Megga chuckled as they drove away. “The only time I’ve seen one of them alone was when the other was sick.”
Hegga nodded. “Being a solo isn’t all that bad now, is it?”
“After what Ayla and Garth accomplished individually? Garth saved RJ Brande a second time, so the story says. And Ayla helped bring down Ra’s al Ghul – and released all those Winathians being held prisoner? Then leading the UP back here to provide aid? I think enough of us were impressed.”
“Then there’s the fact that one of our presidents had his brother murdered to cover up his embezzlement.”
“And that’s a large part of why we were able to pursue our different interests and end up with different jobs.”
“Thank grife for that,” Hegga smiled. That used to be unheard of as well. All her teachers in school had had a twin who was also a teacher – or at least had a similar job, like a guidance counselor or a librarian – and they all worked in the same school. Unlike her, Megga was a weather satellite technician. They didn’t even work in the same compound. As far as Hegga knew, she was the first Winathian Sci-Cop whose twin wasn’t enlisted as well.
The most telling part was that only the oldest cops gave her a hard time about it. Winath really was changing.
“Hey, stop your daydreaming. We’re here!”
Hegga jerked her head up to see that Megga had parked, and their childhood friends Lando and Garla were waving at them. The four friends hugged each other. Hegga looked around. Since it was a weekday, the Threshold center was relatively empty.
“I’ve been reading all about Legion World. Pretty much everything you could hope to find on a planet is there. I can’t believe this is the third time we’re going off-planet!” Lando was practically shaking with excitement.
“And the first without Ayla and Garth,” Garla added sadly.
“I do miss them,” Megga added. “They were good friends, never forgetting us even when they were in the Legion.”
"Being friends with them certainly was inspiring. I never thought I'd get to work with the UP Aid Program, but there I am," Garla smiled.
“Then we should return the favor, and not forget them either,” Hegga said as she clasped her twin’s hand.
The four friends smiled at each other as they stepped towards the Threshold. But how could they forget, when their friends had inadvertently helped change Winath so much? Hegga smiled as she saw the officer at the Threshold counter was also alone. You don’t have to be attached to your twin the whole time, just to feel complete,, she thought.
[ September 04, 2012, 10:09 AM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
KID QUANTUM I
“Code red, cadets! Code red!”
Chlorophyll Kid jumped out of bed at the cry. He hurriedly shook his roommate’s shoulder. “Staq! Staq! Did you hear that? My gosh, we’re being attacked!”
“What? Wha?” Fire Lad woke up with a start, his hair already on fire. “Grife! Don’t do that! Taine’ll kill me if I burn another set of sheets!”
Chlorophyll Kid was already rushing towards the door. “Omygosh omygosh omygosh we have to go. Grife I can’t get it open! Oh wait…”
As the door slid open, he bumped into his former teammates and current classmates Stone Boy and Color Kid. “Where’s the alarm? Where?”
The two of them just looked at him with blank stares. They obviously weren’t happy.
“Mmph. Sorry, Ral. I couldn’t help it, you just looked so panicked.” He turned open-mouthed to stare at their former leader and teammate, Polar Boy. Ral couldn’t help but notice the shiny Legion utility belt and flight ring that he know wore. “Oh grife, don’t tell me we failed another test?”
Polar Boy wagged his finger. “It’s not your final exam yet, don’t worry. I’m just here to take you on a training exercise. But you guys really should work on your response time, okay? Speed and efficiency are an important part of the final exams at the Academy.”
“So, uh, do you have any tips for us? How did you do it?” Stone Boy asked eagerly.
“Most important is to not panic,” Polar Boy said firmly. “Now come on, Lydda and Dori will meet us at the Hall of Heroes.”
“Huh? What are we going to do there? Shouldn’t we go to our traning?” Color Kid asked.
“You’ll see,” Polar Boy said.
“So, Brek, what’s it like to be a Legionnaire now?” Fire Lad asked as they trotted along the halls of Legion World.
“It’s a lot different from when we were in the Substitute Heroes,” Polar Boy replied. “Believe me, the formal training really makes a difference. So does the knowledge that you’re responsible to your teammates and to the UP as a whole.”
“Yeah, but how is it with the new team? I mean, you’re all entirely new…”
“Yes, but the Legion never lowered its standards, even now that we’re short-handed.” Brek’s reply was kind of terse.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”
“I know you didn’t,” Brek said gently. “It just brings me back to the point I’m going to make later.”
As they entered the Hall of Heroes, Night Girl and Rainbow Girl jumped up to greet them. “What took you so long?” Dori – Rainbow Girl – demanded.
“Easy, Dori,” Lydda – Night Girl – said. “We weren’t waiting that long.”
“Sorry, girls.” Polar Boy said. “Look, I’m taking you out on a training exercise today, but before we began I wanted to highlight one thing. Look at that statue,” he pointed towards one.
“Wait… isn’t that the first Kid Quantum? You know, the loser who died on his first mission?” Stone Boy said carelessly.
“Yes, it is. And I won’t get into a debate as to whether he was a loser – to my mind, he was still a hero because he died in the line of duty. But I agree, he was unprepared. Undisciplined. He didn’t think of his teammates, and he relied too much on his powers.”
Polar Boy drew closer now, and Chlorophyll Kid felt a chill unlike what Brek’s cold powers could do. He had never seen his friend like this before. “I’ve been studying his case file over and over, wondering how a Legionnaire could die like that. It wasn’t like the other Legion deaths. His was very much avoidable.”
Polar Boy took a step closer, and all of them were mesmerized. “Look, I know you’re all impatient that the Cadet program takes so long. We repeat the drills over and over, we pump your heads full of knowledge, and it takes forever to earn reserve status and get that flight ring. But this has to be done, because if we let any unprepared Legionnaires onto the field we can be sure we’ll have another Kid Quantum I on our hands.”
Polar Boy paused as he looked at the long row of gleaming statues behind him. “You never know when you can die, but proper preparation at least reduces that risk. Yes, Kid Quantum I was reckless, but I don’t really blame him because he was underprepared. And the current Legion won’t make that same mistake, okay?”
One by one, the others in the room nodded. Chlorophyll Kid felt more determined than ever. They really had to take their training seriously… So they would be prepared when the time came.
Posted by Harbinger on :
Great stuff here IB! I really enjoy how you are taking threads from the various parts of the reboot universe and slowly - and realistically - weaving them all together. Nice to see Magno back, he was the unluckiest of members, which you covered by talking about his poor timing. Thunder is definitely welcome too, if only the writers back in the day had given her a personality I'm sure she would have been more popular. Showing the changes to Winathian culture are a great way to highlight the effect Garth and Alya had there and Polar Boy's recognition of James Cullens carelessness was well written too. Good to see the other Subs as well. Ral's determination was nicely introduced.
More, more, more Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
:blush: Wow Harbi, thank you so much for reading carefully through all of them! I'm really glad you like them. I'm making a lot of this up as I go along, but the long-term plan is to tie them all into a continuing narrative Thanks again for all the comments!
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
STAR BOY
“Is this bright enough?”
“Very much so, Lume. Keep it up.” Particon was glad her costume contained a visor. Some of her teammates ribbed her on her clunky armor, but it did come in handy at times.
She looked over the Xanthian landscape. It looked much better than it did after the Legion had terraformed the planet. Hopefully, soon it would be back to its former glory.
“Particon, Radion and Atmos, please get ready,” Babbage said. “I am nearly done configuring the equipment.
Particon nodded and flew up. Atmos had already taken his place, his hands crackling with energy. Radion was silent; synthetic skin still covered parts of his face, though a much smaller area than when Particon had seen him last. She took her spot beside him and smiled.
He smiled back, though it wasn’t much of a smile. “Radion, have you thought about my offer?”
Radion shook his head. “I didn’t need to think about it, Particon. I don’t plan to join the Legion anymore. I’m just about to get my face back. I don’t want to risk losing it – or my life – again.”
Particon fell silent. She knew better than to press the issue. At Babbage’s signal, they all opened fire.
After a few minutes, Babbage signaled them to stop. “This is wonderfully sufficient,” Babbage said. “Thank you. I now have enough energy to sustain this region while we repair the energy dispersion system in the area.”
Particon turned to speak with Radion, only to find that he’d already joined Atmos and the bald kid whose name she kept forgetting. The three were zipping around, sparring in mid-air. Turning her head, she found Babbage and Lume discussing the properties of light. She sighed. Why couldn’t she have been sent here with Infectious Lass, or even Spider-Girl?
“Boys will be boys, huh?”
Particon turned around to find her former teammates, Insect Queen and Konk, smiling at her. Smiling back, she gave them both hugs.
“Listen, we’re going to pay our respects to the fallen… Care to join us?”
“How could I say no?”
******************************************************************** Particon stared at the statues that towered above them. Atom’x, XS, Monstress, Kid Quantum II, Star Boy, Dreamer. Heroes who had served Xanthu long past.
Beside them were statues of the still-living heroes, but they were much smaller, of course.
Insect Queen laid a bouquet of flowers in front of them. “I miss them all. They were all dear friends.”
Konk paused as she looked up. “Yeah, and I don’t even mind so much now that three of them left to join the Legion.”
Particon hesitated. “I left to join the Legion too, you know.”
Konk turned to look at her. “Oh, I didn’t mean it that way. You’re not Xanthian, after all.”
Insect Queen stood up. “When Kid Quantum II left, we didn’t mind that much either. Nor when Monstress did. It was really Star Boy who got our goats, since he was the first.”
“Yes, I heard,” Particon said. “He told us about the Durlan space-shanties over and over.”
“And he blamed that for his lousy piloting, right?” Konk sniggered. “I guess he was unlucky because he was the first… The Legion hadn’t had quite as many successes at that point. Unlike later on, when they’d exposed Chu and taken out Mordru.”
Insect Queen gazed at the statue again. “Lately, I’ve been thinking that Star Boy was right. Not really about joining the Legion, but… about aspiring to be something greater than we were.” She turned towards the others. “When Robotica struck, he and XS were the only ones not overwhelmed. They were far more tactically adept than the rest of us were.”
Konk turned to look too. “What I appreciated most was his eternal optimism. Grife, even when things were at their worst, he was telling these awful, awful jokes. But… they certainly made pounding all those robotic nassbags much more bearable.”
Particon smiled. “He was the same way when we were fighting Mordru… He was so confident, even among the other Legionnaires. You think… you think he knew he’d make it, when he jumped off the refugee ship to rearguard during the Great Xanthian Exodus?”
Insect Queen laughed. “Knowing him, he didn’t even think about the odds. He just went and prayed he’d be fine.”
“It did rub off on the rest of us. Except for Atmos,” Konk added.
“That’s what made Star Boy so great,” Particon said. “His ability to trust in himself and in others.” She gazed upwards at his statue again, and couldn’t help but feel that she’d come to know him a little bit better. "I guess he'd be happy to know that now, Xanthu is really trying hard to better itself, instead of just attaching itself to more powerful allies."
Hopefully, here own Legion would be able to leave as deep a legacy as their predecessors had.
[ September 04, 2012, 10:11 AM: Message edited by: Invisible Brainiac ]
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
FERRO
Dennis could scarcely believe it. After weeks of patiently waiting, the day was here! He was on Legion World!
He dashed along the Hall of Statues. There was one statue for each past and present Legionnaire, and he gazed at each one. He could name them all – Kinetix, Cosmic Boy, Gates, Monstress, Apparition, Nightwind, Star Boy (his third favorite), Karate Kid, Andromeda, Triad, Particon, Element Lad (his second favorite) and…
Ferro! His favorite Legionnaire was there!
Dennis ran excitedly to the statue. He knew the real Ferro had long since disappeared, but the statue was good enough. “Mom! Dad! Take a picture for me, please!”
Dennis frowned. His parents sure were slow. Oh well…
He turned around to read the biography. He wanted to drink in every detail.
“I can’t believe you like this loser so much, Dennis!”
Dennis turned to see his school’s bully, Jonathan. The larger kid was chewing Protean gum and sneering at him. Dennis idly thought that the Furball Dennis was blowing with the gum looked very much like him.
“Stop it, Jonathan. Ferro’s a hero just like the others. He saved me from a cave-in.” Dennis proudly pulled up his sleeve to show the scar he’d gotten that day. “See?”
“So what? I heard he had Star Boy and Element Lad with him. He had backup.”
“Yeah, but he did more than that. He stayed with me in the hospital while I was getting better…”
“Hah! All he’s good for is playing nurse!” Jonathan took a step closer, and Dennis stepped back. The bigger boy loomed over him and cocked his fist. “Say your hero’s a loser, Dennis. Say it, or I’ll knock you on your butt.”
Dennis’ mind raced. Jonathan had left him alone before, but he knew how violent the kid could get. He was scared.
But he remembered what Ferro had told him – you just have to stand your ground. It’s one thing to be nice, but it’s another to let people walk all over you.
“No,” said Dennis, hoping that his arms weren’t shaking.
Jonathan’s eyes opened wide. “Are you really saying no to me?”
“No… I mean, Yes, I’m telling you I won’t do it.”
“Then I hope you won’t miss your teeth, because…. HEY!”
Dennis’ eyes widened as Jonathan levitated off the floor. A Legionnaire in a pink costume walked in. “No bullying allowed, kid.”
“You’re Magnetic Kid!”
“And you, Dennis, are a brave young boy,” Magnetic Kid smiled. “And you, Jonathan, are going to get a timeout.” With that, Jonathan was levitated over to the far end of the Hall. “So Dennis, what say you walk with me and I’ll give you a tour of the Hall of Heroes? We’ll let Jonathan down when we’re done.”
“Yes, please! So, Mr. Magnetic Kid, did you ever get to meet Ferro?”
Magnetic Kid chuckled. “Sadly, no. But from what I’ve seen today, he must have been a very cool guy.”
Posted by Omni on :
IB, you've done another fantastic job. i'm so glad you finally came out with some more!
as well as the revelation that this is all definitely going to be leading to a continuing narrative!!!!!!
Ferro's is perfect and so fitting of his character to inspire someone whose smaller! love it.
can't wait for Thunder's return!
and love that you've even brought us all the way back to the beginning with Kid Quantum I!
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Why, thank you Omni! Your feedback is very much appreciated, and it makes me feel great to see you really reading this.
I do have long-term plans which I'll get to slowly but surely.
I listed ALL the Postboot Legionnaires, so everyone's gonna get a piece. I even gave Chuck Taine one
I'm really looking forward to reading more from you too, Omni!
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
CHAMELEON
Officer Neep trotted quickly along the halls of Science Police Headquarters. He had to, or he’d be late. He didn’t want to be late on his first day assigned to the Earth command.
He ran and dodged nimbly between the sentients in his way. He didn’t understand why these Earthers were so strict about time; his own people hurried when needed, but otherwise they did things at their own pace.
Ah, the briefing hall. He peeked inside; the Commander had not begun yet. He rushed in, arranging himself to be sure he was neat. Some of his fellow officers raised eyebrows at his fussing, but many did not. They were, after all, used to sentients from many worlds. He quickly spotted a seat near the edge of the front row, and sat down. A short-haired blonde with a no-nonsense attitude nodded at him, tight-lipped, then returned to staring intently at her Omnicom. Officer Neep spared her a smile, then also looked attentively to the front.
Commander Hagbard strode purposely into the front of the room and raised a gloved hand. The assembled officers instantly fell silent and listened with rapt attention. Officer Neep was impressed; his own society used to choose their leaders based on bloodline. To be in an organization where merit was most important was something he had adapted to only after quite a bit of effort. He thought about his own journey here.
He was jolted out of his reverie when Commander Hagbard pointed to him with a smile. He quickly looked to see several other officers standing, including the blonde beside him, while the seated officers applauded. He took his cue and stood up as well; the Commander must be introducing the new Officers. Most of his new comrades were applauding politely, though certainly not as warmly as his own people had when he’d been chosen to leave for Earth…
Commander Hagbard stopped as an aide whispered in his ear. The room fell silent as he turned. “There’s been an explosion in the Metropolis Central District.”
*************************************************
Officer Neep held his breath as he weaved his way through the smoke. He had to be careful; he couldn’t think of any way to keep himself from burning up. He could, however, augment his senses so he could get in and out faster.
He thought he heard a wheezing for breath over in the corner. He deftly picked his way through the smoke, searching for any sign of the sentient who had made that cry.
He turned his ears around. Nothing; the crackling was too loud. He shifted to using his eyes. Maybe… There! A child’s arm, lying faintly on the ground.
He bounded across the gap between them, ignoring the heat and the cinders on his skin. This was more important. He lunged forward, scooping the child up in his arms. Still alive, but faint.
He gently made sure the child’s clothing wasn’t on fire, then held her tightly as he ran out the building with all the speed he could muster.
The warm, heavy smoke gave way to cool fresh air as he burst out of the flames. He gently helped the child stir as paramedics came over to assist. He watched as the child coughed, and her eyes fluttered open. She gasped, then screamed. “Ahhhh! Are you a monster? Please don’t eat me!”
“Oops,” Officer Neep said. “Don’t cry child. I’m no monster. Just a Durlan.” And he shifted into his more familiar form. “I’m sorry for scaring you. I had to turn into a Tharrian Silexis to get us out of the fire safely.” The child took in his form with shock, at first. She stammered gently. “Durla? Are you Kameel-yon?”
Officer Neep smiled. “No, but I’m from his planet. We might even be distant cousins.”
The child slowly smiled, then gave Officer Neep a hug. A surprised Officer Neep hugged back. This felt good – while a lot of the sentients he’d met were fairly accepting, none had ever HUGGED him.
He was interrupted by a shriek. “My baby!”
Officer Neep tensed. Would the mother be hysterical?
“Oh, thank you thank you thank you! Thank you so much for saving my daughter!” The women came running up to him, the gratitude in her voice more than evident.
Officer Neep smiled. His first day on Earth was going wonderfully. He wished he’d listened to Reep Daggle’s stories of the United Planets earlier.
Posted by Omni on :
really touching legacy IB!
Posted by Invisible Brainiac on :
Thanks for the kind words, Omni I think I'm getting kind of rusty, though. How is your own writing coming?
Posted by Omni on :
going alright. been taking a break but getting back to it.
![[Kinetix]](graemlins/Kinetix.gif)
![[Monstress]](graemlins/Monstress.gif)
![[Timber Wolf - Post-Boot]](graemlins/TimberWolf1.gif)
![[Karate Kid - Post-Boot]](graemlins/KarateKid1.gif)
![[Invisible Kid - Post-Boot]](graemlins/InvisibleKid1.gif)
![[Umbra]](graemlins/Umbra.gif)
![[Chuck Taine]](graemlins/ChuckTaine.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Hug]](graemlins/hug.gif)
![[Kid Quantum II]](graemlins/KidQuantumII.gif)
![[Apparition]](graemlins/Apparition.gif)
![[Gates]](graemlins/Gates.gif)
![[Gear]](graemlins/Gear.gif)
![[Shrinking Violet - Post-Boot]](graemlins/Violet.gif)
![[Dreamer]](graemlins/Dreamer.gif)
![[Brainiac 5 - Post-Boot]](graemlins/Brainiac51.gif)
![[LOL]](graemlins/lol.gif)
Or you could just be a really good guesser!
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
Thanks for all the ideas you're throwing around. It's helped me figure out some of my own posts.
![[Nightwind - reboot]](graemlins/Nightwind1.gif)
![[Infectious Lass - reboot]](graemlins/InfectiousLass1.gif)
![[Polar Boy - reboot]](graemlins/PolarBoy1.gif)
![[Babbage]](graemlins/Babbage.gif)
![[Lume]](graemlins/Lume.gif)
![[Particon]](graemlins/Particon.gif)
![[M Onel - Post-Boot]](graemlins/MOnel1.gif)
![[Leviathan]](graemlins/Leviathan.gif)
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[XS]](graemlins/XS.gif)
![[Shikari]](graemlins/Shikari.gif)
![[Ultra Boy - Post-Boot]](graemlins/UltraBoy1.gif)
![[Magno]](graemlins/Magno.gif)
![[Thunder]](graemlins/Thunder.gif)
![[Spark]](graemlins/Spark.gif)
![[Kid Quantum]](graemlins/KidQuantum.gif)
![[Star Boy - Post-Boot]](graemlins/StarBoy1.gif)
![[Ferro]](graemlins/Ferro.gif)
![[Chameleon]](graemlins/Chameleon.gif)