Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Bits o' Legionnaire Business Post ZH Legion: Volume 5 - What Makes Us Special (August 26, 2023)

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Note: shout out to Gaseous Lad for giving feedback on my plot outline

Somewhere on 21st century Earth

Amp, Ming Sul of Earth (Korea and Taiwan); amplifies the natural abilities of self and others
Saturn Girl, Imra Ardeen of Titan; telepathy

Superboy, Connor Kent/Kon-El of Earth; tactile telekinetic forcefield that approximates super-strength, invulnerability and fight (Teen Titans)

Firestorm, Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond of Earth (merged being); nuclear energy manipulation, molecular reconstruction, phasing, flight (Justice League)

*************************************************

Saturn Girl began to moan as she started to stir. What happened? She had been...

She stilled herself as she remembered what had happened. One moment she was underwater, the next... She willed herself to be quiet and motionless, and began reaching out with her mind...

Nothing. She stifled the pang of fear that welled up in her stomach. Her telepathy was gone!

She'd never knowingly lost her telepathy before... only in pocket universes created by the Time Trapper*, or fantasy scenarios implanted in her by Universo*. But all those times, she had been unaware of the full extent of the loss. Now.... she felt... not whole.

And not being able to sense Garth... she felt a gnawing loss, a lack, in her mind.

She forced herself to think back to her training. She had likely been captured... keeping her eyes closed, she gently moved her neck, her limbs. They all seemed to work, and she did not feel any restraints. She was lying on something hard... a floor, judging by the temperature. But she could not hear any sounds, save for what seemed like breathing.

Deciding to take a gamble, she opened her eyes a peep, to let them begin adjusting to the light. Looking around, she saw a white ceiling and white walls... no visible openings, security cameras, or markings except air vents and lights. She could not even see the door.

It seemed like a cell... and she guessed that if she had not been restrained, she would not be accosted for sitting or standing up.

She gently sat up; in case someone was watching her, she wanted to show calm. She looked around from left to right, orienting herself... and then she spotted a familiar red-and-white costume.

"Amp?" Saturn Girl got up on her knees and crawled to her friend. How she wished she had her telepathy; she had to do this the way of the blind. She quickly checked Amp's vital signs; breathing and pulse were all normal. Without thinking, she reached down to her belt pouch... it was gone. Of course. She looked down at herself; she was still wearing her costume, but not her transuit. And her flight ring was gone as well.

Trying to keep her emotions in check, she began gently shaking Amp. Two heads were better than one...

"Oh... five more minutes, Tayla..." Amp muttered, speaking her former roommates' name**.

"It's Imra. Ming, listen carefully... you have to wake up, and don't panic. You probably don't have your powers."

Amp's eyes shot open. Then she swore under her breath as she sat up. "Oh grife. You're right. I feel so... normal." She hugged her knees to her chest. "Ugh... I haven't felt like this since before my powers were enhanced***..."

"I know how you feel," Imra said with a tinge of loss. "I feel so deaf and blind without my telepathy."

"I'm sorry. I didn't manifest my powers until I hit puberty, so I can remember a time when I had none. It must be tougher for you..." Amp held Imra's hand. "But we'll get out of this, somehow..." She looked around. "Whatever this is."

A voice buzzed from the ceiling. "Ah, you're all awake. Four new arrivals."

Imra and Ming looked at each other; nobody else was in the room they were in. "There's more than one cell..." Imra whispered.

"Come out calmly, and all will be explained," the voice continued. "Follow the hall until the end."

And a door slid open on the other end of the cell. A white hallway stretched out into the distance.

"Might as well..." Ming whispered. "Beats sitting here until the end of time, yeah?"

Imra nodded as she clambered up. "Even without our powers, we're Legionnaires, after all."

"We'll show them that Legionnaires aren't meant to be trifled with," Ming agreed. And the two walked into the hall.

*************************************************

IB's notes:

1) Time Trapper: LSH 92 (stuck in the 1950s) and Legionnaires 54 (stuck in the 1940s). Universo: Dream Crime, Legion 19-23.

2) Tayla Skott, Lamprey; they were roommates as Cadets for a time, until Amp graduated into the Legion.

3) Check out Volume 3 - Amp's powers were enhanced by a Monitor to amplify any natural ability, instead of just having enhanced senses and reflexes.

Garth's being upset about Imra missing was good.

Loved Dirk's eagerness, as well as the Legionnaires really digging into finding their teammates, especially Jazmin with understanding the details and the others just wanting to jump in.

The process of Imra realizing she's in a bad spot, but not panicking was well done - she's been trained to be very methodical. But her feeling 'blind' due to her powers being tamped down was a great touch!

I'm looking forward to how you spin this out, Ibby, so thanks for the shout out! Now I need to get my own butt in gear!

thanks GL! glad you liked this bit, and you very much deserve the shout-out!

Now I've gotten some character bits in, there will be a few more... and then we go full-steam ahead into some action!

I forgot Kid Q enhanced her own powers! We hardly ever get to see the majority of the Legion show skills outside of combat so I liked that little aside...and also the subtle indication that the future is so advanced that Jazmin's minor knowledge lets her keep up with a brilliant mind from 1000 years ago. Dr Light giving her credit was a nice touch too. I imagine as prickly as Kimiyo is, she'd genuinely respect a teenager showing smarts like that.

Saturn Girl considering herself blind was another good bit; and you did a good job of showing Imra's intelligence and pragmatism with the way she thought the whole situation through and made reasonable deductions.

Also, Wonder Woman including Roxy was a good bit of characterisation - I like that Diana doesn't necessarily assume someone needs to be coddled just because they don't have powers, it feels in character for her.

thanks raz! glad you liked all these bits. The Kid Q enhancing her own powers thing popped into my head while writing this, and I thought it would be a nice positive turn to the wrong foot that Jaz and Kimiyo started on and yeah, Kimiyo is tough but she does give credit where it's due

I also recall that DNA portrayed Jazmin as clueless about her powers (Legion Lost 4: I don't know how my powers work, Brainy. I just think stuff and it happens!) which I didn't much like. Someone with her powerset and potential... and also a direct contradiction to her stated origin in Legionnaires 60.

speaking of, on to Imra. yes, she's one of the most capable of Legionnaires, and I think even without her powers she would be very formidable.

And lastly, Diana is probably the one Justice League member I would pick as field leader any time, and perhaps even leader period. Even a bit more than Superman hence this little bit with her including Roxy.

thanks, glad you're finding the character bits legit!

mmm, it's been 3 months since the last installment. I've been very lazy and busy with real life, so haven't gotten around to writing. (though, we have a partial lockdown here now, with things like the gym closing at 5pm, so..)

hope everyone is doing ok. I haven't drafted anything yet...

to keep the momentum going, and to keep pressure on myself, here's a glimpse of what is in my head -

1) Resolution to the Search for Cosmic Boy - we'll see where Saturn Girl, Amp, Superboy and Firestorm have ended up!

2) Live Wire and Saturn Girl's wedding!

3) What has Star Boy been planning re Xanthu?

4) Tryouts! Tryouts! Tryouts!

5) more on the Pig and Kono mystery...

Gosh, I have a lot rattling around my brain!

Oh, all good stuff!

#2 should be fun - I've been thinking similarly, but its gonna be SO far out in mine that its not even a big deal.

But definitely want to see how #1 turns out!

And it's all good - You getting this done was what spurred me to get off my own butt to churn out my next chapter!

thank you, GL! for the enthusiasm, encouragement, and for letting me know I inspired you to write something too lol!

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Note: shout out to Gaseous Lad for giving feedback on my plot outline

Somewhere on 21st century Earth

Amp, Ming Sul of Earth (Korea and Taiwan); amplifies the natural abilities of self and others
Saturn Girl, Imra Ardeen of Titan; telepathy

Superboy, Connor Kent/Kon-El of Earth; tactile telekinetic forcefield that approximates super-strength, invulnerability and fight (Teen Titans)

Firestorm, Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond of Earth (merged being); nuclear energy manipulation, molecular reconstruction, phasing, flight (Justice League)

*************************************************

The moment Saturn Girl stepped out of the hallway, she was accosted by... something. As she felt herself being pushed backwards, she instinctively reached out with her mind... and remembered she had lost her telepathy. With a vexed click of her tongue, she drove her knee forward into flesh...

"Ooofff!" A familiar voice cried. Imra gasped as she got her bearings, and saw Superboy crumple into a ball in front of her.

"Was... just... trying to... give you a hug...!" He wheezed.

"Oh grife, I am sooo sorry!" Imra knelt beside him. "Did I..."

"You... missed... family jewels... at least...!" Superboy had tears in his eyes.

"Glad to see you made it too," Firestorm walked over, hands out in front of him.

"Not that I'm unhappy to see you," Amp smiled as she walked over. All around them was dense foliag "But how is it that your hair is still on fire?"

"Wish I knew for sure," Firestorm shrugged. "But it seems like whatever is keeping us here, has only turned our powers off... but not altered our forms." Inwardly, Firestorm breathed a sigh of relief - as a gestalt being of two, well... it would be weirder being two young men here, than one merged being with fiery hair,

As Imra helped Superboy to his feet, the brunette young man wheezed. "That will teach me to surprise a trained hero with better hand-to-hand skills than I have..." he shook his head.

"I really AM sorry, I..." Before Saturn Girl could finish her apology, a hologram of a hooded, skull-masked man appeared.

"Greetings, gladiators," he rasped. "You are here because you are strong, and powerful... but... are you powerful enough?"

"Oh come on, really?" Firestorm shook his head.

"Another fight to the finish?" Amp rolled her eyes.

"These bad guys do tend to be predictable..." Saturn Girl nodded.

"No originality, at all..." Superboy wheezed as he got to his feet.

".... gathered you because you have mighty powers. But, are you able to survive when those powers are taken from you?" The hologram continued.

"So passe..." Amp sighed.

"I don't see anyone, though," Firestorm looked around.

"Maybe... we're in... holding room?" Superboy grunted as he got to his feet.

"Wait, we should listen," Saturn Girl cautioned. "We know where this is going, but there may be a twist."

"... in a fight to the finish..." continued the hologram.

"Okay, so we know we're supposed to fight others," Amp mulled as she watched,

"... Only the strongest, bravest, most ruthless will live on to serve..."

"Creating an army of some sort, makes sense..." Firestorm muttered.

"... if you can last until the end!"

"So some kind of time limit I guess?" Superboy noted. "If he wants an army, he's not going to make it last person standing."

"Now, let your test begin!" And with that announcement, the hologram vanished. Suddenly, a portion of the foliage moved... the four youngsters turned to see a hidden door slide open into...

"More jungle? Ugh," Firestorm shook his head.

"You a city boy, pal?" Superboy joked as he tentatively took a step forward. "This doesn't look very different from the forests of Hawaii..."

"Look out!" Amp's cry came just as a large, four-armed behemoth sprang at Superboy. Kon-El quickly dove forward in a roll, letting his attacker fly over him.

"Damn you, you waif!" The behemoth pivoted, turning her body around, and crouched to spring at Amp. But before she could, Saturn Girl slammed an arm into the back of her neck, crumpling her to the ground.

"Wow, the games began quite fast, huh?" Firestorm helped Superboy up.

"The games here never end!" Thankfully, the threat telegraphed the incoming attack early enough, that all four were able to easily evade the volley of arrows coming their way.

"I guess you're not a very good hunter, eh?" Amp called as the foursome took shelter behind some rocks.

"That's it, keep them angry so they make mistakes..." Imra thought, then shook her head angrily. "Remember, you're powerless!" she chided herself. "Keep riling them!" she said a bit louder. "Keep them angry... oh!"

Imra felt her head jerk back, and she gasped as a grinning face loomed in front of her.

"We're not the only ones announcing our plans, eh?" The tall, lean man with green skin pulled her hair back, as he brandished a knife with his other hand. "But your death will help me..."

Imra desperately dug her hands into the soil around her, and threw a clump at the man. He screamed in anger as some dirt hit his eye. "Why you..."

Before he could do anything more, a metal disc slammed into his hand. He screamed as he dropped his knife. "Cheaters! You-"

Imra kicked his face before he could finish, and he slumped down.

"Thanks to whomever..." she muttered as he bent down to claim the knife... and she stopped as she saw the disc that had hit the man's hand. It had a symbol on it, a symbol she knew well.

"Amp! I..." she started. But she never finished, as she saw Amp, Firestorm and Superboy, all standing over the unconscious bodies of opponents. And with them was...

"Rokk!" she shouted as she ran forward to hug Cosmic Boy.

"I knew you'd come for me..." Rokk Krinn said softly as he hugged one of his best friends tight. "I never gave up hope."

This is exciting!!!

Also I love a good tryout

Ooh that was such a good cliffhanger!! I love how effective Imra is even without her powers, and I laughed out loud at her practically crippling Superboy

I also love everyone being already bored with the hunger games routine even while the bad guy was attempting to monolgue

Fun episode, Ibby! I had to laugh as the crew chatted through the intro to the arena.

Nice touch how Imra is a better hand to hand fighter due to training versus Connor.

And Yes! They find Rokk!

thanks for the fast read and review, raz, GL!

hehe yeah, I like poking fun at these established tropes, like the "kidnap you all and you fight to the finish" ones

yeah, Imra's Sci-Cop training gave her formidable hand-to-hand skills, which were well-highlighted through the Reboot

and yes, finally, Rokk is back! or found, anyway

more to come soon-ish, Now that I read your reactions and my "next steps" I feel really eager to get to the wedding! (And I also have a few cool characters I'm itching to write onto the team, for the tryouts!)

IB, happy new year! Hope you had a good festive period and managed to get a decent break,

Anyway, have just re-read your latest posts and they are great!

You have a real skill at bringing the characters to life and not just using them to push the story along; they have more nuance and are far more rounded out then we usually see.

Garth admitting to struggling as he no longer sensed sensing Imra's calm competence, "as usual..." was sweet. He's such a walking ego that he's going to miss that when it's gone.

I never realy got Dr Light, she seemed too two dimensional and snappy (and - to be brutal - has the ugliest of costumes), but you found a way to soften those edges and gave her a little bit more character in her conversation with Jamin about tracing their missing colleagues - and nice bringing up Jaz's scientific knowlege as was kind of forgotten about in canon (though, on a team with Brainy and Lyle she probably isn't seen as too smart by comparison).

You're take om Imra was also spot-on. She's such an iconic figure in canon that it can be easy to lose that when writing fics and have become a parody of herself but you nailed it! Referring to herself as blind (which is a bit insulting to the non TPs, but nevermind) and struggling like she did yet still being practical enough to know that she needed her colleagues help to get out of the situation - not because she was lonely or scared mind you, she's still strong enough in herself even being 'blind'. Her focus on her training, pushing her feelings aside, were well written, and Amps reactions when she woke up were good too. Another tough young woman. Nice display of empathy for Imra as she realised that she knew what being without powers actually meant, while Imra would find that more disconcerting.

The scene with the four of them discussing what a cliche it was to have them fight each other made me laugh out lous - well written and so true!

The fight was well done, again Imra leaned heavily into her training with her hand-to-hand combat skills, which was nice, though the return of Rokk was the highlight here - so good to have them meet up on the same side. I kind of expected him to have to fight his teammates, but it's good that you didn't do that - unless of course Rokk has been brainwashed and...? Well, I'm hoping you won't keep us waiting too long before you continue as I'm real eager for more, more, more!

Hi Harbi, happy new year! thank you for your usual thorough review and comments, and as always for your whole-hearted support!

I see Garth and Imra as quite a lovely pair, Garth is so ful lof energy and often acts before thinking; while Imra is calm but tends to overthink (even when she makes quick decisions, she has to bury the self-doubt). they're good for each other

Kimiyo/Dr Light has really bounced between extremes, she was so b*tchy in Crisis on Infinite Earths, but the JL International days softened that age (and in the JL Europe revival she became almost completely full of self-doubt!) I detest snappy for the sake of snappy, so wanted to have her be more of a "I have really high standards and low patience" kinda person

yeah, having Brainy and Lyle around tends to overshadow the smarts of everyone else, but credit where credit is due

"blind" may also be a bit of my own bias - my sight is the sense I'm most protective of. But indeed, if Imra had said that to a pricklier person (like Umbra/Tasmia?) the reaction might have been a lot different glad you're liking Imra and Amp!

Hee hee. this was such a cliche (the whole arena/gladiator thing) that I couldn't help but poke fun at it... otherwise I'd have felt like such a big hack lol

oh yeah, the old "we fight then make up" trope, it would have felt so hollow and fake as Rokk would easily have recognized Imra, Amp, Superboy... plus this is Rokk, not say my Brawler or Beast Boy

thanks Harbi, was so nice to wake up and see your review, getting me motivated to churn out the next bit soon-ish!

ok, I have been criminally behind on my writing... this thread has been dormant almost long enough to have a human baby... finally finished the next installment, and will try to speed up!

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Note: shout out to Gaseous Lad for giving feedback on my plot outline

Somewhere on 21st century Earth

Amp, Ming Sul of Earth (Korea and Taiwan); amplifies the natural abilities of self and others
Cosmic Boy, Rokk Krinn of Braal; magnetokinesis
Saturn Girl, Imra Ardeen of Titan; telepathy

Superboy, Connor Kent/Kon-El of Earth; tactile telekinetic forcefield that approximates super-strength, invulnerability and flight (Teen Titans)

Firestorm, Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond of Earth (merged being); nuclear energy manipulation, molecular reconstruction, phasing, flight (Justice League)

*************************************************

Cosmic Boy could feel the goofy grin on his face as he ushered Saturn Girl, Amp, Superboy and Firestorm into his camp. A wooden wall encircled the space around them, keeping them safe for now. As they walked to Rokk's own tent, other captives looked up and whispered among themselves - none of them recognized the Legionnaires, but Superboy and Firestorm were big names in their era.

"Well, we got someone from the big leagues now," smirked a brunette with East Asian features as she came up to the group. She thrust some clothes at them. "Here, you all will want to blend in - big names are a target," she winked at Firestorm. "Not sure we can hide your fiery head though."

"Wait a minute... Aura?!"* Superboy blinked, then hugged her.

"You remember, so sweet!" Aura hugged him back. "Once a Raver, always a Raver, eh?" She detached herself and addressed the group. "You should get dressed." She bent down in front of Amp. "Don't worry, sister, these will suit our skin tone just fine."

"T-thanks," Amp stammered. She knew that natives of this century tended to make a big deal about ethnicity and skin color, but the whole concept was alien to her.

Sensing Amp's discomfort, Saturn Girl turned to Cosmic Boy. "I see your ability to bring people together is as strong as ever," she smiled. "You've got quite the group around you."

"Most of us aren't very established," shrugged a blue-skinned male with long, dark blue hair. Gold earrings in his pointed ears shook, as he gestured towards the camp behind him. "Nobody from the Titans, or Young Justice, or the Justice Society..."

"Chill, Frostbite**," Aura laughed at her pun. "We've got Superboy and Firestorm now - if they don't get Superman and the Justice League running here, nobody will!"

"If they can find us," Firestorm chimed in. "I mean, you all vanished without a trace - just like I assume we did!"

"They'll find us," Superboy elbowed Firestorm even as he looked at Aura's and Frostbite's faces. "It's just a matter of time."

"Indeed," Cosmic Boy smiled warmly. "And we have strength in numbers, even without our powers - we just have to stick together and ride it out."

"What HAVE you learned about this place, Rokk?" Imra asked. "Besides what was said in our welcome message."

"Precious little, I'm afraid," Rokk shook his head. "Other than our captor seems to have global reach. We have people from all over the world here."

As if to accentuate his point, a female with dark skin and a small round jewel on her forehead approached. "I've updated the roll call," she smiled. "Still no sign of your Inferno, though, I'm afraid."

"Thanks, Maya***, I really appreciate it," Rokk smiled.

"So you ended up here because you found Inferno's trail, eh?" Amp questioned.

"Not really," Rokk sighed. "I had a hunch Inferno might be here too, considering the pattern: we're generally young, super-powered, and not particularly high-profile in this... day and age." Rokk's subtle pause told Imra and Ming all they needed to know - he hadn't been revealing their status as visitors from the future.

"Generally. Whomever is behind this must realize they cannot keep hidden forever," Ming pointed out.

"He did say he wants to create an army," Rokk said. "Our best guess is that he's using this as both a testing and a training ground - weeding out the weaker ones, while forcing us captives to adapt and gain skills in order to survive."

"Despicable..." Firestorm muttered.

Imra looked around. "How many have you gathered around you, Rokk?"

"With you on board, we're now 58," Maya smiled. "We have patrols 24/7 going out - whenever we encounter someone, we try to talk. We defend ourselves if they insist on attacking, but we never kill."

"Anyone we knock out gets left with a note and directions to a meeting place," Rokk added. "One that we watch from afar to determine their intentions... We have to be open to new recruits without putting ourselves in danger."

"Every day, we expand our patrols," Frostbite continued. "We hope to eventually find the ends of this place..."

"This little bit of hope keeps us going," Aura laughed. "Because without hope... what do you have?"

Imra bit her lip, more to bite down the disappointment and loss she felt. Usually, she'd be tempted to very subtly stoke the flames of hope with her telepathy, by just broadcasting a sense of optimism and openness...

... though as she looked around, she realized she did not need to. Despite their circumstances, there genuinely was some hope all around.

But of course. It was Rokk Krinn they were talking about, the leader who held the Legion through the rough early days: a Daxamite invasion, the Fatal Five, and a UP President who tried to destroy them. ****

Smiling, she turned her head to include as many of their new allies as possible. "With a group like this, full of competent and good people... I can see why we should be hopeful."

Rokk smiled back at her, and the new arrivals took their place around the command table.


*************

IB's notes:

1) Aura is Lindsay Wah, a Chinese-American with magnetic powers who met Superboy at an intergalatic Rave -joining forces to become the Ravers.

2) Frostbite, real name unknown, is an elf-like male with cryokinetic powers who appeared in the series Young Heroes in Lovee.

3) Maya joined the Justice League International's incarnation after the events of Red Winter in Justice League Europe, becoming particularly close to Doctor Light (Kimiyo Hoshi) and Power Girl. She can control fire and water, and her powers are hinted to be magical in nature. (She's previously appeared in Volume 2 of this fic as one of Retroboot Mordru's magical slaves)

4) Cosmic Boy was the Legion's leader from its founding, up until LSH 80 / Legionnaires 37. During his tenure, we had the White Triangle Daxamite invasion, and the Chu sting (false Sun-Eater scare and formation of Fatal Five to murder the Legion, attempted instigation of a new Braal-Titan war).

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Note: shout out to Gaseous Lad for giving feedback on my plot outline

Somewhere on 21st century Earth

Night fell, and save for a few guards, the inhabitants of the camp slumbered. For some it was peaceful, though for others it was due to exhaustion - more mental and emotional than physical. Losing one's powers was never easy to deal with; and although most knew and hoped it was temporary, they were cut off from support systems and having to deal with uncertainty and the need to survive.

Yet even though some slept fitfully, none noticed the invisible securi-cams that hovered over them...

The man called Harvest wore a mask with a large, maniacal grin; but under the mask his face held no mirth. When he started this initiative - travelling back in time to recruit young warriors for a battle in the future - he never expected that a small group would actually form a little society in the midst of his testing ground. A peaceful society, one that would use violence only to defend itself.

This would not do. Perhaps the historical records had been obscured - after all, there had been some great disasters in the intervening timespan. But he had been certain that the early 21st century would have been the perfect place - a plethora of super-powered youths, so many that few existing databases could keep track of them all. And a still rather violent society, which would mean many of those still-living had honed their instincts and fighting skills over time.

He had even controlled for the uneven economic and social development of this time, by snatching youths from around the globe! After all, he had observed himself the violence and squalor in so many countries in the so-called Global South of the era.

Why, it was almost as if this "Cosmic Boy" came from another, more enlightened time!

But that was nonsense; Harvest had come from far in the future, with technology so advanced that nobody from earlier than the 55th century could even begin to recognize the power-inhibiting or surveillance technology around them.

In any case, he had invested enough of his own time and resources here to not give up. Even with time travel, he was no longer a young man... and he doubted he could find better conditions than this. He must winnow down his captives soon; even with superior technology, this century had enough great minds and magic users that he could not risk being undisturbed forever.

Long, strong fingers tapped on the console, sending his securi-cams flying around. They would broadcast his message to everyone except those in Cosmic Boy's camp.

Turning on his voice modulator, he began to speak.

"A large group has set up camp beside the river..." Harvest began. "They have resources, and more importantly, numbers. If you do not wish to be annihilated by them, you will need to destroy them before dawn..."

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Note: shout out to Gaseous Lad for giving feedback on my plot outline

Somewhere on 21st century Earth

Amp, Ming Sul of Earth (Korea and Taiwan); amplifies the natural abilities of self and others
Cosmic Boy, Rokk Krinn of Braal; magnetokinesis
Saturn Girl, Imra Ardeen of Titan; telepathy

Superboy, Connor Kent/Kon-El of Earth; tactile telekinetic forcefield that approximates super-strength, invulnerability and fight (Teen Titans)

Firestorm, Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond of Earth (merged being); nuclear energy manipulation, molecular reconstruction, phasing, flight (Justice League)

Aura, Lindsay Wah of Earth; magnetokinesis

*************************************************

"Is it time for school yet..." Firestorm mumbled. "Can't I just sleep in for a minute more...?"

"You do that, and you probably won't wake up, pal!" Superboy shook Firestorm awake. "We're under attack!"

Jason Rusch's eyes shot open, and he sat up with a gasp. "Great, just when we thought we were safe," Ronnie Raymond tsked across the telepathic matrix they shared.

He could hear screaming, yelling, the sound of weapon against weapon... and he could see smoke and fire.

"You coming?!" Superboy was already scrambling.

Jason followed Connor, ducking and stumbling as projectiles flew above their heads. Connor stopped beside Aura and a brown-haired young man, who were crouching behind an overturned table. "What a time to be without powers, eh?" Aura cracked.

"How can you make jokes at a time like this?" The young man was shivering, which seemed incongruous with his muscular frame.

"Oh for...!" Aura snapped. "White Feather*, you're a coward, not an idiot! If anything, you're the one with the advantage here, as you've never had powers! Put that bow to good use, or I'll shove it up your-"

"Your power is archery?" Connor cut in. "This will be handy, considering THERE'S A HALF-DOZEN BIG BRUTES RUNNING FOR US!"

"I see them..." Jason whispered.

"Y-y-you're one of us, but can you please make sure you don't burn our cover down?" White Feather stammered.

"Burn... oh." Jason smiled slowly. He reached into the makeshift medical pouch he'd carried over and started tearing up bandages. "Okay, sureshot, let's make it hot for these guys."

*************************************************

"Stay put, and trust that everyone will make their way here!" Cosmic Boy didn't even turn to face those behind him as scanned the horizon. Only about half of his group had gathered here; with their camp being attacked from all sides, it was crucial that they could gather together to mount a defense. Unfortunately, they had no way to send a signal or communicate, so he had to trust that everyone would keep their heads about them.

Frostbite, Dumb Bunny** and others stood in front of him, makeshift spears held out in front. A few others were arrayed behind, bows and arrows at the ready - though this was more for show. Rokk had explicitly told them not to fire unless they were in imminent danger - he didn't want to risk taking out one of their own with friendly fire.

In times like these, he reminded himself of past triumphs. Like his first magno-ball championship win, or stopping the Daxamite invasion of Earth, or exposing Ra's al Ghul. So many times, the odds had been stacked against them... and yet they had persevered. This would be the same. Somehow, he would get himself and his teammates home.

*************************************************

"Just keep firing!" Aura snapped at White Feather. He had loosed three arrows already, but not without sharing his fear that this makeshift bow would give him splinters.

"You ARE pretty good..." Firestorm murmured as an arrow just nicked the pants of one of their assailants. Not enough to draw blood, but enough to singe. The woman looked down, inspected her leg, and decided to run away.

"We've driven them off, nice work!" Superboy laughed. "Well, all but one!"

A blonde woman still stood her ground, even though her five companions were all speeding away. She raised her hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Well, I didn't expect we'd get a prisoner!" Aura shook her head.

"Are... are we sure it's not a t-t-trap?" White Feather trembled. He still kept his bow raised, just in case.

"None of us have powers, remember?" Firestorm pointed out. "And she's in a big wide open space, it's not likely there's anyone waiting in ambush."

"That-that's what they always want you to think!"

"Oh for... just cover me," Superboy called as he slowly walked to the woman, hands up. "Maybe she can tell us a bit about why we've suddenly been attacked." As he approached, she began looking more agitated. "Hold on, I can't make out what you're saying," he said calmly, trying to be heard above her yelling. "We can talk when we're..."

She shook her head in exasperation and pointed behind, and to the right, of him. Connor stopped and turned, and saw a trio of figures running towards him. One male looked particularly burly, and the lone female was at least a head taller than him.

A flaming arrow zipped in front of the trio, though. They stopped, looked at each other, and turned around.

"White Feather and Firestorm are taking care of it," Superboy smiled as he finally reached the woman. "But thanks for trying to warn me..."

".. Superboy! Finally, someone I know from before is also here. I hate meeting new people!" The woman wasn't exactly pleased to see him, but the relief in her voice was palpable. And something about the way she stood tickled Connor's mind.

"How do we know each oth... oh." Connor's eyes widened. He quickly placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her along, "Come on, I'll vouch for you, we gotta go while the coast is clear!"

*************************************************

"We now have 54 of us here - only missing 4 more," Merryman adjusted his spectacles. Being without his phone was annoying, and so was not having anything to write on. He had committed every face and name to memory for such an eventuality. "Only seven of us have minor injuries, and all are able to fight..." He sighed as Awkwardman tripped over a rock. Dumb Bunny rushed to help him, and Frostbite shot her a dirty look as he grabbed the spear she let go of. "Well, I use the term "able to fight" loosely."

"Four more..." Cosmic Boy whispered.

"Including Superboy and Firestorm," Amp hissed. She, Imra and Rokk exchanged looks. Superboy was their friend, but beyond that; he and Firestorm had crucial roles to play in this era. If they did not survive...

"I see them, I see them!" Maya called from her vantage point. "Except I count five!"

"Oh good!" Merryman looked up. "A prisoner could reveal valuable information!"

"Okay everyone, keep watch to make sure they're not attacked as they walk here!" Rokk reminded. Tense minutes followed as the quintet slowly made their way. Finally, finally, they made it to the perimeter being maintained by determined, yet eager, guards.

The gathered group erupted into cheers as they entered.

"Their prisoner does not look like a prisoner," Imra whispered to Ming and Rokk. "No bonds, no..." Then she stopped as a look of recognition crossed her face.

Rokk had already taken his first steps towards the newcomer. "Inferno?"

"Well, fancy meeting you here, you Scout Girl goody-two-shoes!" Sandy Anderson's tone was faintly mocking, though with a very faint undercurrent of fondness. "No clue how you got here, but making a fort in the middle of this stupid forest... I thought I'd come here to throw my lot in with you guys, and looks like I made the right choice."

"We have a problem, guys," Firestorm breathed. "Inferno here came to warn us - whomever our captor is, he broadcast a message encouraging everyone else out there to attack us."

Some faces paled, but most just looked more determined.

"I guess our success has drawn those looking to tear us down," Merryman mused.

"This can be both a threat... and an opportunity," Imra and Rokk exchanged glances. Rokk stepped forward. "This is what we're going to do..."

*************************************************

IB's notes:

1) White Feather (William King) is a member of the Inferior Five Skilled archer, but afraid of his own shadow... If you're not familiar with the Five, I suggest you check them out - they are HILARIOUS.

2) Dumb Bunny (Athena Tremor) is another Inferior Five member - super strong, but not very intelligent!

3) Merryman (Myron Victor) is the Inferior Five's leader - no power, nor much in the way of fighting skills or muscle... but intelligent!

4) Awkwardman (Leander Brent) is also an Inferior Five member - super strong, but super clumsy!

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Note: shout out to Gaseous Lad for giving feedback on my plot outline

Somewhere on 21st century Earth

Amp, Ming Sul of Earth (Korea and Taiwan); amplifies the natural abilities of self and others
Cosmic Boy, Rokk Krinn of Braal; magnetokinesis
Saturn Girl, Imra Ardeen of Titan; telepathy

Superboy, Connor Kent/Kon-El of Earth; tactile telekinetic forcefield that approximates super-strength, invulnerability and fight (Teen Titans)

Firestorm, Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond of Earth (merged being); nuclear energy manipulation, molecular reconstruction, phasing, flight (Justice League)

Inferno, Sandy Anderson of Earth; pyrokinesis (Legion ally, former Workforce member)

*************************************************

Cosmic Boy looked at the signs half of his group were fashioning, while the rest stood guard. At first they had thought about fashioning some sort of megaphone out of leaves, but quickly abandoned the plan as they had no materials. So now they were using smeared dirt and ash on rock to make a sign saying "Approach peacefully and you can join!"

"You really think this will work, don't you?" Inferno rolled her eyes.

"It's worth a try, Inferno..." Imra replied. "We stuck together last time we were stranded*, and it paid off."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah..."

"And we'll get you back home," Rokk smiled.

Sandy turned towards him, almost violently. "Who said I was going back to the 30th century with you? That's not home!"

"Is this time home now, then?" Imra asked.

"No, but it's not worse than our time!"

"Inferno, I don't know why you don't want to go home, but..." Rokk began.

"Save it, scout boy." Sandy walked away without even a backwards glance.

"Let it go, Rokk," Imra soothed as she watched Sandy depart. "She's always been volatile... let's talk to her after all this is over."

"I... you're right, Imra," Rokk muttered as he watched Sandy grab a shovel and start digging some dirt.

************************************************

"We gotta retreat, you big lug!" Shimmer smacked her brother Mammoth* on the head as the group around them scattered, driven off by the formidable defenses in the camp. "There are too many of them, run!" Mammoth grunted and nodded, tucking his sister under his arm and jogging towards cover.

As they reached the forest, a dozen or so other captives turned towards them. "What are you doing here?" snapped a brown-haired girl. "Get back in there! Mammoth is one of those of us who has some super-strength, even with this stupid thing damping our powers!"

"Don't give me that, Persuader!" Shimmer shook a finger under Persuader's chin. "You hung back here while the rest of us charged!"

"Remove your hand, or..." Persuader shook.

Sun Girl watched in disgust as those around her squabbled. With their powers, they could afford to be reckless... but without, they were just a bunch of ineffective children.

Or maybe not...

"We did get something out of this," Sun Girl began thoughtfully. "Look. They're still surrounded; they may have the high ground, but I doubt they have the resources. If we can starve them out, block their water..."

Sun Girl looked up to see a dozen faces listening to her. She smiled as she continued.

************************************************

"Ineffective children..." Harvest muttered as he watched the scenes from his sanctum. Maybe it had been foolish to expect all those urchins to come together and end the little kingdom brewing in their midst. Maybe he should abandon his attempts to scour the last few regions of the globe left, and just begin his culling now...

... he paused as some flickers of movement on the screen caught his eye. A small contingent was beginning to gather around Deborah Morgna, Sun Girl.

As he zoomed in on their conversation, a real smile began to appear on Harvest's face.

************************************************


IB's notes:

1) The Sandy Inferno was stuck with the Legion in the 20th century, in LSH 85-100 (though she actually ditched the team in LSH 96, and stayed in the 20th century!)

2) Yes, Fearsome Five members Shimmer and Mammoth! This Persuader, Elise Kimble, also wielded an atomic axe and was told she was the ancestor of "our" Fatal Five Persuader. Sun Girl, Deborah Morgna, appeared in the 20th century but is from the future. Not much else has been revealed about her.

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

The Hall of Justice, 21st century Earth

Legion of Super-Heroes

Inferno, Dirk Morgna of Earth (USA and Russia); pyrokinesis, can see heat signatures
Kid Quantum II, Jazmin Cullen of Xanthu; time manipulation. Current Legion leader.
Live Wire, Garth Ranzz of Winath; electricity generation and manipulation

Justice League

Doctor Light, Kimiyo Hoshi of Japan, Earth: photokinesis, light absorption, physicist
Plastic Man, Patrick "Eel" O'Brian of Earth; malleable fluid physiology that allows for shape-shifting, invulnerability
Superman, Kal-El of Krypton / secret identity Clark Kent of Earth: enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers
Wonder Woman, Diana of Themyscira, Earth: enhanced speed, strength, durability, flight; lasso of truth, magical bracelets, combat expert

Roxy Leech of Earth; police officer and friend of Superboy's (also: member of the Hawaii Special Crimes Unit)

*************************************************

"You have to rest too, you know." Live Wire looked up to see Wonder Woman, carrying a steaming mug, smiling at him. "Some chamomile tea with Themysciran honey. Works wonders for relaxation."

"Th-thank you, Wonder Woman. It's just..." Tears welled up in Garth's eyes. "Imra and I have been separated a couple of times before*,,, and we postponed our wedding to come get our friend Rokk..."

"That your love thrived through all these separations is a thing of beauty," Diana smiled again. "And you honor yourselves and your love by wanting to ensure your friends are present for such a ceremony."

Garth wiped the tears from his eyes and took the mug with gratitude. "Wow, this IS delicious. If I could, I would share some pluberry syrup with y-"

"We got a hit!" Plastic Man, his pliable head morphed into a loudspeaker, propelled himself past Diana and Garth. Garth nearly dropped his mug. "I'm glad Chameleon doesn't do that," he muttered. He set the mug down and followed Diana into the JLA Watchtower's Monitor Room.

"Triangulating signal..." Kid Quantum was oozing determination as she tapped on the console.

"That was brilliant, thinking of modifying our testing to account for chronal energy patterns," Doctor Light's approval was palpable.

"What the Atom said triggered a hunch," Jazmin nodded, cheeks flushed. "And time travel would explain how soil and dirt remained undisturbed."

"Good work," Superman turned to address the rest. "I'm fastest, I'll speed ahead and -"

"Not alone, you won't," Doctor Light's costume began to glow. "And not at full speed, we don't know what we're rushing into. The captives may be disabled and depowered in some way."

"Then the rest of us can follow in a javelin," Diana offered. "Between our flying abilities and our technology, and my invisible plane as back-up, we should prevail. And I'm sorry sister," she turned to Roxy. "But this time I think it would be wise for you to stay behind."

"No arguments there," Roxy laughed. "I've seen enough movies to know that the non-powered one just might get in the way. I'll man the fort... so to speak."

"Red Tornado will join you," Plastic Man, who had morphed a cape similar to his android colleague's, added. "I DID tell old Reddy that if we go somewhere tech fails, well.. what's gonna happen to him?" Plas mimicked a collapsed robot to emphasize his point.

"That is more than a little disturbing..." Kimiyo rolled her eyes.

"Then we're all set." Inferno (Dirk) turned to Jazmin. "Have you traced the signal yet?"

"This is the best I can do, I'm afraid," Jazmin sighed. "The signal leads somewhere in the middle of the Pacific, but I can't pinpoint it any closer than this range..." The map showed an area stretching from Hawaii to the Philippines.

"Then we'll just have to move fast," Superman said.


**********************************************

IB's notes:

1) In terms of prolonged separations, Garth was temporarily kicked out of the Legion (LSH 64-80, L* 20-36); there was the Team 20/30 split (LSH 85-100, L* 41-56), and of course Garth was "dead" for a while from Legion Lost 12 up to Legion 25).

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Note: shout out to Gaseous Lad for giving feedback on my plot outline

Somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, 21st century Earth

Amp, Ming Sul of Earth (Korea and Taiwan); amplifies the natural abilities of self and others
Cosmic Boy, Rokk Krinn of Braal; magnetokinesis
Saturn Girl, Imra Ardeen of Titan; telepathy

Superboy, Connor Kent/Kon-El of Earth; tactile telekinetic forcefield that approximates super-strength, invulnerability and fight (Teen Titans; also Honorary Legionnaire)

Firestorm, Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond of Earth (merged being); nuclear energy manipulation, molecular reconstruction, phasing, flight (Justice League)

Inferno, Sandy Anderson of Earth; pyrokinesis (Legion ally, former Workforce member)

Aura, Lindsay Wah of Earth; magnetokinesis
Frostbite, unknown of Earth; cryokinesis
Maya, Chandi Gupta of Earth; hydrokinesis and pyrokinesis
Merryman, Myron Victor of Earth; leadership skills and intelligence

*************************************************

"This is not enough water for me!" Frostbite snapped. "Even without my powers, my physiology requires more water than the average human!"

"Yeah, well, complain to the judge!" Aura snapped back. "With those #$*(*$!) blocking the river that runs through our camp, we can't do anything about it!"

Mutters erupted through the crowd. "This is not sustainable, Cosmic Boy," Maya whispered to Rokk. "Everyone realizes we only have a limited amount of supplies..."

"... we cannot outwait the enemy," Merryman finished. "And the new heads we've accepted into our camp are fueling disgruntlement." Seven more youths had accepted the offer of peace, and had initially been met with a warm welcome... which had slowly turned sour as another group, led by someone called Sun Girl, had formed a perimeter around the camp - blocking off access to food sources. And they had dammed up the river as well; water still flowed, but it was a trickle compared to what they used to have.

"Looks like it's time for a Cos rallying speech," Imra smiled encouragingly at Rokk.

Rokk smiled. "Ah, you always have my back during those." Clambering up the lookout tower, Cos waved his arms. "Everyone, listen up! I know you're tired, scared and frustrated. You're worried that we will starve ourselves out and overrun. But please remember, we ARE all in this together - every single one of us know what each of the others is going through!" Murmurs ceased as heads turned to him. "We are all cut off from our loved ones, and we can't use the powers that are a gift to us. And we're surrounded by an unknown number outside."

"He sure is making it sound bad..." Firestorm raised an eyebrow.

"I've listened to him enough times to know," Imra shook her head. "He won't hide the truth, but that's part of his magic."

"But we ARE all in this together, all of us here," Rokk continued. "That's why each of us decided to join our group, right? Because we believe that we can all win and thrive together. Now, we're going to think our way out of this - but we can't do our best thinking like this. Take a break, just an hour's break - refresh yourselves, get to know each other - and then we'll gather into a council of war. We CAN get through this, and we will!"

Small cheers erupted through the crowd, and even the less-enthused nodded among themselves. As Cos clambered back down, Imra and Ming reached out to help him. "Classic Cos," Imra's eyes twinkled.

"Thanks... now we just need to deliver." Weariness crossed Rokk's face for a moment. "I wish we had Brainy and Lyle along..."

"We'll make do," Ming teased. "We'll make do."

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************
Somewhere else in the Pacific Ocean, 21st century Earth

Legion of Super-Heroes

Inferno, Dirk Morgna of Earth (USA and Russia); pyrokinesis, can see heat signatures
Kid Quantum II, Jazmin Cullen of Xanthu; time manipulation. Current Legion leader.
Live Wire, Garth Ranzz of Winath; electricity generation and manipulation

Justice League

Doctor Light, Kimiyo Hoshi of Japan, Earth: photokinesis, light absorption, physicist
Plastic Man, Patrick "Eel" O'Brian of Earth; malleable fluid physiology that allows for shape-shifting, invulnerability
Superman, Kal-El of Krypton / secret identity Clark Kent of Earth: enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers
Wonder Woman, Diana of Themyscira, Earth: enhanced speed, strength, durability, flight; lasso of truth, magical bracelets, combat expert

*************************************************

"See anything?" Doctor Light asked Superman. As both of them could fly much faster than the Quinjet, they had already begun scouring the Pacific in a circular motion, starting from the outside in.

"No, though I was afraid of this," Superman replied. He wished they could split up to cover more ground, but agreed it was wise to stick together when dealing with unknown quantities. What also tested his patience was that they were not flying at top speed - just in case they ran into something unexpected.

"Hold that thought," Superman felt his body lurch forward as his flight powers left him. "If you please..."

"Got you," Doctor Light formed a hard-light platform under Superman, and slowly pulled him to her - she had remained several kilometers back just in case such a thing would happen. "Looks like our caution paid off."

"You were, indeed, right. Now let's see what we can find..." After radioing the Quinjet, Superman began to scan the area using his array of vision powers. "I see... a blind spot."

"So do I," Inferno offered as he floated up to them. "It appears hazier somehow, to my heat signature vision. Even if normal vision just shows me clouds and water."

"And my quantum bubbles tell me there is something," Kid Quantum added.

"Time to use what we've learned," Doctor Light waved her hands. "If I twist the wavelengths like so..."

The sky before them shimmered for a moment. Then suddenly, a large transparent dome appeared... and within it, an island with dense jungle... and one lone, plain building on it. Except said building looked like a very high-grade military installation.

"How did someone hide an island here?" Inferno gasped. "All the maps show nothing!" Then he looked around. "I can see one heat signature in that building... and dozens, more than a hundred, in the jungle! Most are concentrated there," he pointed at a spot near the center.

"Best guess? Artificial island. Or maybe magical," Superman responded. "But want to guess that that installation is what blocks powers from working?" Heat vision blasted from his eyes, but fizzled as it hit the dome.

“Okay, at least it looks like our powers work as long as we don’t touch the dome… but how do we get through?”

"Allow me," Kid Quantum unleashed a cascade of quantum bubbles on a spot in the shield. "Whatever this thing is, I'm betting it can still decay... There." Satisfied with her work, Jazmin waved her hand to show a small circular hole, no bigger than a teacup. "I trust this works for you?"

"It's perfect," Superman and Doctor Light said in unison as they fired at the building.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

The alarm bells alerted Harvest to the breaching of his dome. He looked up from his intent study of the dynamics among his captives - he had already marked Sun Girl and Persuader as potential platoon leaders - and stared, slack-jawed, at his monitors. All he saw was a flashing pulse of red before all his machinery burned out.

Securi-drones turned visible all over the island and dropped, powerless, onto the ground.

Cursing, he reached for his personal time-travel device. Everyone on this island would regain their powers - including telepaths and others who could find and catch him. He needed to jump, and he could return and target those he wanted...

"I assume this is your escape plan." A blue-and-red blur appeared before him, yanking the handheld device from him. In a millisecond, Superman had crushed the device and sent Harvest flying with a flick of his thumb.

Groaning, Harvest willed himself to get up. His head was swimming. He... he felt something tighten around his shoulders and arms, forcing them tight around his torso. "How do we ensure your captives are rescued safely?" Wonder Woman asked as she pulled Harvest up with her lasso.

Despite himself, Harvest began to talk.

"Are you getting this, team?" Wonder Woman asked grimly through the comms link.

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

"But what if we..." Superboy began. Then he stared in wonder as the table in front of him hovered into the air.

"I can hear your minds!" Saturn Girl breathed, eyes wide.

"We have our powers back! Finally!" Sandy Anderson wreathed herself in fire.

"Oh no," Cosmic Boy and Merryman said in unison. "That means... so do they."

"Behind me!" Firestorm conjured up a metal shield as a blast of energy slammed into them!

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Mammoth roared as he pounded on the metal wall that appeared out of nowhere. "Raagh! Raaagh! Let us in!"

"Stand aside, brother. One touch and this shield will disappear," Shimmer grinned as she reached out to teach the metal wall.

"I don't care about them," Persuader muttered. "I want off this island."

"And I want revenge on whomever brought us here," Sun Girl smiled as she marveled at the flames surrounding her. "But I wouldn't mind cooking some super-powered goody-goodies first..."

She watched as Shimmer reached out to touch the metal wall...

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

"It's okay," Saturn Girl smiled. "We're safe. You can drop the shield, Firestorm."

"Are you sure?" Firestorm asked dubiously.

"She's the best telepath where we come from," Cosmic Boy laughed. "You can trust her."

"Okay..." with a wave of his hands, Firestorm transmuted his shield into harmless gas...

... and Live Wire flew right through and grabbed Saturn Girl in his arms. "Imra!"

"Oh, Garth! As soon as my telepathy came back, I felt your mind like a beacon..."

"Save it for the wedding, you two," Rokk stepped forward, arms outstretched.

"Come here, you," Garth pulled Rokk close. "Just for this, I'm making you pay for the bachelor party!"

"They're all... Frozen.. in golden bubbles...?" Dumb Bunny whispered as she stared at the dozens of youths in front of them. Some were flying, some were running, but all seemed like statues.

"That would be me," Kid Quantum stepped forward. Before she could say anything more, Cosmic Boy had run to her and grabbed her up. "Jazmin, you came for me!"

"Of course I did," she chuckled. "Now please stop spinning me around so my quantum field doesn't slip."

"What a sweet little lovefest!!" Plastic Man's heart - or at least, a heart shape - pounded out comically from his body. "Now, the rest of you, help me tie these aggressive kids up, eh? With a twist, he lassoed Mammoth and Shimmer's forms and pulled them to one side. "And watch out for this one, she's a doozy!" He made sure not to touch Shimmer's glowing hands, instead binding them in front of her.

"That was almost anti-climactic... not that I'm complaining," Amp allowed herself to sit down for a bit, even as she glowed red. "I'm boosting your power, Kid Q."

"I guess all that's left is the clean-up, eh?" Superboy observed cheerfully as he lifted Gizmo** off the ground and began dismantling the mechanical constructs around him.

"That's not just an afterthought," Doctor Light said brusquely as she bound Sun Girl's arms in hard light. "We have to identify everyone, where and when each was taken, return them..." She trailed off as she spotted Maya. "Chandi!"

"Oh, Kimiyo!" Maya ran up to her former teammate**. "It's so good to see you!"

"I'm so glad you're safe, your parents were beside themselves when they called me!"

"See, she does have a heart," Plastic Man whispered into Kid Quantum's ear. "I figured that some time ago," Jazmin replied cheekily.

"Come on, let's hurry this up," Firestorm laughed as he generated protective handcuffs around the disarmed and still stasis-bound captives. "I think we deserve a party, after all we've been through."

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

IB's notes:

1) Gizmo (O'Jeneus) is the teenage son of the original Gizmo

2) Doctor Light and Maya were part of Justice League International together from issue 50-67

Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Metropolis, 21st century Earth

Legion of Super-Heroes

Amp, Ming Sul of Earth (Korea and Taiwan); amplifies the natural abilities of self and others
Brainiac 5, Querl Dox of Colu; 12th level intelligence and force field powers
Inferno, Dirk Morgna of Earth (USA and Russia); pyrokinesis, can see heat signatures
Kid Quantum II, Jazmin Cullen of Xanthu; time manipulation. Current Legion leader.
Live Wire, Garth Ranzz of Winath; electricity generation and manipulation
Saturn Girl, Imra Ardeen of Titan; telepathy

Inferno, Sandy Anderson of Earth; pyrokinesis (Legion ally, former Workforce member)
Superboy, Connor Kent/Kon-El of Earth; tactile telekinetic forcefield that approximates super-strength, invulnerability and fight (Honorary Legionnaire, and Teen Titan)
Rond Vidar of Earth (Greece and Iran); scientist specializing in time studies (Legion ally and support staff)

Justice League

Doctor Light, Kimiyo Hoshi of Japan, Earth: photokinesis, light absorption, physicist
Firestorm, Jason Rusch and Ronnie Raymond of Earth (merged being); nuclear energy manipulation, molecular reconstruction, phasing, flight
Plastic Man, Patrick "Eel" O'Brian of Earth; malleable fluid physiology that allows for shape-shifting, invulnerability
Red Tornado, John Smith of Earth, android body, aerokinesis
Superman, Kal-El of Krypton / secret identity Clark Kent of Earth: enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers
Wonder Woman, Diana of Themyscira, Earth: enhanced speed, strength, durability, flight; lasso of truth, magical bracelets

Maya, Chandi Gupta of Earth; hydrokinesis and pyrokinesis
Roxy Leech of Earth; police officer and friend of Superboy's (also: member of the Hawaii Special Crimes Unit)

*************************************************

The mood was festive as the Leaguers and Legionnaires shared a quick meal at the Hall of Justice. The last of the other captives had gone off - after a fairly thorough process. Most had returned to their families or friends or teams; those who had been fugitives or incarcerated had been remanded into custody. Brainiac 5 and Rond Vidar had been summoned, and they had brought a handful of other Legionnaires to clean up Harvest's island* - including XS and Kinetix for a super-speed psychokinetic clean-up, Gear and Shvaughn Erin to assist in collecting and cataloguing the devices (though even the Science Police's extensive databases could not help identify most of them; Gear's techno-organic abilities had been much more helpful in this regard!), Dreamer and Shikari to assist in divining where everyone should be returned, and Echo and Blizzard had managed to worm themselves into the mission to gawk at some of their 21st century heroes. Harvest himself was sealed harmlessly away in a League prison cell.

Aura had said goodbye to old teammate Superboy first; but not before she and Roxy took time to tease him about his fashion sense through the years. With a promise to keep in touch and visit Hawaii soon, Aura left with a smile.

Maya's parents had come to pick her up, both fussing over her. They had brought enough biryani and butter chicken to feed everyone twice over. With a promise to visit Doctor Light and her two children, Maya had given her love to the League and left for home.

Also with a promise to visit, but only if Roxy could come along, Superboy and Roxy soon departed as well - though not without a discreet invitation to the wedding of Live Wire and Saturn Girl. "I would love to invite everyone here," Garth whispered, "but our guest list is overflowing as it is!" "Besides," Imra agreed, "I don't think Superboy actually CAN come to our wedding, time travel restrictions and all..."

"... Funny that that female Persuader seems to be the ancestor of our time's Persuader," Amp noted. "I checked her file out of curiosity."

"Yeah, and also weird that that Sun Girl's real name is Deborah Morgna, and she claims to come from the future..." Dirk Morgna looked a little disturbed by it. "But nobody knows if it's before our time, or after."

"Best not worry about it," Brainiac 5 said, all the while tinkering on his Omnicom. "Take it from me - your ancestors', or descendants', actions are beyond your own control.**" Turning to the rest of the group, he called. "We should not linger too much. The stress to the timestream..."

"... will be devastating. We know, we know," his Legionnaire teammates laughed.

"One last drink, nerd!" Sandy Anderson said rudely as she downed a Blue Moon beer. "It ain't Silverale, but it's still good!"

"Inferno, there is something I have to talk to you about..." Cosmic Boy said urgently. As her eyes flashed and flame erupted from her hands, Rokk held his hands out towards Sandy in a gesture of peace. "Please, just hear me out. I won't force you to do anything, I wouldn't think about it." Dirk Morgna and Kid Quantum stood protectively behind Rokk; neither of them had much personal experience with Sandy, but those who did had warned them about her volatility AND her lack of qualms about burning someone to death***.

"Oh, stop hovering around like that," Sandy glared at them. "I don't go around burning people who don't deserve it... and my threshold for "who deserves it" has changed since I've been here. Also- " she poked a finger into Rokk's chest - "stop calling me Inferno, you all already know I'm Sandy. I'm no superhero, so little firebug over there - "she gestured towards Dirk dismissively - "can keep using MY old codename." Dirk's ears turned red at this; though his encounter with Sandy had gone better than he'd expected. At least she had laughed in his face, instead of challenging him to a duel.

Sandy grabbed another Blue Moon and opened it. Taking a big gulp, she crossed her arms and faced Rokk. "Spit it out."

"We found someone who believes he is your cousin," Rokk explained. "He is mentally disturbed, and has been prone to violent outbursts since we encountered him."

"And what do I care? I never met my cousins, or any family besides my parents," Sandy shook her head.

"Aren't you the least bit curious about your past?" Jazmin asked.

"Why? I've dealt with my demons and all that," Sandy sniffed in contempt. "It doesn't matter."

"Don't you at least miss the future?" Rokk continued. "You won't have any obligations to us. We won't ask you to stay, or be connected, with the Legion in any way. We just hope that you'll see that poor man, he's in such turmoil. Then you can go do whatever you want, go wherever you want. No strings attached."

"Huh," Sandy took a swig of her beer thoughtfully. "If it's you saying that, I believe it... And much as I've grown to like the beer here, Silverale IS still better." She set her empty bottle down. "I gotta call someone before we go."

"I can help," Saturn Girl offered. "A friend? Do you know where this person is, broadly?"

"Not quite a friend," Sandy said flatly. She pictured Jilly Major****, and as she let Imra's telepathy touch her mind, she thought about where she had met Jilly. The mall had been closed, so Jilly wasn't there, but Imra soon found her a small distance away. Through Imra's telepathy, a glowing pink image of Sandy manifested in front of Jilly. "Hey Jilly, it's me," Sandy thought, not wanting Jilly to panic.

"Whoa, this is... cool!" Jilly gasped as she reached out to touch Sandy's pink form. "Where've you been? I haven't seen you since... well, forever!" Jilly thought back.

"I'm not really here, this is me talking telepathically. Listen, I'm going back home, where I came from. You're the only one here really worth saying goodbye to. I might be back, and if I am I'll look you up, k?"

"Yeah, sure... I had fun hanging out," Jilly said, a bit awkwardly. They hadn't really been friends, but they had shared some time together. "Have a safe trip."

"Yeah, thanks. Keep out of trouble, k?" And the connection winked out. "You say a word of this to anyone..." Sandy whispered to Imra.

"I connected both of you, I didn't listen in," Imra replied. She'd had enough experience with Sandy to know that a straight answer was best.

"Good," Sandy said as she walked towards the Time Platform. "Well, let's get going, then. I want a proper sonic scrub."

Goodbyes were said all around, a few holos were taken for the memories, and congratulations were given to Imra and Garth for their coming wedding. Rond and Brainiac 5 bestowed a chronal signal amplifier to the League; as long as it was kept in League Headquarters, the Legion could travel there through time. Both teams promised to use it should they ever need the other's help, though neither really thought they would use it due to the tricky nature of time travel.

And with a last hearty wave from both sides, the Legionnaires and their friends returned home.


*************************************************
IB's notes:

1) I didn't list them all here, so feel free to use your imagination as to which Legionnaires came to help

2) We all know Brainiac 5 has had less than savory ancestors/descendants: original Brainiac, Lyrl Dox, his own mother Brainiac 4, and some evil Brainiacs in the future...

3) In her first appearance (Legionnaires 21), she burned a robber to death - though he did shoot first. When she was stranded in the 20th century with the team (LSH 85-100), she toned down her tendencies a bit.

4) Jilly is the one girl who was truly nice to Inferno during her mini-series... yes, she had one! and Jilly was with Inferno during her fight with the psychic vampire thingie.

well gang, I finally stopped being lazy and wrote this out! I tend to write in feverish bursts, so I went and finished the Search for Cosmic Boy!

Looking back on what I promised... here is what is up next, and I promise I will do my best not to wait so long in between posts again :-)

First of all...


Secondly, my reaction to new Post ZH:

I will read and respond post-haste!

Ditto! gotta run out to meet a friend but hopefully will have time later today, if not then definitely Friday!