Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Bits o' Legionnaire Business Postlo3w stories *LATEST UPDATE 13 AUGUST*

Over the halfway mark! What exciting adventures await us next?? HINT: The next stop on the Time Train should be fun for fans of old Legion support cast, Elastic Lad and certain religion themed colossal juggernauts!

Here's the updated scorecard:

BRAINIAC 5: Early 21st century Smallville
COLOSSAL BOY: Trom, doomsday
DAWNSTAR: Smallville, 1871
DRAGONMAGE: Central City, 2038
DUPLICATE DAMSEL (deputy leader): Smallville, 1871 / Trom, doomsday
ELEMENT LAD: Smallville, 1871
INFECTIOUS LASS: Central City, 2038
INVISIBLE KID II: Central City, 2038
KID COMPUTO: Smallville, 1871
LIGHT LAD: Trom, doomsday
LIGHTNING LASS: Trom, doomsday
MATTER-EATER LAD: Smallville, 1871
MON-EL: Central City, 2038
NIGHTWIND: Central City, 2038
SHADOW LAD: Early 21st century Smallville
SHRINKING VIOLET: Trom, doomsday
SUPERBOY: Early 21st century Smallville, remained behind
SUPERGIRL: Early 21st century Smallville
TIMBER WOLF: Trom, doomsday
TYROC: Central City, 2038, remained behind
WILDFIRE: Smallville, 1871

BLOK
BOUNCING BOY (leader)
CHAMELEON BOY
CHAMELEON GIRL
COMET QUEEN
COSMIC BOY
DIAMOND DAMSEL
DREAM GIRL
ELASTIC LAD
NIGHT GIRL
PHANTOM GIRL
POLAR BOY
QUISLET
SUN BOY
TELLUS
ULTRA BOY
GAS GIRL (Legion ally)
THOM KALLOR (Ex-Legionnaire Star Boy)

I'm sorry to see Tyroc go, hopefully somewhere in the future you can return to him and show us his adventure in 2038. Other than that this was probably your best section yet - introducing an alternate JLA, having Mon meet his son, Drura catch up with Dr 13 and best of all tying in Berta's familial origin to a great villain. Love your work Raz, more, more, more!

(Oh, and Elastic Lad is coming up next? Fab, it always comes across that you really have fun writing him.)

i really hope we get to see Nightwind's possible search for the "sisters" of the watch tower. that sounds like an interesting story.

seriously what can't Dragonmage do? love him!

i was slightly surprised that it was Tyroc that stayed behind. i thought it was going to be Mon.

great job and can't wait for the next installment.

Thanks peeps! I think I definitely enjoyed writing this one the most so far

I don't think Mon would dare risk the wrath of a scorned Shady by staying in the 21st century....pretty sure a little thing like 1000 years wouldn't get in the way of her temper

Nightwind is definitely gonna have some interesting follow up adventures...I think we should get quite a few plot threads outta this before we're done

Lydda Jath uttered a reflexive yelp as a kaleidoscope of colors burst across her retinas. She cursed her Kathooni photosensitivity; as Night Girl she could face any physical threat with impunity but a simple flash of light was enough to leave her blind and helpless. She was still utterly sightless when something rigid slammed across her head with a sharp crack. Night Girl cried out once more, this time in pain as consciousness fled her. She never heard her assailant's triumphant whoop.

"Lydda!" Disoriented, Cosmic Boy saw his fiancee hit the ground before he could gather his wits about him to prevent it. A nanosecond prior he'd been holding off a trio of men in clunky exoskeletons while Night Girl ushered to safety some of the terrified citizens of Metropolis who'd been caught up in the Infinite Man's insanity. Now he was suddenly indoors, and a boy wearing armour patterned after the Thanagarian Hawk-Police had just laid low the woman Rokk Krinn loved. Reaching out with his control of magnetism, Cosmic Boy grabbed the flying teen's Nth metal suit and pinned him to the ground. "You'd better pray to your gods that she's not seriously injured or they're going to have to peel you out of that tin can!" he threatened the boy.

"I don't know who you people are or how you got in here," an older man dressed as a bat advanced on Cos, "But anybody who targets Hawkboy has to deal with the Batman!" The costumed man's thick-soled boot snapped out in a high kick. Cosmic Boy managed to roll with the blow, but even so he half-expected his jaw to have been shattered. He lost his hold on the one called Hawkboy and lay on the ground with his head swimming as he struggled not to join Lydda in unconsciousness.

"Nice moves you've got there," Duplicate Damsel came to Rokk's rescue, "But let's see how you fare against some tri-jitsu!" She split into half a dozen bodies and took on the stranger and his flying sidekick simultaneously.

Cosmic Boy and Duplicate Damsel felt Tellus' familiar presence wading through the uppermost surface of their minds with Ultra Boy and Elastic Lad also having been brought into the mind link. Legionnaires, I believe the Infinite Man has sent us away, the Hykraian explained telepathically. I can find no trace of any of our other comrades, and I sense that… His voice trailed off and became progressively softer until it was gone altogether. The pods on his back shifted into a stark white, reflecting his distressed state as Tellus realised he could no longer summon either his telepathy or his telekinesis.

"I don't know what race this one is," a young woman gestured at Tellus, "But he's pumping out a heap of psionic energy!" Her blonde hair was tied back tight against her scalp into a ponytail. She wore a green and white costume with an icon of Saturn emblazoned across her chest. Tellus guessed that she must be Titanian, but for her to be powerful enough to completely suppress his powers it beggared his imagination. She surprised him even further when she shot up to a colossal thirty-five feet tall, almost brushing against the ceiling of this large room.

"You're a big one," Ultra Boy quipped, "But don't you know that the bigger they are, the harder they fall?" He darted between the giant woman's legs before turning back and charging the back of her right knee. Her leg buckled beneath her and the enormous Titanian woman collapsed with a thud that resonated through the floor.

"I'll give you one thing," an athletic middle-aged man remarked as he leaped across the giant woman's prone form, "That was certainly more clever than I'd have given you credit for. However now that you've temporarily incapacitated Titan Girl, maybe you'd like to try your luck on someone your own size?" Switching his ultra-energy into invulnerability, Jo decided to allow the stranger to make the first move so he could get an idea of his capabilities. When Ultra Boy got a good look at the man's costume though his jaw dropped. The man was wearing the same colours as Jo, and a green emblem across his chest that Jo had only ever seen on one man. His dark hair streaked with silver, he looked much younger than he'd been even when Ultra Boy had first met him but there was no mistaking the man's identity.

"…Marla?!"

An instant later, the young Marla Latham delivered a punch that while nowhere near powerful enough to overcome Jo's invulnerability was definitely superhuman. Ultra Boy really took in their surroundings for the first time since the Legionnaires had appeared here. This room reminded him of the Legion's own combat training room, he could see what seemed to be a control booth near the ceiling. He was beginning to wonder if all of this was nothing more than a chaotic misunderstanding. A thousand years ago, Batman had been one of Earth's most legendary heroes. The Thanagarian Hawk-Police were famed throughout the galaxy, there had even been a Hawkman in the Justice League who worked with Batman and Superman! Why would two villains base their identities on such iconic champions of good? No matter what their motives might be though, Jo would never in a million years believe that Marla Latham could be anything but altruistic. Ultra Boy blocked Marla's next strike. "Marla, listen to me…I know I'm a stranger to you, but you have to trust me. We don't want to hurt anybody, I think this is--"

"Legionnaires, this is all one big mistake!" Elastic Lad announced, taking the words out of Jo's mouth. He stood side by side with a young man in a scarlet bodysuit complete with a cowl which left only the lower half of his freckled face exposed. The image of a flaming trident adorned the man's torso, and his costume was completed by tiny horns and a tail which came to a small arrow-like point. He was joined by an attractive brunette all of the Legionnaires recognised instantly. All of the Legionnaires had seen her face countless times in commemorative holodocs and every time they'd had to inter one of their own at the cemetery asteroid Shangalla. Jo had even performed in a play based on her life in his pre-Legion days. She was a figure recognised across the galaxy as a symbol of great heroism, of great tragedy and great irony.

"Intergalactic Law Patrol, I believe they're telling the truth!" the woman named Leeta-87 said. "Titan Girl?"

The giantess returned to normal size and Tellus felt his mind open once more to swim the sea of thoughts around him. Tellus felt Titan Girl's clumsy mind probe pierce his psyche, but didn't resist. She had already shown that she could remove his talents altogether so he wasn't at all confident that he'd be able to repel her if he tried. More importantly, this might be the fastest way for the teams to gain one another's trust. "They're heroes," the blonde Titanian declared. "Some villain transported them here against their will, they mean no harm to us as far as I can tell."

"Of course we mean no harm!" Cosmic Boy protested as he helped a recovering Night Girl to her feet. "You people attacked us!"

"It does seem that some of us may have acted prematurely," their Batman admitted. "For which we apologise, don't we Hawkboy?"

Hawkboy sighed. "I guess."

"Where are we anyway?" Cosmic Boy asked. "And who are you people? I don't believe I've ever heard of the Intergalactic Law Patrol."

"That's because we only formed less than a week ago," Leeta-87 explained. "We were actually beginning our second training session when you appeared. I'm Leeta-87." She introduced the rest of the group; the already named Batman, Hawkboy and Titan Girl as well as the aptly titled Red Devil. When she referred to Marla as Minuteman, Cosmic Boy and Ultra Boy shared a brief quizzical look between them which remained unrecognised by Leeta's team. "We can't tell you all our secrets obviously," she continued, "But you've accidentally invaded our base on Weber's World. We've been put together by the United Planets to serve as a defence against threats that are too great for conventional authorities. And you are..?"

"This isn't going to do anything to endear us to you," Cosmic Boy replied, "But we've been displaced in time as well as space and in order to protect the future, we can't really tell you too much. I can say that we fulfil the same role as you in our time. You can call me Rokk, this is Lydda, Luornu, Jo, Ganglios and--"

Jams-Ols 5's eyes grew wide in horror. "Elastic Lad!" he interrupted, almost shouting over Cosmic Boy. "I'm Elastic Lad, very pleased to meet you all!" He pumped Leeta-87 and Red Devil's hands with a frantic handshake.

Before anybody could say anything further, Leeta-87's chunky bracelet pulsed quickly. She held her arm up and tapped the bracelet, displaying a small inset screen. "This is what we've been waiting for, team! Zendak's given us our first mission! Legionnaires, right? We can't give you unrestricted access to our headquarters, but you can wait in our recreational area while we go to Cadmu. Of course we'll have a medidroid look at your injuries too. Once we return, we can discuss our next move. I assume you're all probably eager to get home and working together I'm confident we can find a way to achieve that." Leeta left the combat training chamber and led the six Legionnaires through the base, the rest of the ILP following close behind. While it remained unspoken, there was a distinct impression that the Legionnaires were expected not to leave this place. The Legionnaires could tell that the ILP believed that they were heroes, but there didn't seem to be much trust beyond that.

As they moved through the windowless halls of the ILP's base, the teams made idle conversation with each other. "I hope you do not consider the question rude," Tellus asked Titan Girl using his voice modulator, "But how did you come across your physical power in addition to your highly developed psionic ability, Titan Girl?"

"They're one and the same," she replied. "My telepathy is actually not terribly strong on its own, but I was born with the power to absorb ambient psionic energy and use it to fuel my growth. Around non-psi talents I have to rely on siphoning my own telepathic ability so I can only generally grow to about double my height. You saw what I can do when I get the chance to absorb energy from a really powerful psionic though. Are all your people like you, Ganglios?"

Tellus took a moment to reply. Something else else about this place seemed strangely familiar, almost as though he'd been here before. He found it mildly distracting. "I have been fortunate enough to enjoy the benefits of training," he answered eventually. "All Hykraians possess some degree of telepathic skill, but without advanced training techniques it is simply a method of communication for us."

"We really are sorry about the fight," Batman apologised once more to Cosmic Boy and Night Girl. "Hawkboy means well, but he's very excitable. We both thought you were holograms, a part of some training program like we use in our own Bat-Manor."

"No real harm done," Lydda forced a smile, ignoring her pounding head.

"What made you decide to carry on the legacy of Batman?" Cosmic Boy asked. With the fight over, he could no longer restrain his curiosity about these people.

"The original Batman was our ancestor," the masked man explained. "It was a novelty while our parents were alive, something to give our family some colour. But when our parents were killed by criminals on Ventura and I was forced to raise Hawkboy on my own, Bruce Wayne became our inspiration. Like him, we've dedicated our lives to battling evil wherever we find it."

A few feet behind them, Duplicate Damsel had merged her other selves back into the one body. She watched the dynamics of the two groups with much interest. Cosmic Boy so easily took charge of the team that even she had forgotten she was the Legion's deputy leader. Tellus, bless him, had already formed a fast friendship with Titan Girl. He was so open and genuinely fascinated in everyone he came across that even people unfamiliar with non-humanoid sentients soon realised his intentions were pure. Years ago, Saturn Girl had told Luornu and Tinya that one of her childhood inspirations was a local heroine called Titan Girl. Lu wondered now if this was her. Given the presence of Leeta-87 along with Marla Latham's apparent age (Marla's presence here was another mystery, though she could see it had shaken Ultra Boy more than the rest of them), it would certainly place them in the right time period. If she had to guess, she'd say the Infinite Man had sent them all back to some point in the 2980's. Luornu also couldn't help but notice that Elastic Lad was far from his normal hyperactive self. She didn't know him well enough to judge why, but he was definitely much more subdued than normal…guarded even, especially around Leeta-87 and Red Devil. Maybe he was just overwhelmed. The rest of the Legion were more accustomed to time travel, it must be daunting for a newcomer to the team. Now that she thought about it, even Tellus seemed a little distracted. He'd had to ask Titan Girl to repeat herself once or twice while he stared blankly at the base around them. Luornu made a mental note to make sure they were both coping as soon as she had the chance.

"Here we go." Leeta-87 waved the others through a sliding door. The room on the other side was bright and welcoming, filled with comfortable chairs, entertainment devices and gaming tables. "Make yourselves at home, the medidroid is on its way and the autochef will provide any refreshments you need. We'll be back soon, Legionnaires." The door closed behind them, and seconds later the team exploded into conversation.

"Marla has powers?"

"That was Leeta-87! The Leeta-87!"

"Did you hear she said Zendak--"

"How have we never heard of--"

"Duplicate Damsel, I must--"

"Nearly all of them will die today."

This last comment was from Elastic Lad, and the rest of the Legion fell silent and stared at him.

"What do you mean?" Duplicate Damsel bluntly interrogated. "How can you know that?"

"Leeta-87 and Red Devil are from Cadmu," the skinny young redhead explained with uncommon gravity. "They left Cadmu to form the Intergalactic Law Patrol with a handful of other heroes, and returned to Cadmu for their first and final mission."

"But…why isn't this part of historical record?" Cosmic Boy asked, confused. "When I formed the Legion of Superheroes with Garth and Imra, we were the first organised team of superheroes to exist in over a century. Imra told me once the reason she never took the name Titan Girl was out of respect for the original Titan Girl. She'd idolised her when she was a little girl, surely she would know her hero was a member of a group that predated the group we became?"

"And what about Marla?" Ultra Boy added. "You haven't met him, but he was vital to the Legion in our early days. I've known him since I tried out for the team! Why would he have never once brought this up? Why would Zendak have never told us?"

"I don't know," Elastic Lad admitted. "No records exist of the Intergalactic Law Patrol's only mission. We only have oral records from the eyewitnesses who survived, and even they're unreliable. Gee whiz, until today I didn't even know who comprised the group outside of Red Devil and Leeta-87."

"Then how can you be so sure they're doomed?" Night Girl asked.

Elastic Lad sighed glumly and rocked back and forth on his feet. In this moment he looked more childlike than ever. "Gosh. This is difficult. You know my people don't procreate the same way most sentients do?"

Ultra Boy scratched his head. "Uhh, what's this got to do with--"

Elastic Lad didn't even notice Jo's discomfort, and kept talking right on. "We back up our consciousness regularly, and when we suffer catastrophic physical decay our most recent backup is inserted into a cloned body, educated and socialised virtually, and then sent into the real world. Leeta-87 is the 87th incarnation of the original Leeta. She has the memories and experience of 87 separate women, that's why she's such a swell hero. I'm Neocaste and we're a little different from even other Cadmians." Now that he'd warmed to his subject, he began to recover some of the normal exuberance the others generally associated with him. "Neocaste are created by merging two separate genelines and then activating a synthetic metagene. We have the same memories carried down through each incarnation but we're more diverse genetically, and gosh, nobody ever really knows what power we're going to have until we've gestated--"

"Elastic Lad," Duplicate Damsel reminded him firmly but gently, "The point?"

"Oh! Darn, sorry!" His freckled face blushed crimson with embarrassment. "Anyway, you all know that Elastic Lad is just my superhero name and that my real name is Jams-Ols 5. This means that I'm the 5th result of the blending of the Jams and Ols gene lines. Ladyjams was the 4th result, zhe had the ability to change gender at will, which when you think about it I guess is not really that super as far as powers go, but it sure was useful for social conditioning experiments and--"

"Elastic Lad!" Luornu almost shouted at him.

"--and Red Devil…" Elastic Lad paused and caught his breath before continuing.

"…Red Devil is Jams-Ols 3."

TO BE CONTINUED..!

Leeta 87! Fabbo! Super Marla? Whoah, great twist that.

Love Titan Girl too, great power set that. Batman and Hawk Boy I'll wait before judging - sorry but I'd happily kill off Batman if I could so am predisposed to wanting to see him take a club off the head oh well.

This is such fun Raz, the team being bounced through time has given you a great excuse to fill in some of the details in the thousand years between them and 'us' though I never expected you to put a group so close to their own time and find something interesting there. Well done! Another great selection to have on your team btw, every one so far I've thought were an interesting mix from a personality and power perspective.

It's great to see multiple Lu's too, you really have her down pat - the tough and pragmatic girl whose personality is a match for any of the flashier members.

I love how enthusiastic Elastic Lad is and despite his comedic use he continues to show he's smart as well. A great sci-fi origin too, that's always appreciated.

Do I need to say it? ... yes, can't wait to read more, more, more!

Wow. Loved the JLA portion. Nightwind and Tyroc and Dragonmage all really kicked ass! And Drura and Jacques had good moments too. I've always had a soft spot for Traci 13, good to see her used so well! I love Red Arrow now, much better than I've ever liked Ollie or Roy or Connor Hawke.

More, more, more!

(I'll read the latest portion when all 3 of your chapters are up )

Thanks peeps! Your feedback is very motivational, it makes a big difference knowing people are reading this and it's not just (entirely) self-indulgent!

Sorry to leave y'all hanging but I won't have proper net access for the next 3 weeks or so as I am going on a holiday...I was really hoping to have the next 2 chapters out before I left so I wouldn't leave in the middle of things but alas was not to be!

I guess we'll just leave off with Elastic Lad's big reveal for now!

No need to be sorry raz, just make sure you have a nice relaxing holiday!

En route to the science world Cadmu, the members of the nascent Intergalactic Law Patrol were brimming with excitement at the prospect of their first official mission as a team, some more visibly than others.

"Who do you think we're gonna have to face?" Hawkboy asked his elder brother and mentor Batman. "Do you think it's the Khunds? Some kind of extradimensional incursion? What if it's a full-fledged invasion?!"

"We'll find out soon enough," Batman answered with a good-natured smirk. "Don't use up all your energy before we get there though, something tells me we're going to be in for a real trial today."

"Batman's right," Leeta-87 answered, looking up from screens of news broadcasts feeding through to the ILP's shuttle. "All Commander Zendak could tell us was that some unidentified technological relic from the 27th century was set off and now it's wreaking havoc across my homeworld. Satellites have picked up an apocalyptic trail of destruction and whatever this thing is, its core temperature is like the surface of the sun but smoke cover has stopped anyone from getting a visual."

"What about footage from the surface?" Titan Girl asked.

"Nobody and no equipment in its wake has been left in any condition to record footage," Leeta answered darkly. "Whatever this thing is…somebody more prone to hyperbole than myself might say it's a force of nature."

In the pilot's seat, the hero named Minuteman turned to his co-pilot, the final member of their team. "Cadmu is your world too, Red Devil. How are you feeling about this?"

Red Devil replied without taking his attention from the ship's navigation panel. "Among this group, I think we have a variety of skills and powers that can deal with almost any threat. I'm more concerned about those Legionnaires from the future, to tell the truth. You don't think it's awfully coincidental that they appeared in our base just before we get sent to another star system on our first mission?"

"You're too paranoid," Minuteman chuckled. "Titan Girl would have known if they meant us any harm."

"It doesn't bother you that one of them knew your real name? I couldn't help but overhear him call you Marla."

"Like I said, my cowled friend…you're too paranoid." Minuteman adjusted their course to steer them past the enormous pale brown gas giant which welcomed them to Cadmu's system and towards their target world millions of miles closer to the system's centre. "I don't wear a mask and my identity is a matter of public record on Rimbor at least. Judging by that boy's outfit, I'm guessing he's somehow related to me in the future. I must admit, I'm extremely curious about that strange group but it's also a little flattering to know I'll leave a legacy."

You're not the only one who leaves a legacy, Red Devil brooded silently. I'll eat my own horns if their Elastic Lad is not a future descendant of the Jams-Ols gene line…but why did he look like he'd seen ghosts when he realised who we all were?

"Finally!" Leeta announced. "We've got a satellite image people, we…oh." Words failed her for a fleeting instant before she cleared her throat and continued, only the slightest tremble in her voice betraying her anxiety. "…Feeding it through to your pod screens now."

"Excellent!" Hawkboy clapped his hands together. "Let's see what we're up…against…" He laid eyes upon the screen and his own words failed him completely. His heart pounding, Hawkboy looked at Batman for reassurance and saw the same fear reflected in his brother's eyes.

The rest of their trip continued in grim silence.

**********
"I've got a lock on the Intergalactic Law Patrol's vessel," Elastic Lad announced, his fingers flying across the console of a ship they'd stolen from Weber's World. "Technology definitely has come a long way in a short space of time, it's lucky I retain memories from my predecessors! I'm a little bit rusty, but it's like flying a gravsled. You never really forget once you know how! Not that I'm saying the Mark IV Starbird's like a gravsled of course! Gee whiz, that'd just be silly!"

"You're certainly resilient, Elastic Lad!" Night Girl remarked, her hand idly touching Cosmic Boy's knee in the seat next to her. "Doesn't it faze you at all that we're going to be fighting to avert your younger self's death?"

"Oh shucks no, Night Girl!" With the rest of his body still seated at the helm, Elastic Lad's neck twisted around until he was facing Lydda sitting behind him. "Sure, it was a shock at first but we Cadmians consider our predecessors different entities to ourselves. We may share the same genes, but our gestation develops us psychologically as independent beings. I guess the closest equivalent would be you going back in time to save your grandmother when she was your age. It might be more difficult for me if I actually had memories leading up to Red Devil's death, but his last backup was just before he and Leeta-87 left for Weber's World so it's not like I'll be reliving painful memories or anything ilke that!" He twisted his neck back into its normal position and Lydda flinched slightly at the sight. Night Girl pondered that she'd probably be much more emotionally involved if it were her grandmother they were fighting for, but she didn't say anything. She supposed she'd never understand Jams-Ols 5's relationship with his geneline.

"Cosmic Boy, are you sure we're doing the right thing?" Duplicate Damsel asked. "Shouldn't we be concerned that we're changing history?"

"I'm not sure that we're changing anything," Cosmic Boy replied thoughtfully. "We know Marla Latham survives into our time, and we all know Leeta-87 isn't destined to die for another year or so yet. It could be our presence that ensures their survival today!"

"But the others," Luornu continued. "Elastic Lad said they're all supposed to die today. I know it's a horrible thought, but do we really have the right to interfere with that?"

"How is that even a question?" Ultra Boy spoke up. "Grife, Luornu!"

"It all comes down to interpretation," Cosmic Boy added, his tone much less confrontational. "We only assume the Intergalactic Law Patrol die today because history has no record of their existence. Elastic Lad told us that there are only eyewitness records left from their battle today, and that those eyewitness records are unreliable. We also can't allow anyone from this time period to know that the Legion of Superheroes have been here. If I use my magnetic powers to scramble any recording equipment and Tellus clouds the minds of anyone we come across like we did when we took this ship, that plays perfectly into Elastic Lad's recollection of events as he knows them to have happened today. I think we can save the ILP without altering anything that's supposed to happen, we just need to make sure nobody knows we did it."

Ultra Boy snapped his fingers. "And that's why Marla never mentioned any of this to us! Cos, that's brilliant! If Tellus can wipe their memories after all of this goes down, we can go home and it'll be like we were never here!"

Tellus remained dutifully silent. He wasn't at all comfortable with using his powers in this way, no matter how necessary it might be. He didn't like the idea now any more than he had when Cosmic Boy and Duplicate Damsel had asked him to wipe the memories of the sentients they'd encountered when they'd decided to leave the ILP's base on Weber's World. Suddenly, an epiphany dawned on the great Hykraian which filled him with such alarm that he lost his balance and fell to one side.

"You okay there, big guy?" Ultra Boy got out of his seat to help his teammate but Tellus had already steadied himself.

"Thank you for your concern, Ultra Boy. I am fine physically." Between the near monotone of his voice modulator and his utterly alien body language, the Legionnaires always found Tellus' moods hard to read. There was no mistaking his anxiety now however, the air was thick with tension.

"What is it, Tellus?" Duplicate Damsel joined Ultra Boy at his side.

"I tried to advise you when we were on Weber's World, something gnawed at my mind the entire time we were in the Intergalactic Law Patrol's headquarters. We became distracted with Elastic Lad's tale and the moment passed, but I realise now the source of that persistent nagging!"

With the exception of Elastic Lad piloting their vessel, the rest of the team gave their full attention to Tellus. "And what is it?" Duplicate Damsel repeated. "What have you realised?"

"I have been to that base on Weber's World once before," Tellus explained. "In our own time that base is used by a group called the Oversight Watch!"

"I don't understand," Luornu frowned. "I've never heard of them but why would that upset you? If the facilities remain intact into our time, it's no surprise that the United Planets would put them to use again."

"Power Boy and Mandalla are both members of the Oversight Watch," Tellus replied, his pods changing to a deep dark red. "I encountered them along with Bouncing Boy and some other Legionnaires. Mandalla suppressed those memories in our minds, concocted an artificial story to hide their activities from us! It was only being there once more that forced my memories to come to the surface!"

"Mandalla did what?!" Luornu's voice rose in outrage.

Elastic Lad cut in before anyone could continue. "Excuse me? I'm really sorry to interrupt whatever's happening back there, but we have a visual and…well gosh, you'd better see this for yourselves!"

"We'll continue this later, Tellus." Duplicate Damsel stalked through the small vessel until she was standing behind Elastic Lad.

"Wow, remember before everything had to have a holographic interface?" Ultra Boy remarked as everyone crowded around a large flat screen. "This takes me back." Tellus alone stayed where he was, having long since discovered that 2-D screens were only a frustrating hodgepodge of colours for Hykraian eyes.

Elastic Lad flipped a switch and what he'd found was displayed on the screen for everyone to view. They saw a colossal juggernaut the size of a small skyscraper rampaging through Cadmu's artificial canyons. His skin was bright red and he wore a simple black one-piece outfit which covered only his massive torso. In place of a face, the monster bore a stylised black skull. He was so hot that the air itself ignited in patches around him as he walked, and his every footfall left a flaming crater in its wake. Night Girl gasped. "Rokk, isn't that..?"

"Brimstone," Cosmic Boy affirmed, his steely blue gaze unwavering from the giant harbinger of destruction before them.

"You two have faced this guy?" Ultra Boy sounded disbelieving.

"I have," Cosmic Boy answered. "In Superman's time, on my own. The details are sketchy, you know what time travel is like. But I could never forget that thing."

"You fought him alone?" Jo was visibly impressed. "No offence Cos, but how did you beat him? He looks like he'd give Mon a run for his creds!"

For the first time, Rokk turned away from the screen to meet Ultra Boy's stunned expression. "I didn't. As I recall, some metahumans local to that time defeated Brimstone after I was taken down. I didn't stand a chance on my own."

The others were a little rattled, none of them had ever heard Cosmic Boy sound so dire. "Then it's a good thing you're not on your own," Duplicate Damsel broke the silence, taking control of the group. "Elastic Lad, where are the ILP now?"

"Bringing their ship in for landing at a spaceport nearby," he answered. "That Brimstone baddie is 3 kliks from the spaceport and bearing closer. At his current rate of speed, he should be there in ten minutes. The ILP should engage him before he gets there, but gee whiz Legionnaires! That's not a lot of time for anybody else to get to safety!"

"Let's buy them some more time then," Duplicate Damsel commanded. "We'll go in first. Cosmic Boy, what can you tell us about him?"

"Brimstone thinks he's a fallen angel," Rokk answered. "He's incalculably strong and faster than he looks, and you can see how hot he is. When I fought him, he melted anything I threw as soon as it came anywhere near him. I don't think he's actually biological, which would explain why he's alive and well a thousand years after I met him. He has an exceptionally strong magnetic field, I can feel it even now. He generates too much heat for me to be able to affect him directly though…and I don't know if Tellus' telepathy will work against him either. In fact our only saving grace is that I'm fairly sure he has no ranged attacks. As long as we can stay out of arm's reach of someone who's well over a hundred feet tall we should be fine."

The Legionnaires looked from one to the other. Though none of them spoke the words, they all had come to the same conclusion; they were vastly overpowered here. Luornu was struck with how much she missed Chuck, but at the same time she was glad he wasn't here. If she was going to fall in battle with this towering avatar of death, at least her husband would be spared that fate.

"Okay," Luornu exhaled and stood up straight. "Here's what we're going to do. Cosmic Boy, Ultra Boy and Tellus can serve as a distraction. Night Girl, make contact with the ILP and coordinate. Maybe working together with them we can find some way to survive this. I'm going to send an army of me out on search and rescue, this monster must have left scores of casualties in his wake. Elastic Lad, this is your world. Something else else or someone here has awakened Brimstone and they must have a way of putting him back to sleep. Your job is to find out what that is."

"It's a good plan, Luornu." Cosmic Boy smiled. Having a direction had buoyed the team's spirits, though he honestly had no idea yet how he was going to follow that direction. He was just glad that Lydda was being sent out of the path of danger.

"Thanks, Rokk. I appreciate it." Duplicate Damsel leaned on the back of the pilot's seat and continued. "Elastic Lad, take us close enough to that beast that we'll get his attention but not so close that he can reach us. I want to try and lead him back the way he came to try and spare any more damage than he's already done. Once we can get him to turn, we'll leave the ship and the other boys can play with him for a while."

"Sure thing, Duplicate Damsel!" Elastic Lad cheerily flew straight for the behemoth, veering away just as Brimstone reached out to crush them. They could hear his bellowing from inside the craft, but couldn't make out his words. Elastic Lad came around twice more, zipping in and out like an angry wasp. On the third pass, Brimstone finally turned on his heel and marched after them. "He's following us!" Elastic Lad provided running commentary. "It's working, Duplicate Damsel! It's really…oh my gosh, what is he--" A calamitous roar drowned him out as Brimstone drew a blazing sword of flame from thin air and sliced at the Legion's Starbird. The engines exploded and their world was filled with chaos and pain as they plummeted from the sky like a rock. The ship smashed into the remains of a building Brimstone had already reduced to near rubble, and penetrated eight stories before it finally came to a rest in the husk of the burning ruins. Fire and smoke filled the small ship, leaving the Legionnaires trapped and disoriented.

"Rokk!" Night Girl coughed. "Luornu! Is everybody okay?" She didn't know how she was still alive, but none of them would be for long if they didn't get out of this deathtrap. With all the smoke filling the cabin, visibility was at a minimum which meant she should have access to at least some of her strength. She plunged her hand into the ship's hull and tore it aside, but the instant a beam of daylight entered the ship from outside her power was once more gone. "Damn it!" she cursed. At least her transuit had begun filtering the toxic smoke fumes so she could breathe once more, but that wouldn't help anyone once the flames spread.

"Need a hand?" Ultra Boy appeared next to her and using his ultra-strength, he finished the job Lydda had started.

"Thanks," Lydda smiled wearily as she and Jo helped the others out of the surprisingly still mostly intact vessel. "Ultra Boy!" she fretted. "You're bleeding!"

Ultra Boy looked down at his injured fingers. "That's the problem with ultra-energy," he brushed off her concern. "I can be as strong as Mon-El and still cut myself on a jagged piece of metal. I'll be fine though, I've had worse."

"Not to tempt fate," Luornu groaned once she was clear of the ship, "But how are we so relatively unharmed? I'm a little banged up, but I feel like we got out of that extremely lightly!"

"I protected us as well as I could using a telekinetic field," Tellus answered.

"And I used magnetism to try and hold the ship together," Rokk added. "Not perfectly, but any crash you walk away from is a good one, they say…I'm just sorry I didn't anticipate that sword. I'm sure I don't remember Brimstone having a sword."

"Thou hast survived?" The voice was booming and came from above, though it seemed to be a wall of sound which resonated through the Legion's very bones. "No matter, sinners! Brimstone will yet dispatch thee to the reward thou hast earned!" With two hands he raised his flaming sword high above him, and a grim thought dawned on Cosmic Boy. Maybe the reason there was no record of the Legion's presence here today was because none of them were going to survive.

…and then Brimstone's sword came crashing down.

More fab storytelling Raz - I wish I could mix action and character development as smoothly as you!

Hawk Boy's enthusiasm is sweet, and Marla as Minuteman is great. The dialogue you write always reads 'true' - you capture people's voices well.

So, Tellus has his memory coming back about his misadventure on Webers World - good oh! A rerun with the Oversight Watch is coming - yippee! And nice that you mentioned he was uncomfortable wiping minds - great bit of character writing that.

Cos's knowledge of Brimstone and subsequent worry about what they are away to face was well played too. Lu - perhaps my fave of your team - taking charge was good too, you really have her personality nailed.

Elastic Lad is always a joy! Oh there's too many good things in this story Raz, you spoil us

.... and then Brimstone's sword came crashing down!

ULP!!

I'm on the edge of my seat away to fall so please don't keep us waiting too long for more, more, more!

Six Legionnaires watched in horror as the villainous powerhouse Brimstone towered over them, bringing his flaming sword down upon them all. Though they knew they were too weak to mount an effective defence, both Tellus and Cosmic Boy brought their powers to bear. The blazing weapon sliced straight through the half-ton of metal Cosmic Boy erected as a shield as though it were a hot knife through butter. Tellus braced himself for the awful psychic feedback he knew would result when his own telekinesis was shattered, but that agony never came. The Legionnaires saw Hawkboy fly in overhead and throw two grenades at the giant's eyes. The dual explosions did no real damage, but they served as the distraction they were intended to be. Momentarily blinded, Brimstone stopped in mid-strike and the Legionnaires scattered.

"Good luck, everybody!" Luornu shouted as she ran off in seven different directions. The Legionnaires followed suit, splitting up to complete their assigned tasks.

"Thanks for the save," Night Girl said to Hawkboy, joining him above Brimstone's head. "Where are the rest of your team? We're going to need to work together to defeat this monstrosity."

"You should have stayed back on Weber's World," Hawkboy replied as Brimstone scoured the skies for him. "This guy might be bigger and tougher than the usual criminals me and Batman fight, but we're pros. We can handle him!"

Night Girl was taken aback. "Are you out of your mind? Look at the damage Brimstone's wrought already, Hawkboy! You need our help!"

"We need your help? You Legionnaires let him take you out of the fight before the fight even began!" From out of nowhere, a red and green blur tackled both of them and rocketed away at breathtaking speed. They came to rest six blocks away and Hawkboy saw that Ultra Boy had carried them away from the battle. "Hey!" Hawkboy complained. "What's the big idea?"

"You were about to get my friend killed along with your own idiotic self!" Ultra Boy snapped. "You were too busy arguing to see Brimstone was about to cook the two of you. I used my ultra-speed to get you out of danger but I shouldn't have had to, kid."

"I'm sorry, Jo." Night Girl blushed. "It's as much my fault as his. Go back to Rokk and Tellus, I'll take it from here."

"Tell us what?" Hawkboy demanded as Ultra Boy zipped off.

Night Girl mentally chastised herself for having forgotten that Rokk had introduced them by their real names rather than their codenames. "I meant to say Rokk and Ganglios. This isn't a game, Hawkboy. There's no room for pride here, look at how many people have already died. We're not going anywhere, so we can either work together and win this or we can watch more innocent people be slaughtered because you can't play well with others. Which one's it going to be? I need to know because if you're going to continue behaving like a petulant child then I need to stop wasting my time with you and go help my fiancé and my friends."

Hawkboy looked back at Brimstone fighting Ultra Boy, Tellus and Cosmic Boy then turned his attention to the giant's trail of destruction. "Fine," he scowled. "Come on then if you're coming." Giant gleaming wings flapped, and he flew off with Night Girl close behind.

**********
With ultra-speed, Jo made it back to the fight in no time. Not that it was a much of a fight; Tellus and Cosmic Boy were using telekinesis and magnetism to throw half of the decimated landscape at the giant but most of it melted the instant it touched Brimstone's blistering surface. We need something we can actually hit him with, Jo thought. Something else else invulnerable. Balling his hands into fists, he zoomed straight past the bellowing Brimstone's eye level and kept flying as fast as he safely could within the confines of Cadmu's atmosphere. Jo was soon on the opposite side of the continent, where he abruptly turned and flew straight back the way he'd come. Closing on Brimstone, he switched his ultra-energy into invulnerability at the last possible instant and slammed into the villain's face with thunderous impact.

"What new annoyance be this?" Brimstone cried out, staggering back from the force of the impact. "Art thou so eager to meet thy maker, little creature?" He picked up Ultra Boy between an enormous thumb and forefinger and regarded him closely. "Thou dost not burn at Brimstone's touch? What devilry?!"

"That's right, nass-head. You can't hurt me, but we're gonna hurt you a lot." Ultra Boy knew his bluster was without substance. He'd hit Brimstone with enough force to demolish half a city block and the behemoth seemed more surprised than anything else. He couldn't afford to switch his ultra-energy to strength, he'd be fried before he could ever free himself from Brimstone's grip.

"The Lord hast sent me to cleanse this place," Brimstone replied. "Such gnats as thyself are no obstacle to Brimstone's holy mission!" He flicked Ultra Boy away dismissively, sending him crashing through the ruins of yet another building.

Not for the first time today, Ultra Boy was grateful for his invulnerability. That collision would have reduced him to a bloody smear otherwise. Now though he was trapped beneath three floors worth of rubble. If Tinya were here she could simply walk right through the remains of the building, but that wasn't an option for him. He hoped that wherever she was, she was okay. Jo frowned. He'd have to worry about his lover later. First he needed to take care of this monster, but he couldn't do that trapped in here. He considered his options. With ultra-strength he could easily heft the tons of rubble, but he had no leverage. He wondered if he'd have time to incinerate it with his flash vision before it crushed the life from him. The decision was rendered moot as he watched omnisteel cables thread through the debris, forming a net of sorts. They lifted the wreckage away and Ultra Boy saw Cosmic Boy floating overhead. "Thanks Cos," Jo stood and brushed himself down, his costume in scorched tatters. He used his flight ring to join Cosmic Boy above. "I was hoping travelling at that speed I'd hit him like a bullet, but he's every bit as tough as he looks."

"It was the only tactic that's worked so far," Rokk replied. As soon as Ultra Boy was free, he let the wreckage collapse once more with a tremendous crash. "And it gave me an idea. Can you do the same thing again? I want you to hit him in a specific spot though, I'll get Tellus to fill you in telepathically."

"Sure thing, pal!" Switching once more to ultra-speed, Jo was out of sight in an instant.

Cosmic Boy returned to Tellus, and the two Legionnaires continued their assault. "Tellus, have you had any luck reaching that thing's mind?"

"I am afraid not, Cosmic Boy. Your earlier statement was correct, this Brimstone is not alive in the sense that we are. He is incredibly powerful however. We are fortunate that our size has kept us hidden from his attention, I do not believe he realises that we have been behind the recent assaults upon his person." Even as he spoke, Tellus hurled more wreckage at the villain which was reduced to molten slag at the point of contact.

"He thinks we're insects," Cosmic Boy scowled. "Well, we'll show him that even insects have a bite. Let's get ready for Ultra Boy's return."

Brimstone looked around himself curiously as the constant nagging attacks suddenly ceased. "Where art thine fangs now, damned souls? Hast thou accepted thy fate finally?" Movement below him demanded his attention, and Brimstone saw that a pile of molten metal was gathering underfoot seemingly of its own volition. "What is this?" he began, never noticing the human-sized missile that rocketed in from across the horizon until it was upon him. Ultra Boy charged straight into the back of Brimstone's knee as he had done to Titan Girl earlier that day. The giant's knee buckled, he lost his footing in the superheated molten mess beneath him, and Brimstone collapsed with a roar of outrage. He brought down two more buildings upon himself and for a moment laid still.

"You don't think that did it, do you?" Ultra Boy asked as he rejoined Cosmic Boy and Tellus.

"We couldn't be that lucky," Cosmic Boy replied. "But at least we've hurt him."

"And we can help finish the job." The Legionnaires looked behind them to see Titan Girl, Batman, Hawkboy and Red Devil.

"Where's Lydda?" Rokk asked instantly.

"She's helping your other friend with search and rescue," Titan Girl answered him. "Leeta-87 and Minuteman have gone to help Elastic Lad find some way to shut this creature down."

"Hawkboy, are you ready?" Batman threw his sidekick a small ceramic canister.

"Ready for what?" Cosmic Boy demanded as Batman and Hawkboy raced off toward the fallen Brimstone. "Hey, you two shouldn't get too close to him!"

"Aw, quit your worrying!" Hawkboy called back over his shoulder as his wings propelled him forward. "He's already down, we're just gonna make sure he's out!" He flew to Brimstone's left and landed by his side. As the giant began to stir, Hawkboy activated the canister Batman had given him and took to the sky once more.

Using an anti-gravity device hidden beneath his scalloped cape, Batman deposited his own canister on Brimstone's right and ascended. A second later, a photonic net flashed to life over the prone behemoth.

"You've got to get them out of there!" Cosmic Boy almost shouted at Titan Girl and Red Devil. "There's no way that thing's going to hold him!"

Titan Girl looked across uncertainly. "…I think you're right." She called them on a wrist-mounted communicator. "Batman, Hawkboy, we'd all feel a lot safer if you'd come back over here to us."

"Why's everyone so freaked out?" Hawkboy responded. "It's already done, it's over! Time for pics and autographs!"

The air was suddenly filled with a defiant bellow so loud it penetrated their bones. Brimstone sat up, shucking away countless tons of wreckage as though it were tissue paper. He slashed with his sword and tore straight through the photonic net effortlessly. Ultra Boy switched his ultra-energy to speed once more and rocketed towards the airborne heroes, but he was already too late. Brimstone's giant knuckles slammed into Batman and his anti-gravity harness exploded. His cape was nothing more than a flaming shred of fabric as he plummeted. Brimstone's sword completed its mighty arc, and the heroes watched in utter horror as it passed straight through Hawkboy. The young teen screamed in agony for only the briefest instant before he died, burned alive in his own armour. Ultra Boy collected the still living Batman and discarded his cape then returned to the others, all of them in shock.

"Please…" Batman groaned. "I've got…a wife…son…"

"I am suppressing your pain centres," Tellus explained, "We will find help for you."

"No…too late, too much…..damage. Find them…tell Irie…Brane…tell them…" He released one final long breath and then breathed no more.

"He is gone," Tellus continued, crestfallen. "His love for his family was the last thought in his mind."

"No," Titan Girl shook, her eyes welling with tears. "No!" She stole psionic energy from everyone present, more than she ever had before. The other heroes dropped to their knees with head-splitting pain as Titan Girl rushed forward. Almost fifty feet tall, she charged the much larger Brimstone and brought both fists against the same knee Ultra Boy had earlier targeted. "Damn you, monster! He was just a little boy!" Brimstone cried out and Titan Girl continued her assault, ignoring the pain as her knuckles blistered and began to broil. The others wanted to stop her, but couldn't overcome the crippling hurt she'd inadvertently inflicted upon them all to move even a step.

"Thou art larger than thine comrades, but all are inconsequential before the divine might of Brimstone!" With the merest effort, the giant villain kicked out and sent Titan Girl flying through a wall. Brimstone began to advance on the other heroes, all of them desperately trying to focus through walls of pain to defend themselves.

"Hey!" Titan Girl cried, drawing Brimstone's attention from them. "You want consequential? How's this for consequence?" She'd landed inside what was left of an energy research facility, and she now held a crackling golden globe above her head, deadly radiation snaking out of the sphere's cracked casing and burning her arms. With all her strength she hurled the eight foot tall sphere as high as she could towards Brimstone. It hit his lower torso and exploded instantly, the light flare blazing bright enough to fill Cadmu's skies. The shockwave from the explosion knocked all of them over. Dazed, Titan Girl returned to her normal size as she lay in the wreckage of the research facility. With her power no longer draining their psyches, the three Legionnaires and Red Devil felt the mental pain cease even as they were sent flying back dozens of feet from the explosion.

"Was that..?" Ultra Boy began.

"A portable power sphere prototype," Red Devil groaned as he got to his feet. "We're all going to need decontamination when this is over, we've just been hit with toxic levels of radiation…she's hurt him more than any of the rest of us have managed though…"

"Then let's not waste the opportunity," Cosmic Boy grimaced. "Jo, Ganglios..?"

As Brimstone climbed to his feet, it became apparent that Red Devil was right. They could see that the area hit by the powersphere was deformed, seemed to be almost wavering before their eyes as though he were having difficulty maintaining his corporeal form. Brimstone's sword was gone as well, they supposed he could no longer devote the concentration necessary to maintain his weapon. "Well done, thou hast hurt Brimstone!" the behemoth bellowed. "Thy fate is still sealed though, girl!" He reached down towards Titan Girl's stirring form, but before he could grab her he was pummelled by a combination of debris directed by Tellus and Cosmic Boy. Ultra Boy followed up less than a second later, all three heroes having aimed for his powersphere-inflicted wound. Brimstone bellowed once more and clutched at the site of his pain.

"We're doing it!" Ultra Boy cheered, optimistic for the first time today that they might actually defeat this monstrosity. He only turned away from Brimstone for a moment, but it was all the time the villain needed to strike him with an angry back-handed swipe.

"Jo!" Cosmic Boy cried out hoarsely as his long-time teammate hurtled out of sight. "Damn it! Damn it!" He turned on Red Devil. "You! You haven't done a thing to help since you got here, what's your power anyway?"

"I breathe flame," Red Devil answered calmly. He looked Cosmic Boy in the eye with a piercing gaze. "We're all meant to die here, aren't we?"

Rokk stumbled on his reply. "That..this isn't the time to discuss that."

"But it's true, isn't it? That's why your Elastic Lad was so shocked to see us." Red Devil watched as Brimstone moved once more towards Titan Girl. "At first I thought you had sinister motives for being here, you know. But having watched the way you fight, the way you put yourselves in danger to stop a threat that has nothing to do with you…I'd be proud for my geneline to serve amongst your ranks, Legionnaires."

Cosmic Boy was disoriented by the somber tone of his voice. He couldn't be more different from Elastic Lad if he tried. Suddenly Red Devil broke out into a run.

"What are you doing?" Rokk shouted. "Come back! Tellus, stop him!" He turned to face his Hykraian comrade, only to find Tellus lying insensate behind him. The casing of his life support helmet was cracked, and a low hiss told Rokk that the methane which kept Tellus alive was leaking out. "Tellus!" He ran over to him, using his magnetism to patch up the helmet even as he cursed himself for not ever noticing that Tellus had collapsed in the first place.

When Tellus came to, Rokk felt the Hykraian's presence in his mind. Too weak to use….translator…never noticed damage to life support system until…too late…I owe you my life, Cosmic Boy….where..?

"There." Cosmic Boy pointed heart-broken as Red Devil and Titan Girl mounted their last futile assault against Brimstone. Tellus was still too weak to use his telekinesis, and Cosmic Boy didn't trust that he could leave him unattended with such ad hoc repairs. All they could do was watch as Brimstone reached down and closed giant fingers around Red Devil and Titan Girl, ending their lives instantly. Their killer forgot about them just as swiftly, and turned to continue on his path of destruction.

Cosmic Boy…what do we do now? Tellus asked weakly.

Rokk Krinn stood up, a lump in his throat. He wished there was time to say goodbye to Lydda. "Now, Tellus? Now we fight to the end. Long live the Legion!" The two remaining heroes flew out after Brimstone, their presence completely beneath his recognition.

**********
Jo Nah extricated himself from his latest crash site with a frustrated grunt, hurling aside the layer of plastisteel he'd been buried under.

He was surprised to find Elastic Lad, Leeta-87 and Minuteman waiting for him. Marla.

"Leeta-87 realised we were working toward the same goal so she suggested we join forces," Elastic Lad babbled. "It's a team-up! Gosh Ultra Boy, you look terrible! How's the fight going? I hope everybody else is--"

"They're dead!" Jo snapped. "Hawkboy, Batman, and by now probably the rest of them too! We've failed, Elastic Lad. We've failed." He bowed his head, shaking with emotion. "The Infinite Man sent us here to die."

"We can mourn later and we can feel sorry for ourselves later," Leeta said with cold efficiency. "We've found something that should shut Brimstone down, but we're going to need a delivery system." She held up a ceramic device with both hands. It was covered in all sorts of strange designs and protrusions.

"What is that thing?" Jo asked.

"It's a magnetic field stabiliser!" Elastic Lad replied with his usual enthusiasm. "It's normally used as part of our weather-control systems but Leeta and I have managed to fiddle around with it some so that it will suppress a magnetic field instead of just regulating it. See, Brimstone's really just a whole big bunch of plasma held together by a magnetic field and so--"

"I don't care how it works," Ultra Boy cut in impatiently, "Just that it works. Is it going to work?"

"It'll collapse the field holding Brimstone together," Leeta answered coolly. "But only if we can place it on the techno-seed that's generating that field. Which means we need some way to get inside Brimstone and find the techno-seed that grants him a semblance of life."

Marla Latham held out a handful of different-colored pills in his palm. "I can enhance any one of my physical characteristics for 60 seconds with these pills," he explained. "But I can only take one enhancement at a time. I can make myself physically invulnerable so that his plasma doesn't burn me alive, but I've got no way of actually breaching the field to begin with. And we still need to find the techno-seed. I'm not going to be able to see anything inside of Brimstone's field."

"Marla…I've got so many questions," Jo looked at his future mentor with an almost pleading expression. "But I think the only way I'm going to get any answers is if we survive today." He fell silent for a moment and then looked at the three with renewed purpose. "I've got an idea."

Seven minutes later, Ultra Boy, Elastic Lad, Minuteman and Leeta-87 had rejoined Cosmic Boy and Tellus and explained Jo's plan as Brimstone's rampage continued unabated.

"What if this doesn't work?" Minuteman asked, a note of fear in his voice. "This thing's already decimated the rest of our team."

"It has to work," Ultra Boy answered him. "Marla, one day you're gonna make a huge difference in my life. There's no way I'm going to let you die today, I'd sooner die myself."

Cosmic Boy supposed he should warn Ultra Boy against imparting future knowledge to these people but he was too weary to care. He and Tellus were both ready to drop from sheer exhaustion. "Let's do this while we still can," he said.

"Agreed," Leeta-87 nodded. "The field stabiliser is ready to go, Minuteman. You just need to place it on the techno-seed and push this button."

"Understood." Marla popped a grey capsule into his mouth and shuddered as it took effect upon his physiology, rendering him completely invulnerable for a full minute. He took the ornate white device from Leeta's outstretched hands. "Let's go, Legion!"

Despite the situation, Jo and Rokk shared a quick hopeful smile. "Good luck," Ultra Boy cautioned his teammates. "Be careful!"

Tellus and Cosmic Boy flew ahead of Brimstone, using their last vestige of energy for one final attack upon his person. They both knew they had no chance of hurting him, but they accomplished their goal of causing him to stand still as he fought them both off. Ultra Boy, Minuteman and Elastic Lad got into position beneath Brimstone.

"Gosh, this is a little too close for comfort!" Elastic Lad noted as Brimstone towered over them. The instant he noticed their presence, they'd be done for.

"Let's get this done and get out of here then," Ultra Boy retorted. Even as Jo spoke, Elastic Lad elongated his body around two buildings on either side of the street. He wrapped himself several times around the base of both buildings, making sure he was well braced. Marla stood against Elastic Lad's taut form and backed as far down the street as he could.

"How are you doing there, Elastic Lad?" Minuteman asked.

"Good!" came his high-pitched reply, not at all convincing. He was stretched out to his limits like a human slingshot and the strain was terrific.

Jo scanned Brimstone with penetra-vision, his eyes flashing a bright blue. "Come on," he muttered to himself, "Come on you son of a -- there!" He switched on the laser pointer Leeta had given him and marked a tiny green dot against the place Brimstone's ribs would be if he had ribs. "Guys, that's where the techno-seed is!"

"And away we go!" Elastic Lad shouted exuberantly. He snapped forward and hurled Marla at the position Ultra Boy had indicated with perfect aim. With the damage Brimstone had sustained already, his field was weakened enough that Minuteman pierced his hide. Jo watched too frightened to draw breath as Marla's costume burned away almost instantly. He collided with the techno-seed and a second later, activated the device Leeta had given him. Brimstone barely had time to even register that anything had happened before he anti-climactically blinked out of existence. There was a spike in temperature as the plasma dissipated into Cadmu's atmosphere, and Minuteman fell to the surface with the techno-seed.

"Marla, that was excellent!" Jo cheered as he caught the older man in mid-air and safely deposited him on the ground. "You did it!"

"We did it," Marla corrected him. "The Intergalactic Law Patrol fell like dominoes against that thing, but working with your team…you kids are really special, you know that?"

Before Jo could reply, he was enveloped by a rainbow flare of light. Minuteman looked around to see the same effect encompassing Cosmic Boy, Tellus and Elastic Lad. He stood by the inert techno-seed naked and confused, which was how Leeta-87 found him when she made her arrival.

"Here you go, Minuteman." She handed him a lab coat she'd salvaged.

"Thanks," he replied absently as he protected his modesty. "What do you think happened to them?"

"I don't know," Leeta admitted. "But I do know one thing…we've got to start doing things a lot differently. A lot smarter."

She picked up the techno-seed and walked away, leaving Marla Latham alone and wondering if he'd ever have any idea what happened here today or who that strange boy was...

Thanks again for the comments Harbinger! Definitely not done with the Oversight Watch, and I hope the final part of this chapter met your anti-Batman approval

Next up, we've seen the Legion's predecessors so why don't we find out what comes after the Legion? First though, here is an updated scorecard:

BRAINIAC 5: Early 21st century Smallville
COLOSSAL BOY: Trom, doomsday
COSMIC BOY: Weber's World, 2980s
DAWNSTAR: Smallville, 1871
DRAGONMAGE: Central City, 2038
DUPLICATE DAMSEL (deputy leader): Smallville, 1871 / Trom, doomsday / Weber's World, 2980s
ELASTIC LAD: Weber's World, 2980s
ELEMENT LAD: Smallville, 1871
INFECTIOUS LASS: Central City, 2038
INVISIBLE KID II: Central City, 2038
KID COMPUTO: Smallville, 1871
LIGHT LAD: Trom, doomsday
LIGHTNING LASS: Trom, doomsday
MATTER-EATER LAD: Smallville, 1871
MON-EL: Central City, 2038
NIGHT GIRL: Weber's World, 2980s
NIGHTWIND: Central City, 2038
SHADOW LAD: Early 21st century Smallville
SHRINKING VIOLET: Trom, doomsday
SUPERBOY: Early 21st century Smallville, remained behind
SUPERGIRL: Early 21st century Smallville
TELLUS: Weber's World, 2980s
TIMBER WOLF: Trom, doomsday
TYROC: Central City, 2038, remained behind
ULTRA BOY: Weber's World, 2980s
WILDFIRE: Smallville, 1871

BLOK
BOUNCING BOY (leader)
CHAMELEON BOY
CHAMELEON GIRL
COMET QUEEN
DIAMOND DAMSEL
DREAM GIRL
PHANTOM GIRL
POLAR BOY
QUISLET
SUN BOY
GAS GIRL (Legion ally)
THOM KALLOR (Ex-Legionnaire Star Boy)

Two thumbs up for giving Night Girl something to do despite being depowered!

Among the fallen heroes, I will especially miss Titan Girl. I quite liked her. I wonder though, how come records of the team's first mission are sketchy. UP meddling maybe, so as not to give out bad press?

Another great chapter! Cannot wait to see the next one.

Thanks IB! It occurred to me about a third of the way through writing this that I had effectively written Lydda and Lu out of the action and turned it into a bit of a boys' own adventure but I think those two ladies are probably my most used characters and Luornu specifically is in more than half the teams in this story, so I figured it wouldn't kill 'em to be out of the spotlight for a change...

As for your wondering about the records of the ILP's first and only mission....very astute question, and perhaps one that a few characters might be wondering themselves when they get back to their own time....

An action packed finale to that arc - your gang will be exhausted when they return home! Poor Hawk Boy, he may have been an arrogant little snot but being cleaved like that was fairly grotesque. Bat Man on the other hand didn't suffer enough Only joking!

Leeta's pragmatism and Marla's determination were both well written as was Jo's concern for his future mentor.

Nice way to take out Brimstone too, brains and brawns both used effectively.

Can't wait to see where you take us next!

Great stuff Raz, more, more, more!

Quality over quantity raz, although Lu and Lydda didn't have as much screen time they made the most with what little they have

And I smell follow-ups coming! I always wondered why Marla hadn't been more involved with the Legion Preboot, would love to see him more.

Dream Girl collapsed to the floor with a thud. Massaging her aching throat, she climbed to her feet and realised instantly that something drastic had changed.

Less than a second ago she'd been trying to escape a nameless Khund warrior whose iron grip had threatened to strangle her into unconsciousness. That giant yellow-skinned cyborg was no longer here, nor were any of the other foes the Infinite Man had summoned to battle the Legion of Superheroes. Nura was just beginning to realise that it was in fact she who was no longer in Weisinger Plaza. She didn't know where this place was, but with its mosaic walkways and beautifully ornate architecture it reminded her very much of her own homeworld Naltor. Even the bloompowder scent on the breeze was a nostalgic comfort.

"Nura! Thank God you're here!" Startled, Dream Girl turned to face her partner's embrace. Until very recently, Thom Kallor had been the Legionnaire known as Star Boy. He had resigned from the team but he'd been present when the Infinite Man attacked and it seemed he too had been caught up in whatever this was.

"Thom!" Dream Girl gave him a quick kiss then gently extricated herself from his arms. "I think the Infinite Man's sent us somewhere! I don't know where the rest of the Legion are, but this definitely isn't Earth. It reminds me of--"

"Naltor?" a new voice joined the conversation and the lovers looked up to see Sun Boy descending from a cloudless sky. Chameleon Girl, Polar Boy and two Duplicate Damsels followed close behind. "That was my first thought too," Dirk Morgna continued. "As for the rest of it, I'm pretty sure we're the only Legionnaires here."

"When were you on Naltor?" Dream Girl asked, one eyebrow raised.

"I get around," Dirk winked.

"I've tried calling Chuck but all I'm getting is some kind of weird static," one of the Duplicate Damsels announced as the flying Legionnaires landed by Thom and Nura.

"I can't get through to anybody else either," her twin added.

"What do you think happened?" Chameleon Girl asked anxiously. "Do you think Gim's okay?"

A melodic chime sounded and a large doorway opened in mid-air before their eyes. Nine figures began to step through, some familiar and others not at all. There was one whom all of the Legionnaires recognised immediately however, his skin an impossible starscape.

"You!" Chameleon Girl grew three feet taller, her form becoming far bulkier and covered in coarse orange hair. Four extra arms sprouted from her body and by the time she'd flung herself at the figure everyone knew as the Infinite Man, she had taken on the full form of a slith. "Where have you brought us?" she demanded, her own pretty face replaced with the savage gorilla-like visage of the animal she'd mimicked. "What have you done with my husband?!"

Chameleon Girl's target appeared almost shocked by her vehemence. He tried to mount a verbal protest, but Yera had already bowled him over before he could begin. She pounded into him with all six arms, not giving him a chance to catch his bearings.

"Oh no, we really should have anticipated this!" A slight woman with mousy brown hair stepped forward from the group and stretched an arm out towards Yera. The woman was dressed in various shades of red and pink, and a perfect sphere rose from behind her revealing itself as a gigantic crimson eye. Bathed in red light, it flashed to life and sheathed Yera in the same energy. The eye levitated her away from her battered foe, following the silent command of its mistress.

"Who are you meant to be, the Color-blind Empress?" Polar Boy taunted. He surrounded the eye in an opaque coating of ice and Yera dropped free to the ground. She immediately shifted form once more, losing mass, changing color and shape until this time it was a Winathian rose-honey bee that attacked her original foe.

The Legion moved to back up their teammates, but with a simple command from the opposing side they all felt overcome with such extreme sluggishness it was all they could do to stay awake. A dark-haired man with Asiatic features stepped forward from the group of strangers, golden holospecs nestled on the bridge of his nose. One of the Duplicate Damsels eyed him disbelievingly. He was much older than he should be, but she recognised him instantly. "Chemmiicall Kiiid..?" Luornu asked, her voice groggy and slurred.

"Chemical King now," Hadru Jamik nodded. "Sorry to slow down your metabolisms and take the fight out of you all, but we're on your side, Luornu."

Two more now joined Hadru, and all of the Legionnaires were as stunned as Luornu. On the left stood a slightly older Stone Boy. He was in his stone form currently, and though his costume seemed different he still bore the simple icon of a rock across his chest. On the right, a woman with shoulder-length raven black hair. Even if the Legionnaires didn't know the face of Laurel Kent on sight, nobody could mistake her distinctive red and blue costume as belonging to anybody other than a member of the Superman family. "Hi all," Laurel smiled. "Welcome to the year 3035."

"I think we've defused the situation," Stone Boy added. "You can turn off your power now, Chem."

Chemical King nodded, and the Legionnaires felt a slight rush course through their systems as their metabolic rates stabilised. "Stone Boy, this is the Legion of Substitute Heroes in the future?" Polar Boy asked, perplexed. "What happened to Color Kid and the others?"

"Stone Man," Dag Wentim corrected his old friend. "I spend enough time in stone form that I haven't aged physically all that much, but I'm not much of a boy anymore. And I haven't been a Substitute Hero for years, we're all part of the Legion of Superheroes now."

"I don't trust this!" Yera shouted, returning to her normal form. She pointed an accusing finger at the person she'd attacked. "How could the Infinite Man ever be a Legionnaire? We were in battle with him literally seconds ago!"

"You must admit, it doesn't do much for your credibility having an Emerald Empress analog either," Dream Girl added coolly.

The male with the starfield skin scratched his head sheepishly. "Kyla's right, we should have anticipated this. Legionnaires, I understand why you think I'm the Infinite Man but I'm really not. My name's Kando Vyr, I call myself the Infinite Boy. I have the same powers that Jaxon Rugarth did, but that's where our similarities end."

"And I'm Kyla Virgo," the girl in red bowed her head respectfully. "Saturn Empress." The crimson eye hovered eerily over her shoulder, appearing to stare with unknown purpose at the Legionnaires.

"That name sounds familiar," Dream Girl pondered. "Virgo…your family is one of the Royal Houses of Titan, right? How did you come across that eye?"

Saturn Empress gave Dream Girl a conflicted look so Laurel answered on her behalf. "That falls under the topic of stuff you're not supposed to know just yet. Sorry Nura, you know how it is with time travel."

"I suppose congratulations are in order," Duplicate Damsel said as her two bodies became one. "I'm glad you made it to the Legion, Chemical King. Laurel…or judging by your outfit I suppose I should call you what…Super Lass? Super Maiden?"

"Superwoman," Laurel Kent answered helpfully.

"Gotta say it suits you," Sun Boy looked her up and down appreciatively. "Hey, where are the rest of us? I mean the original Legionnaires? Surely we're still part of the team in the future, right?"

"This isn't the full team," Stone Man replied. "Wouldn't be much of a Legion if it were. Infinite Boy's powers tipped us off that you'd be arriving here so I assembled a welcome committee. Let me introduce you to the rest of us." Chemical King, Superwoman, Saturn Empress and the Infinite Boy stepped aside so the rest of their teammates could meet their predecessors. "These two are Live Wire and Spark," Stone Man gestured to a man who looked to be in his 20's and a girl in her late teens. With strawberry blonde hair and similar features they were clearly siblings but that wasn't the only clear thing about them.

"Grife," Sun Boy's eyes popped. "You've gotta be either Garth or Ayla's kids, am I right?"

"Saturn Woman and Lightning Man are our mom and dad," the girl called Spark explained shyly. "So weird seeing you guys our age, Uncle Dirk."

Her brother punched her in the shoulder. "We're not supposed to tell them, you twit!" he hissed. "Time travel rules, remember?"

"Our very own Batman," Stone Man continued, ignoring the bickering Ranzzes. A man in a grey and red suit reminiscent of the 21st century legend removed his pointy-eared cowl to show a head of tight ginger ringlets of hair, though paradoxically his eyebrows were like two thick black caterpillars. His face seemed almost covered in more freckles than skin.

"Bruce Wayne was my ancestor," he beamed with much more exuberance than one might expect from the Dark Knight's descendant. "My dad carried on his legacy, and I'm carrying on after my dad."

"Last but certainly not least…" Stone Man came to a statuesque ebon-skinned woman, her black hair clipped close to her scalp. Golden hoops floated at her earlobes and she wore a costume of deep blue and purple with a golden starburst emblazoned across her breasts. "Jaz Quantum."

Thom's jaw nearly hit the ground. "Jaz…Quantum? Jazmin Cullen? That is you! But…how?"

"Wait a minute," Sun Boy caught on, "You're the same kid who sacrificed herself to save us from that asteroid creature..? You survived that?!"

"How?" Thom repeated.

"You're probably going to hear this a lot today, but I really can't tell you," the attractive young woman sighed apologetically. "I'm so sorry, Star Boy."

"I'm not Star Boy anymore," Thom's shoulders slumped. "Not after what happened to you and your brother. I shouldn't even be here, I'm not a Legionnaire anymore." Dream Girl touched his arm, sadness in her gaze. Thom forced himself to look Jaz Quantum in the eye and continued. "Jazmin…I'm so sorry, I failed you both so badly."

"Failed us..?" She looked genuinely puzzled. "Star Boy, you're my hero! You're Xanthu's greatest hero! I don't know how you think you failed us, but you've never done anything wrong by us! James and I both owe you so much!"

"James and you?" Dream Girl interrupted. "Your brother's alive too?"

"I'm assuming you've come forward in time from not long after your original encounters with us as kids," Jazmin said. "I can't tell you how I survived that creature's destruction because well….there's a very good reason that you'll find out when it's time, but as for James…he told me he spun off orbit when he thought I was dead, he fell in with some bad people and did some stupid things. But you were always there for him, Star Boy. You helped rehabilitate him, just as you helped me when I needed it. Please don't ever think you owe us an apology for anything! You're the reason we're who we are today!"

"This has obviously been a lot for you to take in," Stone Man took charge once more. "And now that I've had some time to think about it, I think I know exactly where in time you've come from too. This is Brainy's fault, right?"

"You do realise," Luornu remarked dryly, "Knowing that something terrible is Brainiac 5's fault doesn't prove to us that you're really Legionnaires. That's just a statistical probability." Spark giggled.

"Come on," Stone Man beckoned for them all to follow him through the doorway which still floated impossibly there. "You all must be exhausted. If we're going to send you back to rejoin your Legion and beat up the Infinite Man, we'd better make sure you're in fighting shape for it."

**********
"So this is…a whole planet?" Polar Boy asked at the end of a brief tour when the two Legions found themselves in a room surrounded by holograms and hardlight devices. A dozen men and women of various races monitored newsfeeds from different UP worlds, all of them wearing identical jumpsuits with the Legion L on their chest and backs.

"It's a satellite," Stone Man answered. "The Legion is going to get a whole lot bigger in your future, Brek. Reep and Jeckie bankrolled Legion World after the second Magic Wars, as a symbol of unity for the United Planets as well a habitat for us, our staff and anyone else who wants to come here. Each UP world is replicated as closely as possible in its own sector of the satellite."

"Chameleon Boy and Projectra paid for the construction of an entire artificial world?" Duplicate Damsel was incredulous.

"Never mind that," Dream Girl interrupted. "What do you mean, after the second Magic Wars?"

"Typical Nura, always living in the future," Stone Man chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll find out. It was a difficult time for all of us, but we came out of it stronger."

"You really do fill out that costume well," Sun Boy complimented Laurel Kent. "So in the future, did you and I ever…"

Laurel gave a hearty laugh. "Rao, no. I grew up, Sun Boy."

"So, where are the rest of the Legion anyway?" Chameleon Girl asked. "You knew we were coming, but not a single one of our old friends was interested in greeting us?"

"Most everyone's busy with Leviathan," Spark blurted. Her brother shot her a vicious glare and she shut her mouth, but not before a palpable awkwardness fell over the future Legionnaires.

"You've not come at the best time," Stone Man tried to explain reluctantly. "We're actually kind of in the middle of something, and unfortunately this is another one of those things where we can't really give you much more detail. We've got some work to do ourselves now, but why don't you relax, take some time to explore Legion World, recover your strength. We'll catch up once we've dealt with this and Infinite Boy can send you all home!"

"Sure," Duplicate Damsel answered for her team. "That sounds great, Stone Boy - Stone Man, sorry."

The future Legionnaires showed their predecessors how to operate the doorway system with telepathic commands so they could navigate Legion World, and left them to their devices. As soon as they were alone, Chameleon Girl almost exploded with emotion. "There's something very curious about all of this," she announced. "Do they seriously expect us to believe that not a single one of the Legionnaires we know and trust could be bothered to meet our arrival? Not even Gim or Bouncing Boy?"

"I don't know," Thom disagreed, "I think you might be looking for suspicious behaviour where there is none, Yera. I don't think it's unreasonable that the rest of the Legion would be on missions. I mean how often do we manage to get the whole team together in one place back home?"

"I agree with Thom," Dream Girl added. It hadn't escaped her notice that for the first time since leaving the team he'd included himself as a Legionnaire by inference. "They've been as open with us as they can be given the circumstances. I know it's difficult seeing that Saturn Empress girl and the Infinite Boy standing alongside Stone Boy and Garth and Imra's kids, but there's nothing sinister here."

"What do you think?" Chameleon Girl turned to Duplicate Damsel.

"I'm not seeing any cause for concern personally," Luornu answered diplomatically. "However, if there's one thing I've learned in my time as a Legionnaire it's that you should listen to your instincts. If you're curious, why don't you go see what they're up to when they don't have to put on a face for us?"

"You're saying we should spy on the future Legion?" Sun Boy frowned. "I don't know about that, Luornu…"

"I'm with Sun Boy," Polar Boy agreed. "Stone Boy has only ever worked in the Legion's best interests. I can't believe you girls would suspect anything otherwise!"

"Was he working in the Legion's best interests when Khor possessed him and nearly enslaved Zwen?" Luornu asked bluntly. "Let's be honest, we're taking a lot at face value here. We don't really know any of these people, Polar Boy. Even the ones we recognise have had decades to change. Do what you need to do, Chameleon Girl. And stay in touch."

"I will," the Durlan woman nodded. "And thanks for the vote of confidence, Duplicate Damsel. I appreciate it." She lost most of her mass and shifted shape until a dragonfly hovered in place of Yera Allon. The insect darted away, leaving the other Legionnaires to continue debating her actions.

It took Yera several minutes of watching the Legion's staff at their monitoring equipment to reveal the location of the future Legionnaires. She found a service corridor and using thought commands as instructed she opened a doorway to their sector. Relieved to find that the door hadn't opened directly in their presence, Yera shifted forms and soon a bloodhound was tracking the team's scent through well-lit corridors that reminded her of her own Legion's headquarters. She had far sharper hearing in this form, and plenty of notice to change forms again and hide whenever someone approached. Yera hoped she was wrong, but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this future Legion than met the eye. Most of the Legionnaires had friendships that went back years, it colored their perceptions of one another and made them too trusting of one another. Aside from Colossal Boy, Yera didn't really have any close friends on the team. She respected her teammates immensely, but she felt that the time she spent impersonating Shrinking Violet would always stand in the way of any relationships she might build with them. Chameleon Boy was their friend but Chameleon Girl would only ever be their teammate.

After almost 40 minutes of searching, she finally heard the future Legion's voices behind a closed door. The door was locked, but that was no barrier to a single-celled amoeba. She couldn't sustain such a small size for long but she didn't need to. Once she'd made her way beneath the doorway she became a larger but still inconspicuous insect and watched silently. The room they were in was rounded, with rows of seats leading down to a central recess where the nine future Legionnaires now gathered around a holographic image of someone who looked almost exactly like their Live Wire.

"How are you holding out, Brainstorm?" Stone Man asked Live Wire's brother.

"Nothing we do seems to make a difference," he responded, obviously weary. "We've been attacking this thing on every possible level. It's got mental defences like nothing I've ever seen and it heals from any physical damage almost as soon as it's inflicted. Star Man and Aunt Ayla are working with the gravity manipulators to limit damage to the solar system, that's really the closest thing we've come to a victory so far though. Hopefully we'll get some Green Lanterns here soon, and Dragonmage and Harlak have been working with the magic users to try and come up with something there but so far they haven't had much joy either."

"I feel really bad," Saturn Empress hugged herself. "We should be out there helping. Maybe the Eye could make a difference."

"I agree," Stone Man said. "It's a damn shame those Legionnaires arrived right now. Everyone, head out there and join up with the others. Batman and I will stay here, the Leviathan's a little outside our weight class so we might as well try to keep those Legionnaires distracted. Superwoman, you're in charge of this squad. Liaise with the others and do what you can."

"Of course," Laurel nodded. She opened a doorway and the rest of her teammates filtered through while she remained behind a moment longer to talk with Stone Man and Batman. "We will beat this thing, guys. We did it before, we'll do it again. Just make sure Chameleon Girl doesn't find out about this, it'll break her heart."

"Of course," Stone Man agreed. "Good luck, Laurel." She stepped through the doorway and it blinked into non-existence.

"Poor Chameleon Girl," Batman shook his head. He called up another hologram, this one a sphere covered in crawling tendrils, mouths that yawned wide with razor-tipped tongues, pseudopods that lashed out and were just as violently absorbed back into the overall mass again before re-emerging somewhere else on the thing's surface. To its left was a representation of the Earth, only slightly larger than the shape-shifting sphere. It took Yera a moment to realise this image was an accurate representation of its size and she was stunned. What is this thing? she thought. Some kind of demonic warworld??

"Laurel's right, Brane." Stone Man sighed. "No matter what happens we can't tell her about this. I hate to lie to fellow Legionnaires, but how do you tell a woman that this is what her child's become?"

Yera felt a cold shiver run through her tiny insect form. An old Earth saying suddenly came to mind, something that Gim's mother was fond of saying but which Yera had never fully understood till now.

…Curiosity killed the cat.

Loving your work Raz, loving it!

From Stone man's youthful looks to Chemical King slowing the team down, through the usual brilliantly realized characterization of your Legionnaires right up to the awesome cliffhanger, poor Yera!

More, more, more!

And a merry Xmas too

Thanks Harbinger, you too! Just got internet access back at home for the first time in months so should be able to post a bit more often!

Stone Man and Batman opened the door to exit their meeting room only to come face to face with six Legionnaires. Chameleon Girl was front and centre with Duplicate Damsel, Polar Boy, Sun Boy, Dream Girl and Thom Kallor flanking her either side.

"We need to talk," Chameleon Girl said in a curt tone of voice. "I want you to tell me about this Leviathan."

"Chameleon Girl, you know we can't do that." Stone Man sounded genuinely regretful. "I wish we could, but there are some details of your future that need to remain unknown until they happen."

"We need to protect the timestream," Batman added. "It's nothing personal--"

"It's my child you're talking about!" Yera almost yelled at the men. "Don't tell me it's not personal!"

Stone Man and Batman traded a silent glance. "Yera," Stone Man sighed, "I don't know how much you know, but we can't be talking about this. You must know how dangerous this is."

"I've already seen this conversation take place," Dream Girl remarked airily. "You're just fighting the inevitable at this point, boys. One way or another we're going to find out so you might as well get it over and done with."

Stone Man held his head in his hands. "Nura, Nura…fine then."

Batman flinched. "Dag, you can't--"

"She's Dream Girl," Stone Man protested. "I've never known Nura Nal to have a vision that didn't come true." He turned to his comrades from the past. "Alright, I'll tell you all. But not here. You need to know how serious this is, why we didn't want to discuss it."

"Where are we going?" Duplicate Damsel asked as Dag Wentim summoned a doorway in the middle of the sterile corridor.

"The Hall of Heroes," the Zwennite hero answered simply.

The eight of them stepped through the floating portal into an enormous temple-like building constructed of marble. Archways that spanned several metres across and high opened up onto breezy blue skies, and the Legionnaires heard the crash of ocean waves below them and smelled the salt in the air. The Hall had an atmosphere of solemnity, but also of peaceful tranquility. Dotted throughout the Hall were larger than life golden statues, representative of many of the Legion's own comrades from the past as well as heroes they'd yet to meet.

Chameleon Girl discretely took Nura aside as they followed Stone Man and Batman through the vast Hall. "Thanks for backing me up there, Dream Girl. If you'd already seen this happening though, why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"Hmm?" Nura seemed distracted, as though it had taken her a moment to realise what Yera was talking about. "Oh, I just said that to get him to open up," she whispered with a shrug that was calculated to seem flighty. "I wasn't going to interfere when I thought they were keeping general future knowledge from us, but far be it for me of all people to try and stop someone learning about their own personal future."

Yera smiled shyly. "Well, I appreciate it. Thank you."

"Dag," Polar Boy asked in an almost reverent tone as he passed a statue of Tellus, "Are all of these Legionnaires…dead..?"

"It's been a long time," Stone Man answered with a tinge of sadness as his own brother Lullabye Lad gleamed in the sunlight above him. "We've had a lot of casualties over the years, Brek."

"This feels a little morbid," Sun Boy announced, looking up at Light Lad's immortalised features. Secretly, he couldn't help feeling relieved that he hadn't seen his own statue yet. This Hall was cavernous though, with statues leading away in all directions. He couldn't help but wonder at his own fate, and felt a shiver crawl up his spine at the very thought of it.

"This is what we have to live with every day," Stone Man replied. "This is what we wanted to protect you from."

He led them around a pillar and Chameleon Girl and Duplicate Damsel both gasped. Before the team stood giant golden statues of Bouncing Boy, of the second Invisible Kid and Infectious Lass. Phantom Girl was posed alongside a young woman and a bespectacled broad-shouldered man none of them knew, and finally Colossal Boy stood next to Chameleon Girl herself.

"Oh," Luornu said weakly, her eyes welling with tears. "Chuck…"

"This is…" Yera felt as though she were going to be sick. She couldn't find words, and her breath came in short sharp bursts. "I can't…" She paced back and forth for several seconds before she finally exploded at the future Legionnaires. "Why would you show us this?!"

"This is what you wanted to know," Batman answered as gently as he could. "This is what the Leviathan did to us the first time. This is why we didn't want to tell you, Chameleon Girl. Do you understand now?"

"What…what happened to Gim? To all of us?" Yera asked.

"You became pregnant with Colossal Boy's child," Stone Man explained. "It should have been a happy time, and for months it was. Then you all went on a mission to Durla. It was meant to have been routine…it…" He found it difficult to keep going, took a deep breath to steady himself.

"While you were on Durla," Batman continued, "There were complications. Impulse had to induce labor to try and save you and your baby."

"Impulse?" Thom asked.

Batman gestured to the strange man standing amongst the statues of their longtime friends. "When your child was born," he addressed Chameleon Girl, "Nobody was ready for what it became. It had your shapeshifting abilities and Colossal Boy's growth, both powers intensified to an insane degree. There's no pleasant way to say this….the child killed almost every Legionnaire present. It was like a force of nature. Only Phantom Girl's power saved herself and Amp."

"This is Amp?" Polar Boy asked, looking over the athletic short-haired girl standing by Phantom Girl's side. "If those two survived, then how..?"

"What about the rest of the Legion?" Dream Girl interrupted. "There was nobody with the power to resist?"

"You don't understand the scale of it," Batman answered. "The Legion responded in force within thirty minutes, by that time it had covered a full continent and killed every Durlan on it. Fifteen minutes later it had claimed the whole planet. The local Science Police had started calling it the Leviathan of Durla, and the name stuck."

"In the end," Stone Man finished recounting the tale, "We couldn't damage it in any way. We'd already lost Tellus months prior, Saturn Woman's girls were still babies and she hadn't rejoined the team yet. Variable Lad took on a telepathic form to communicate with the Leviathan and spent the next six months in intensive psychotherapy for his efforts. Even after he was discharged he was never quite the same again. We had no magic users on the team at that time, and the Leviathan's shapeshifting abilities healed any physical injury almost instantly. When it grew strong enough to begin moving Durla out of orbit, we grew desperate. Amp pushed her own power to its limits to amplify Phantom Girl's abilities exponentially. Tinya phased the Leviathan into the Phantom Zone where it couldn't hurt anyone ever again, but she and Amp had to go with it. We never saw them again, and until three days ago we never saw the Leviathan again."

"Sweet Trinity," Luornu breathed. "That's…that's horrific."

"I know," Stone Man bowed his head. "You wanted to know why none of your friends came to meet you when you arrived here? What happened that day scarred the Legion more than any other loss we've suffered. To this day we don't know why it happened, whether it was a freak natural occurrence or some kind of twisted weapon planted by one of our enemies against us, or even an attack on Durla. Nobody who was actually close to either of you back then could stand the idea of seeing Yera today, or having to watch Luornu lose Chuck all over again."

"We were never trying to hurt you by hiding the truth," Batman added. "We just wanted to protect you from it. Bad enough that you'll need to live through it when it happens, we didn't want you to have to do that twice."

A heavy silence fell over the heroes before Chameleon Girl spoke again in a quiet but determined voice. "I want to see it."

"Yera," Stone Man shook his head. "No. We can't--"

"I'm not asking you," she stated defiantly. "I want to see this thing I created that you tell me killed my people and the people I love. Take me to see it."

"It's like Stone Man said," Batman took over, "It's simply too dangerous. There's no tactful way to say this, but this has to be about more than your emotional needs, Chameleon Girl. If any of you were to come to harm it could jeopardise your future…our present."

"A present where half the Legion have been slaughtered and Durla no longer exists except as some kind of destructive nightmare? That's what you want to secure?"

"We're Legionnaires too, Dag." This came from Polar Boy, and he sounded surprisingly resolute. "We were all Legionnaires first. Most everyone else here for a lot longer than you or me. We don't need to be protected, and we might be able to help."

"How do you know we're not meant to be here?" Sun Boy asked. "How do you know we're not what's going to turn the tide of battle and stop any other Legionnaires from being killed today? I'm not going to lie, from what you've just told us I'm not looking forward to facing this thing at all, but I just found out that this Leviathan of yours killed some of my oldest friends. You really think you can keep us out of this now?"

Stone Man examined their faces. He'd seen this determination too many times to think he could fight it now. "Alright," he conceded. "We'll take you."

Batman shook his head in disapproval. "This is a terrible terrible idea…"

"I know that," Stone Man agreed. "But I also know them. They'll see this through with us or without us, at least this way we see it through together."

"The rest of you don't have to do this," Yera advised her team. "This is my demon to face, I'll understand if any of you want to stay here. Star Boy, you're not even a part of the Legion anymore."

"Didn't you hear?" Thom asked with a self-depreciating smirk. "I'm Xanthu's greatest hero. I've spent so much time beating myself up over my mistakes but if I can be a tenth of the man Jazmin Cullen sees me as…well, I think I owe it to myself to try at least." He grabbed his loose shirt in both hands. "I'm gonna need some new threads though."

Nura grabbed his head in both her hands and laid a passionate kiss on him. "Thom Kallor, I am so proud of you."

As the rest of the Legionnaires continued discussing Star Boy's spontaneous return to their ranks, Yera Allon was lost in her own thoughts. She was glad that the others were supporting her, but she would have moved on her own if she'd had to. My demon to face, she'd said.

She had a feeling that statement was more literal than anybody else could imagine…

Wow Raz. This chapter's packing the biggest punch of all your work yet! And 2 parts in already? Cannot wait to see how this ends. Either disastrously or miraculously is my bet.

I wonder if you're going to pull a fast one on us and use Infinite Boy's powers to fix things?

Just curious, but how'd you pick which Legionnaires would be killed by the Leviathan? Yera and Gim are givens, and Tinya makes sense because her powers stopped it, but the rest?

Love seeing Jazmin back and alive! And it looks like Thom will be back too.

I almost missed it, but I see Garth and Imra have THREE kids in the Legion (at least). Live Wire, Spark and Brainstorm. And they had more female kids too. Cool

I count 8 more Legionnaires lost in time. I wonder, I think you'll have two groups of four (plus some Luornus?) rather than one big group of eight?

Thanks IB! This is definitely one of the chapters that is gonna have the most consequence by the time it's finished I think....

Infinite Boy has a role to play coming up, but I might just leave it at that for now...

re: Leviathan's victims: Chuck was for the extra emotional impact for Luornu, Infectious Lass was to remove her quite useful power from the equation, Impact made sense to be on a mission with a pregnant woman because of his medical training (not sure if you're familiar with the 5YL Legion but Impact is a character from there), Amp needed to boost Tinya's power, and poor Jacques was just in the wrong place at the wrong time

Won't say much about the rest, but there are indeed two more groups to go after this! Then we get the team back together again for the first time in what actually feels like a thousand years, lol

Yeah, I know Impulse/Kent Shakespeare and it made sense (poor guy). Amp is based on the Postboot Amp Girl I think? And Drura makes sense as she's one of the few Legionnaires who could possibly affect Leviathan. Thanks for the insight

And I'm pretty sure at least one of the Ranzz siblings is telepathic, and we'll see that telepathy come into play next post...

I can't wait to see the whole team back together. Whew! There are gonna be a lot of repercussions here...

all i can say is my mind is blown and more!