Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Bits o' Legionnaire Business Lyle 5: Genius Can't See What is Right in Front of Him

I don't really know how this site works yet, but I wrote these two legion stories on another site and I thought it would be cool to repost them here. So here it goes. Warning: some of these chapters get very long, but besides that there is no foul language and the worst thing that happen is them making out, and implied abuse.

Brainiac 5/Querl Dox x Lyle Norg/Invisible kid the first. I created the ship name, if there is a better one let me know. This takes place in post-zero hour reboot, after Robotica and Legion: Foundations, but in a time line where they return to earth and legion world and life continues, some events happened even though the whole Apocalypse thing didn't and I might have tweaked the story line slightly so some people react to somethings differently. There is no Superboy(Conner or Clark) at this time, and Kinetix/Zoe Saugin never joined the Science Police or was Terrorformed. Lastly for anyone who's a die hard Supergirl x Brainiac 5 fan know that they are my absolute favourite ship, but these two never get to be a couple and I thought I'd give them a chance, enjoy.

Querl Has a Problem

(Lyle POV) 'I can't take this anymore,' I thought, 'personal feelings to the annoying genius aside, Brainy is my lab partner, teammate, and closest friend, and there is something up.' Recent events had been hard on everyone, but something odd has been up with Querl. I had uncovered Brainy's lust journal filled with images of the single and non-single female members of the team in private scenarios. Brainy only appeared in one photo, and that was the only photo I appeared in as well. The only boy.

We are just working on a project in the photo that I didn't even know was taken. We're both laughing. That was the only time I heard him sincerely laugh, just before his mother abused him, broke his heart, and suppressed his new found emotions.

Every teenager has a lustful secret though. The journal was not what shocked me the most though, it was the kiss. The kiss on the cheek he gave me after the legion rescued me, yet he has acted like it never happened. Brainy can usually shrug off emotion which is how him knowing that someone has his stolen journal does not scare him, but I have never met someone who puts so much relief, compassion, and feelings into a kiss and then act like nothing happened. The only emotion he had towards what happened afterward was embarrassment and shame.

'There is something going on and I am going to help him if it's the last thing I do.'

Has The World Gone Mad or Just me, Probably Just Me?

(Querl POV) One of my 12 consciousness's registered Lyle entering MY lab, I know it's him because no one comes in here recently unless there is an emergency, but there is no hurry to the footsteps.

"Brainy, we need to talk." I decided I'll humor him. "About what would you like to discus Lyle?" I did not expect what would come out of his lips next. "We need to discus the kiss you gave me." Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, this word flung all through my brain. "What in the United Planets are you talking about?"

It seemed that Lyle chose to ignore my question, "I don't want to talk about the meaning behind the kiss, but the lack of meaning afterwards." I'm just staying quiet at this point so that I can hear what rubbish he is talking about. "First off the, umm, your journal, it houses just about every female legionnaire or legion ally to walk through the door, most in interesting scenarios." I am starting to get mad, "Are you Black mailing me Norg?" He turned a little bit red on his cheeks, "No, in fact here's the journal," he tossed me the journal, "I'm here to talk about page 42 and why you kissed me?"

This was starting to be to much, it was true that sometimes when Lyle told a joke or did something funny it felt like electricity is going up my spine and every inch of my body go's stiff, but despite that I had no affection towards him other than as my fellow teammate. "I believe that you are a liar Norg." He took a deep breath," Fine, look for yourself," he hands me the journal, I go to page 42, then I freeze. "Brainy?" Was the last words I registered.

Calling Doctor Imra Ardeen

(Saturn Girl POV) It had been a very long day and I was finally getting some quiet time when something very disturbing happened on a telepathic level and I grabbed my head. As soon as it had started it stopped. Jan, I mean Garth, looked at me with a confused look on his face and I temporarily forgot about the mental blast I had felt, I know we need to talk. "Garth..." But my Legion ring goes off, finishing that conversation before it really started. I hear a panicked Invisible Kid, "Imra, meet me in the med-lad as soon as possible, please." I Look at a confused crystallized Jan face and I knew my conversation with Garth would have to wait, I got up and headed for the med-lab.

I enter the lab and I see brainy on a bed hooked up to monitors, seemingly conscious, but unresponsive and being tended to by Invisible kid. "Lyle, what happened?" He faced me with a serious face and began to talk, but did I see a hint of red, "I don't know if you know, but a few months ago when he and a few other legionaries rescued me the first thing he did was go to me, rap his arms around my neck and kissed my cheek." I just stare, brainy has only ever had crushes before, and never acted upon them, and they were all tall, strong, blonde females. Lyle continued. "He acted embarrassed afterwards so I didn't bring it up again, but I recently came across his stolen Journal and was going to return it but I, ummm, read it, and discovered the images of all female legionaries inside."

This made me very mad, Brainy had images of ALL female legionaries?! Lyle ignored my obvious anger and just took a breath and checked Brainiac 5's vitals while I tried to pull myself together and not strangle him or Lyle, "What kind of picture and why are you telling me this?" He turned back to me, clearly now starting to be embarrassed himself, "The kind of Images you don't want to see, but I think they were him trying to make up for something," I could feel the heat rising to my head, "make up for what?" I ask, " Page 42, the only picture featuring himself, the only one featuring a male legionarie, the only one featuring him, and most importantly the only one featuring something not uncomfortable, but actually a happy memory," I calmed down, he continued, "When I confronted him about the kiss he denied it ever happened and I believe he genuinely believed that, but when I showed him the Journal he got defensive but completely froze to his current condition when he turned to page 42."

This was a lot to take in, there were three questions that came to my mind and I asked them from greatest to least importance, "What do you think is wrong with him, you have more medical knowledge then me," he responded almost immediately," If my hypothesis is correct then I believe he's stuck in a mental cage or loop and needs to be brought out on a telepathic level, can you break him out?" As if he had to ask. "Most likely, but I have two more questions for you, number one, do you think he's romantically or sexually attached to you?" Lyle still stayed stone faced but his ears turned a little red, "Yes, on some level, I don't think he's fully excepting it for some reason though, gay rights were legalized about a thousand years ago on earth, and fully excepted about 800 years ago, I'm gay, LeViathan and Spark are bisexual, Cham and Sensor are pansexual and so was Element Lad and Monstress, my she rest in peace, what is your last question so we can get to work." Despite all the annoying stuff Brainy has done over the years I still considered him a friend and needed to have this question answered.

"Do you have feelings for him as well?"

Submerged

(Lyle POV) Am I blushing, she can't know I am blushing, Sprock, I think I'm as red as Ayla's hair. Just calm down and think, yes you've always admired Querl and you often semi-flirted/playfully annoyed him, but I had always been in a relationship with Condo Arlik until he died during Ra's al Ghul's attempted take overs. I miss him greatly but it might be time to move on, but am I ready. Brainy is also a special case, I always was attracted to him and considered him my closest friend besides Reep, but ever since he returned from the mysterious space anomaly and had been altered I had to keep telling myself that I was in a relationship. It wasn't just his slightly different face or amazing hair cut, it was his personality, the wit he had, the jokes he made, the way he now cared about all of us, and the way he looked at life then. I was internally crushed when his mother abused him and scarred him back to being little more then a living computer. Later on he gained back some wit and occasional emotional outbursts, but only when he was gone for a year and I thought he was dead did I realize how much I cared for him. I do have feelings for him.

(Imra POV) After a lot of blushing and a few seconds of thought I watched as Lyle finally say, "yes, maybe, I'm not sure yet." I was relieved to hear that whatever was going on with Brainy at least he won't be alone. "Let us get started then." I walked towards the unconscious Querl Dox and sat next to him on the med-bed and got ready, "Check our vitals every once and a while but don't disturber me, if something goes wrong and you can't yell or shake me awake go get R.J. or Sensor, they should be high enough to get me out." He nodded and I went in.

Nara Minsork's reports had warned me on what Brainy's head was like, but nothing could prepare me for this. Everything going so fast, I need to sync or I will go into mental shock, sync, Sync, SYNC!!!!!!!!! Okay, ok, everything is moving fast but know I have a presence and can make sense of my surroundings, sort of. His mind is forever calculating, programs and problems, I see most of the writing is in green and seems to be the same program repeating constantly so Lyle's theory about the loop is correct. There is also a few purple lines of program, but it keeps getting erased, I should have studied Coluan more, translation plugs don't work in a brain, I wonder what the purple says. A voice from behind me suddenly appears, "Don't do that."

I turn to see brainy, but not the one I know, this was him before the space anomaly, I personally never knew this brainy, this was him before he joined the legion, I had seen images from when he worked at the time institute. "Brainy, are you ok, what is going on?" He looked at me disapprovingly like he always did when he first joined, "Don't call me 'Brainy' my name is Querl Dox, and to answer your question I am fine, we are just taking care of a virus, your assistance is not required Titan female, you may leave." He turned but I called his bluff, "You aren't fine, I have seen your monitors, you are slowly causing yourself brain damage, nothing that can't be fixed yet, but you are really starting to worry me and Lyle." At the mention of his name he wiped around in complete anger, the whole mind shook and purple writing increased for a moment, more of it and it got farther before being erased.

"Did you see what you did! If the virus takes over we die!" my senses tell me something else is going on, "It increased at me mentioning his name, also what do you mean by we?" Jerk Querl huffed, "Myself and 10 other consciousnesses, we control this body and won't permit it to be conscious till the virus is destroyed and it is safe to act." I think about this for a second and then say, "I thought you had 12 consciousnesses, what is twelve doing?"

He became so red and angry I thought he'd explode, then he did. With nothing else to go on I decided that finding the twelfth consciousness was my top priority. I only had a hunch but I decided to follow the purple writing and see where it comes from. As I traveled I noticed that all the programs were getting slower, Brainy must be tiring himself out, or really hurting himself, possibly both, I must continue.

I come to a corner where I hear banging on the other side, but just as I'm about to turn the corner I run into Andromeda, Supergirl, and myself. They block the way. "Return Imra Ardeen and you shall not be harmed," they all say at once, I know what I have to do but I am taken back by myself. I know what connects these ladies, all tall, strong, blonde woman, but the first two were also obvious crushes of Brainy. Eventually he realized he only cared for them deeply, but if I am there to then that means he also cares deeply for me, is that why he entrusts in me? I'm getting distracted, Nara's files says she figured out that his initial interest in these women were the similarities of them to his mother, he wanted them to love him the way she never did, so I know what I must do.

"What do you guard?" I ask, they reply in sync, "we guard the Core of Brainiac 5, only those he love may past." I know I can only try this once because it will weaken me greatly to change my mental form for any period of time. I become slightly taller, more full, and my skin turns green, I become Brainiac 4, his mother. "But doesn't he want to hear his mother say she loves him?" Every inch of me hurts, but I must keep it up, they step aside and I walk by and drop the illusion and almost collapse, so close to the corner and I can hear pounding, but also whimpering. Only now I am faced with every female legionnaire.

I know I can't fight them. There are to many and I am to weak. So I just stand there, and as I stand there I hear something else. Whispers, whispering around each girl. Querl's Halfhearted reasons to like each one, almost desperate to find a physical attraction it seemed. That's when it clicks and I learn one reason why he always isolates himself. "He is not attracted to any of you, or any women, he is completely gay." With that they all faded away. I finally turn the corner and saw eleven different versions of Brainy, all of which with long hair and were from some point before the space anomaly, they were all pounding and stabbing at a force-field sphere, the sphere contained the last Querl Dox. Our Brainy.

I know he is in pain, but he is still sending out his message, he is the purple messages, he is the virus. I go around the field to a blank spot and got close, "Querl, are you ok, what is wrong." His eyes widened and he huddled to the other side of the field. He just shivered, muddling in Coluan. one of the other Brianiac's weapons temporarily pierced his field and got him in the arm, he screamed, looked at me like it was my fault, he waved his hand, and I was gone.

Lyle Knows What To Do

(SensorPOV ) Poor Invisible Kid, he wouldn't tell us what happened, just that Brainiac 5 was unresponsive and causing himself brain damage. He called R.J. and me to the med-lab for our mental powers. He also called Chameleon, who was at Durla until he called, for as he said it, his wide range of knowledge, but really I think he called his best friend for moral support. Brande and I were preparing for our possible telepathic rescue of Saturn Girl, while Invisible Kid wouldn't leave Brainiac's side, doing whatever he could to stabilize his brain patterns and fix or preserve any brain damage, but he is a chemist, not a brain surgeon.

"I think we should call Dr. Gym'll," Cham suggested while looking after Saturn Girl. A small alarm went off and Brainiac's vitals and mental stats went down drastically and Saturn Girl woke up in a sweat. Invisible Kid now also in a sweaty panic started yelling at her, I've never seen him lose his cool, "What did you do to him Imra, he's dying!" He took a breath and I realized he had tears in his eyes, I can not recall a time I had ever seen Lyle cry before, "You were supposed to save him!" Kid barely kept himself together, Cham put his hand on his shoulder not sure what to do, but Invisible Kid just raped his arms around Cham in a hug and cried in his shoulder, "You were supposed to save him."

(Imra POV) We were all quiet for a few minutes to allow Lyle to get the fear out of his system, Chameleon just rubbed his back till he calmed down and let go. Time to say my piece, "I can't get to the part of his mind that is in danger because it thinks I am a threat, can everyone but Lyle leave for a minute please and Mr. Brande please call Dr.Gym'll and inform him of Querl's condition." So when everyone left I turned and broke the news, "I can't save him Lyle, only you can."

(Lyle POV) I can't believe how much I lost it. I still don't know how much I care for Brainy, weather it be teammate, close friend or something more. Something needs to be done though or he will die. "What must I do?" With that Imra collapsed and I caught her, I hadn't realized how weak she was, I sat her down on a near by bed, she spoke, "Thanks, I didn't want anyone to see that but thanks anyway." I'm now full of concern, "Do you have the strength to re-enter his head?" She managed with great effort to sit straight up, "No, But I can bridge your minds for a limited time and guide you as a mental spirt, but I won't be able to maintain it for long and brainy doesn't have much time before he suffers brain damage we can't undo, there is risk for your psyche as well." I don't care, saving my lab partner is all that matters to me right now, "Brief me on all you know then send me in."

One quick briefing later I'm sitting next to Brainy holding his hand and Saturn girl is sitting right next to us. Cham comes up behind us and informs us, "Dr. Gym'll is on his way and I'll monitor till then, Brande went to meet him at the gate way and Sensor will try and pull you guys out if things go bad or if Gym'll needs to start surgery," he put his hand on my shoulder again, I nodded towards him then to Saturn Girl and the next thing I know I'm in the mind of another being.

Everything is just how Imra described it except slower, the purple writing was still fighting, I can understand Coluan though, it's an argument, the purple writing keeps coming up with reasons to be themselves and love who they love, while the Green always said the same response, "We are Coluan, females and males are compatible, nothing else matters except knowledge." This just made me mad, I fallowed the flouting pink energy orb that was Imra's guiding spirit, it lead me to the force-field still being pounded by other versions of Querl Dox. I go to an empty part of the field and press my hands up to it, "Querl?" I ask, my Brainy looks up, his eyes twinkle slightly but his pain-stricken face does not change, "You can call me Brainy if you like, you were the first to call me that." I frown at that, at the time I called him that to tease him for sharing a name with a villain, "I am so sorry, can I please come in Brainy?" He looked me up and down while still shaking, "Y-yes, but don't touch me." The field around me becomes mush and I slip through. I sit next to him, "I am so sorry for putting you in this position." He looked down, it obviously hurt just to lift his head he was so weak, "Oh Lyle, you didn't do this to me, I did it to myself."

"What?!!" I don't know anything else to say, he just spoke, "I had always been different, but my opinions were never heard when I spoke, but after the anomaly I changed and had more power, confidence, and control, the others listened and I could be myself, then that retched woman attached and the others didn't listen as well to me anymore, I had little control, I convinced them to keep my current hair style and I got comments out occasionally, but only when the others were tired or confused did I have full control with our body" he looked up and blushed slightly, "With that I kissed you when we were reunited, I always admired you but was afraid and wanted to be closer but the others kept setting our attention on others, women." He wouldn't look at me anymore, one of the other Brainiac's threw something and it got through and hit him in the back, he fell forward but when I went to help him he put his scraped hand out and said, "Please, don't touch me, " he shuffled back up, but I was still very worried, "What about the journal, that's what caused all this?"

His face scrunched up, "I hate that thing, nothing in there was genuine attraction or emotion, so when the others were temporarily satisfied I just added a picture of us, not doing anything, just laughing, but every time I see it I..." he had joy and happiness in his eyes, but they went to embarrassment and shame, I can't stand it, "There's nothing to be ashamed of, I'd never judge you, you are the smartest person I know," He looked me in the eyes and blushed like a mad man, it returned colour to his face and he looked slightly stronger, but then he looked sad, "After my addition to the journal, the others locked me in this field, I've been here for months, until they saw the journal, page 42, they froze, and I could insert an opinion, the field became my own and I tried to take control so they shut down the body and tried to stop me, but now they won't stop till they kill me." He's now huddled up I think I know what to do.

"Brainy, Saturn Girl says you gained strength when you embrace who you are, so be who you are." He kept looking down, "Lyle, I have these emotions, but not the strength to act upon them, the last time I acted upon my emotions, to someone I loved, they, they..." I understand now, he is comparing what happened with his love for his mother with his possible love for anyone else, the wound hasn't healed, "Querl Dox, your mother tricked you into what you thought was a loving hug, then she abused your body and almost killed you," The terror in his eyes almost killed me but I had a point to make, I reached out and grabbed his hands, he flinched at my touch but I just squeezed harder, with one hand I lifted his head so he'd look at me, "Querl, I would never hurt you, we might bicker or tease but I always respected your opinions and have come to care for you, the year I thought you were dead was the hardest of my life, so please, let yourself shine through."

I pulled him into a hug and I didn't let go, the other Querl's stopped pounding and I could feel my Querl's face heat up but I just held him tighter and whispered in his ear, "There's nothing wrong with who you are, so love whoever you want to love." He pushed me away, I noticed that most of his wounds had healed, he looked me in the eyes, he put his hands through my messy hair. I can feel both of our hearts beat faster, and my face begins to turn red, then he put his hands around my head and slowly pulled me into a kiss. I know this isn't my real body but I swear that I can feel the kiss all over me, time starts to freeze.

After what seemed like forever of a slow, beautiful kiss he pulls away and turns a hundred shades of red, "I am so sorry Lyle, I shouldn't have done that, I should have asked or something," I stop him, "Never be sorry, you didn't hurt me and I think you really needed that, but I also think I should go, Imra, I'm really straining her," We both stood up, but he wobbled and I put my arm around him for balance and he blushes. The force-field drops.

I stood there while the Querl's all discussed what would happen, I noticed that there hairs and faces changed to look more like the Querl I know. The twelfth Querl came up to me, "We are going to listen to each other, but we aren't going to change fully right away," he waved his hand and a small portal opened, "That will wake you up, when we wake up the body won't remember any of this, but we will feel different and act upon it, now we need to rest and recover, I'll see you on the other side." I give him a quick hug and just before I step through I turned and say, "Hang in there."

Bumpy Road to Discovery

(Lyle POV) A week and one professional brain surgery later, after finishing my monitor duty I find myself sitting on Brainy's bed. I had woken up from mental recovery 5 days ago and Imra only woke up 3 days ago, but Brainy was still unconscious. I remember everything that happened in his brain but when he wakes up he'll remember nothing, but he'll have a slightly different mindset. For now though all I can do is sit next to him. I start rubbing my finger tips gently up and down his arm because I remember how nice it felt when Condo did it to me... I become lost in thought and didn't notice Brainiac open his eyes or him starring at me. He pulled his arm away from me and said, "What are you doing?" In a very intense questioning manner.

I'm in temporary shock, "You are a wake, oh thank goodness you are awake, I was, um, just taking your vitals, sorry," he just stared at me, but I am completely embarrassed, and why did I lie. "What happened, why am I in a med-bed?" He tried sitting up and I went to help him but he put his hand out and looked at me funny, "I can do it myself, but what the sprock happened that I ended up here, last I remember we were arguing," I get a little angry but I stay calm, "You're brain got stuck in a mental loop from something I showed you, Imra helped get you out," I don't know why I don't just tell the full truth, the real world is hard. "Well last I remember you put me in that position so thanks a lot Norg," Now I'm mad, after all I did this is how I get thanked, after all the emotion and energy I spent on him, the countless hours of watching his monitors and waiting for him to wake up, "You know what, you just rest, I'm going to the rec-room, see if I care what happens to you." And I storm out.

(Brainiac 5 POV) What was that all about, why is he so mad at me, he's the one who should feel guilty for what he did. First I find out that he might be my black mailer because he confronted me with my stolen journal and shows me an image of us that somehow puts me in a coma. When I wake up I find him oddly rubbing my arm, although pleasant, was not with consent. Either way I'm not listening to his orders to rest, I've already been resting for far to long. I get up to go find Saturn Girl.

Thank Colu for computerized locating because Legion World is so large you'd never find anything or anyone. Saturn Girl was thankfully nearby at the Titian section of the planet, I guess that makes sense, more specifically she was in the parlor she had had installed since our trip to the 21th century because she gained a taste for ice cream. Once I arrived I saw her out of uniform with Live Wire, a thought went through my mind but where I would normally ignore it, I listened. Date, they want to be alone. date, alone.

I stand there awkwardly thinking on what to do now but Imra sees me and she smiles and stands up to greet me, "Brainy, you are awake," I smile but then I notice the awkward look on Garth's face and knew they had been having a difficult discussion. On our way back to the booth she puts her arm around be and I blush, but she sends me a telepathic message, "Ask Garth to leave Brainy, please." I look at her then at Garth and decide to comply, "Garth, would you mind leaving us alone, there is something we need to discuss," he looks at me, then Imra, then me, then Imra again, "But, but, huff, fine, but we really need to discuss our engagement," he stands up and goes to kiss Imra but she backs up slightly and he stops and awkwardly walks out. We sit down, "What did I just get between?" she sighed, "He was dead Brainy, actually dead, and he's not even in the body I fell in love with, it's the body of Element Lad, he tried to kill us, he killed Monstress and Garth, I loved Garth and want to spend the rest of my life with him, but to me that isn't the same Garth I fell in love with, not anymore."

After minutes of awkward silence she spoke again, "Enough about me, let's talk about you, you just woke up and obviously came searching for me, what's up?" I try for a smile but probably failed, so I just go for a normal face, "I.K, after he stopped being weird and irritating, told me that you healed my mind, I wanted to personally thank you." She smiled, her smile is so kind, she's like a big sister to me, Why Am I Thinking This, "Well brainy, although I went in and found the problem, I couldn't save you, it was Lyle, he would not take no for an answer and I bridged his mind to yours, he discovered how to save you and did so, he risked brain damage as well, and was knocked unconscious for two days, but even so, whenever he got the chance he was at your side watching your monitors and making sure you were ok, it's him you should thank." I was shocked, Invisible Kid, Lyle, did all that for me, why didn't he just say so, was he guilty for what happened before?

"Brainy, you are kind of turning red, are you feeling alright?" I was blushing, what for, I feel guilty for treating Lyle badly but not bad enough to blush. "Saturn Girl, Imra, can I ask you something?" Her worried look leaves, "Of course, you can tell or ask me anything." Deep breath, "Lyle has been acting weird towards me, right before I knock out, apparently during, and right after, is there something he isn't telling me?" By her face I can tell she knows everything but all I get is, "I don't know what happened while he was in your mind, but there is something about him that you will have to talk to him about by yourselves, haven't you ever noticed the way he looks at you, but hey it's not my place." I nod, but am confused, "Imra, I don't understand, he always looks at me the same way." She looks like she might speak, but at that moment a frustrated Invisible Kid walks through the door.

He sees me and does a one eighty and starts walking out the door. I stand up and call out to him, "Lyle, wait!" He keeps walking but slows down a bit so I can catch up. When I catch up I put my hand on his shoulder so he'll slow down and he freezes solid at me touch, under his shaggy hair I see his ear tips go a little bit pink, "I'd like to apologize to you Lyle, Saturn Girl told me that it was actually you who saved me, I don't know why you confronted me last week, and I don't know why you didn't tell me about what you did, but thank you for saving me life." He smiles widely and it makes me smile, I don't know why but I have the strangest urge to hug him tightly but I know that would discomfort both of us so I hold out my hand. He takes it awkwardly and I shake it, I squeeze slightly tighter as if I don't want to let go and he squeezes harder still. I'm about to ask him about his secret when our legion flight-ring alarms go off.

Let Go Of The Dark Past For A Brighter Future

(Sensor POV) We all met at the meeting room for debriefing, apparently our current leader, Kid Quantum, had very specific legionnaires in mind to handle whatever we were facing because only half the legion showed up despite it probably bring a big problem. Karate Kid arrived first, then Star Boy, Dreamer, Live Wire, then Umbra and M'Onel in that order. Saturn Girl, Brainiac 5, and Invisible kid came in at the same time and I had already been here because the meeting room is a quiet place to be until it isn't. Kid Quantum was planet side so she gave our update via hologram. "Team, the science police have just informed me that the Fatal Five are out and our legion tech has tracked them to a small moon revolving around Winath, It might be possible that they're going to attach the planet or are just resting up, but either way they are wanted in every sector and must be arrested."

Suddenly the door opened and Timber Wolf walked in. "I walked by and I heard something about the Fatal Five, if they're out, I want in, they nearly killed me last time and I want to return the favour." Timber Wolf cracked his knuckles, I find this humanoid feat displeasing so I look away and I see Brainiac 5 intensely staring at Tiber Wolf and Invisible Kid staring fondly and dazedly at Brainiac, this I find amusing. Kid Quantum spoke up, "Of Course Brin you can go along, you have good experience with this enemy." He nodded and she continued briefing us.

Quantum states our goals, " Saturn Girl you are team leader, despite what I'm about to say, in the heat of the moment do what seems fit but stay with in code." Saturn Girl straighten her posture and I noticed that Invisible Kid was slowly moving his hand towards Brainiac 5's until his finger tips were on his hand, Brainiac smiled but didn't take his eyes off Kid Quantum who continued, "So Saturn Girl, Star Boy and M'Onel, you handle Validus. Brainy, I believe you can handle Tharok but don't let that support your ego, ask for help when you need it, that goes for you all. Sensor, Dreamer and Umbra, you will take down Empress, she has been confirmed to be in possession of the Emerald Eye. Karate Kid, you and Timber Wolf will handle the Persuader while Live Wire and Invisible Kid will take care of Mano, that's your assignments, dismissed."

After the briefing we board the legion cruiser and head off towards Winath's moon. Invisible Kid took the helm with M'Onel, Brainiac 5 and Live Wire at the consoles. I sat with Dreamer and Umbra discussing battle plans, while Saturn Girl and Star Boy, and Karate Kid and Timber Wolf all did the same with there groups. Brainiac 5 spoke up, "We can't hit them straight on or else they'll see us coming but if we land on the opposite side of the planet, and wait till the moon is directly above then launch, we'd be on the moon before The Five know what hit them, Live Wire, your families farm is in that general area, we could..." Live Wire cut him off, "No, um, errr, what I mean is, it's harvesting season, and they don't need a distraction, but I know a place we could stay till than."

Brainiac clearly annoyed from being cut off asked a serious question, "Where do you suggest we land and wait?" Live Wire took a deep breath, "At the farthest east side of my parents farm there's a small forest we never used, when me and Ayla were small we built a tree house there, mostly to get away from Mekt or our chores, we grew up and stop using it, but a couple years ago during the, um, Dark Circle catastrophe," he paused and looked at Brainiac 5 who clearly wanted to be anywhere but right there, "During the catastrophe Ayla's team had to lay low for a bit so they went there, Composite Man found them and the place got destroyed, but during the year that some of us legionnaires were lost, she was on Winath, and considering how hard it was to space travel back then she thought if Legionnaires were to ever come to Winath they'd need a place to stay, so she cleared a big area in her free time, and used the cut trees to build a small legion base, there is one ship landing pad and enough beds for a team around our size, do you want the coordinates Brainy?" And after being given the coordinates we all spent the rest of the trip in silence.

(POV Lyle) I'm glad we got planet side so that we could get some fresh air and space. Brainy had been looking dizzy ever since Garth indirectly brought up his mother. In the past he'd always bypass this event not wanting to deal with it but now that I've freed his 12th consciousness his mind is going to have to face it and I just hope he can hold it together for our fight with the Five. Everyone was leaving the ship and I was about to leave to but I noticed Brainy wasn't getting up out of his chair, "Brainy? Are you coming?" he turned his chair to face me and he didn't look me in the eyes but put on a fake smile that I almost bought, "Yes, I just want to do some scans, go out and enjoy the sun." And stupidly, I did just that.

I stepped off and took a deep breath, although Earth has been recovering well from its constant attacks, it still smelled of death and mildew, Winath however smelled of Sweet fruits and vegetables, here especially of Ranzzian Floating peaches. I take a look around and see that we really are on just a clearing, the ship landed right on a huge circle of grass next to a large, hand made log lodge. There'd be no power and the only water would be from the hydro-pump. "It's a good thing we aren't staying here to long, roughing it for more then a couple days isn't my thing." Saturn Girl, Umbra and Live Wire turned to face me, Umbra looked just as ticked off as she usually does, "Easy for you to say, you didn't have to 'rough it' for a year like some of us, alone, in space, in a different Galaxy." M'Onel put his hand on her shoulder and she calmed down, would they just stop toying with us and admit to being a couple. Saturn Girl spoke up, "You don't know that," Stop reading my thoughts Imra, I know you can't always control or help it but our thoughts are the only place we usually can think something and not be judged. "Sorry."

After that I wanted to take a walk. I start walking near the extremely tall trees, probably 40 feet in height, when suddenly a tall man with long snow white hair walks out with his hands in fists and in a threatening pose, "Who are you people." Small sparks come off his hands and Garth came over and put out his hand, "Mekt, it's me, Garth, Garth and the legion." I now recognize the man as Mekt Ranzz, Live Wires brother who's being rehabilitating on the farm and must have seen our Cruiser land and came to investigate. Mekt let down his guard and shakily put out his hand and took Garth's, "Garth, I f-forgot about what you l-looked like, what are you doing here, why didn't you tell mom and dad you were coming?" Garth looked like he was on the spot so I stepped in, "Top secret legion business, we needed a place to lay low for a few hours but Garth said only Ayla knew about this place?" Mekt stood there awkwardly and said, "w-who did you t-think helped her b-build it and maintain it while s-she is not here, d-didn't she tell a-any of you?" Garth looked down, "No, but you are here now and we have a lot to catch up on, let's take a walk."

After that I gave the brothers some space. I continued my walk, then went into the field. I could see the spot where me, Cham, and Shikari first used Threshold technology to re-recruit Ayla, where Cham had to break her heart with her brother's death. This was a sad spot. I decided to head back and to my biggest 'surprise' I ran into M'Onel and Umbra making out in the foliage, I started sarcastically clapping. M'Onel let go off her and stood up, "Lyle, I didn't see you there?" I smile my signature smug smile, "Obviously, honestly I don't care as long as you make your relationship public, before you started whatevering did you happen to see Brainy?" Umbra spoke up as she now was standing up and back to her grim stuck up self, "We'll come public when you and Querl do too." M'Onel just stared at her disapprovingly, but I'm just a blushing, hot headed mess, "WHAT!!???" She just kept talking, "It's obvious you care about each other and are covering it up, I also heard about the kiss you publicly shared from Xs who heard about it from Kid Quantum, if you admit you're seeing each other in the shadows, we'll come clean." I just stand there, she couldn't be more wrong, but besides the actual dating part she's also completely right. M'Onel puts a hand on her shoulders and looks me in the eyes, his earth sky blue eyes, "We haven't seen Brainy in a few hours, I thought he was doing some scans in the cruiser?" I'm really worried now, "That was hours ago!!" And I run for the ship.

I get to the cruiser and board the ship, I go to the bridge where I last saw him but he wasn't there. I go door to door, each room open and empty, I eventually come to the lavatory and the door is locked, I buzz for entrance, no change. I open the com to the room and speak, "Brainy, I know you are in there, please open the door so I can help you?" No response, I try again, "Querl, please." Still nothing, so I try the hard way, I take a panel down and try the simple bypass, but Brainy must have disabled it, so I go for disabling the power to the door and electrocute myself, mild burn but it doesn't matter now, the door is unlocked. I slide it open. The normal lights are off and only the minimal emergency lights are active, but I can still see a huddled up figure sobbing slightly in the corner. I come closer and kneel to his level, I expected him to flinch or do something but he just stays sitting on the floor, holding his knees and crying into them. I know what's wrong but I need him to speak so I ask anyway, "Querl, what's wrong." He just keeps crying and I put my hand gently under his chin and look at his face. He is covered in bruises, they looked self inflicted like he had started out slapping himself but got more serious. "Brainy, you're face, please talk to me so I can help."

I sigh, I know what I must do but it hurts me to do it, I put my hand on his leg and just start talking to him. "This is about your mother isn't it, and what she's done to you, once you were born she left you to be raised by robots. Then when the most spectacular thing happens to you and you hear that you're mother has returned to her home planet and is looking for you, you drop everything and go straight to her, in hopes that you could share your happiness, to have a really family, not just friends, and when you find her she embraces you with open arms and for a moment you feel complete happiness, but then she uses your newly found enhanced body to her own advantage, she nearly kills you and breaks many bones in your body, but that doesn't hurt nearly as her betrayal. She nearly killed the newly awakened side of you and you now feel her presence everywhere you go." I breathe and he just cried louder, not knowing really what else to do I begin to remove my hand from his leg but he grabs my hand and pulls me into a hug, crying just as hard but now on my shoulder, in between sobs he says, "H-how c-c-could she d-do that t-t-to me." I just rub his back and whisper, "I don't know." Then I continuously whisper "I got you Brainy, I got you."

After what seemed like, and could have been hours, he finally calms down. He doesn't say anything but I eventually realize that the hug might be to awkward now so I let go and he rubbed his puffy eyes, "Thanks Lyle, but there's one thing you were wrong about, yes I desperately wanted to reunite with my mother, but you, Gates, Imra and the rest of the legion are my family." While I was smiling like a mad man he started to stand and I tried to help him but he looked at me confused, "I can still stand Norg, I'm grateful and everything but what has gotten into you?" I keep a straight face but I feel the blush go over my face and pray that the lights are dim enough that he can't see it, "It's a really long story and I don't think you'll want to here it, let's get you to the med bay so I can heal your wounds so nobody else will see?" He smiled awkwardly, "I'd like that, thanks." And with that we head out towards the med wing.

(POV Querl) Lyle's a good friend, after all that we fight about he still sticks by me when I need him most, but what ever secret he's holding is killing me. I have 193 possible answers but most only have a 39% or less possibility rate. Once I'm sitting on the table and he starts treating my wounds and I decided to start asking questions, "What did you do in my brain that Imra couldn't?" He stayed silent for a moment as if to think of how to answer, and his ear tips went red, "I managed to get your mind to trust me more then it trusted her and with that trust, I used the knowledge Imra had discovered and calmed some of your consciousnesses down and broke the loop." I could tell that wasn't the full truth but I just asked the next question. "Why did you risk so much to save me?" He went stone faced, "One can you stop moving so I can heal you properly, and two, I care about you, we've been friends a very long time or at least I'd like to think we have been, and after my boyfriend died, and after I had just gotten you and the other legionnaires back after thinking you all were dead, I couldn't let anything else happen to anyone I cared about." This was to touching, I don't deserve this, especially considering my last question, "Lyle, why did you bring me my journal and bring up, um, er, you know, the, ummm, the." He cuts me off, "Kiss, look, I'm not your blackmailer, I think I might know who is but I came across your journal by chance, by the way I left it in your room, I wasn't going to read it but my espionage side got the better of me, and when I pieced together that everyone in that those pictures were crushes of yours, and the kiss you had given me a few weeks before, the strange way you had been acting, I wanted to know if everything was all right and if I'm going to be perfectly honest to you and myself I wanted to know how you felt for me, because, while I, you see, I..." He starts stuttering, there are only 21 possibilities and most have higher than 56% probability rates, I'm now blushing as I try and rap my emotions over the most likely discovery of his, "Lyle, I..." our legion rings go off, sprock.

Fatal Five

(POV Brainiac 5)"Saturn Girl to team, I want us to discuss further battle plan and the monitor duty shifts on the ship while the rest of us try and sleep, meet me in the lodge's meeting room." I decide to put duty ahead of personal feelings and agenda, "I think we should meet up with her, we can discuss this later." We make our way to the very primitive meeting room. When me and Invisible Kid walked in together Umbra stares at us with an interestingly maniacal smile, why was she looking at us that way, were my injuries still showing? I sat down and Norg sat on one side of me while Timber Wolf sat to my right. I don't know why I'm suddenly so infatuated with him, especially with my mixed emotions for Lyle. But Timber Wolf, he's a superman, well maybe not Kon-EL or M'Onel, but he's super strong, chivalrous, charming, ruggedly handsome and a fearsome warrior. Imra had been starting her introduction speech but suddenly turned bright red. Imra, you didn't just... A message in my head appears, 'I did, sorry, he is cute though, I'll continue now, sorry again Brainy.' Silly Imra.

After she talks battle plan she discusses all of our monitor duty, "Sensor and Karate kid, you will go first for an hour, than myself and Brainiac 5 will go for an hour, Live Wire interrupted, "Imra, couldn't we have monitor duty together, so that we could, you know, talk?" Saturn Girl looked annoyingly at Live Wire, "Garth, this isn't personal chat time, it's make sure nothing with Fatal Five time." Live Wire just slouched in his chair and looked a little put down, but Imra just continued, "Than Lyle and Dreamer will go for an hour, than Live Wire and Star Boy, fallowed by M'Onel and Umbra, after that they'll wake us up and we'll head for the moon." We all thought that this was ok except for Garth, poor Garth.

I decided to go to bed early because I don't know how much sleep I'll been getting, the beds weren't as uncomfortable as I thought, I set an alarm and start dozing off. I register someone coming next to my cot but by the time Lyle, the voice was definitely Lyle's, whispered my name I was out. Coluan don't really dream. If we are home on Colu we can access the dream net while our bodies rest, which connects us to all other sleeping Coluans on world and lets us discuss problems, theories, inventions, and learn from each other. After my transformation I was able for a while to connect anywhere within the Galaxy but not long after I got this ability my people stripped me of almost all my Coluan citizen rights including dream net, so as always tonight I just sleep.

An hour later my alarm goes off and me and Saturn Girl go and relieve Sensor and Karate Kid who seemed to have gotten along well. We check everything and make sure no systems had been bugged or hacked. I decide to start up a conversation, "So, are you and Garth done?" She sighed, "Probably Brainy, I just am having trouble seeing Garth through Jan's crystalline face, Garth is definitely still in there and is kind to me but I think I'm going to break off the engagement." I could tell this was awkward for her but I didn't know what to change the subject to, but as if she was reading my mind, she probably was, she took control of the conversation, "So, you have a thing for Brin Londo?" She said smugly, I blush, "Yah, maybe, thanks for that mental reading though early by the way, that was kind of embarrassing." She smiles, "Yah, sorry about that, I meant no harm."

"So, Brin's a really nice guy, little bit older than you though," I find this amusing, Coluan life spans are three and a half times longer than most humanoids, I'm actually more than double his age, but I know what Imra means, Brin is physically older and more mature which I like. Saturn Girl than looked me in the eyes, "I could have sworn though that you had something for Norg?" I choke on my on breath and blush like wild fire, "Imra, I've only been having these feelings and thoughts for the past day, maybe they've been there all along and I've just never noticed." She laughed at my flushed face than spoke, "ok, well then list the negative and positive about both, start with Timber Wolf." Let me think, "Well he doesn't take orders from just about anyone, he's aggressive and feral," I hear faint footsteps coming towards the monitor room, but I continue, "But Brin is also charming, loyal, ruggedly handsome, strong, and caring." Saturn Girl had her next question waiting, "And what about Lyle?" I already had an answer, "Lyle is stubborn, impulsive, rude, and egotistic." The footsteps stop, I turn around and see no one, why oh why didn't I think more about this, all I did was keep talking, "But he's also sweet, helpful, goofy, and when you really need him he'll always be there for you, I also really like his smile and his messy hair drives me crazy and, and." I notice Imra is smiling widely at me and I stop, "Sorry that was to much." She now was laughing a sweet laugh, "Oh Querl, that was beautiful," and I blush.

(POV Lyle) I couldn't sleep, my shift wasn't for another half an hour but I couldn't get Brainy out of my mind, I have to talk to him. I start heading toward the monitor room, as I get closer I hear Imra and Brainy talking. I can't make it out at first but as I get closer it becomes clearer, I hear Querl talking, "Brin is also charming, loyal, ruggedly handsome, strong, and caring." My heart hits the floor, I feel so low that I don't even notice that my Invisibility activated, Saturn Girl then added one more question as I walk closer to the room and I can now see them, "And what about Lyle?" What could he possibly say, he answered so quickly, "Lyle is stubborn, impulsive, rude, and egotistic." I can't believe what I'm hearing I turn around and fly away. They keep talking but I can't hear them because I'm so frustrated and mad. My old impression of Brainiac might be true, he's nothing more then an egotistic, jerky computer.

I keep flying in no particular direction until I literally crash into Live Wire near the escape pods. "Ow Lyle, what gives?" At first I'm to hot headed to notice anything so I just apologize but I then notice he wasn't just in front of a pod, he was in front of an operational pod. "Why is the pod online?" He started stuttering, "Umm, well, always best, to um, make sure they function properly," I see right through his lies and check the panel see where it's going, "Winath's moon, want some help?" He stared at me shocked, wondering if this were a trick, any other day it would have been but I am one hundred percent serious. "Sure." He said suspiciously. "Great, but you might want to hit this button instead of the other or else it'll set off an alarm and shut all the pods off, no matter what we do though when we launch the people at monitor will be notified, we just have to make sure they can't do anything about it." I get in and start warming all the systems up and deactivating anything that could notify Brainiac or Saturn Girl. "Why are you helping me?"

I take a breath, I'm still very angry and frustrated and I think Garth can see that, "Same reason as you, a person which I share a close relationship with, is toying with my emotions and I just feel like I have something to prove and nothing to lose." He looks just as grim as me, "yup, that sums it up for me as well, let's do this." I nod and start the launch sequence. Not a minute later a secondary com system that I forgot to deactivate channeled Starboy's voice, "Lyle, is that you, I couldn't find you for monitor duty but I didn't think you were mutinying, deactivate the pod." I launch the pod but keep the calm open, "Tell Brainiac 5 this is what a rude, egotistic, stubborn, impulsive partner does." And I shut the com off as well as the pods tracking software so neither the Legion or Fatal Five know where we are. Garth takes one of the controls, "so, what's the plan?" I honestly hadn't thought of that, I just said what first came to mind, "Hit them hard before the see what's coming."

I turned on whatever minimal cloaking this escape pod has. We keep raising higher and higher into the atmosphere and after a minute we break the gravitational pull of the planet. "It'll be an hour and a half till we reach The Five's base, I know this pod is slow but it does it's job." Live Wire spoke, "Lyle, maybe you should take a rest before we get there, I'll wake you up a few minutes before we get there to further plan." I'm reluctant at first but I haven't slept in a couple days and I am tired. I didn't think I would but I managed to fall asleep, it was a dreamless sleep.

"I.K. I.K. wake up," Live Wire was shaking me, "For Valor sake Garth, what's going on?" Panic was all over his crystal face, "We arrived but the pod picked up scanners, our shields and cloaking device have been covering us, and I know some programs to input, but this isn't my specialty and the closer we get the more intense and thorough it will become, you also are hard to wake." This was bad, I take over the controls, I luckily know some more programs to input then Live Wire, but I'm a chemist, the tech knowledge I know is just from my old spy job, courses I've taken for Legion missions, and working with Brainiac 5, this would be easy for him, but for me I'm going to have to pay attention to everything.

Winath's moon is much like earths Mars. We land in a small cave near the base and start walking. The base is in the middle of a huge valley and as we leave the small mountain range we have no cover. "Take my hand and stay close." He looked at me funny, "Live Wire I'm just going to extend my invisibility field around you so we won't be detected." He did what I said and I put one of my arms around him and turned us both invisible. I felt the strain instantly, it's easy to turn myself and my clothes invisible, but to turn others saps plenty of my energy. We keep walking until we get to an air lock. I'm starting to feel dizzy but I tough through and disable the motion sensors for this area and make it so that when I open the air lock they won't be notified.

Once in I let go of Live Wire and I can feel a huge pressure on my whole body leave, I however stay invisible. "We need to take Tharok and Empress down first, because they can raise an alarm faster than the others, that and they are very good at leading the gang, Empress first than Tharok, than we go from there." He nods and we speed along. The base is huge and I just hope we only run into who we want to first.

I see the Emerald Eye and only pray it can't see me, no matter what it'll see Live Wire. Luckily that's part of the plan, but if I'm caught I can say with certainty I'll never reach 20. The eye passes me but see's Garth, now it's loyalties being to Empress first over the Five it should alert her and not them. Garth waits a couple seconds as instructed for Empress and when she turned the corner he uses Element Lads transmutation powers to covers the eye with three layers of minerals.

"Not one more step Empress, I've covered your eye in two layers of fourthdieium which has a tendency to anchor in this dimension, and in between the two layers is filled with highly concentrated gas from Trom that if ignited could explode the whole base, so think your next moves carefully." This was smart taking away the eyes two main ways of escaping being teleportation and burning it's way through anything but this won't stop Empress from killing Garth in seconds, that's why well he was talking I was using my flight ring to float slightly above her. "Legionnaire, you have breathed your last breath." I can't resist having the last word, "Nope!" And as she turns her head up to look at me I turn visible again and land directly on her head.

"Nice k.o." Garth tells me, "Thanks but let me tie her up first so that when she wakes she can't surprise attack us." With that I pull a thin, but super strong string from one of my poaches on my belt and tie her up and stick her and the eye in the nearest empty room. "We need to find Tharok next and take out both his robotic half and human half, I brought a mini EMP to do the job, it won't deactivate him though, just paralyze part of him stiff." Garth had an important question to ask next, "And how are we supposed to find him, we came across the patrolling eye by chance, this base is bigger than my parents farm, Tharok could be anywhere." I thought for a moment, "If we allow any wires and electronic signals then we should be able to find a control room where he'll almost certainly be, let's go."

I turned Invisible again and we headed towards the control room, my scanner confirmed that we were heading in the direction that many signals were coming from. At one point we came to a huge opening. I looked in and almost had a heart attack. In the center of the huge room lay Validus, the largest, most deadly Fatal Five member, thank Valor he was a sleep. We walk by the room as fast as we can and pray that he does not wake up.

We keep walking until we reach what I am sure to be the control room, I stop but Garth keeps walking, "Garth," he jumps than turned around, "Sorry Lyle, didn't know where you were, is this it?" I turn visible for a minute so he'd know where I am, "Yes I believe this is the spot, you need to enter first and electrocute him, it should distract him so I can get close enough to place the EMP on him." He nods and I turn invisible again. He opens the door and rushes in while I fallow.

Live Wire didn't get enough time to shoot Tharok with his electronic blast because Tharok shot him with his plasma-canon arm first. It knocked Garth down but luckily he was still alive and somewhat conscious. I start making my way to him. "Stupid legionnaire, when Empress didn't check in I checked all secondary systems and found out you took her out. I sent Persuader to free her and Mano will be here any second, also I raised the shields because I saw your reinforcement coming, you shouldn't have come alone." Live Wire somehow managed a smile, "I didn't." With that I place the EMP on his robotic arm and that whole side of him froze. I felt like celebrating but there was something I didn't put into account, his biological side is very strong. He managed to spin around and found out where I was by hitting me with such force that I heard something snap in my arm. I hit the wall, I hurt to much to remain invisible.

If life couldn't get any worse Mano burst in with his poisons arm ablaze. I managed to see Live Wire with the help of his flight ring kick Mano just above his lower arm and Mano howled in pain. Mano retaliated however by fling Garth around with his other arm, flinging him to the ground and I could tell he was out this time. Tharok dragged his paralyzed body towards me and just as I was getting back up he kicked me in the leg and I knew it was now broken too. Persuader and a newly freed Empress walked in and Tharok turned towards them for a second and I managed to back a little space to move but not a lot.

I'm backed into a corner, poor Garth is still out cold and has a nasty gash on his head. The Fatal Five all turn towards me. Persuader raises his atomic ax, Tharok points a blaster he had picked up at me with his non-paralyzed arm. A very annoyed Empress points one of her dagger and Mano raised his toxic arm towards me supported by his non broken arm. I close my eyes and wonder if it was worth it. I prepare for the end.

I open my eyes expecting to be dead but instead I see a familiar force field protecting me and Live Wire. I hear a mental suggest in my mind to fly straight up and I notice a small gap in the field at the top and I fly right over the evil villains. As soon as I'm over them every legionnaire bursts in, they protect me and Garth as Imra takes him out of the fight and Umbra takes me out. I see Brainy in the fight and he's the last thing I see before I fall unconscious from my injuries.

Brainiac 5, Coluan Outlaw

(POV Lyle) When I gain consciousness everything hurt, and was sore, but I can feel someone addressing my wounds. They aren't doing it gently. I open my eyes just for a second and I see that it's Querl, I close my eyes again but he speaks, "I saw that Norg, that and your vitals show that you are awake." I slowly open my eyes and see a very cross Querl looking back.

"Hey Brainy, I" He snaps at me, "Don't you 'Hey Brainy' anything, do you know what you did? You helped high jack an escape pod with Live Wire instead of turning him in, you left against orders and messed up the plan, if our ship wasn't as fast as it was and Sensor didn't make it look like we failed we would have never been able to rescue you or take them down. Validus ended up waking up and we had to put our focus towards him, The Five managed to escape along with Validus and many legionnaires were injured, maybe not to your extent but it could have been way worse, all of this, all of it because of something you thought you heard." This really hurts, but did he say 'thought I heard' I thought he sounded pretty clear, "Lyle what you heard was a list of negative aspects about you and was fallowed by an extremely long list of stuff I like about you, but now I think the negative might have been more accurate."

I laid there in silence as he continued to treat his wounds but when he was done and started to leave I couldn't let him go or else we'll just go back to being bickering lab partners, so I stand up with great effort and hold back tears from the pain and keep a straight face, "Brainy, I am so sor." He wouldn't let me finish again, and this time he whipped around and kicked me in my broken leg, I scream as I fall to the ground, "You aren't sorry, you willingly went on that possible suicide mission without taking anything into account," I try again to stand and eventually use my flight ring to help a bit, he keeps talking, "You should never have gone, I care about you and the last few years have been very painful, but when you went up to that base I thought I lost you, you have no idea what it's like to lose someone you care about Norg."

His face showed that he realized his mistake but it was to late, I'm furious, "Sorry Brainy, but this time you went too far because you didn't forget and you did know, you know my parents are dead, you know about how it was my fault my adopted brother died, you know how many Legionnaires have died that I will forever miss, you know that the year you and Reep were in the second Galaxy that I thought you were dead, I mourned you, I was in so much pain, but then you came back and I thought everything would work out but want to hear something else you already know, I lost my boyfriend, the person I had loved the most for years only weeks later, I never got to say goodbye and for you to say I don't know what it's like to lose someone I care about, is your 12 level intellectual ego getting in the way of your thinking!" He stared me in the eyes with shame and it calmed me down slightly but I had one more point to make, "But what you don't know is after all that lose when I saw you collapse to the ground, being non-responsive something inside me broke but also clicked, and from there I realized something, I'm in love with you Querl Dox, that's why I risked my mind to save yours and that's why I've been acting so weird and that's why when I heard you say those soul ripping things about me that I left for a possible suicide mission, because hearing that was the greatest lose of something I cared about in a long time. I love your quirky humor, your wit, your intelligence, your dedication to whatever you put your mind to, I love your hair, and I love your personality more than anything else, I know this is hard to hear but I wanted you to know."

Brainy was now blushing like crazy, but he also looked like he was in pain, going to throw up, or was resisting something, "Gee, Brainy, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you or make you feel uncomfortable." He looked at me but not in the face as if scared at me, "I'm not hurt, I deserved that, but you also deserved what I said, but the last thing you said is really making me want to do something that no Coluan would approve of and I think it really isn't the best time but my body feels like it's dying for this thing, I should really go, I'm really sorry for kicking you," he kept shuffling in one spot for a second then turned to leave but I took his arm and every hair on him stood on end, he froze and wouldn't look at me as if afraid it would kill him,"Norg, please don't touch me or I will do something that we both might regret, give me time to calm down." I turn him to face me, I put my hand on his warm cheek so that he's forced to look at me but he won't look in my eyes, "Querl Dox, you got to stop using your brain for everything, I just said I love you and I...," he cut me off by pulling me into the most intense kiss I've ever felt in the real world before I could get another word out. He pulled away for a second, "I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have..." I wouldn't let him finish by pulling him back in, I put my hands through his amazing yellowish blonde hair and just couldn't let go of his beautiful green skin. I just didn't know how much I needed this, it felt like the whole world was clearer.

(POV Querl) I hadn't know what to do, when Lyle said he loved me, almost every part of me was screaming at me to kiss him. This was illogical however because I was mad at him for what he did, and the location wasn't proper, and despite living among humans who have loved whoever they want to love for centuries I kept thinking about Coluan law. I tried to explain that I understood what he said but that I needed to calm myself down. Then he touched me in the most gentlest way, he said that I should stop thinking and I lost all control. I pulled him in for a kiss before I could think twice, when our lips touched I had no idea that I wanted that kiss and him so badly but I guess I really did.

It started out as just a kiss but I wanted more, I wanted more desperately, that's when I cut him off before I'd do something worse, I stated my apology but he just pulled me back in and we started making out. I put my fingers through his messy brown hair and my hands on his face just to feel him, I had no idea how much I loved him.

We kept making out but at one point I put my arm tightly around his waist and he yelped in pain. "Lyle?!!" Face still pain stricken, he tried for a smile, "Sorry to scare you, my bones might be mending at a fast pace but they're still broken," I hurt him, we've only been connected for 5 minutes and I've hurt him. This will never work, and if the Coluan council ever found out I'd be denied the last bit of Coluan culture I was entitled to, my birth right, "I'm so sorry, the last thing I wanted was to hurt you, I just remembered that I'm needed on the bridge, we can discuss this rationally later when we're calm." And I left for the bridge, I could hear him call my name but I was already gone.

(POV Lyle) "Brainy, come back." That stupid idiot, if he gets to the bridge it'll be hours before we could talk in private again. I try and run after him but my leg couldn't take it and the pain was unbearable so I used my flight ring. I leave the med-bay to fallow. On my way I'm distracted when I see Live Wire and Imra making out, this gave me mixed feelings. On one hand I was glad that Imra and Garth were back together but on the other he still had Jan's face and there passion made me jealous and mad at Brainy for leaving in such a hurry.

I catch up but I was to late, he'd made it to the bridge, M'Onel, who was also just getting to the bridge took one look at me and sent me back to the ships med-bay for the remainder of the voyage home. "But the team needs me?" M'Onel often was loving and excepting but he still had some disappointment on his expression, "Lyle, the bridge doesn't need you right now after the stunt you pulled, we managed to get by there force field but they were now expecting us and Umbra had her arm broken and Timber Wolf got burned. They're fine now but it could've been worse and you shouldn't have disobeyed Kid Quantum and Imra's orders, wait in the med-bay till we return to earth."

I do as M'Onel says and rest and recover in the med-bay until we arrive at Legion World. When we do land in Legion World I go to the main exit of the cruiser and wait for Brainy but he must have already found a way off. I turn invisible as I exit the legion cruiser to avoid paparazzi because I hate being seen by large crowds, old spy habits. So I head to the threshold chamber so I can go directly to Legion HQ on the ground. I decide it would be best to take my mind off things by working on a project Val had given me. I'm glad the nano-surgery was working, I might still be using my flight ring, but at this rate my injuries will be gone in just a couple of days so Brainy won't be able to use that stupid 'I could hurt you' excuse anymore.

I'm just about to enter me and Brainy's old lab that since we got Legion World has been mostly mine, when the door suddenly slides open and Querl with a big box full of equipment comes through and we run right into each other. I turn visible, he trips and the stuff in the box goes everywhere, he try's to grab onto me for support but my foot work fails me and I land right on top of him. I lift my body up slightly and our faces are right in line, I feel his slightly panicked breath on my face, his eyes locked with mine, I feel my heart rate increase along with his. Every fiber in me wants to kiss him and his blushing green face but I know that's not what he wants right now so I get up. Once I'm up I offer him a hand and he takes it. I have so much on my mind that all I can say is, "Hey." I mentally slap myself in the face for such a dumb move, "Um, hi, you knocked over all the equipment that I was moving to the new lab, could you help pick them up instead of just standing there?" One of my arms is still broken but I start picking up the smaller stuff with my good arm. "Brainy, you promised that we would talk when we're calm, I'm calm, and you look calm, so lets talk." He sighed, "Ok, but lets talk in the lab where it is more private."

Once we were in the lab we start talking. "How long have you had these feelings for me?" Awkward question but I answered it, "Probably ever since we started working together, especially after the space anomaly, but I hadn't started listening to my feelings until a few months ago." He nods and I decide to ask a similar question back at him, "How do you feel about me, and also how long?" I guess this is also an awkward question but we both keep a calm collective head, "Lyle I care a great deal about you, I could never let anything happen to you, I think I've liked you a while but only more so since the space anomaly." We're both next to a work bench and I spot his hand leaning on it and I put mine down next to his, slowly bringing it closer. It was around this point that the conversation diverges into two conversations. A calm one with spoken language and a totally separator, non spoken physical one.

"Well, where do you want this relationship between us to go?" I put my hand on his. "I'm not quite sure Lyle, I don't think us dating would be the best idea." at these saddening words I was going to take my hand off his but he took it and squeezed it tightly giving me courage to fight back, "Why should we not date, we both have feelings for each other?" I stroked my finger along the palm of his hand, "Well if we just keep a professional teammate relationship we won't end up like Imra and Garth." I took his other hand and we are now looking into each others eyes intensely but the calm conversation continues a little longer, "Brainy, I don't want whatever we have or could have to be compared to what happened to two others that aren't us," Then the first conversation ended when Brainy surprisingly said, "Oh Lyle, can you just be sprocken quiet so that we can make out." And that's what we did.

(POV Querl) I had been trying to get out of the situation calm and collectively but a huge part of me wanted exactly what Lyle was saying and it eventually won. We are know where we left off in the med-lab. Although not thinking as straight as I normally do I try and take note not to put pressure on his broken arm, ribs or leg. Eventually I'm about to pull him down to the work bench we had been leaning on but as we descend he pushes me aside. "Stop, this bench in covered in invisible melee weapons for Karate Kids collection of weapons, prototypes, but still super sharp and deadly." He says panting slightly. I point to the next bench, "what about that one?" I ask and a maniacal smile crosses his face, "Nothing on that one." His smile is contagious, "you mean not yet." And I grab him by the collar and we continue.



We just keep going until our legion rings priority alpha alert goes off. To my deepest regrets I take Lyle off me and we both answer, "Chuck to any legionnaires in HQ, do you copy?" I sigh, "Yes Chuck, what is wrong?" I can here the panic in his voice, "Gear had just returned from a robotic world in the second Galaxy and he seems to have picked up a virus that even his systems couldn't handle, he went on a rampage and is heading to the threshold chamber to head to Earth, Saturn Girl managed to convince the Kwai guide to transport him to HQ, the second he enters you must shut him down or he'll spread his crippling virus and corrupted nanotechnology worldwide, we're dealing with there affects here and won't be able to send back up for at least two days, we're sending M'Onel, and Shikari but they won't arrive for another half an hour at there top speeds, Gear will arrive in 10 minutes and 35 seconds, good luck, Chuck out."

Without a moment to spare I head straight for the labs main computer and start modifying a cell in the brig, Lyle comes up behind me, "So what's the plan Brainy?" I don't take my eyes off the computer, "One, don't call me Brainy right now because it makes me want to passionately kiss you, two I'm currently rearranging a cells force fields to contain Gear until he can be cured, third of all do you know how to make a localized EMP?" I can almost feel his sarcastic grin behind me, "Br-Querl, you act like you don't even know me, if I use your equipment I can have it done in 7 minutes." I sigh, "not fast enough, I'll be done in 1 minutes then I can cut 2 minutes off your time, now go."



He rushes over to a work bench and takes out equipment and starts working frantically, once I'm done I go over to assist, sweat drips from his face. "That circuit should be attached to that one" I point out, he hands the device over and I let my heads and brain do the work. Once it's done I hand it back to him. "I'm going to monitor the whole HQ from here and when he arrives I'll tell you to activate the EMP and where he is, once activate all technology in the HQ, including him will shut down, this will include normal lighting, any interface, flight rings and the Nano-surgeons currently healing you." His face shows panic, "won't that kill me, and also what about the implants on your face?" "We don't have much time but yes hours with the nano-surgeons in your system not doing there job will kill you but the EMP will deactivate in only 20 minutes so you will live, I believe the implants only hold my force-field ability, I doubt anything more."

(POV Lyle) I leave for the location Gear is most likely to appear, I'm scared but I never let that show or take me over. I get there and wait, I wait 30 seconds, then a minute, then 2 and I start getting psyched but then here a threshold start to open and I don't even need Brainy's communication to know that I must activate the device now. A flash of light then many things start happening at once. I'm suddenly in much more pain, I guess the nano-surgeons also delivered pain relief. My flight ring no longer works but that's why Brainy gave me a crutch, the lights are out and only a disproportionate blue light glows from the chemical lights I had installed for an occasion just like this. I also heard someone in pain then drop to the floor. I turn to see that Gear had appeared behind me and had attempted an attack before shutting down. His body, limp on the floor, was still shaking, but his organic parts seemed to be taking over allowing him to live until he's reactivated.

The Kwai Pathfinder stared at his abductor, "Is Metal Legion monster dead?" Without the telepathic plugs I can barely understand him, but I just shake my head to let him know that he's alive. I could only hope that he understands United Planets Sign Language, 'Translators down, are you hurt?' Thank goodness he signed back, 'Just startled, I am called Trr'amon, and you?' I know that we don't have much time and I want to get back to Brainy but Trr'amon had been through a lot, 'My name is Lyle Norg but my legion alias is Invisible Kid, my arm is broken, would you mind helping me take him to his cell, you should put up your armor so that any possible bio-virus doesn't enter your system.' He nods and the coolest thing happen, an unbreakable, air tight exoskeleton forms around his entire body except for his wings, the biological evolution behind this just must be incredible.

Trr'amon picks up Gear and I pick up the EMP, I don't want to just leave it hanging around, and we take him to the cell Brainy prepared. All power is off, we place him in the cell and I hope that Brainy had set up a code that would activate the field once the power in restored. Trr'amon faced me and we continued to sign, 'I believe I should exit the building and head to a medical facility to get my armour cleaned so I don't infect anyone or anything, unless my service is of further need?' I shake my head, 'No Trr'amon, you are doing the responsible thing, just make sure to lock whatever entrance you exit from, I don't want anyone getting out if the field doesn't work.' I cannot see his face through his exoskeleton but I believe he is smiling, 'Goodbye Invisible Kid.' And with that he spread his dragonfly like wings and flies away.

I start walking back to the lab, I don't know if it's selfish of me but I can't get Brainy off my mind. The EMP will ware off in 10 minutes or so but the pain in my arm, leg and ribs, not to mention robots flowing uncontrolled around my entire body is almost to much to take. I hear footsteps coming towards me from around the bend so I stop, lean on my crutch, and call out, "Querl?!! Is that you?!" No response. I turn invisible with great effort and call one more time, "Hello, who the sprock are you?!" Still no response but a few seconds later Brainy turns the corner. I sigh in relief because I couldn't maintain the invisibility field and was in no condition to fight an intruder.

Once visible Brainy stops and looks at my and I get a good look at him. He's got a maniacal smile on that sets alarms off in my mind and an interesting belt on that held ancient, simple tools and what looked like it would have something else on it but doesn't. "Brainy... Is everything ok?" His smile only grew somehow, "Why yes Lyle, I'm perfectly 'ok' in fact I am functioning at 100% better capacity than normal, I believe I answered your earlier question wrong Lyle Norg, these implants that appeared on my head after the space anomaly don't just control my force field ability, they also inhibit my new found intelligence." Something really isn't right here and I decide to stall him, "That's great Brainy, but what's with the smile?" He looks at me now with disgust, I know he's not himself but that still hurt, "I had told you not to call me Brainy when I'm working on a situation, and I hadn't even noticed that I had been smiling, now step aside, I must get to Gear before the EMP weres out."

This can't be good, "What do you want with Gear, he's contagious?" He rolled his eyes, "I know you are stalling me but I'll answer you this to amuse you, I'm going to modify him with these non electronic tools to help me reset all technology on Earth to do as I command, than we'll go from system to system and you would be a fool to stop me." I know that I can't let him do that, but I also know deep down he'd never hurt me, "Gear can't be made into a living world wide EMP and whatever else you said, he's in human form and unconscious," he steps forward and I do to, I puff out my chest and hope he doesn't see the pain my ribs just caused me, "silly human, of course I can get to his robotic parts, I'm just going to have to cut him open, and him being unconscious means he'll feel no pain and won't complain or put up a fight."

This is bad, this is so bad. He's going to kill poor Gear if he has to, to get what he wants. I have to keep stalling despite his obvious growing agitation. "Brainy, you can't-" "I. Said. Don't. Call. Me. BRAINY!!!!!!!!!" He charges at me but I used my crutch to push him back a little and without the crutch I'm leaning against the wall for support." His furious expression terrified me, "Insolent 6 level intellectual human, you've been in my way to long, you are weak, stupid, and a freak of nature, do you know what Coluans do to homosexuals on Colu." All I can do is beg, "Please Querl, you said you cared about me, that you could never hurt me, you wouldn't hurt me, ple-" "You talk to much you small worthless freak." And now being so close my invisibility field reacted with what was one of the things on his belt, my eyes widened with complete horror as he removes one of my invisible daggers from his belt and thrusts it in me. I don't remember much that happens next.

Forever Thinking, Stop Thinking

(POV Querl) I didn't manage to make it to Gears cell in time before the EMP wore off and my inhibitors started working again. I froze in my tracks realizing my actions and ran back to Lyle. When I got there he was a literal bloody mess and he was clutching the handle to the blade now sticking out of his torso. I activated my legion ring, "Brainiac 5 to any Legionaire, Lyle is down and critically hurt, I need any Legionaire on route to take a detour and collect medics from a hospital, please hurry." A second of silence then a response, "This is M'Onel, I've set Shekari to the center, she'll threshold there in about a minute and I'm almost there myself." At this I drop to my knees and try and do a rapid body search of him but he wouldn't let me, "Common Lyle, please." He was clearly delusional but in his withering pain he managed to say, "No, you monster, you betrayed me, you killed me." Blood continued to spill and a second later he fell unconscious and I was able to compete me search and try to slow the blood flow, I knew better than to remove the unseeable knife, so I just held him in my arms trying not to cry as I waited.



When the threshold opened I let them do there work, I might have medical training but I'm no doctor. "I see the wound, but what caused it? I see no weapon," Before the first responder could touch the wound I frantically say, "There is a weapon still inside him, it's invisible, a dagger, ancient Chinese class, just feel around for it." They also did a rapid scene and body search before putting him on a hover med-bed and got him ready for the threshold. "Shekari, can you safely take the first responder, Lyle, and myself to the hospital without hurting him even more?" Her grave face never seems to change, "Of course Green Legionnaire, the healer will just need a moment." And so I paced until M'Onel flies into the hall, he looks like he's going to stop but I quickly tell him, "No, go to the cell and make sure Gear is secure then make arrangements for him to be treated." He then flies right by towards the cells.



We then go through the Threshold and everything starts going so fast. Once through Lyle starts coughing up blood and I panic, but the now swarming doctors won't let me see him. They take him to a room for emergency surgery and despite my perfect qualifications they won't let me in because of him being a teammate that I have personal connections with. With some luck Doctor Gym'll is one of the surgeons but that doesn't comfort me that much. Than time slows down. I sit down right outside. I process everything so I process nothing. I do register Saturn girl sitting next to me but I can only think about Lyle. My Lyle, I just got him and now I might lose him, if I do I think I'll... "You'll do NO such thing Querl!"



"Imra, he trusted me, I promised him I'd keep him safe, and, it wasn't Gear who stabbed him, I know this incriminates me but it was me." She gasped but stayed silent, "The implants are inhibitors and they turned off temporary and in that time I stabbed him." She looked at me like she was about to say something but I had to get this off my chest, "We decided to be a couple, we have feelings for each other but were to apprehensive to act upon them until we finally did, we we happy, but only 20 minutes later I had put a blade through him and once my inhibitors reactivated he called me a monster and that I killed him, Imra, what have I done?" I start shaking as I try to understand what's going on, I try to suppress my emotions like I uses to do but ever since my coma I've been finding it almost unbearably hard.



I resist tears but I put my head in my hands and continue to shake uncontrollably, is this what shock is like, I am in shock. I didn't expect what Imra did next though, she got off her chair and kneeled in front of me. She then proceeded to rap her arms around me. We just stayed like that for a minute or two, I desperately needed her friendship right now. "I got you Querl, I got you." Than the door opened and Doctor Gym'll stepped out, "We have a situation, he's been put under and he could be easily stabilized and healed once the blade is removed, but the blade is still invisible and in his dire state he keeps going in and out of visibility as well, we can't scan anything with an invisibility field, so we can't remove the blade without knowing how far it's embedded into him, we need your help or he's going to die."



This puts me into over drive, "SHEKARI!!!!!!!! Get to my location NOW and arrange for an emergency threshold from my location to the legion world lab!!!" Thank Colu she responded, "There soon Green Legion." I only had to wait a minute for her to fly in then she talked into her ring and a threshold opened up. We walked through then I got to work, Legion World was still a mess from Gears infection and my implants started to hurt but I had to take a risk that they'd stay active. I go over to a side project I had been working on a month ago, I feel guilty about it now because of my new conscience but I had been working on emergency ways to take down each legionnaire, including Lyle. A scanner that can see in detail invisibility fields. I pick it up and make sure that it's operational and not effected by Gears virus than headed back through the Threshold.



I don't care about protocol anymore I push through the doctors and see Lyle, but not see him at the same time, withering in pain, unconscious but still clenching the blade inside of him. I activate the scanner and hand it to one of the robotic surgeons so that they all new what they were doing. I bark order on what to do but it was myself who was actually doing them. He won't remember any of this but I hold his hand, I hold it tightly as they remove the blade. After that they ask me to leave so they can do there work and I refuse, they try and take my arm and lead me out but I shake them off, than they picked me up forcefully and threw me out. I bang on the door to let me back in but I hear Imra come up behind me and she touches my head and all I can hear is sleep. I try and resist her mental command but it is to much and I pass out.



(POV Lyle) I woke up in a Metropolis Hospital bed very groggy and drugged up. I can't quite remember the last 48 hours. I look over and see Chameleon, he looks tired but hasn't noticed that I'm awake yet "Reep, what is going on, why am I here?" He looks up and smiles his goofy smile when he sees that I'm awake, he comes over and gives me a big hug, his cool orange skin gave me some comfort, "Lyle, thank goodness you are ok, I was so worried about you. Are you actually awake this time, because over the past day you've been in and out of consciousness but not really there." I am glad for his concern but he didn't respond how I wanted, "Cham, you didn't answer my question." He stood next to me, "Sorry, Your in a hospital recovering from your stabbing, which is almost healed and your previous injuries are all healed." Plenty of memories start flooding back, "Brainiac, he, he, where is he Reep?" He sighed, "If you had woken up an hour ago he would have been by your side, he's been watching over you for four days, but half an hour ago the Science Police took him away to be interviewed for what he did to you."

I now remember that it was Querl that stabbed me, "Cham, it was him but it wasn't at the same time, he has mental inhibitors that deactivated, get me a counteractive drug that will let me walk without wobbling." He tried to calm me down, "We already know, and I'll get you the drug, but the Science Police just want to be thorough, they most likely will let him go for the fact of the inhibitors but also the fact that he saved your life afterwards, oh and they also want to speak with you." That's a lot to take in, I'm starting with the last statement, "Speak with me, about my stabbing or the Winath incident?" He winked at me, "The S.P. don't know about what happened on Winath, Gear's virus wiped that log and after you helped save Earth the legion decided to let it go, but you're still doing monitor duty for a month, they just want to know your side of the story for the attack." He hands me the injection and I take it, I start to feel clearer headed already, "You said Brainy saved my life?" My good old pal smiled, "Yes he did Lyle, he called for help and found a device that could scan you while invisible so that the surgeons could do there job."

The drugs start working and I get off the hover bed and stand up, I'm glad that I'm still wearing my uniform and not some silly med-suit. "Where are you going, you should wait for a med-bot to sign you out" I hate to do it but it's lying time, "I'll be back, I just need to take a walk, I won't be to long but you don't need to stay." He puts his hand to his forehead, "Lyle, you might be a spy but we're both on the espionage squad, just go see brainy and stop lying to your closest friend, I could be on a date with Ayla right now but I wanted to be hear with you." I give him the nod of respect, "Thanks Cham, can you sign me out than?" He smiles and helps me get out of the hospital so that I could go see Brainy.

As a legionnaire I can walk into just about an location in The United Planets but I don't want to answer S.P. questions right now. So I activate my powers and sneak into S.P. headquarters. I have been here on legion business enough to know the layout and I go into the interrogation wing. After a couple minutes I find Brainy's room and sneak into the listen in room next door. It seems that officer Erwin was his interrogator which was good news, and it seems like she's trying to rape things up.

"You literally had no control over your own actions, you did a wrong, and the second you had control you did everything in your power to try and help. I can't arrest your super brain side and the medical records check out your alibi so we'll let you go as long as you promise to find a why to keep your inhibitors operational no matter what." She finished and stood up, since I've arrived he's had his head low and looks miserable and deep in thought. Officer Erwin notices he doesn't get up and sits back down, "Is there something else on your mind?" He signs and looks up at her, "I myself might be innocent, but part of me was a bystander, I was still conscious and aware when the other part did what it did, I had no control but I watched as 'I' stabbed him, as he stabbed the man I love." Erwin didn't react to this by I felt like I was hit with a ton of bricks, did he just say he loved me? "Then once I had control I ran to him. He was delirious and his blood was everywhere. I wanted to help but he protested, he called me a monster, that I betrayed him and said that I killed him and he passed out and I thought I did kill him. I did what I could to stop the blood with very little success and I knew that it was the nano-surgeon that were keeping him alive." He took a breath and I realized that there were tears coming down his face, "All I could do was hold him in my arms, an hour before we were making out and than I was covered in his blood that I spilled, why did this happen to me?" He starts to really cry and Erwin puts her arm around him as she escorted him out.

I was so focused on Brainy that I had not been focusing on my powers and as I leave the room to tell Brainy he's not a monster, an officer notices me, "Invisible kid, I did not see you there, we've been looking for you, the interrogation room is next door, I will be in with you in just a minute." "Sprock," I think as I head to an empty room instead of going to comfort the nerd I love.

After an hour of questions I head to a threshold platform to get to Legion World. I have to hope that Querl is there somewhere. I get there and feel a little light headed, I forgot about the fact that I was still recovering and didn't have much energy. I realize that I need to rest and that I'm in no condition to talk with Querl. I make my way to the quarters the legion had set up for me but I never use. I barely make it to the bed before passing out. The dreams were crazy, intense and made no sense. I woke up in cold sweat, and sore because the medication had worn off and the nano-surgeons were leaving my system because there work was done, so no pain relief. I took a shower and made myself presentable for the day.

When I checked the time I was surprised, I had slept through the afternoon, the night and it's almost noon again. I guess that was the final thing I needed for recovery. I checked my messages on my console, a few get well soon messages from friends and my old adopted family that I should really send a message back some day soon. A message saying I missed this mornings Legion meeting and a message from Querl was left sometime last night. It read, "Lyle, I was informed that you had woken up but that you were asleep in your quarters so I'm leaving this message for you, I am so sorry. I will never be able to fully apologize to you for what I did to you, I can't blame anyone but myself. I have thought long and hard and come to the conclusion that being in this relationship can't work out because there is great risk involved and I can't lose someone I care so deeply about. So I think that we should just keep it professional like we originally planned. All I want is for you to be happy and healthy, and to find someone you love."

This broke my heart to read, for a second I was going to do what he asked, but then my adrenaline kicked in and I headed out the door. Once outside I went to the nearest computer console, I try internal scanners to find brainy but that system is still buggy from the virus. I turn on my legion ring, "Saturn Girl, can you do a mental sweep and find Brainy, I need to talk to him." She responded, "No need, I was just talking with him, he told me he doesn't want to speak with you, he says I shouldn't tell you that he's in the Titan bio dome near the Methane river, so I'm going to be a good friend and do as he says." I smile, "thanks for nothing Imra." With a chuckle she finished with saying, "Your welcome."

I wanted to pull all the stops to get Brainy's admiration but I then remembered less is more and changed my plans. I changed into semi formal civilian outfit and stopped by the Colu bio done to pick something up than went to find that crazy Coluan. Finding him was easy with Imra's not help, he was still by the lazy river in the Titan dome. He is sitting on a stone bench and looks like a mess, his hair is all messy and he is slouched over with his head in his cupped hands. I can't stand to see him like this. I turn invisible and go over to see him.

I walk silently over to him, then kneel right in front of him. He's sobbing silently and he has dark circles under his eyes from lack of sleep but also puffy from crying. Still invisible I take his hands away from his tear soaked face, wipe away his tears then pull him ever so gently into a sweet kiss. I pull away and sit next to him than turn visible. He looks like he's going to say something but I put one of my hands to his mouth so he won't ruin my plan. "Querl, I got your letter and one of course I forgive you, I might not have liked being stabbed but I know it wasn't really you, but second I'm appalled you didn't tell me these things in person with out me to say anything back until now." I take a breath but don't remove my hand, "I understand what happened has scared you. It scared me just as much, but there will always be risk involved in the legion but that doesn't mean no members can date, I excepted all risks the day Officer Erwin delivered my legion drafting notice. But to be honest I agree with the ending of your message, so I'm going to tell you, I am healthy now, if you know me you know I'm almost always happy, and I did find someone I love, I'm looking right at him."

He looks like he's going to cry again but I wasn't finished yet, I take out what I got at the Coluan bio dome, a single alien green flower, "I assume you know what this is, this is a Coluan courting flower, it's one of the few traditions your culture has, I'm giving it to you in hopes that you will except it and be my boyfriend, and don't think of an answer, for once follow solely from heart." I finally remove my hand from his mouth. Even though there were tears in his eyes he looked so happy, he took the flower, "I except your courting flower and the meaning behind it, although in tradition it's given to a woman to wear in her hair for the day." I blush, I didn't know that, but brainy just took the flower and put it in his hair tucked on top of his right ear. I then pull him into a hug. "I love you."

The Guilty Party

(POV Brainy) It's been a few months since me and Lyle started dating, for many reasons we decided to keep our relationship a secret. Only Saturn Girl, Sensor and Chameleon know of our relationship. This really annoys Lyle, but I'm still not used to being gay and still a little insecure about it, that and what if the Coluan council found out.

It is the day Christians called Christmas. I was hardly aware of this because I had been in my lab for the past two days. I expected to continue to work but Lyle burst in all cheery, "There you are, Merry Christmas my favourite nerd." He came and kissed me on the cheek and put a headband with fake felt antlers with tiny bells on my head. "Lyle, you know I am atheist and don't celebrate your holidays." He still smiled, "I am not Christian and I still celebrate, for religious people it means more but for everyone else it is about spending time with your friends and family that you love, everyone behaves and is kind to one another. It's also an excuse to party." He paused, "You still don't care, do you?" I answer honestly, "No."

He sighed, "Get up, get a shower, and put on your best dress uniform because you are attending tonight's Christmas party." I can't believe this, "Lyle-" he cut me off, "No Lyle's or but's, you are going and that's that, besides we made a deal about how long you are allowed in your lab and you've surpassed it, so you owe me this night." I look in his eyes and I know there's no fighting him, he'd drag me if he had to. "Fine, I will do as you wish, but you know fancy outfits are not my thing." He had his signature smug look on, "But Querl, you look so sexy in fancy clothes." He kisses me then starts walking out, "Legion memorial garden, 6:00." And with that he left leaving me blushing, but now determined to impress him tonight.

I did what he said. I took a sonic shower, picked out the best outfit I own which was actually a gift from RJ Brande when I joined the Legion, and I slicked my hair back like I used to do when I had long hair. After that I headed to the Memorial garden. It was so beautiful that even I could appreciate it. There were some ancient cheesy Christmas stuff in certain areas, along with other winter holiday decorations from every culture, but there was other stuff as well. Gear had placed flower petals everywhere and placed Atlantian crystal lights around the statues of our fallen comrades, the gazebo had be decorated with many different flowers, and in the middle of everything there was a round wooden table for us to sit at. Almost everyone was there already, I went to talk to Imra who was with Garth talking to Ayla and Cham. Imra was wearing this amazing pink sleeveless dress and I had to compliment her, "Is it ok to say you look beautiful when you are standing next to your fianc??" Garth chuckles and Imra laughs, "Thank you Brainy, you look dashing as well." I join there friendly conversation, eventually a lot of the legion made it to the gazebo.

I stood around the centre and a few members whispered, then Lyle came next to me to say hi and everybody froze and stared at us. I had no idea way, I kept looking around, Umbra's face was so smug I knew something was up. So I looked up and right above Lyle and I's head was a green earth plant with red berries, Mistletoe. Lyle was looking up now to and looked back at me. He obviously was concerned about our agreement to keep our relationship secret, I had 34 possible ways to end this situation, but I decided to take a risk. I took Lyle by surprise and kissed him on the lips, he of course kissed back, some stayed silent in shock but Legionnaires like Xs and Kinetix started cheering and clapping. Right after Umbra pulled M'Onel under the mistletoe which seemed to put a smirk on Lyle's face for some reason. People congratulated us but then we continued on with the night.

Dinner was amazing, I never had Winath pluberrie pie before but it was delicious. While everyone was still eating Saturn Girl stood up to make an announcement, the table fell silent, "I have an announcement to make, me and Garth have finally decided on a date for our wedding. It will be on Earth's Valentine's Day and you're all invited." Everyone cheered and clapped but she wasn't finished, "Garth decided it will be a Winathian double wedding." Before anyone said anything Xs fired up her super speech, "Doubleweddingi'veneverseenoneofthosebeforeit'sgoingtobebeautifulwaithowcanitbeadoubleweddingifitsjustonecouple?" Cham interrupted, "I can answer your question Jenni." He stood up and got down on one knee next to Alya, everyone gasped and stared, "Alya, we might not be a traditional couple, a humanoid and a Durlan, but we have made it work and stayed together through thick and thin, I stayed determined even when you thought your secret admirer was Lyle and when you were stuck in the past, and you stayed strong when you thought I was dead in the other galaxy. You don't just love me for what's on the inside which is very important to a shapeshifter, but you love all the possibilities that I can be. You love me for who I am and I love that about you. There's no other farm girl turned electrifying superhero I'd like to spend my life with more, will you Alya Jyn Ranzz be my bride?" By this point she's crying and there's sparks coming from the tips of her fingers, she nods her head and Reep puts the ring on her finger. He flinches from the shock but smiles and then they hug, everyone was so happy.

Near the end with all the buzz, after the group picture was done everyone decided to do couple shots, Imra and Garth, Rokk and Jazmine, Alya and Reep, Jo and Tinya while holding baby Cub, Jenni and Dyrk, Thom and Nura, Chuck and Luornu, Lar and Tasmia, and finally myself and Lyle. I was nervous but I eventually let us be in the picture but unlike the others we didn't kiss, just smiled and held hands. I convinced myself that it was just a legion photo and it couldn't spread all the way to isolated Colu or its counsel. I was wrong. As I learned later Alya shared the photo, not seeing the harm in it to Trudy Trusoe the reporter. Trudy took the photo and used to make a Legion Christmas gossip column special. A section of that column was dedicated to the new legion couples with me and Lyle on the cover. The cover was seen by the Coluan secret spy program who spy on the earth, the legion, and me. I had no Idea what was coming for me at threshold speeds.

A Trial to Change Fates

(POV Querl) The next day, very early in the morning I was awoken by someone breaking into my quarters. I instantly got up and put a force field up around myself. Four, now very frustrated Coluan guards stood on the other side of force field. "Querl Dox, fifth of the brainiac line, you have been charged with breaking Coluan Counsel Law of natural order, you will return to Colu for trial. Do not resist." I hold my ground, "I have been banished from Coluan culture, the only reason I still have partial citizenship is because you need me to preform occasionally my Brainiac duties, so what prompted this sudden caring of what I do?" A guard held up a picture and I see myself and Lyle in the couple shot and my worst dreams start to come true. I put my head down, the force field lowers and I go with them willingly.



(POV Lyle) last night was such a buzz a can't believe I fell asleep. I woke up however from odd noises down the fall. 'Brainy is down the hall, what is going on?' I think. I get up and get dressed quickly and as I go into the hall I see four Coluans dragging off my Coluan. "Querl, what's going on?" He looks at me, worry was on his face, he almost never looks worried. I get in front of the guards and put my hands out, they stop, almost looking confused that a lower intellect would interact with them, "I demand to know what's going on and where you are taking him, then release him." They looked at me for a second then spoken in unison, "Lyle Norg of the legion of superheroes, you are the supposed lover, you will be brought for questioning." I make a sarcastic laugh but keep my arms up, I'm ready to fight if necessary. Chuck, Reep and Alya are now all outside and although look confused, also look like they're ready to fight by my side. They're about to engage when Querl stuck his head out, "Guys stop, Lyle they are escorting me to the Coluan Council for questioning on the subject of the Gossip column that came out last night, the one staring us on the cover, you should come peacefully so that you can testify." I can't believe what I'm hearing but I think I understand enough that I go peacefully as well.

I go behind Querl but a guard stands between us. One is in front of him, one between us and one behind me, the last one mysteriously stays behind. The trip was short thanks to Threshold technology, that made thinking about Querl and I's current situation difficult. As soon as I arrived they took me to a chamber to be interrogated. A female Coluan in the standard Law enforcement uniform with long blondish yellow hair in a ponytail was waiting for me. She appeared to be in her 30's but with Coluan aging that meant she was probably over 90. She waves her hand and the energy cuffs that disabled my powers and kept my hands bound seemingly deactivated. I tried turning one of my hands invisible and still couldn't. She gestured to a chair, "Sit Legionnaire, let us converse." I sit down and she takes out a small scanner I can only guess to be a lie detector, "You are nervous, you don't have to be, no matter what you say you haven't broken Coluan law so we can't touch you." I realize that I have to use my Earth Gove spy training to fool the interviewer and the machine.

I take a single breath to calm down then I speak, "Ask me whatever you wish." "First off what is your name?" I know this trick, it's to see what my heart rate looks like when I'm telling the truth, "Lyle Norg of Earth." She looks at the monitor then back at me, "Ok, now the real questions, what is your relationship with Querl Dox, fifth of the Brainiac line?" I keep the steady breathing and calmly say, "He is my Legion teammate and a close friend." She razed an eyebrow, "Describe 'close'," I smile, "He works with me on projects, we fight together in battle, and when we aren't on legion duty we sometimes hang out and help each other when they need a friend."

Another round of irritating questions, "Would you consider Querl Dox a homosexual or has done any homosexual acts?" I try and answer as honestly as possible, "No, he has only shown extreme interest in one girl as far as I know, Laurel Gand, now known as Sister Andromeda, but he also has a lust journal filled with all sorts of attractive women in it." I didn't say it was completely filled with women, I can only hope she doesn't catch on, "Would you consider yourself a homosexual?" This is to much a part of me to lie, "Yes," I knew it was a mistake, "Are you attracted to Querl Dox?" Despite the risk I must lie, "No, he's just a friend, I only recently got out of another relationship and I am not looking to be with anyone else for a while."

She sighed, clearly frustrated, I fought a chuckle and smug look and took another breath when she held up the holo image of us on the magazine holding hands and smiling, the cover read, "Hottest new Legion couples." I laughed, "Have you seen Earth gossip, none of it is real, and yes that picture has couples in it but we got in it accidentally, see we're on the very edge, we're holding hands because we're friends and that's what friends do sometimes, hold hands." Her face was expressionless. "Ok Mr. Norg, you are good to go for now, the guard will escort you to your room, it's night on this part of Colu right now, I know it only morning on Legion World but try to rest." I get up and the guard takes me to my room.

It is nothing special, much like a cheap hotel room. A twin sized bed near the wall, a small kitchen, a mechanical dresser, and an attached bath room. When I enter the bath room I am surprised to see a tub, neither of my Legion dorms had bathtubs. Not even my birth home or adopted household, just my apartment sweet on earth. I run a hot bath and get in. I try to relax despite what's going on but I start hearing sounds from the bedroom.

I walk outside and there in holographic form is Querl. Just standing there thinking. He doesn't appear to see me so I guess it's only one way. I begin to say, "Hey Querl, are you ok?" When a voice transmission interrupts me. "He is in confinement until tomorrow's trial, he can't hear you and as you might have guessed, can't see you, but we are about to play some troubling feeds and we won't stop until tomorrow's trial or until you confess he's a homosexual, we will allow one short message from you to him, but only one so save it for the right moment, good night."

Suddenly recorded voices start speaking, "A male and a female are required to make a child, love is unnecessary, homosexual relationships are useless, you are useless. The smartest being in the galaxy making stupid choices. Your mother left you because you were worthless to her, your love for the human Norg is worthless to yourself and your people, you Querl Dox, 5th of the Brainiac line are worthless." And they kept saying this sort of stuff for hours. Brainy just paced for the first 2 hours, and I tried to ignore it but I could always here it. After 3 hours is when things changed.

It had bothered me since minute one but finally Querl started to crack. He went around ranting facts in Coluan so fast I couldn't understand almost any of it. He kept this up for an other hour. I decided to try and sleep but all I could hear was the recorded voices just constantly speaking, saying worse and more personally insulting each time. At one point they started talking solely about me and how pointless I am, stupid and unfit to be anyone's mate. I was ready to protest but Querl did that for me, "Enough, enough enough enough, I am a genius, I am an emotional wreck sometimes, but leave Lyle out of my torture."

A new message is played, "Could you clarify on what you mean by an emotional wreck and why Lyle Norg of the Legion must be left out of this conversation?" I can tell he might confess, my one message to him, "Brainy, plead the 5th!" He turned to were he heard my voice than all vocals and holograms were cut off. I was really shaken up but when I checked my legion ring I realized that morning would come in only a few hours. The trial being at first light I decided to force myself to sleep. I was only awakened once by a terrible scream that wasn't mine. "Hang in there Querl." I whisper, then try to go back to sleep.

Morning did come eventually. An alarm notified me to get up and that I had 15 minutes for an morning preparations I had to do. I showered, changed, ate, and brushed my teeth. After exactly 15 minutes a Coluan came to fetch me. She took me a few street blocks to a surprisingly small one story building. Three moveable chairs were near the entrance facing the middle of the room. On the other end a long table with multiple seats faced the middle were a circle in the floor lay. The Guard lead me to the three chairs and I sit in the far left one. Brainiac with his own guard enter a second later, he looks completely drained of life. Seven Coluans sat behind the long table. No one sat in our third chair.

"Querl Dox, fifth in the Brainiac line, current holder of the Brainiac position, you have been charged with breaking Coluan law of natural order, how do you plead?" He stands up and heads to the centre of the room, I looked him in the eyes before he spoke, I could swear he was scared. "I am not guilty." The Coluan in the middle waved his hand and a holographic image of the gossip column cover appeared, "How do you explain being in the image?" Brainy looked at me and I just want to go and hug him. "We were unaware of the couple photo being taken and were in by accident." They did not look convinced, "We read the article through and your section had no true facts, the column was useless, but it gave us reason to back track both of you for the past few months, and we still think you are guilty."

"Starting multiple months ago you and the male human had many shared days off, the human started staying in his Legion World dorm closer to yours more and more frequently, you've been spotted at multiple events together, the male admits to being a homosexual and most of this activity can be traced back to the day you were spotted with a Coluan mating flower in your ear, explain yourself Dox." Querl kept his cool, "Most of our shared days off were coincidences but as friends we sometimes hang out which explains being at events together, the flower is from a little girl who visited the Colu bio-dome, when she saw me she gave it to me and not wanting to upset her I put it behind my ear and yes Lyle is Gay but he is still working out his feelings from the lose of his previous partner."

One of the Members rises higher than the others to face them all, "Perhaps this is a misunderstanding, we have only been suspicious for 18 hours, should we post pone until the situation is clear?" Another member rises even higher, "Perhaps, but I have just received information from the second witness, she will answer all in but a moment, you may sit Querl Dox." Brainy and the Council sit in there seats and we just wait.

The councilman who spoke second filled the others in on what he just learned while I talked with my Querl, "Are you ok, it was tortuous to watch you suffer last night?" "I am ok Lyle, but I was surprised how they almost got me to confess." I had to ask another question, "What do they mean by holder of the Brainiac position?" He sighed, "As you know the Dox line are far smarter than any Coluan, so starting with Vril Dox ll they get us to solve the problems that even the sleep net can't solve and we solve it no matter were we are in the galaxy, it's the only part of my world and culture I'm still entitled to." Before I can reply, the guards make us stand and the Council rises as well, the middle one spoke, "Welcome second witness." And with that Imra Ardeen walks in. Saturn Girl does not look well, she looks like she was awake all night. She wore the same power inhabiters Querl and I wore, she wouldn't look us in the eyes. Her guard led her to the middle of the room, "Imra Ardeen of the moon Titan, you are hear to shed some light on this troubling predicament." She doesn't speak, "We already know everything you said in your interview so do not try to lie in front of us." She nods, the questions start, "Are Querl Dox and Lyle Norg romantically involved or more?" She looks at us, tears in her eyes as if trying to apologize. She finally let the truth be known as she said, "Yes, Querl and Lyle are involved."

This was bad but it didn't stop, "How long have you know Querl Dox was a homosexual?" I wanted to scream, Querl looked sick to his stomach yet she continued, "Many months now, he had a mental block up that was causing him permanent damage and it was his mind holding back his true self, me and Lyle saved him, we freed him." Bless Imra, she hates betraying us but if she has to she's going to fight for us as well. "When did the human and Dox start, what do you call it, dating?" She reluctantly answered, "About 3 weeks after that, but kissed and made out a few times before that." The final question from the Coluan counsil, "And what happened yesterday, the day Christians call Christmas?" I watched as Imra had tears going down her face as she answered, "Brainy kissed Lyle for the first time in public and agreed to be in the couple shot." One of the council members stood, "Thank you Legionnaire, you may sit."

I just sit, everything has gone so south so fast. Imra sits down, "I am so sorry, they took away my powers so I couldn't fool the lie detector, and they, they." It is clear that where Querl and I had been psychologically tortured, she was physically tortured. Recognizing this, instead of freaking out like he would have when I first met him, Querl just forced a smile, "It's ok Imra, you told the truth despite its consequences." All the council members stood, "Please stand," we stand, "The council has come to a verdict. You Querl Dox are guilty off breaking the Coluan law of natural order, and for lying to your interviewer and the Coluan Counsil." My heart sinks but they continue," We have come up with two possible punishment for you to choose from, you could remain on Colu in confinement and preform your duties when need be or lose all Coluan birth right and we will free your mother from her insane asylum on Takron-Galtos to take over your duties."

I know his choice instantly, he'd never allow his mother to be a possible threat to anyone again, he'd be willing to confine himself to a cell for the rest of his life to protect the Galaxy. I won't allow it. As he starts walking forward to state his choice I push him aside and stand in the center, "I know this isn't Earth Government or the a planet under the United Planets, but there all witnesses must speak before a verdict is made and I have just sat here, I wish to speak." The council all looked at each other and quickly discussed what to do with my proposition, "Fine Lyle Norg of Earth and the legion, we will listen to what you have to say."

I take a deep breath and start talking, "I'd just like to say that you have banished him from almost everything to do with this planet but when you hear he has done something you don't like you call him in like he's always been here. Second of all you don't want his mother, you only suggested that to stress him out, his mother is to hard to control and even more unpredictable then Querl, completely insane, and only an 11th level intellect. Finally, you need him, you need his 12 level mind to solve the problems that 6 billion geniuses can't solve when they work together. Kryl Dox can't do what Querl can do with anywhere near the same efficiency. So what am I proposing is not only do you drop all charges, but allow him to access the sleepnet again and allow him to return to his home when he feels like it, because who he loves doesn't effect his work but losing him does effect the planet, thank you for your time."

They started talking amongst themselves again and I sat down. For the first time since I stood up I looked at Querl, he was looking at me in complete awe. I looked away because I thought I might start blushing but I think I did anyway. The council called for our attention after a few more minutes. "Querl Dox, please stand." I had been holding his hand and I let it go as he walked into the middle. "The council has come to an agreement, the humans request will be granted on the condition that he never step foot on Colu again and does not appear in imagery that is sent back to Colu that our people may see." Querl keeps his cool and just nods. With no other fuss we go home.

(POV Querl) the last 11 hours had been torture, literally. So as soon as we were back on earth and alone I took his hand, "Lyle, I um-" I get tongue tide once he's looking at me and we are face to face, "I want to say thank you for what you did." He gave me a small smile, "Querl, I would never have allowed you to be stuck in confinement for the rest of your life, I love you to much to let that happen."

(POV Lyle) He smiled but there was something in his eyes, "Is everything alright?" He then proceeded to throw up then collapsed on the floor near the sink were he threw up, "Norg, the things they said, you will never know, they said horrible horrible things that made me not just feel, but feel like the scum of the multiverse, but what you said, y-you-" I'm holding him and stroking his hair as he shivers and clings onto me. "I know, I know, don't worry, no matter what they said it isn't true, because you might be snarky sometimes but you care more about the team, me, and yourself then you'll ever know, I really do love you Querl Dox." And he just nods in my arms.

Hey Ivy! glad you're sharing your stories. Really cool - and exactly what the Bits forum was intended for.

haven't read it all yet - just the first post. Already like -

1) First person point of view - now that's tough to pull off, but cool getting into Lyle's head!
2) Shipping, you definitely picked a cute couple
3) Your opening already touches upon Brainy's lust journal and also his embarrassment - and the kiss! I love that you re developing these small elements of the Reboot

and major kudos for having Kinetix be Kinetix, and not a Terrorform

your story is going on my reading list!

When I wrote this I had just finished reading the reboot and wished they'd expanded more on Brainy's humanity as well as sexuality because there is so little queer representation in the Legion ( Ayla, Salu, Dawnstar, and Mekt, but were all so low key) so I wanted to continue there story.

Indeed... when Gravity Kid and Power Boy were introduced as a couple a few years back, I was quite happy. I hope we get more in the near future.

I am all caught up - this was a fun read! The Colu stuff hit a bit close to home, but it's also unfortunately a realistic depiction of what these attitudes can be like. But I really loved all the little touches like Lyle's ears turning pink when he blushes, or his memory that 'Brainy' wasn't originally meant to be a term of endearment.

I also really like how even the characters who didn't really do much still definitely shone through, they weren't just interchangeable background pieces and you got a sense that the world was still happening in the background with developments being brought up for different couples

Thank you, I'm glad you like it. I have a second one finished that I'll post here eventually, and in it it shows that Colu isn't as black and white as it seems, in the first story you only really see the council which is a fixed mindset. Thanks again for reading.

Very interesting idea that Colu would have a strict heterosexual rule. I never thought about it - just assumed it's the future, sentients are progressive, Coluans are possibly too wrapped up in thinking to even care about sex. Yet they have been shown to be stuffy, arrogant and strict, so it's possible they could be stuck on this particular idea.

I also liked your use of 12 personality tracks in Brainy's mind, with only one devoted to authentic emotion (sad! but love conquers all). The blossoming romance between Lyle and Querl was a real roller coaster ride of emotions.

Did you invent that element fourthdieium? Good thinking on how to disable the Emerald Eye.

Thank you, I thought about Colu for a long time, they don?t care to much for emotions and connections, but they have to reproduce to survive as a species, so I figured they would put in place rules to ensure everyone does there part to kept there race alive. Only heterosexual couplings, and two kids per family. Thank you so much for reading. It?s very much appreciated. Also, yes I made up fourthdieium, I wanted a way to stop the eye from teleporting and this was a fun way to do it. Thanks again.

100 views in less than two weeks, that's not bad I think. New reader, let me know what you think of the story, the good and the bad, also if there are any bad spelling errors and where, and if there is any continuity problems you noticed. Thank you so very much for reading.

Merry Christmas everyone, I have a part 2 too this story, do you want me to upload it here or do you guys want it on a new page in the Bits. I'll leave this question here for a couple days to see what the different readers thing.

It's probably best to keep it in the same thread if it's a continuation of the same story.

yeah I'm with EDE....I reckon add it here, and just update the title of the thread to say what date it was updated (have a look at some of the ongoing story threads here to see what I mean)

350 Views! That is absolutely crazy, When I posted this on another site it has bee 3+ years and it only has 700 views. If this keeps up it'll surpass the other by June which would be so cool. Any new readers, let me know what you liked, disliked, any questions you have, and if you noticed any inconstancies because I hate having contradictions.

congrats, Ivy! you're pulling in an audience!