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The Chinese Zodiac: The Monkey
Invisible Brainiac #1024377 03/31/23 02:17 AM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 84,969
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Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

An Unknown Location

**********************************************************************
The Monkey is the ninth of all zodiac animals. According to one myth, the Jade Emperor said the order would be decided by the order in which they arrived to his party. Monkey, Rooster and Dog were in another country, helping a god defeat evil spirits. After, they set off to the party together. Because they arrived at the same time, the Jade Emperor went by the order they met the god in the other country. Thus, Monkey became ninth.

Monkeys’ most defining trait is their intelligence. As children, they win awards and the praises of teachers. As adults, they gain professional recognition and make great leaders. Due to this, it’s understandable that they can be arrogant. They’re often disrespectful and self-centered when making decisions. Monkeys become jealous easily, especially when others are doing better than them. They are awfully competitive, which is both positive and negative.

- extracted from https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/monkey/

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

Brawler laughed as he saw who faced him. They didn't even bother to hide behind their disguises! They sent three newer Legionnaires, clearly fakes.

The only one he'd miss was this fake Kinetix; she was pretty. But once he was a Legionnaire, Brawler could have any girl he wanted. He was sure he'd find a pretty girl or three to marvel at his prowess.

Without giving his enemies a chance to think, he charged into the fray.

**********************************************************************
Babbage, I-45ENG/Nth Series of Robotica; combat mechanoid
Kinetix, Zoe Saugin of Aleph; telekinesis and animation of objects; affinity for magic
Microbe, Drura Sehpt of Somahtur; control harmful and beneficial microorganisms
Rebound, Chuck Taine of Earth (Canada and Uzbekistan); inflates into a durable bouncing form

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

"Babbage, get down!" Rebound angled his flight so that he could strike Brawler without bouncing into Babbage. "Brawler's powers are your weakness!"

"I know, Rebound," Babbage intoned even as its body shook. Using its flight ring, Babbage began to flee. "Now I must divert my energy to repair..."

"I'll buy you some time!" Rebound ricocheted off a nearby tree, then into Brawler's face. Brawler staggered back a bit, then smiled. "Is that all you can do?" Rebound was already speeding away, but Brawler tore off both of Babbage's robotic arms and wrapped them around Rebound's form. With a cry, Chuck Taine fell to the ground, weighted down.

"You won't get away!" Brawler smiled viciously as he felt his mind mold with Babbage's systems. He knew how the robot's body worked better than it did itself. Brawler willed Babbage to shake.

"No... being ripped.... apart..." Sparks erupted all along Babbage's form, as bits of plating fell from his golden, once-gleaming body. "Main... frame... am..."

"Let Babbage go!" Microbe launched herself onto Brawler, scrabbling desperately to cling to his back. She quickly willed all manner of viruses and bacteria to infect her former fellow Cadet.

Brawler calmly reached behind him and ripped Microbe off his back. Ignoring her sharp cry of pain, he threw her to the side. She bounced a couple of times before Kinetix caught her in her field.

"Are you okay?!" Kinetix asked, watching Microbe bleed through the heavy gashes on her face and forearms.

"Fine... just help... Babbage..." Microbe gasped, even as she commanded some of her microorganisms to begin knitting her wounds and to numb the pain.

Kinetix quickly molded some soil into a comfortable bed and set Microbe down. Making sure her teammate was comfortable, she then sped towards Brawler, fire in her eyes.

Brawler was sweating and panting, a sure sign that Microbe's attack was working. But he stood, back straight, and grinned even as blood flowed out of his nose.

"Hey, pretty girl." Reaching out towards a heavily damaged Babbage, he ripped both of Babbage's legs off. Babbage's limbless torso fell, circuitry flying around. Brawler flung the legs at Kinetix.

"You monster!" Kinetix swiftly cast a telekinetic shield around her, catching Brawler's parts in mid-air. Setting them gently on the ground, she commanded the ground below Brawler to erupt. She flung him into the air, bouncing him up and down.

Brawler just smiled. Whatever the real Legionnaires had done, he was stronger and tougher than before. Reaching out with his mind, he commanded Babbage's legs to snake around the fake Kinetix's pretty neck.

"Ack!" Kinetix coughed and gasped. Tears streaming down her face, she whispered, "Sorry, Babbage" even as she shredded the robotic parts attacking her. Doubling down, she swatted Brawler even further away. And for good measure, she fixed a telekinetic shield around his head and neck, hoping to cut off his oxygen.

"Oh gosh, are you okay, Zoe?" Rebound ran to her, carrying a moaning Microbe with him. Most of her bleeding had stopped, but the way her arm dangled did not look good. "I deflated myself, but even then it took time to disentangle myself from... from..."

"I'm fine," Zoe forced herself not to touch her throat, even as she gagged. She took Microbe's form using her powers, being careful to keep Drura's limbs steady. "Let's get Babbage and Drura to safety, and..."

The sudden darkness alerted Rebound first. "Get down!" He quickly inflated himself, and Kinetix desperately tried to weave a shield around the three of them. Then, a mountain of soil crashed down on them.

Babbage watched helplessly as his teammates were buried. If only its sensors could still work. But....

Brawler's boots filled Babbage's optics as the former Cadet landed with a thump. Kinetix's field had dissipated, and he was grinning like... Babbage was in no position to diagnose him, but he had seen this expression on a number of asylum patients before. Were it human, Babbage would have been frightened now. It desperately tried to signal for any Legionnaire in the vicinity.

Brawler's feet slowly moved closer. "I will take my time with you, little robot." Babbage felt the tell-tale pull of Brawler's power on its circuits. "I wonder, how badly do I have to shred you so that you cannot rebuild yourself?"

Last edited by Invisible Brainiac; 03/31/23 02:25 AM.
The Chinese Zodiac: The Rooster
Invisible Brainiac #1024378 03/31/23 02:17 AM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 84,969
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Posts: 84,969
Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

An Unknown Location

**********************************************************************
According to legends, roosters are able to protect against evil spirits. In ancient times, sworn brothers must swear to the heavens, then drip rooster blood into wine and drink it all.

Roosters are serious in their work. They are straightforward and decisive in their actions. They’ll directly criticize what they see unfit and are perfectionists. They are logical and good at managing teams.

No matter how difficult something is, they won’t give up. But if someone is blocking their path, they will reveal their fierce side. They are terrifying if angered and get into arguments easily. Even if they lose, they’ll use various methods to convince others into their side.

- extracted from https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/rooster/

**********************************************************************
Chakuq gazed longingly at the revolving hologram of the latest pretty fashions from the Venturan collection. Soon, soon... soon, she would wear these pretty dresses, and have her life be as glamorous as Yera Liggle's character from The Princess Holograms XXXVIII!

May the wings fall off of any Kwai arrogant enough to sneer at her, for daring to want a life similar to those soft Legion Galaxy* natives. But why should Chakuq settle for a tiring, harsh life as a nomad, a wanderer chasing skylights** for frozen water? Or act like a servant to those damned United Planets tourists and bureaucrats, who would dance through the Thresholds onto their second homes? Yes, the Kwai could travel through the Thresholds whenever they wanted, but Chakuq wanted to do so in comfort and in style.

And so what if she hurt a few Legionnaires to do it? That cursed Progenitor had come from the Legion's ranks.*** Getting a bit hurt was the least that they deserved.

She called forth her carapace and began to crouch. Soon, she would only need to strike this pose when making holos, and not because she needed to leap at prey...

**********************************************************************
Apparition, Tinya Wazzo of Bgztl; intangibility
Cosmic Boy, Rokk Krinn of Braal; magnetokinesis
Insect Queen, Lonna Leing of Xanthu; morphs into various insect forms, gaining the powers of the forms she takes
Particon, Jennifer Sanchez of Earth (India and Philippines); "hard light" energy casting and manipulation

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

Insect Queen blinked at the sky; she looked quite a sight, with her torso and legs human, and only her face transformed. Apparition paled and looked away; she wouldn't be fazed in battle, but she didn't want to have to look at the many eyes and moving pincers of Insect Queen's Pasnician Trapping Spider form. Not unless she had to.

Insect Queen morphed back to her normal form. "I'm sorry, I can't make anything out. I can't see any other sentients, much less any of our teammates..."

"You did your best," Particon murmured in comfort. But she was conscious that Apparition's and Cosmic Boy's respective partners weren't there, so she tried not to be too affectionate.

Cosmic Boy sighed as he fiddled with his flight ring. "At least when we were trapped on 20th century Earth, we knew where we were..."****

The four fell silent. There were too many unanswered questions. Insect Queen couldn't help but squeeze Particon's hand.

"My turn to try and see something. I'll be back in five minutes." Apparition turned intangible and dove into the ground, trying not to think of Cub and Ultra Boy.

Particon held her hand up as well. "I'm trying to sense any energy patterns, but..."

"It's the same with me," Cosmic Boy added. "I can't sense any magnetic fields, except for this planetoid's. And that doesn't tell me anything." Then he smiled. "But, at least some of us are together. If the others are around here, they're probably in groups, too."

"Did someone do this to us? Is it that Time Trapper***** you mentioned in your presentation about the biggest potential threats out there?" Particon asked.

"It could be..." Cosmic Boy considered. "The Trapper has just pulled us into alternate realities before. This could be some sort of test."

"Well, then let's show we're up to the challenge," Insect Queen snapped. She took to the air, turning her body into a Lallorian Lacewing's. "With this form, I can sense sound and vibrations. Let's see what I can find... Wait, something's coming!"

"What?" Particon looked into the horizon.

Before either of them could react, Lonna cried out as a humanoid form crashed into her. Deep gashes appeared on her abdomen. Wincing in pain, she dropped to the ground and turned back into her normal form. "What...?"

"A Kwai?!" Particon stepped in front of her girlfriend and conjured up an energy shield. "Lonna, are you okay?!"

"Take care of her," Cosmic Boy pulled at the metallic disks on his costume and sent them flying at the Kwai. "I've sparred with Shikari before, and I know her armor's weak points..."

"I am not Shikari," Chakuq replied with a hint of amusement. As if to prove her point, she let one of Cosmic Boy's disks strike her elbow. She stood up and made a flourish. "See?"

Cosmic Boy didn't reply; he just sent two more of the disks flying at Chakuq's head. She laughed as she sliced both disks out of the sky...

... only to get hit by a third in the back of her head!

"The old Hindsight Maneuver," Cosmic Boy smiled. "A favorite of my magnoball days."

While Chakuq was distracted, Particon took the opportunity to blast her right in the chest. The Kwai screeched as she flew backwards.

"That's for hitting my girlfriend," Particon snarled. Then she turned to bend over Lonna, who had been pressing a compress against her side. "Easy, I'll bandage you up, and..." Particon felt... odd. She looked down in horror, to see her hands transforming into...

"You're turning into a bug!" Insect Queen's eyes widened. "What...?"

"And your hands are glowing!" Particon gasped, pointing at Lonna's hands. Lonna waved them in a panic, sending a blast of energy shooting at the ground. Just then, Apparition emerged; the blast passed harmlessly through her intangible form.

"What's going on?" Apparition asked.

"Our powers switched!" Insect Queen and Particon said in unison.

"Best guess, it's that Kwai!" Cosmic Boy pointed, willing his disks to levitate. "Huh? Nothing's happening?" Then he watched in horror as he began to slip into the ground.

"I'm guessing we've switched too," Apparition sounded grim. "Cos, whatever you do, don't solidify until you're out of the ground!" Apparition pointed at the disk nearest her, and watched it float. "Hm, well, let's turn this into an advantage." She willed the disk to fly at the recovering Kwai.

Chakuq just laughed, flying out of its path. She wasn't afraid to rely on a magical talisman to give her an advantage. "You may still have powers, but you don't know how to use them."

"Oh shut up!" Insect Queen pointed at Chakuq, commanding pink energy to blast forth. But the blast went wild, and Apparition had to jump out of the way. "Hey!" Tinya shielded her face with her hands.

"Sorry, sorry!" Lonna grit her teeth; her wound was beginning to hurt.

Chakuq smiled as she leapt at Tinya. Instinctively, Tinya began to flow into one of her phase-fighting stances, then remembered she couldn't phase. She tried to fly backwards, but Chakuq was too fast. Tinya cried out as Kwai armored skin slashed at her arms. A final kick to the head made her slip into blessed unconsciousness.

"What can this form do?" Particon asked desperately. Her entire body had turned into some sort of ant; only her head remained normal.

"You have a painful bite..." Lonna began.

"Which you won't get a chance to use." Chakuq came bearing down on Particon. The Legionnaire tried to jump out of the way, but she tripped over her own legs. "No!" Lonna cried as she watched Chakuq backhand Particon. A couple of hits later, and Particon lay unconscious, her body turning back to its normal form, blood pooling under her.

"You monster..." Lonna tried to hold tears back.

"I'm not a monster. I'm going to help you stop feeling pain." Chakuq smiled. She willed her wings to vibrate; an enhancement granted to her by the Pig. Lonna screamed as the vibrations tore through her body. She stepped back, admiring her handiwork. Three unconscious Legionnaires. For good measure, she sent some vibrations into the fallen bodies of Apparition and Particon, too.

She felt a tug on her leg. Looking down, she saw Cosmic Boy emerging from the ground. Rokk was trying to trip her off-balance. Chakuq merely stepped backwards, and vibrated her wings just so, turning Rokk solid. He screamed; parts of his foot were still emerging from the ground. Chakuq finished him off by slashing at Rokk's midsection.

"Four unconscious Legionnaires," Chakuq smiled as Rokk Krinn fell onto his stomach.

Now, she could take her time. Perhaps after this, she would have one of those Legion-type costumes made for her...

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

IB's notes:

1) As a reminder, the Kwai come from a different galaxy than the United Planets one. The Legion first met them in Legion Lost volume 1, after all!

2) Skylights - the Kwai term for the frozen balls of ice (think comets) that they rely on for water

3) Progenitor = Element Lad, see Legion Lost v1 for details.

4) Team 20 storyline! LSH 85-100

5) The Legion met the Time Trapper officially in L* 61 and LSH 105; the Trapper had already been manipulating ("training") them by shunting them into alternate realities (LSH 92, L* 54). He was "training" them to restart time (L* 64). The Trapper offered Cosmic Boy a reward, and Cos angrily attacked it for manipulating them (LSH 108).

Last edited by Invisible Brainiac; 03/31/23 02:25 AM.
The Chinese Zodiac: The Dog
Invisible Brainiac #1024379 03/31/23 02:18 AM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 84,969
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 84,969
Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

An Unknown Location

**********************************************************************
A Dog’s most defining characteristic is their loyalty. They will never abandon their friends, family or work.

Honest and just, they are popular in social circles. Everyone needs a Dog friend for advice and help. They are also good at helping others find and fix their bad habits.

Despite how they act, they are worried and anxious inside. However, they will not let this stop them. Once they decide on something, no one can persuade them against it.

- extracted from https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/dog/

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

Hachiko perked her ears up as she heard the voices approach. Her quarry was coming!

She sniffed, the better to sense their direction. While she didn't enjoy killing, she would do what she needed in order to bring her family back. She missed them so, so much. And if she got her wish, they would never be apart again.

**********************************************************************
Calorie Queen, Taryn Loy of Bismoll; consume all forms of matter, and conversion of same into super-strength
Chameleon, Reep Daggle of Durla; shapeshifting
Star Boy, Thom Kallor of Xanthu; gravity manipulation
Violet, Salu Digby of Imsk; shrinks and grows own body

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

In the form of a Taltaran Telescope Bird, Chameleon flew high over the rocky, barren landscape. He looked rather goofy with his long eyes that resembled a gawking cartoon character's, but this was still the best form he knew for seeing vast distances.

Beside him, a gigantic Violet shielded her eyes from the sun. "It's just more of the same, Cham. Do you see anything?"

"No, Vi, just rocks, no features that stand out, and... hey, wait a minute..." Chameleon sharpened his eye's focus. "Is that... Cannus?"

"Have our friends found us?" Violet perked up. "Are you sure it's Cannus, and not someone else from his world?"

"I think... I..." Chameleon began to sway as the figure approached. He felt... he felt...

"Cham? Cham, I..." Violet felt herself feel faint. Not wanting to destroy anything, she willed herself to shrink...

She heard a gentle voice. "Rou both are ry family row."

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

Down below, Calorie Queen bit through a tree branch. Inspecting the tip, she chewed the tip a bit to get it sharper. "Ugh, can you imagine that early humans had to make do without 4d printing and artificial intelligence to erect buildings?"

Star Boy bit his tongue as he tried in vain to fit two of the branches together. Though he could shift tons of mass, he had to admit that he did not quite have the level of fine motor control that both Kinetix and Gravity had. "Yeah, I can't... sorry, need to concentrate a bit. Hey, can you hold the poles while I try to fit this one into it ?"

Sighing, Calorie Queen put down the two branches she held. Grabbing the wooden pole from Star Boy, she knelt down for better balance. She fumed a bit; she and Timber Wolf had been having fun, and now...

Star Boy's sharp cry of pain made Calorie Queen look up. A bird with sharp, metallic wings was attacking him!

Calorie Queen quickly bit into the pole she was carrying, snapping it into two, and hurled both halves at the bird. One slammed into the bird's head, and it began falling out of the sky, turning into a familiar form as it fell. With a splat onto the ground, Chameleon lay twitching.

"What the sprock?" Calorie Queen gasped as she ran to Chameleon.

"Be careful!" Star Boy called from above, as he lowered himself to the ground. "He just flew into my face, and..." Star Boy blinked, trying to get the blood out of his eyes. "Sprock, I'm bleeding! What's gotten into Cham?"

Calorie Queen stopped in her tracks. If Cham had attacked Star Boy... "and where's Violet?"

Taryn's question was soon answered as a purple blur erupted from under her, smashing into her nose. "Ugh!" Taryn yelled as she fell backwards, clutching her face. She felt blood everywhere.

"What the-" she never finished her question; a large purple foot slammed into her from above.

"Vi, stop!" Star Boy tried to ignore the sickening crunch that he heard, and used his powers to lift Violet up. His heart caught in his throat as he saw Calorie Queen twitching weakly; at least she still lived.

He focused on Violet. He saw her shrinking, trying to get out from his gravity field. In response, he focused his power; if he kept it up, he would... would...

He began to feel... strange. He knew he had to... to... to protect himself. Yes. He focused the weight of gravity on Violet, crushing her. He heard his teammate cry out, heard some bones crack...

A primal scream sounded behind him, and he turned. But before he could, he felt sharp talons slash into his side. Thom Kallor fell to the ground, bleeding, as Chameleon towered over him. At least, the it was Chameleon's upper body and the lower body and legs of some giant crab.

Chameleon raised his pincer; but before it could crush Star Boy, a tree slammed into it. Chameleon bellowed, as Calorie Queen pushed him over.

Then Violet grew, and punched at the ground. Calorie Queen, Chameleon and Star Boy just managed to dodge in time.

On a rocky outcrop close by, Hachiko watched as the four Legionnaires tried their best to hurt each other. She had gotten close enough to infect all four with her pheromones; none of them were thinking straight. They seemed evenly matched; she expected that they would tire themselves out fighting, without actually killing one another. But that was fine; then they would be softened up enough for her to swoop in for the kill.

She wished there had been another way, but she told herself she needed to do this. For her dear, dear family.

Last edited by Invisible Brainiac; 03/31/23 02:25 AM.
The Chinese Zodiac: The Pig
Invisible Brainiac #1024380 03/31/23 02:19 AM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 84,969
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Unseen, not unheard
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 84,969
Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

An Unknown Location

**********************************************************************
The Pig is the twelfth of all zodiac animals. According to one myth, the Jade Emperor said the order would be decided by the order in which they arrived to his party. Pig was late because he overslept. Another story says that a wolf destroyed his house. He had to rebuild his home before he could set off. When he arrived, he was the last one and could only take twelfth place.

Pigs might not stand out in a crowd. But they are very realistic. Others may be all talk and no action. Pigs are the opposite.

Though not wasteful spenders, they will let themselves enjoy life. They love entertainment and will occasionally treat themselves. They are a bit materialistic, but this is motivation for them to work hard. Being able to hold solid objects in their hands gives them security.

They are energetic and are always enthusiastic, even for boring jobs. If given the chance, they will take positions of power and status. They believe that only those people have the right to speak, and that’s what they want.


- extracted from https://chinesenewyear.net/zodiac/pig/

**********************************************************************
The Pig rubbed the magical pendant around his neck in anticipation. He had, naturally, picked the best of the stolen magical objects for his own use. What he had been very careful to hide from the rest of the Zodiac - indeed, from everyone else - was that he had no powers of his own, except one. Everything else he could do was because of the magical objects he possessed.

And that would be enough.

He marveled at his ingenuity and imagination. Most of the other Zodiac members thought they were his equal. Hah! They would soon see...

But he had always had insight and imagination beyond others. When Mordru reappeared, most only saw a threat and a danger. The Pig had seen opportunity. If Mordru could harness magical objects to conquer star systems, then he could too...

He eagerly watched as his Legionnaires appeared in a flash of light. And he smiled as he realized he had some of the most powerful in front of him.

Good. Despite the White Witch casting a protection spell on them, he would eliminate these threats as they stood in front of him.

And even if he couldn't... he reminded himself of what he really needed from the Legionnaires. The ingredients for the spell they had been preparing to cast, all these long months.

**********************************************************************
Lume, of Silvan; energy being made of light
M'Onel, Lar Gand of Daxam; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers, flight
Spider-Girl, Sussa Paka of Luna; prehensile hair
Ultra Boy, Jo Nah of Rimbor; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers and flight, but can only use one power at a time

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

M'Onel and Ultra Boy stood nearly back-to-back. Both were using their vision powers, and both were rather annoyed at their lack of progress.

"It doesn't seem like we're in our galaxy, or in any real galaxy," M'Onel shook his head. "I don't see anything beyond endless plains. No signs of animal life... and I can't even see the atmosphere. Just endless sky."

"What you said..." Ultra Boy muttered. "I'm really getting tired of this. I wish I at least knew where Tinya was!"

"We'll find her, Jo," Spider-Girl said quietly. She had often made fun of Ultra Boy for his relationship with Apparition, but Sussa knew how serious of a situation they were in.

"I never thought I would say I missed the darkness of space..." Lume sadly looked up at the sky. "This light... it's different. It isn't like the natural light from the stars."

"Is this some kind of VR simulation, then?" Spider-Girl thought about the possibilities. She tentatively tried to will something into existence. "Okay, I just asked for a milkshake, but..."

"It is a magical construct, Legionnaires." The Pig materialized in front of the quartet. He could already feel his own power growing as he neared them. "You won't find your friends here. You will only find me."

The Pig didn't even flinch as Ultra Boy zipped in front of him at ultra-speed. Jo Nah grabbed the Pig by the collar, lifting him up high with one hand. "Where's Tinya? What do you want from us?"

"Jo, no!" M'Onel and Spider-Girl both yelled. With Jo's energy switched to strength... M'Onel saw the Pig's hand move, and he sped at his teammate.

The Pig let loose a bolt of energy, and M'Onel moved just fast enough to intercept it. With a grunt, the Daxamite flew backwards, crashing into a copse of trees.

Ultra Boy looked in horror, switching to invulnerability as he did. Anything that could beat M'Onel like that...

"And you can only use own power at a time," the Pig smiled. He tapped his foot on the ground, willing it to open. Then, he pointed at Ultra Boy's flight ring, dissolving it.

"No!" Jo cried as he fell into the earth. Without his flight ring... he had to keep himself invulnerable. The Pig laughed as he closed the crevice after Jo Nah.

"And now for... ah." The Pig smiled as she saw Spider-Girl and Lume racing off in M'Onel's direction. "Smart, these two."

As they reached M'Onel's prone form, Spider-Girl tapped her visor, darkening it. "Okay, Lume!"

Lume shone as bright as it could, filling M'Onel's cells with yellow sunlight.

Spider-Girl watched as M'Onel slowly stirred. "Thanks, Lume. Save your own strength. Now, where's our opponent?"

"Look no further." The Pig smiled calmly as he reappeared in front of them. He watched M'Onel approach from the left, eyes blazing; and Lume from the right, its whole form glowing even brighter.

"I know what you're thinking," the Pig said. He snapped his fingers, and Lume cried out. "What's happening to me?!" Lume shrieked as its form transformed into a gigantic lamp...

"Lume?" Spider-Girl gasped. M'Onel fired at the Pig; the Pig just calmly waved, conjuring up a shield that caught M'Onel's heat vision blast.

"Magical construct, remember?" Snapping his fingers, the Pig caused the lamp that had been Lume to glow a deep red. Then, with a waving motion, he called forth a burst of red light and aimed it at M'Onel.

The Daxamite flew into the air, his speed causing a sonic boom. He had to get out of range...

"Nice try, but..." The Pig snapped his fingers again, and the lamp disappeared, reappearing high into the air, above M'Onel. M'Onel screamed as he willed his flight ring to keep him aloft; his powers were being drained!

The Pig flew up, and waved. Now he could use the powers he had been draining from these Legionnaires - his one, true, secret power, to drain and copy the abilities of others. Pulling his fist back, the Pig punched M'Onel in the face. He watched with satisfaction as M'Onel tumbled to the ground, rolling over and over until he came to rest in a heap.

Spider-Girl was already running away. The Pig just smiled, before using borrowed super-breath to sweep her off her feet. She, too, tumbled; and the Pig watched as her bruised and battered body fell.

Looking at the hourglass on his collar, he tsked. The spell was already wearing off. He began to fly towards M'Onel. If he only had time to finish one off, it should be him.

And just as the Pig readied to fire his heat vision at M'Onel's head, reality turned white again...

Last edited by Invisible Brainiac; 03/31/23 02:25 AM.
Re: The Chinese Zodiac: The Rabbit
Invisible Brainiac #1024439 04/01/23 08:39 PM
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,203
Deputy
Offline
Deputy
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 1,203
Hi IB,

looks like you've got a bunch more post up. But sadly i'm still catching up. So i'm back for another read and review. I'm starting all the way back with Rokk and the others still trapped by Harvest.

Starting off with Rokk's speech to rally the masses. Inspirational for sure. Rokk's always got the right heart and I agree with Imra, the truth is part of his charm. He won't down play it but he will not give up!

I'm glad the Legion and JLA weren't too far off from finding the missing metas. Hmmm Kid Q makes a good point. But this feels way to easy for them to get in so far...
Oh, i guess not. Lol that was a great save. but i for sure thought there was going to be a bit of a battle first.
Sun Girl...Sun Girl of course there's one that still wants to squash the good guys even though there are bigger fish to fry.
Imra and Garth was super cute. Her basically calling him her beacon or in a sense Lightning Rod.
Why would Rokk think she wouldn't come? of course she would. Hmm...you gave me an idea to work with for spinning Jazmin...i'll have to think on it some more. tongue
Amp I'm with you. i'm with you.
Plastic Man oh Plastic Man.
Haha of course Firestorm is ready to party.

The moment at the Hall of Justice reminds be of issue 100 of LSH vol. 4 where the team and League interacted. good call back moment.
I still keep waiting for the other shoe to drop with Harvest.
You know i never thought to use Dreamer and Shkari together. That might be a pairing worth exploring.
Ok, we're addressing the ancestor and desendant debate. I was hoping someone could tell us where/when Sun Girl is from.
Brainy, is so wise!

the discussion with Sandy went better than expected and even though i know she isn't the hero type i had always hoped she would have joined the Legion. I'm glad she's changed and that our century had helped raise her threshold for burning people. I guess Dirk aka Inferno is here to stay, I'll get used to it some day. laugh
Oh thanks for brining it back to what started all of this her cousin looking for her. i totally forgot all about that.
Ahh ok, I'm glad that the League has a way to contact them. But the moment i read the "neither thinking they would need it line." i was like don't be to sure about that. My memory is failing me. but how strict has time travel become? like its clearly not out right banned.

the ending to this adventure was fun. But i guess i was hoping for a battle with Harvest. i wanted to see him get his but kicked./ all those meta's to have some fun with. But i get it. not every battle is epic like that. and i totally understand being lazy. lol laugh laugh laugh

-The Wedding of Live Wire and Saturn Girl
That was a cute way to introduce this section.
You bring up an interesting thing about how telepaths experience memories. I'd love it if you elaborated on it a bit more. do they get a full sense vs a hazy moment? is it multi-perspective?

Jancel works for Titanet now?...never mind question answered. lol.
That was great that she's grown and her and Imra might have a chance at a better relationship now. Its interesting that Imra has a temper outside of her Legion life where she seems so much calmer and cooler than a lot of her teammates, including Garth.

Ayla's memories -
I enjoy her and Cham's playful nature. i forget about that sometimes.
i was not expecting Mekt to be attacked like that. but I'm glad he was shown mercy by the woman. sometimes know that those who have wronged us are suffering sadly makes us feel better.
Ayla's speech to Mekt was well done and its nice to see that he's still on the road to recovery. you've turned their relationship around so well compared to many of the other realities. out there.
Haha. i laughed at Cham's line and the hanky.
I'm enjoying the framing device of Imra and Garth in the future. it helps make all of this so much sweeter. Knowing that Mekt goes on to truly help those he wronged was also a good moment. I theorized for a while that before Garth came back that Mekt was going to step up and join the team. i wonder if this is all pointing to that...

Jazmin's memories.
This was a really interesting concept to bring up about Jazmin and Imra's relationship. I had never really given it much thought. But they don't interact on a social level at all really. Even in the main series i don't recall them being particularly close. Also touching on a concept i think both Raz and Harbinger have touched on, the old guard vs the new guard. The Reboot legion wasn't around long enough it seems to have that issue with most of their members joining in close proximity and then so many events that through them into the thick of it we never really dealt with the clashing of teammates due to when they joined. i think the closest we get is Ultra Boy and Timber Wolf and that has more to do with their gang rivalry/ feelings for Tinya. You've touched on it with the newer members that have joined since the return but not with the OG cast of the reboot really until now.

Imra opening up to Jaz is interesting. but i don't like one line she said, that implies that a big part of opening up to her is because she's with Rokk. its something in my own life i have issue with. i want others to like me on my own merits not because someone else said i was "cool". i'm sure that's not what Imra ment. but it just felt that way to me. But either way she's opening up. I also would have thought Rokk broadcasted something to Imra.
Thank you again for the notes at the end and a reminder of where the team has been. I had forgotten that Ayla and Imra had been unpleasant and unsupportive of Jazmin in the beginning.

On to Dyrk memories.
i had forgotten that Jenni and Dyrk were together now.
Haha i laughed at the super speed fidgeting. i can totally picture XS just vibrating in place. lol.
I like how you've toned down Dyrk positive nature. i liked Magno back in the day but he was a little grating at first.
I'm with Garth, i'd rather have a more quiet ceremony.
I'm enjoying a lot of these small details you've added in. like Zoe changing out fits and the Athrmites getting annoyed.
Those magnetic ying-yang's are a sweet gift. Imra and Garth are a very good balance together.

RJ's memories.
This was propbably the most sentimental one yet and on so many levels. his view point covers so much of the legion and what they came to be from the onset. He is such a proud papa figure for all of them and its true this has been such a long time coming. I always enjoy seeing the team through his lens and how it has grown and changed.
That is quite the guest list. But when you've saved the Universe a couple dozen times you get pretty well known.
Hahah, RJ finally exclaiming by Damn was worth it and deserved.
You know the concept of the families being just as netorious as their children is something no one has really touched on i think. the Legionnaire daddies was funny.

Triad's memories.
Of course she's going to be there and not be there.
i wonder how it was decided which one got stuck staying with Monitor duty. although i wouldn't be surprised if Lu Orange volunteered. lol that was answered quickly.
Loved that Nura is on a "security" detail of sorts and watching for any issues, even the minor ones.
So Triad is like a facilitator for all the on goings at the party to make sure there isn't a political incident? good idea.
Lu's like the ultimate wedding coordinator here.
I love seeing all the different roles the team takes throughout the event.
Kinetix changing an inappropriate outfit, Echo using his sound powers to help ambassadors who don't have vision.
I had forgotten that Evolvo was now head of McCauley industries.
Hahah loved Lu Purple yelling at reporters.

Rokk's memories.
His speech as always was super well done and a total tear jerker.

and so ends the wedding and the jaunt to the future.
I enjoyed this a lot and am super curious about all those things to come that Garth talked about. Maybe someday we'll see them come to pass.

Star boy's adventures on Xanthu -
thank you for the recap of Xanthu's most recent history and the AP.
Seeing that list of all the legionnaires from Xanthu was just like wow.
New uniforms? Just for the mission or going forward?
Also what exactly is it they are their to do?
Thom wanting to help his people move forward is so rewarding to see. He's always striving to do more.

Another great way to show the Legionnaires using their powers in non-combat ways. its always interesting to see how they can be used. I'm glad the Amazers are joining in and helping as well.
i'm with Kid Q. the narration of what they are all doing is rather distracting. hopefully not too distracting.
Ok, i'm glad they all hate the narration. lol. laugh
its easy to forget that Microbe much like Cham has a hard time in the universe.
Gates being so encouraging is great and all of this falls so inline with how he would want to help the universe. lol i chucked at him getting cut off by Kid Q.
Loved Babbage's thought on wishing for a friendlier design.
Wait so what exactly can Brawler do? by Meshing it means control? i only ask because when the other tanks rose up it seems like magnokenisis or maybe i just misread and it was Tellus bringing them up while Brawler waited...i just don't understand how his control of one tank would make the others rise up.
i'm glad someone didn't do the narration. lol it just is so awkward. I understand where Atmos is coming from. But hopefully with time that can change.
Of course Brawler wants to show off more. Idk if he's ever gonna make it into the team with that additude.
but i will say Lamprey is doing well and Jed too. i like that him and Gravity are really working on their relationship.

Getting to watch your planet basically be rebirthed i bet would be super emotional for everyone and it was great to see everyone helping out. i like how they all really do have a part to play in replanting this rainforest.

The banquet -
How did you decided who stays for the gala? i would have thought Rokk would have been there with Jaz.
I like how you described Nura's power as like a search engine. i never thought of it that way. But she is seeing possibilities and looking for the most likely path. so makes total sense.
I'm not surprised that Xanthu still feels like a second best. But those ties to the Legion will come in handy i bet. Although i for sure thought we'd be getting a legion stationed out in the Rim worlds near Xanthu instead of just making them Reservist.
So Night Girl, Porcupine Pete, who i thought you had named Quill as well. But could just be my memory being off, and Spectrum joining the Amazers is interesting and i like all of their reasons for wanting to go.
Great display of power and glad Spectrum and Night girl used that trick. its the one trick that i never understood not using as often as possible.
You go Q'Bahl, and glad a Politian stood up to his collogues and using the debate they already had as when they should have voiced their concerns.
The trouble of being a precog everyone always thinks its a vision. lol.
Preach Nura Preach about the show these Politian's are doing.

Is Xitega the new Wilma Wazzo?

Dang it just when things were going well. at least it was natural...oh maybe not. Magic? who could send an asteroid magically to them...
I'm kind of surprised Zoe wasn't sent after the asteroid after sensing magic.
Lol, both Thom and Zoe not arguing with Dreamer was funny.
I never realized Radion and Particon were that close for him tp be this upset.

Poor Ferro. you paint his pain so well. i didn't realize just how much he was trying to avoid himself. I like him and Lonna as friends. both the i'm smiling for sure lines were super cute.
Berta has a lot more patience with Atmos than i would. i would have back handed him. lol.
So is the rock alive?

Gear's form must be incredibly tired making all those gurneys for the victims.
Thats the thing I always forget is that its not just about the powers when writing these stories. sometimes its just so easy to get caught up in their powers vs the heart of the story. So good moment and reminder.

I liked your use of Kal Bodo and how he's the face of the Amazers. Facescreen page. that was a funny ester egg. The idea that something like Facebook makes its way around again in a 1000 years is entertaining. Or is it more like an onlyfans kind of thing?
I like that Knok and Zoe are bantering and not actually arguing.
Great job keeping Zoe from taking off after the magic rocks. she really has learned from her past mistakes.

Loved hearing Lume's inner thoughts about why he joined the Legion and being scared of the dark and how it affects his people. The fact that iis people joined the UP on a whim. i always thought it was for some sort of protection.
Lume reached within itsself? so is its body like a pocket dimension or can open one to hold things?
wow! wait so is Lume gone? I don't want Lume to be gone.
Flight rings need to be able to transform with Legionnaires clearly.

Orchid Sapphire -
So is she some kind of telekinetic or someone with an empathic ability?

Rimbor-
Some one's on the look for Tinya's father...and the Luck Lords? this isn't a good thing.
Which i'm intrigued by the Luck Lords. we never got to see much with them in cannon.

The Espionage Squad -
I love seeing this grouping work together.
Ahh Spider-girl, does make a good fit. lol of course she's right at home. She owns whatever room she enters.
A return to the mystical thefts. nice. i wondered where that was going to go.

Echo is again much better than me. i would have hit Roy by now. and boy is he right. Umbra would have thrashed him by now.
I'm glad Thom listened to reason and didn't continue on.
Wow a planet forming? But how does that explain the rocks flying and being pulled over such long distances or the magic for that matter?
WOW! Dryad is back? that just blew my mind. but now i have to wonder if its because of the Elemental that blew it up?
Dragonmage is back too? oh this is going to be interesting for sure.
Brainy's convo with Lux was hilarious. laugh i can see Brainy being super vexed by magic.

Calorie Queen's comment about Cannus' spittle was funny.
Poor Cannus but at least he's found a place to be.
Val got a nice moment. its easy to over look him against all the others. I always forget about the sensing of weaknesses thing.

Glad Gravity is learning to get a sense of humor.
I don't want to know what Grava and Retor were doing in the comfort room...:P

I didn't think Brainy had such an issue being called Brainy still.
Gear's line was funny because i wouldn't expect it from him. lol.
I really do love how well your team works together and how their powersets can combine and compliment each other. all the bits with what each member brings were really well done.
Sizzle's own disappointments too. but glad Wildfire was able to make her feel better.

Brainy seems off. did i miss something? He seems more curt than usual.
Lol i couldn't help but laugh a little at Tel revealing that Thom had been picked as most handsome of the team. idk i'm a sucker for the black hair and blue eyes combination. so Cos has always been my go to.
Agreed with everyone who hates just waiting for things to happen or to be useful.
I like how your using Mentalla to boost Saturn Girl and giving the distinctions between the two of them and Tellus on their powers and how they work. One of the few things that always bothers me with X-men is that they don't always do this. a telepath is a telepath. but its so much more than that and a world full of them would make sense that they specialize in different areas.

a living planet? but passive? So like a normal planet? or living in the sense that it has a mind? cause all planets are living. sorry not trying to be pedantic. just trying to understand.
Slightly surprised Brainy just didn't free up one or two thoughts of track and then continued to monitor. lol.
Ok so it is Dryad and it is alive. Thank goodness for Imra being there to support Tellus and to really communicate to Dryad.
The poor planet and the idea of having to reconstruct yourself over millions of years...that is unfathomable.

As much as i understand that its better for Dryad to take it slow. i was hoping this would really help lead to Dragonmage letting himself off the hook just a little bit.

haha i had to laugh at pete's moment with Echo and calling him perfect.

that was a much shorter confrontation with Roy than i thought it would be. But why is he made at himself? i hope the good doc can help him.

Kono and the Pig are back. interesting. So their trying to rebuild Sklar....But something tells me the Pig isn't in it for that.
this has been a great ride and i look forward to more but sadly that's all the time i have for now.

Hope to be back soon with another R&R!


read the adventures of the Reboot Legion!

http://www.legionworld.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=001232
Re: The Chinese Zodiac: The Rabbit
Omni #1024450 04/02/23 02:48 AM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 84,969
Unseen, not unheard
OP Offline
Unseen, not unheard
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 84,969
hiya Omni, thanks for the read and review - appreciate your thorough comments! I definitely had to think (and reread what I wrote) to answer some of them... smile which is great, as I can consider if I would have done anything different or if I want to do a follow up later... and you are making good progress catching up for sure!

Originally Posted by Omni
Starting off with Rokk's speech to rally the masses. Inspirational for sure. Rokk's always got the right heart and I agree with Imra, the truth is part of his charm. He won't down play it but he will not give up!

Indeed, Rokk's empathy is one of his strengths!

Originally Posted by Omni
I'm glad the Legion and JLA weren't too far off from finding the missing metas. Hmmm Kid Q makes a good point. But this feels way to easy for them to get in so far...
Oh, i guess not. Lol that was a great save. but i for sure thought there was going to be a bit of a battle first.


honestly, my main problem was dealing with the power-nullifying stuff and actually finding Harvest. Once that was done with though, Harvest isn't so tough without his technology smile

Originally Posted by Omni
Why would Rokk think she wouldn't come? of course she would. Hmm...you gave me an idea to work with for spinning Jazmin...i'll have to think on it some more. tongue

happy to have given you an idea, and excited to see what it is!
and It wasn't so much Rokk not thinking Jazmin would come, as more of Rokk worried that they wouldn't be found smile



Originally Posted by Omni
Amp I'm with you. i'm with you.

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

sorry that you found it anti-climactic, and... thanks for not complaining wink I'll address below why I ended this storyline the way I did.



Originally Posted by Omni
I still keep waiting for the other shoe to drop with Harvest.

No other shoe there, I'm glad to be done with him (for now). I didn't like his comics storyline, and this was a way to wrap that up while also wrapping up the search for Cos (and Sandy) smile


Originally Posted by Omni
the discussion with Sandy went better than expected and even though i know she isn't the hero type i had always hoped she would have joined the Legion. I'm glad she's changed and that our century had helped raise her threshold for burning people. I guess Dirk aka Inferno is here to stay, I'll get used to it some day. laugh

Some day wink it's more natural for me because I also read the SW6 Legion, so Dirk = Inferno is embedded in my mind.

As for Sandy, I can't think of a good in-story justification for having someone who rather casually killed opponents get in. I think the "no kill" rule is a key part of the Legion code, and we have at least one clear case of Sandy violating that (L* 21). I am aware it's been implied that Brin has killed before, but we've never actually seen it on-screen. And besides, Sandy is rather volatile and unstable, unlike Brin. (and he joined in canon, so... he was already there).

Originally Posted by Omni
Ahh ok, I'm glad that the League has a way to contact them. But the moment i read the "neither thinking they would need it line." i was like don't be to sure about that. My memory is failing me. but how strict has time travel become? like its clearly not out right banned.

Time travel isn't banned, but (as Brainiac 5 explains here, appropriate clearances are typically needed. Stress on the timestream, and all that.

Originally Posted by Omni
the ending to this adventure was fun. But i guess i was hoping for a battle with Harvest. i wanted to see him get his but kicked./ all those meta's to have some fun with. But i get it. not every battle is epic like that. and i totally understand being lazy. lol laugh laugh laugh


No big battle now indeed, I felt this storyline already dragged on long enough wink It wasn't the shortest storyline (not helped by the real-life gap between entries), plus I wanted to focus more on the rest of the Legion smile also, it was primarily a rescue mission so the Legion/League thought of defusing things in the fastest, safest way possible - a lot of the abducted metas did not have a lot of battle experience smile


Originally Posted by Omni
You bring up an interesting thing about how telepaths experience memories. I'd love it if you elaborated on it a bit more. do they get a full sense vs a hazy moment? is it multi-perspective?

I don't have a clear answer for this yet, but I'll try to touch on it next time we have one of the telepaths doing their thing! For sure though, very skilled telepaths would be able to call forth memories that touch on all the senses!

Originally Posted by Omni
That was great that she's grown and her and Imra might have a chance at a better relationship now. Its interesting that Imra has a temper outside of her Legion life where she seems so much calmer and cooler than a lot of her teammates, including Garth.

My take on Imra is that she's incredibly self-possessed with people she does not know well; but those she does know well get to see her inner sides, which include a temper wink Imra is a bit of a perfectionist, and she expects similar things from people tongue

Originally Posted by Omni
Ayla's speech to Mekt was well done and its nice to see that he's still on the road to recovery. you've turned their relationship around so well compared to many of the other realities. out there.


glad you like the Mekt developments smile

Originally Posted by Omni
I'm enjoying the framing device of Imra and Garth in the future. it helps make all of this so much sweeter. Knowing that Mekt goes on to truly help those he wronged was also a good moment. I theorized for a while that before Garth came back that Mekt was going to step up and join the team. i wonder if this is all pointing to that...

No plans for Mekt to join the Legion at the moment. although he's getting help and rehabilitating, it will take a lot for the Legion to bring in someone who has killed and murdered before...


Originally Posted by Omni
Jazmin's memories.
This was a really interesting concept to bring up about Jazmin and Imra's relationship. I had never really given it much thought. But they don't interact on a social level at all really. Even in the main series i don't recall them being particularly close. Also touching on a concept i think both Raz and Harbinger have touched on, the old guard vs the new guard. The Reboot legion wasn't around long enough it seems to have that issue with most of their members joining in close proximity and then so many events that through them into the thick of it we never really dealt with the clashing of teammates due to when they joined. i think the closest we get is Ultra Boy and Timber Wolf and that has more to do with their gang rivalry/ feelings for Tinya. You've touched on it with the newer members that have joined since the return but not with the OG cast of the reboot really until now.

Imra opening up to Jaz is interesting. but i don't like one line she said, that implies that a big part of opening up to her is because she's with Rokk. its something in my own life i have issue with. i want others to like me on my own merits not because someone else said i was "cool". i'm sure that's not what Imra ment. but it just felt that way to me. But either way she's opening up. I also would have thought Rokk broadcasted something to Imra.
Thank you again for the notes at the end and a reminder of where the team has been. I had forgotten that Ayla and Imra had been unpleasant and unsupportive of Jazmin in the beginning.

re Imra's line, I led with that as a way to show why Imra decided to give Jaz a chance - but I did end with "And we've been through so much together... and you've done a lot for us. It's the least I can do." to put the focus more on Jazmin herself. hence the notes. Imra IS a bit socially awkward still at times, so let's say she started out poorly, caught herself, and tried to go for a save wink

Originally Posted by Omni
I like how you've toned down Dyrk positive nature. i liked Magno back in the day but he was a little grating at first.


yeah, and having lost his powers and been through the Blight and all, it makes sense that Dyrk is a bit more realistic these days!


glad you liked the rest of the wedding and the many little bits here, too! smile

Originally Posted by Omni
New uniforms? Just for the mission or going forward?


New uniforms are mainly for the Cadets, and this is going forward (if they like em). tongue it's part of the pageantry, but as they are Reservists they can wear the new uniforms too.

Originally Posted by Omni
i'm with Kid Q. the narration of what they are all doing is rather distracting. hopefully not too distracting.
Ok, i'm glad they all hate the narration. lol. laugh

I would hate the narration too, if I were doing it tongue but it's part of the price they have to pay for becoming more accessible to the average sentient!

Originally Posted by Omni
Wait so what exactly can Brawler do? by Meshing it means control? i only ask because when the other tanks rose up it seems like magnokenisis or maybe i just misread and it was Tellus bringing them up while Brawler waited...i just don't understand how his control of one tank would make the others rise up.


Meshing means control, and I should have been clearer - Brawler was meshing with each tank in succession. So he meshes with one, brings it up, and repeat smile and going off his one canon appearance, his meshing is similar to Zoe's, he can make them come alive.

Originally Posted by Omni
i'm glad someone didn't do the narration. lol it just is so awkward. I understand where Atmos is coming from. But hopefully with time that can change.
Of course Brawler wants to show off more. Idk if he's ever gonna make it into the team with that additude.
but i will say Lamprey is doing well and Jed too. i like that him and Gravity are really working on their relationship.

glad you are enjoying Lamprey, Jed/Tel. and yeah, Brawler really has an attitude problem... wink

Originally Posted by Omni
The banquet -
How did you decided who stays for the gala? i would have thought Rokk would have been there with Jaz.

great question! Jazmin had to stay as she is the leader; for the rest, I kept Thom/Nura/Jen/Lonna as they have a lot of history on Xanthu, and the other Legionnaires I chose because many haven't had focus/been in combat for a bit. And Zoe for the magical link tongue so Cos didn't stay because he's just had A LOT of focus, and it was time to let some of the others get some time!


Originally Posted by Omni
I like how you described Nura's power as like a search engine. i never thought of it that way. But she is seeing possibilities and looking for the most likely path. so makes total sense.

yeah, and I also did this to help show that not all Naltorians are as skilled as Nura. Plus, to make it a more "active" power, and boost her from being a passive "oh well no visions are coming, so..." type.

Originally Posted by Omni
I'm not surprised that Xanthu still feels like a second best. But those ties to the Legion will come in handy i bet. Although i for sure thought we'd be getting a legion stationed out in the Rim worlds near Xanthu instead of just making them Reservist.

you hit on it in the first part of your comment - because Xanthu feels second-best, AND because they already have their own hero team (Amazers), it was decided to expand the Amazers and link them to the Legion, rather than them getting their own Legion. it would not have gone over well if the Legion had replaced the Amazers, or if the Legion had stationed a team alongside the Amazers... the Amazers would still have to have been in charge, which would have been awkward with two separate teams. so the best solutions was to strengthen the Amazers.

Originally Posted by Omni
So Night Girl, Porcupine Pete, who i thought you had named Quill as well. But could just be my memory being off, and Spectrum joining the Amazers is interesting and i like all of their reasons for wanting to go.

I had to check on this, but I searched the recap thread and I don't think I ever used Quill! It's a nice name though. Maybe Pete will adopt it in the future wink


Originally Posted by Omni
Great display of power and glad Spectrum and Night girl used that trick. its the one trick that i never understood not using as often as possible.
You go Q'Bahl, and glad a Politian stood up to his collogues and using the debate they already had as when they should have voiced their concerns.

right, it just makes sense to power Lydda up. and Q'Bahl is the no-nonsense, good politician type wink



Originally Posted by Omni
Is Xitega the new Wilma Wazzo?

he's one of a number of trouble-making politicians around, though even he would have a hard time being a Winema wink

Originally Posted by Omni
I'm kind of surprised Zoe wasn't sent after the asteroid after sensing magic.
Lol, both Thom and Zoe not arguing with Dreamer was funny.
I never realized Radion and Particon were that close for him tp be this upset.

Although Zoe could sense it, Lume could follow it too - and Nura foresaw a greater need for Zoe on Xanthu smile

Radion and Particon were on the Workforce together, then joined the Amazers together, so they got a bit closer on that time. but, let's say that Radion has magnified their closeness because of his own regrets and insecurities...

Originally Posted by Omni
Poor Ferro. you paint his pain so well. i didn't realize just how much he was trying to avoid himself. I like him and Lonna as friends. both the i'm smiling for sure lines were super cute.

thanks! re Ferro I try to put myself in his shoes... to be honest I think my Wildfire should have a bit more angst too, but with Wildfire it's a bit different (almost dying, then coming back). but Ferro has just lost things, so Ferro does not have that sense of gratitude that Wildfire has.


Originally Posted by Omni
I liked your use of Kal Bodo and how he's the face of the Amazers. Facescreen page. that was a funny ester egg. The idea that something like Facebook makes its way around again in a 1000 years is entertaining. Or is it more like an onlyfans kind of thing?

I see it as more of Facebook/Tiktok than OnlyFans. Kal, being the face of the Amazers, has to have a wider reach wink

Originally Posted by Omni
Flight rings need to be able to transform with Legionnaires clearly.

that would certainly be an upgrade! I'll have to touch on that - how does Chameleon manage his for example (but I see it as Cham tucking the ring in somewhere in his form for safety). We don't have a lot of Legionnaires who fully transform their bodies, so Lume is fairly unique in this regard, and making the ring transform into light and back to normal matter is tough!

Originally Posted by Omni
Orchid Sapphire -
So is she some kind of telekinetic or someone with an empathic ability?

Rimbor-
Some one's on the look for Tinya's father...and the Luck Lords? this isn't a good thing.
Which i'm intrigued by the Luck Lords. we never got to see much with them in cannon.

Orchid Sapphire was actually Triad in disguise, and the moving objects were courtesy of Invisible Kid smile

as for the Rimbor connection, it was just Apparition and Violet doing their stuff smile

and the Luck Lords, I have some ideas in mind for them...

Originally Posted by Omni
Echo is again much better than me. i would have hit Roy by now. and boy is he right. Umbra would have thrashed him by now.
I'm glad Thom listened to reason and didn't continue on.

lol, so true smile and Thom has learned a lot from his rookie days!


Originally Posted by Omni
I don't want to know what Grava and Retor were doing in the comfort room...:P

Me neither tongue and glad you liked the other character bits too! Gravity is working hard to become more likable wink

Originally Posted by Omni
I didn't think Brainy had such an issue being called Brainy still.
Gear's line was funny because i wouldn't expect it from him. lol.

Gear is normally so straight-laced, but I like to write him like this. I'm a bit like this too, most people get surprised when I make jokes like this. I see Gear as the same, he looks angelic but can be quite naughty and witty.

as for Brainy, he tends to tolerate being called Brainy, but stressful situations like this make him more snappish, as he has to devote more mental resources to the problem at hand, and less resources to regulating his emotions and behavior smile

Originally Posted by Omni
I really do love how well your team works together and how their powersets can combine and compliment each other. all the bits with what each member brings were really well done.
Sizzle's own disappointments too. but glad Wildfire was able to make her feel better.

Brainy seems off. did i miss something? He seems more curt than usual.

thank you smile and again, it's just Brainy being stressed at the situation, and moving more resources to the problem than to regulating himself smile

Originally Posted by Omni
Lol i couldn't help but laugh a little at Tel revealing that Thom had been picked as most handsome of the team. idk i'm a sucker for the black hair and blue eyes combination. so Cos has always been my go to.

ah! nice to know your type smile tongue

Originally Posted by Omni
Agreed with everyone who hates just waiting for things to happen or to be useful.
I like how your using Mentalla to boost Saturn Girl and giving the distinctions between the two of them and Tellus on their powers and how they work. One of the few things that always bothers me with X-men is that they don't always do this. a telepath is a telepath. but its so much more than that and a world full of them would make sense that they specialize in different areas.

thank you! glad you like this bit indeed. my impression of Marvel has always been that most telepaths are interchangeable there, they have different degrees of skill/power but they can do the same things. I wanted to do something different, partly as a way also to give Mentalla and Tellus their own niches (I mean, Imra is just a different level overall...)

Originally Posted by Omni
a living planet? but passive? So like a normal planet? or living in the sense that it has a mind? cause all planets are living. sorry not trying to be pedantic. just trying to understand.
Slightly surprised Brainy just didn't free up one or two thoughts of track and then continued to monitor. lol.

thanks for clarifying, it's kind and sweet of you smile and yes, I think later parts made it clear that Dryad is living in the sense that, say, Mogo (from Green Lantern Corps) is living.

and Brainy is just being very, very, very careful wink he doesn't want a planet reformation to go wrong!

Originally Posted by Omni
haha i had to laugh at pete's moment with Echo and calling him perfect.

that was a much shorter confrontation with Roy than i thought it would be. But why is he made at himself? i hope the good doc can help him.

heh, Echo's personality is based on one of my husband's friends, whom we all call perfect because even in adverse situations, he's just so... so.. so darned self-sacrificing

as for Radion, he's conflicted. he and Particon joined the Workforce together, and the Amazers... but when they finally got the chance to become Legionnaires (which happens off-screen before Volume 1), Radion did not take it. and now he has to deal with the "what if". this scene was relatively short because Particon recognized this was not the best time, and she was not the best person, to act as psychologist for Roy then smile

Originally Posted by Omni
Kono and the Pig are back. interesting. So their trying to rebuild Sklar....But something tells me the Pig isn't in it for that.
this has been a great ride and i look forward to more but sadly that's all the time i have for now.

Hope to be back soon with another R&R!

thanks Omni, really appreciate it! you're making fast progress!!

Last edited by Invisible Brainiac; 04/09/23 04:22 AM.
Re: The Chinese Zodiac: The Rabbit
Invisible Brainiac #1024451 04/02/23 03:21 AM
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My thoughts as I read!

- Brawler continues to be skeevy! I get the feeling the Zodiac guys didn't have to push him too much for him to end up being as much of a big creep as he is now!

- the Monkey team is another interesting group too actually! Having Babbage, Zoe and Drura on the one team gives us three very distinct specialised power sets with Chuck as the token straightforward one (it's also pretty convenient to maintain Brawler's delusion about the Legion being fakey)

- I like Chuck calling out Babbage's vulnerability here, and man this encounter did NOT turn out good for our favourite Robotican! Hopefully this is less of a tragic death in battle and more of a "Red Tornado/Vision/Cyborg gets ripped apart and has to get rebuilt" situation, because I have gotten attached to Babbage!

- love Zoe doing the ol' "cutting off your oxygen with a forcefield" trick! Sue Richards would be proud! wink

- I already mentioned Babbage, but the way this fight ended is legitimately really creepy for our Robotican friend - good writing! I hope Babbage pulls through!

- power-switching is an interesting and pretty novel offence! It makes sense that poor Tinya would be so used to being protected by her intangibility that being solid would trip her up, but I'm glad that Cos adjusted so quickly to her power. Still, being turned solid with his foot still in the ground!!!! shocked shocked shocked

(Chakuq is NUTS by the way, I love it :D)

- oooooh interesting that Pig only has one power!

- I hadn't really been keeping track of who was left in the Legion, but the last group is a tough one...and then there's Sussa laugh It's kinda fun actually seeing this version of Jo and M'Onel together, I don't recall them having any particular interactions in the reboot despite being best friends in the OG Legion smile

- Sussa telling Jo they'll find Tinya was nice - I feel like she would have good reason to be snarky if she wanted to be so it's good to see her rise above it. I also laughed at her trying to manifest a milkshake to see if they were in a simulation laugh

- Sussa is showing quite a bit of initiative here actually! And I like Lume using his abilities to recharge M'Onel!

- wow, Pig's one power is a doozy as it turns out! Wait, is Pig this reality's Earth-Man??

I am super excited to see how this all turns out, it's been a wild ride so far IB!

Considering all of these groupings were random I think you've done a great job of writing everyone being realistically defeated, and it has been fun seeing some characters work together that we wouldn't normally see smile

Re: The Chinese Zodiac: The Rabbit
Invisible Brainiac #1024453 04/02/23 03:41 AM
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yay, thanks for the R&R raz!

Brawler was already a bit self-aggrandizing, so he didn't need an overly-strong nudge for sure! let's say, if the Zodiac really needed a Cadet, he would have been the first choice by a mile.

I think this is another quartet that needs to appear again wink and glad you are liking Babbage!

Zoe did that trick once before: Legionnaires 50, it was Zoe's telekinetic field that cut off Mordru's oxygen and made him dormant again smile

Tinya being there was the main reason I brought in the power-switching. to have her taken out without it being too easy, if that makes sense smile

I love that you like Chakuq being nuts - she definitely has one of the most selfish motivations!

and yeah, when I got that hand: M'On, Jo, Lume... and Sussa. I was like, well, I'll figure something out for Sussa to do!

I hadn't thought of making Pig = Earth-Man, but that's a good power parallel for sure!

and thanks for the nice compliment, raz, I'm glad these random groupings worked out in the end! Some of them were a challenge for sure tongue

more to come soon... smile

The Chinese Zodiac: Saving a Remnant
Invisible Brainiac #1024513 04/03/23 02:03 AM
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Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

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

Zarrox

White Witch, Mysa of Zarrox; sorcery. Currently the only Active Legionnaire whose whereabouts are known.

Reserve Legionnaire (Not Legion Cadets or Support Staff)

Thunder, Cece Beck of 90th century Binderaan; SHAZAM-empowered human with enhanced strength, speed, durability, stamina, wisdom and flight powers

Reserve Legionnaires (Still in the Legion Cadet program)

Crystal Kid, Bobb Kohan of Earth (Brazil and Peru); crystal generation and manipulation
Rainbow, Dori Aandraison of Xolnar; rainbow-based light powers
Vision, Rhent Ustin of Earth (Egypt and Spain); microscopic, telescopic, heat, freeze, and hypnotic vision

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

Rainbow felt her back press against the cool, smooth crystal dome. How long had they been fighting? It seemed like hours.... she heaved; her muscles ached, and she was out of breath...

"Dori! Get in here!" Crystal Kid tapped on the dome and pointed. Dori followed his finger; the glowing Dragon, flanked by the Rooster and the Tiger, were charging at her!

"I'll cover you, Dori!" Vision's eyes glowed, and pinpoint laser beams blasted
through the three animals.

"Come on," Bobb pulled Dori into the dome through the opening he created. "You look like you need a break."

"I do," she sighed, sitting down. She had been on four missions to Bobb's and Rhent's three, before coming here. "How much longer do you think it will take?"

"I wish I knew," Bobb pointed to the White Witch and her three fellow sorcerers. All had their eyes closed, as they were focusing on their spell.

Suddenly, the White Witch's eyes opened. "I know where they are. I know what magics they are invoking. Crystal Kid, release this dome, please!"

Bobb waved his hands, causing the dome to open up and disappear. The White Witch began to levitate, and twelve tiny glowing balls erupted around her. Bobb and Dori gasped as each one sucked an animal into it. As each did, it collapsed upon itself, leaving no trace anything had existed.

"Is it... is it done?" Traci Thirteen the XIIIth asked, as she pulled herself to her feet.

"It is." The White Witch's voice was icy, as she released the link. Antonio Stefanacci swayed at the sudden shift; it felt like his magical energy had snapped back into him. Both Harlak and Elphaba groaned in equal measure.

Thunder flew down from where she had been wrestling with the Goat and the Monkey, both now disappeared. "Mysa, what's wrong? What did you find?"

Mysa didn't look at Thunder, just stared forward. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears. "We need to go to Pon, now. Our teammates need us. Someone please call Marla Latham. I need to tell him that he won't be able to find Impulse and Chlorophyll Kid."

Wordlessly, Vision handed Mysa an Omnicom. Dori shivered as she watched Mysa. Why did this not feel like a victory?

**************************************************************************
Legion World

Other Legion Cadets

Healer, Mend'rr of Jaquaa; accelerates natural healing by borrowing strength from others

Other Legion Support Staff

Marla Latham of Earth (Germany and Sweden); Legion adult advisor

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

"And they just disappeared!" Healer's voice trembled as he reported back to Marla. Healer's squad had been setting up a field hospital for the injured on Abaddonus, when Impulse and Chlorophyll Kid had just vanished.

Before Marla could respond, the White Witch opened a new Omnicom channel. She spoke before he could say anything. "Marla, we need to go to Pon. Some of the Legionnaires are there. And they are badly hurt."

Marla wanted to ask how Mysa knew, but thought better of it. "I'll ask Dr. Gym'll and Magnetic Kid to lead a squad there right away. I trust you'll meet them there?"

Mysa nodded, before ending the call.

Last edited by Invisible Brainiac; 04/03/23 02:09 AM.
The Chinese Zodiac: Saving A Remnant
Invisible Brainiac #1024514 04/03/23 02:04 AM
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Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

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

Pon, the lesser moon of Xanthu

Active Legionnaire

White Witch, Mysa of Zarrox; sorcery.

Reserve Legionnaires (Not Legion Cadets or Support Staff)

Magnetic Kid, Pol Krinn of Braal; magnetokinesis (magno-ball athlete)
Thunder, Cece Beck of 90th century Binderaan; SHAZAM-empowered human with enhanced strength, speed, durability, stamina, wisdom and flight powers

Reserve Legionnaires (also Legion Support Staff)

Tomb, unpronounceable of Sarccus; controls others' bodily functions (Legion medical staff)

Reserve Legionnaires (Still in the Legion Cadet program)

Comet Queen, Grava of Quaal III; super-speed flight and emission of comet-like gases
Crystal Kid, Bobb Kohan of Earth (Brazil and Peru); crystal generation and manipulation
Dragonwing, Marya Pai of Earth (Singapore and Tibet); breathes fire and secretes acid venom
Flying Fox of H'lven; levitation, enhanced agility and strength, claws
Rainbow, Dori Aandraison of Xolnar; rainbow-based light powers
Veilmist of Khundia and ??; teleportation
Vision, Rhent Ustin of Earth (Egypt and Spain); microscopic, telescopic, heat, freeze, and hypnotic vision

Other Legion Cadets

Healer, Mend'rr of Jaquaa; accelerates natural healing by borrowing strength from others
The Mess, Meyer Qayd of the Sol Asteroid Belt; telekinesis affecting small-diameter objects
Neuron, A'rmie of Gil'd; telepathy, electricity generation
Paragon, Solana Xatu of Korugar; boosts others' confidence
Retro, Deen Toro of Retcon; touch-triggered ability to rewind time, but leaving those affected with a memory of "future" events
Uplift, Cera Kesh of Earth (Antarctica); levitation

Uncanny Amazers of Xanthu - have a cross-Reservist arrangement with the Legion

Atmos, Marak Russen of Xanthu; nuclear energy blasts, flight, enhanced strength and durability

Other Legion Support Staff or residents of Legion World

Cannus of Anthropologia; skilled tracker, canine senses and abilities (Search & Rescue)
Dr. Gym'll of Jaquaa; Legion physician

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

Atmos was the first to reach Pon. He had been helping a distressed freighter near Xanthu, when he got the call. Leaving Night Girl to finish aiding the vessel, Atmos had sped as fast as he could to Pon. He would never forget the pain in the White Witch's voice.

As he swooped down through the air, he saw his old teammate, Star Boy. At least, he thought it was Star Boy; blood was everywhere, and he only recognized Thom Kallor by his costume. Kneeling down swiftly, he checked for a pulse. There was one; it was weak.

A burst of blue energy signaled a teleportation spell. Atmos watched as the White Witch led a group of Reservists through. And yet another bluish-white flash signaled the opening of a Threshold; a Kwai guide, Magnetic Kid and Dr. Gym'll stepped through, leading a small army of cadets and medics.

Crystal Kid turned even paler as he surveyed the scene. Bodies littered the place, all wearing torn costumes, caked in blood. "What happened here? Chameleon, Violet, Calorie Queen, they're all..."

"Later," The White Witch said curtly. "We need to find all the Legionnaires here. I've asked Marla to coordinate; I know who's left."

"Is Rokk one of..." Magnetic Kid stopped as his Omnicom pinged. His eyes widened; Marla had sent a list through. Rokk was indeed one of them. He quickly scanned the list; only about three-fourths of the missing Legionnaires' names were on them.

"Fan out and bring them all here," the White Witch said as she began to cast her magic. "I need to make sure there aren't any trap spells. And I can help with healing."

Dr. Gym'll motioned to Healer. "Come here, boy. Calorie Queen is in the most critical condition. Ration just enough of your energy to stabilize her; if the rest are in this state then you will need to conserve your abilities..."

Comet Queen clutched at her face as she watched. "Nova burn!" she breathed. "Even in our wildest VR dreams have I never seen such... such..."

"Let's go, Grava," Dragonwing sounded grim as she took off. "We've got to save the Legionnaires while we can."

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

Cannus whimpered as he led a group to the twitching forms of Gear, Saturn Girl and Andromeda. What could do this to a Daxamite? He watched as some medics loaded Saturn Girl into a stretcher; then he moved on. He had caught the trail of Timber Wolf.

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

"Over here!" Rainbow called as she used her powers to illuminate a dark cave. "I think I see Ultra Boy!" She had always admired the rugged, handsome Legionnaire; but she could barely recognize his face now, it was so beat up. Sprock, what had happened here?

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

"Lume? Lume, it's me, Thunder." Thunder saw her teammate, huddled up, eyes staring blankly ahead. The being made of light normally floated with such grace... Thunder had never seen it actually sit before. But even as she spoke, all Lume could do was sit, shaking, as if its soul had been torn apart.

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

"They are here!" Neuron declared as it floated above a pile of rock. "Two of them..." Atmos and Paragon began moving bits and pieces, gently and carefully, not knowing what they would find.

"Oh!" Paragon gasped as she saw a green-clad arm. "Kinetix?! How..."

"And Microbe," Atmos said quietly as he lifted the Somahturian's body up. "Still breathing, thank the stars."

Paragon began pouring on her confidence power as she gently helped Kinetix sit up. There were gashes all over the Alephian's face. "You can make it, come on... come on... you will make it," Paragon whispered as she lifted Kinetix into the air.

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

Healer wanted to clutch his heart as the latest group of victims arrived. Kid Quantum's leg was dangling at an odd angle; Chemical Kid's dark green costume looked even darker than normal, as it was caked in blood and dirt. And Shikari... he didn't know much about Kwai physiology, but her wings surely didn't look like that normally.

He tried not to shake as he moved on to Apparition. The Bgztlian had been found with Cosmic Boy and Insect Queen; triage had identified Insect Queen as the closest to death, and Healer had at least stabilized her before moving on. But everyone had been terribly hurt.

"It's okay, draw from my strength," Vision said quietly. Healer smiled gratefully at the more experienced Cadet. "And if you need me to cauterize anything..." Vision continued.

"I will be the judge of that," Dr. Gym'll snapped as he examined Live Wire. "Neither of you have the medical knowledge or experience to makes those calls, yet."

Vision pursed his lips. Healer whispered... "He knows you mean well, don't worry. He just wants them to get better..."

"So do we all," Vision said, looking sadly at the sea of injured Legionnaires.

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

If Element Lass could cry, she would. Candi just sat, broken, as she laid Dreamer on the ground, beside Mentalla. Both her teammates groaned in pain.

"Element Lass!" Magnetic Kid called as he floated down. "Oh, thank grife you're okay!"

"Pol..." Candi began. She choked. "Pol, it was... it was... I hurt them, I..."

"Hey, hey, we'll make them better," Pol said as he hugged Candi tight. "But we need to move fast, okay? Can you transmute the ground under them into something ferromagnetic for me?"

Candi felt herself breathing more harshly as she focused on the ground beneath her friends. She left a soft layer of softer soil on top, and created a lightly curved plate of iron under.

"That's it, that's it," Pol said gently as he lifted the iron sheet up and flew on. Candi followed silently, her tired sobs ringing in the silence.

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

Retro felt numb as he saw Flying Fox pulling a pallet with Triad on it. One of them, anyway; the purple and orange colors on her costume marked her as Neutral.

"Doc Gym'll says to rewind her as much as possible," Flying Fox said.

"I've already been doing that," Retro said wearily. "I don't know how long they've been here, but it's been long enough that I can't heal anyone completely."

"Doc said you'd say that," Flying Fox said quietly. "He says she's a Carggite though, and if we can get her conscious enough to reintegrate..." Flying Fox gestured. "Her other two selves are on their way."

Retro nodded as he touched Triad on the shoulder. All his life, he'd treated things as a game... But today, he could see that life as a Legionnaire had real, potentially deadly, consequences.

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

"Hold like this, please." Tomb indicated to Uplift. "She's shaking too much."

Uplift just nodded silently as she tried to hold Spark still with her powers. The redheaded Legionnaire had been so bubbly, so friendly... and to see her like this...

Uplift had never wanted to be a Legionnaire; and more than ever, she was determined to just grow her power as much as she could, and not pursue anything that could hurt her like this.

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

Timber Wolf sniffed the air around him. Sizzle was huddled in his arms, barely breathing; Brin knew she'd lost a lot of blood. Even with his own accelerated healing, he could still barely stand.

He knew he had to conserve his strength, until... until...

He smelled someone!

Throwing his head back, he yelled. "It's Timber Wolf! I'm here, Sizzle's hurt!"

"We're coming nova fast, starshine!" Comet Queen replied from above.

"is there enough space for my acid?" Dragonwing added. "It's the fastest way to make a hole big enough to reach you."

"Should be..." Brin huffed. "Go ahead..." He didn't care if some splashed on him, and he would shield Sizzle if need be.

Moments later, Dragonwing and Comet Queen were pulling them to safety.

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

Veilmist gasped as she came across Umbra and Sensor. Both Legionnaires had always been so regal, so confident... and now both were sprawled out like helpless little dolls.

She quickly bent down to check their vital signs. Both were breathing, thank grife.

She thought for a moment that if she died, she'd want to go out in battle, like these two. But they were still alive; and there was so much more they could give the galaxy. She held on to both as she extended her teleportation field, and vanished back to the medical camp.

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

Dr. Gym'll was uncharacteristically silent as he examined M'Onel. He didn't want to spook the Cadets, but... injuries of this severity on a Daxamite? Unprecedented on a yellow sun world. Something very powerful had attacked him.

Or something magical.

As a man of science, Gym'll willingly admitted he was uncomfortable with magic. Give him a good old servo-droid any day... Although, with technology still glitching on and off, he preferred to rely on the Cadets' powers for now. Even taking the Threshold here had been a risk. But the sorcerers on Legion World were also tiring... and everyone's injuries showed how urgent it had been to get here.

He inspected one of the gaping wounds on M'Onel's chest. "Meyer," he said without looking.

The Mess turned to look up. "Yes?"

"Please use your telekinesis to draw out any soil and debris from this wound. We need it clean."

The Mess blanched a bit. "Won't it hurt M'Onel?"

"He's under enough sedatives to keep a pod of space whales under," Gym'll said, a bit more testily than he liked. He reminded himself that these Cadets were not medical experts. "And any damage you may do will be healed.... but we have to act fast." Without missing a beat, he turned to Crystal Kid. "Bobb, assist Meyer by propping M'Onel's chest up.

Both Cadets complied, with even the normally outspoken Crystal Kid looking very somber. Gym'll could not blame them. Even he had never seen the Legion in a state like this...

Gym'll watched as The Mess slowly drew out soil particles from M'Onel's wound. Confident that things were well in hand, Gym'll quickly turned to Brainiac 5 and examined his head wound. Above all else, if he could heal any ailment of this fine Coluan's, he wanted to protect his intellect. "A'rmie," he motioned to the Gil'dan Cadet. "Help me probe Brainiac 5's brain for damage."

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

The White Witch descended on the area she had identified. She had asked to come here alone. She had to... had to...

As she had been finalizing the scrying spell, she had felt it. She knew the touch of his magics, the feeling of his forms. She had hoped, she had wished, but...

... but she had seen it all. Glimpses of her teammates, her friends, being battered and falling. She had watched the mischievous Rat, the fierce Tiger, the cruel Pig.

And she had watched the Dragon betray them all. Betray the Legion.

She already knew that she would only see three of the Dragon's victims here. She had seen everything through her spell, though the images had come so fast that she could not articulate them to another. She would need time to process them... process this.

How long had he been lying to her?

XS was already beginning to stir. That was one thing she was grateful for; that despite his betrayal, the Dragon had not killed them. And she could sense the magics cast around here. Her own protection spell; that's why she knew there was a chance they could still save everyone. And more than that... Dragonmage had cast something... she sensed it had been benevolent. But she wasn't sure.

No matter. She would deal with him later. He would not escape justice.

Mysa hovered above XS. "Jenni? Jenni?"

XS' eyes fluttered open. She gasped, and clutched at Mysa. "Mysa, Mysa! It was Dragonmage, he... he..."

"I know, I know," Mysa said gently as she held XS to her. "I know."

Last edited by Invisible Brainiac; 04/03/23 07:14 AM.
Re: The Chinese Zodiac: Saving A Remnant
Invisible Brainiac #1024518 04/03/23 04:00 AM
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Yay, another update already!

Quote
"I need to tell him that he won't be able to find Impulse and Chlorophyll Kid.

THIS IS OMINOUS! Although I am glad Mysa followed that up with telling Marla that some of the Legion are badly hurt and not "some of the Legion are quite dead" lol

The description of everyone finding the injured Legionnaires is so well done, it really brings home how horrible the scene would look and how difficult it would be for people finding their friends and loved ones in that state.

Poor Candi, she must feel awful...I hope this doesn't break her spirit! I also would not want to be any of the Zodiac when she finds them!

I see what you mean about the Mess getting a chance to be useful! Clever of Dr Gym'll to think of using him to clean wounds, and it was good to see that even though he's as crotchetty as usual he's still thinking about the cadets' wellbeing (eg not letting on how worried he was about M'Onel's wounds and reminding himself that they're not medical experts)

I wonder if Dragonmage is going to be redeemable? Although it sounds very much like Mysa is not thinking about his redemption, which is understandable...

Still loving this IB, can't wait to see more!

Re: The Chinese Zodiac: Saving A Remnant
Invisible Brainiac #1024522 04/03/23 04:10 AM
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wow raz, you read fast!! smile thanks for the quick read and review!

yes, nobody is dead yet, I couldn't quite bear to kill anyone yet wink

and thank you, glad the scene rang true. there's gonna be a lot of thinking from everyone before all this is done.

No, it's all still too fresh and raw for Mysa to even think about redeeming Dragonmage... plus, he has been lying to her, pretending to be on vacation and all smile

more to come soon raz, thanks a ton!

Re: The Chinese Zodiac: Saving A Remnant
Invisible Brainiac #1024523 04/03/23 04:37 AM
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Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Legion World

Active Legionnaires

Blizzard, Brek Bannin of Tharr; cold projection
Dreamer, Nura Nal of Naltor; precognition
Element Lass, Candi "Princess" Pyponte-LeParc III of Xanthu; transmutation
Magno, Dyrk Magz of Braal; magnetokinesis
Mentalla, Delya Castil of Titan; telepathic control of others' physical functions
Timber Wolf, Brin Londo of Zuun; enhanced speed, strength, durability, senses and regenerative powers
White Witch, Mysa of Zarrox; sorcery
XS, Jenni Ognats of Aarok; super-speed

Reserve Legionnaires (Not Legion Cadets or Support Staff)

Magnetic Kid, Pol Krinn of Braal; magnetokinesis (magno-ball athlete)
Thunder, Cece Beck of 90th century Binderaan; SHAZAM-empowered human with enhanced strength, speed, durability, stamina, wisdom and flight powers

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

"... and Robotica says they think they can restore Babbage," Magnetic Kid finished. "Barely. Apparently, if Brawler had shredded a few more of his circuits..."

"Then all of us will be okay?" Magno asked tentatively. He still felt... singed... from Dragonmage's attack.

"We'll live, if that's what you mean," Timber Wolf growled. "But okay? Lume is so traumatized, it can't even speak!"

His words hung in the air. Just two days ago, all 49 active members had met here... and now... they were down to 8 combat-ready Actives and two Reservists. Everyone else was in various stages of recovery, and some had not even woken up yet.

"It's just us, isn't it?" Mentalla whispered. "For now, while everyone else recovers, and our Cadets rest..."

"I wish I had seen this..." Dreamer sighed. Even taking time daily to scan for future threats, she had not seen anything that pointed to this. Tears welled in her eyes; she had just been to visit Thom, and...

"You couldn't have," White Witch said gently. "None of us could. They hid themselves well, and it took six of us on Zarrox to begin piercing the veils of their concealment spells."

"What did you learn, Mysa?" Blizzard asked. He still remembered rushing to Zoe on Pon, and seeing her broken like that... "Who were they? What did they want?"

"And where are our friends?" XS demanded. "They took sixteen of us!"

"Would have been seventeen, except Dragonmage betrayed us," Timber Wolf said darkly.

Nobody spoke; though Dragonmage had only been a Reservist, he had still been a Legionnaire, had fought alongside the team many times. And coming on the heels of Brawler's turn...

"We'll deal with him later," Dreamer said quietly. "Let's get everyone else back, first."

"I will show you where they are," Mysa said. She waved her hands, and the air before her shimmered into a magical viewscreen. "I can't keep this up for long, but it should be enough to tell the tale."

Element Lass gasped as she saw their missing friends. All sixteen were floating, unconscious, as if in stasis, surrounded by a reddish glow. They were on a rocky, barren surface, that much was clear.

"I can't make out where they are. That could be nearly any asteroid," Blizzard muttered.

The viewscreen cut to the twelve Zodiac signs, chanting in a circle.

Mysa narrated about how the Pig had sought out twelve individuals who strongly represented the Twelve Signs of the Chinese Zodiac. They had been collecting magical objects to strengthen themselves. The first step of their plan had been to nudge open the slumbering ancient Chinese gods. This had been accomplished by spiriting the Legionnaires away and engaging them in vicious battle; the energies of those battles would have weakened the seals between the earthly realms and the palaces of heaven.

The second step of their plan would be to actually call forth the gods themselves.

"And that is what we see now," Mysa pointed. "They are using our friends' energies, and the energies of their magical objects, to summon the gods." She didn't say that she had learned all about the Chinese Zodiac from Dragonmage. She wasn't yet ready to deal with the uncomfortable question: How much of all this had been his idea, then?

"They are moving fast, now that they have everything they need..." Mysa continued.

"Wait, how are we seeing this?" Dreamer turned to Mysa. "My sight has been blocked all this time, but suddenly it's like a veil has been lifted..."

"They're not hiding anymore," Mysa shook her head. "They have what they need, and they need to move fast. And they're not wasting any energy on concealing themselves, not when they've weakened us so much and are holding some of our friends."

"Those sprockers!" Timber Wolf spat.

"How can we still stop them, then?" Element Lass asked.

"This spell takes time to cast," Mysa said quietly. "We are racing against time, but if we act fast..."

"Then let's get those squajes," Blizzard stood up.

"Wait, let's wait until more of us can go," Thunder cautioned. "We all saw how powerful they were...."

"We don't HAVE time!" XS said. "They still have our friends!"

The room erupted into chaos, with nearly everyone standing and yelling.

"Please!" Mysa conjured up a loud bang. "I know we're all hurt, and exhausted, and worried, but we must not fight each other!"

Everyone sat down, looking ashen-faced and ashamed. Then, Magnetic Kid leaned forward. "How much time DO we have, Mysa?"

"Two days," Mysa said. "With Zarrox's healing magics added to United Planets science, I think most of us can recover in that time. My protection spell helped soften the blows we ook."

Thunder just nodded. Mysa had confided in her; it seemed like Dragonmage had also cast a helpful spell of his own, but she hadn't been sure.

"Okay, that's a bit of time..." Magno leaned back. "And why did they take whom they did?"

Mysa nodded. "The planet Earth still holds a lot of significance in magic. It is the life planet, the origin of many other worlds, and a strong source of energy. Observe: the Legionnaires they took are from Earth, or have Earth origin."

XS scanned the captive Legionnaires quickly. "And I guess Spider-Girl comes from Luna, which is close enough to Earth? But what about Chlorophyll Kid? He's from Mardru..."

"Chinese philosophy posits that there are five phases, or elements," Mysa continued. "Fire, water, metal, wood, and earth... It seems they've taken twelve Earth Legionnaires, and have five others to represent the five phases."

Mentalla scrunched her eyes. "Inferno is for fire, Lamprey is for water, Ferro for metal, and Chlorophyll Kid for wood... But who is Earth?" Then she paused. "Wait, they only took sixteen... we're off by one."

Dreamer gasped, and she stood up rigidly.

"A precog vision?" Magno asked, as he helped steady Nura.

"No, a flash of insight..." she trembled. "Mysa, that's why they're not casting the spell on Earth, right?"

"Or on Zarrox..." Mysa said quietly.

"Huh?" Element Lass asked. "I thought they left Earth or Zarrox alone because they were too strongly defended?"

"No, I think I see now..." Thunder added. "That may be part of the reason, but there is another..."

"A planet even more strongly magical than either Earth or Zarrox..." Mysa finished.

"No, you can't mean..." Blizzard began. "But it was going to get a new life!"

The room turned silent as Blizzard's words sank in.

Numbly, Dreamer called Marla Latham. "Marla... We know where they are. They're on Dryad."

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

IB's notes:

Read about the reformation of Dryad here, and the foreshadowing of Dryad's role in this here

To recap, here is the list of those taken. Don't say I make things tough to follow wink

1) 12 Earth Legionnaires

Amp, Ming Sul of Earth (Korea and Taiwan); amplifies the natural abilities of self and others
Density, Jed Rikane of Earth (Mongolia and Nepal) and Quothon; controls his body's density
Echo, Troy Stewart of Earth (South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago); sound manipulation
Gravity, Tel Vole of Earth (Cambodia and Thailand); gravity manipulation
Invisible Kid, Lyle Norg of Earth (Australia and Israel); invisibility
Karate Kid, Val Armorr of Omega Colony (Earth colony: Japan and Myanmar); skilled martial artist
Nightwind, Berta Skye Harris of Earth (Iceland) and Enwa; wind and air manipulation, enhanced vision
Particon, Jennifer Sanchez of Earth (India and Philippines); "hard light" energy casting and manipulation
Rebound, Chuck Taine of Earth (Canada and Uzbekistan); inflates into a durable bouncing form
Spider-Girl, Sussa Paka of Luna; prehensile hair
Wildfire, Drake Burroughs (energy gestalt of two beings); anti-energy being

Impulse, Kent Shakespeare of Earth (United Kingdom: England); enhanced speed, strength, durability and recuperative abilities (Reserve Legionnaire, also Legion World chief medical doctor)

2) 5 Chinese Elements/Phases

Earth: the living planet Dryad, slowly reforming itself after its destruction by the Earth elemental

Fire: Inferno, Dirk Morgna of Earth (USA and Russia); pyrokinesis, can see heat signatures

Metal: Ferro, Andrew Nolan of 20th century Earth (USA); previously could turn his body into durable iron, but now stuck in his iron form

Water: Lamprey, Tayla Skott of Earth (Maldives and Palau) and Neptune; underwater survival; hydrokinesis

Wood: Chlorophyll Kid, Ral Benem of Mardru; accelerated plant growth (Reserve Legionnaire, also Legion Disaster Relief & Development)

The Chinese Zodiac: Casualties of Battle
Invisible Brainiac #1024712 04/09/23 03:59 AM
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VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Legion World Medi-bay

List of In-Patients:

Andromeda, Laurel Gand of Daxam; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers, flight
Apparition, Tinya Wazzo of Bgztl; intangibility
Babbage, I-45ENG/Nth Series of Robotica; combat mechanoid
Brainiac 5, Querl Dox of Colu; 12th level intelligence and force field powers
Calorie Queen, Taryn Loy of Bismoll; consume all forms of matter, and conversion of same into super-strength
Chameleon, Reep Daggle of Durla; shapeshifting
Chemical Kid, Condo Arlik of Phlon; controls chemical reactions
Cosmic Boy, Rokk Krinn of Braal; magnetokinesis
Gates, Ti'julk Mr'asz of Vyrga; opens teleportation disks
Gear, I.Z.O.R. of Linsnar; bio-mechanical techno-morphing
Insect Queen, Lonna Leing of Xanthu; morphs into various insect forms, gaining the powers of the forms she takes
Kid Quantum II, Jazmin Cullen of Xanthu; time manipulation. Current Legion leader.
Kinetix, Zoe Saugin of Aleph; telekinesis and animation of objects; affinity for magic
Live Wire, Garth Ranzz of Winath; electricity generation and manipulation
Lume, of Silvan; energy being made of light
Microbe, Drura Sehpt of Somahtur; control harmful and beneficial microorganisms
M'Onel, Lar Gand of Daxam; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers, flight
Saturn Girl, Imra Ardeen of Titan; telepathy
Sensor, Jeka Wynzorr of Orando; sensory manipulation
Shikari Lonestar of the Kwai; pathfinding, armored skin and claws allowing for flight and survival in space
Sizzle, Teela Spuunvil of Abaddonus; absorbs and converts energy
Spark, Ayla Ranzz of Winath; electricity generation and manipulation
Star Boy, Thom Kallor of Xanthu; gravity manipulation
Triad, Luornu Durgo of Cargg; triplication
Ultra Boy, Jo Nah of Rimbor; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers and flight, but can only use one power at a time
Umbra, Tasmia Mallor of Talok VIII; darkfield casting
Violet, Salu Digby of Imsk; shrinks and grows own body

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

The Legion World medi-bay wasn't normally the most cheerful of places, but today it was especially somber. Word had spread rapidly around the artificial planet of the severity of the Legionnaires' injuries. Some of the medical staff had been skeptical, at first, of having Zarrox's sorcerers aid in the healing process. But after seeing the Legionnaires' wounds... They had put their reservations aside.

Under the guidance of Dr. Gym'll and the White Witch, cadets Healer and Tomb and the sorcerers had brought each of the 27 in-patient Legionnaires to the point of safety. There was a 97.256% chance that nobody would die today. How long it would take them to recover, was not a mathematical certainty... neither was it certain just how perfectly they would.

Visiting hours had just opened, and the staff were busy navigating the stream of guests. They had had to shush a few Vyrgans by Gates' side; on the other hand, the Talokians by Umbra's bed had been impeccably stoic and silent. The Durlans visiting Chameleon were somewhere in the middle; they were saying a hushed prayer, though every so often one of them would shift into a different form and make a loud exclamation. The sheer number of visitors made it sensory overload, though. And the staff were just trying their best to monitor everyone and give them the care they needed.

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

Dr. Ryk'rr, a Titanet adept, and the sorceress Elphaba sat with Lume. The light being had been transfigured into a lamp by the Pig; it was still processing the experience. "Lume had lost all sense of self," Lume said, staring blankly ahead.

"I, Lume, I. You are a sentient being..." Dr. Ryk'rr said gently.

"I have been transfigured before," Elphaba said quietly, beside Lume. "It was difficult, but... I can share my experiences with you, if that will help..."

The Titanet adept, a black-haired man with the sides of his head shaved named Orla Eidoor, waited for Lume to squeeze his hand to indicate consent. Then, he connected Luma with Elphaba.

As Elphaba spoke, Lume's shivering slowed down ever so slightly.

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

Winema Wazzo held Cub Wazzo-Nah as he reached out to his parents. Apparition and Ultra Boy lay in adjacent beds; neither was currently responding to stimuli. Winema had a stray thought that she would have the scars on Tinya's face healed... then she caught herself. Her daughter had died, once.* It had broken Winema's heart. And surely she had learned something from this.

Setting Cub down gently, Winema held Tinya's hand as she slept.

********************************************************************************
"By damn." RJ Brande had only seen Triad badly injured once before**. And even then, her wounds had not seemed so serious. RJ had thanked Retro profusely, after the Cadet had woken her up enough so she could reintegrate; that greatly increased their chances for survival.

He had adopted her nearly as an adult.** Watched her blossom as his personal assistant, then as a Legionnaire. But she looked so broken now, so...

Her eyes fluttered open. "RJ?"

"Luornu, my dear!" RJ clasped her hand. "You'll be fine, you'll be fine..."

"Thank you... dad..." Triad whispered, before falling asleep again.

A tear fell down RJ's face. She had never called him dad before. He kissed her gently on the forehead as he watched her.

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

Blizzard and Tenzil Kem sat silently as they watched Kinetix and Violet. The two young men had insisted that these best friends be placed beside each other.

Even while asleep, the two somehow leaned towards one another, as if checking to make sure her best friend was there too.

"You know, I used to worry that I'd need to win Kinetix over to get a chance with Violet," Tenzil said. "I knew that I had a chance when Vi started telling me things, like how she didn't really care for fashion, but just went along because Zoe loved it so much. But seeing them both here... makes me realize, being with Vi meant having Zoe in my life, too."

"I know what you mean, buddy," Blizzard said softly. "Zoe always talks about how proud she is of Violet becoming more assertive, more confident. The first time she told me that, I knew they'd be inseparable... and that they're so good for each other. Zoe always tells me that she's learned to think twice before saying something... Vi gave her a talking-to once, for upsetting Brainy so much."

"They helped each other grow," Tenzil smiled. "Vi used to feel uncomfortable around Triad Purple, and around Spark. Zoe encouraged her to speak up when she did..."

Tenzil paused for a moment, then he looked at Blizzard. “It’s painful seeing them like this… but at least they’re here, you know? Chuck and the others are there, and… who knows what they’re gonna do with them?”

“We’ll get them back safe…” Brek said quietly. “We’re the Legion. That’s what we do.”

Blizzard reached over to pat Tenzil on the shoulder, as they continued their vigil.

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

Jacques Foccart and his family stood by Chemical Kid's bed. Jacques thought of Lyle Norg as a brother, and his brother's boyfriend was Jacque's brother-in-law.*** Seeing Condo hurt, and Lyle missing...

Jacques' sister Danielle held his hand, as Magno and XS told the Foccarts what they knew. Jacques shook his head. Lyle had always been the bolder of the two; he'd gotten the invisibility first. Jacques got his by accident. But Jacques' invisibility was stronger... he couldn't be detected by anything.

But against magical foes who could do this to even Andromeda and M'Onel... For the first time in a long while, Jacques felt helpless again.

He spared a glance for Condo's sleeping form, as XS and Magno explained what they knew.

********************************************************************************
M'Rissey and Theena worked feverishly in the Monitor Room. Calls were still coming in sporadically, of emergencies on this world or that. Thankfully, they had become far less common and far less severe; enough so that the Reservists could rest more, but still not enough that they could stand down entirely. Working with Dr. Gym'll, M'Rissey had modified the duty rosters to allow everyone enough time to rest.

Theena, meanwhile, was fielding calls by concerned friends and family of the Legionnaires. Word had spread galaxy-wide. Gear and Babbage had rigged some sort of auto-call-forwarding system to Theena's personal console some time ago, allowing personal calls to be forwarded in case a Legionnaire was on-duty and could not answer. Now, Theena was busy forwarding these calls to the Medi-Bay. By her count, most Legionnaire parents had called at least once; M'Rissey and Marla had worked up a schedule for visits, though most lived far away enough that they had agreed to wait until the technological disruptions settled and their children woke up.

Beside her, Marla Latham personally took the calls from family and friends of Legionnaires who were captive. Theena and M'Rissey watched in admiration as Marla deftly soothed Lamprey's parents, Nightwind's grandmother, Density's siblings and Echo's family, all in short order, without breaking a sweat. He maintained a cool balance between confidence and compassion, too. Not even the overprotective, hotheaded Derek Morgna, father of Inferno, made Marla break his stride.

Theena herself was beginning to tire. She normally enjoyed chatting with people, but as she listened to Andromeda's mother sobbing, she wondered how long before her own heart broke.

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

Mekt Ranzz closed his eyes as Jancel Ardeen initiated telepathic contact. They had gotten off to a rocky start, but since their respective siblings got married, Mekt and Jancel now sort of considered each other friends.

"Thanks for being our conduit, Mekt," Jancels telepathic voice sounded in his head. "Hold on, using the Titanet network to link across multiple worlds is tough, but..." Mekt felt four more voices suddenly appear in his hand; his own parents from Winath, and also Imra's parents calling in from Titan.

Keeping his mind blank, Mekt let them all see Garth, Ayla and Imra through his eyes. They had thought Garth and Imra dead before, when they were lost in the Kwai Galaxy... but seeing them like this was somehow even more painful.

********************************************************************************
Dreamer turned away from Star Boy's bed. She had already foreseen that Thom would get better; that was the first thing she had checked. She had slowly been checking each of the other Legionnaires' futures, but this many visions in such a short time left her tired.

She walked over to the food synthesizer to get a drink.

"Nura...?"

Turning, Dreamer saw Insect Queen. The pretty redhead struggled to speak through her puffy face.

"Lonna..." Nura moved closer.

"Jen... Jen... is she..."

Dreamer's breath caught in her throat. Holding Insect Queen's hand, she stroked it gently. "Particon is... with the others. The bad guys have our Earthlings with them. But we'll... we'll get them back..."

Insect Queen fell silent, but the strength of her grip on Dreamer's hand told Nura all she needed to know.

********************************************************************************
Rainbow held her Omnicom up; she had initiated a three-way call with the other former Subs, who had called in from Lallor and Xanthu, respectively. Blizzard had left partway through the call, but Fire Lad and Stone Boy; Night Girl, Spectrum and Porcupine Pete were all still there, watching Microbe.

"I'm more worried about Ral, to be honest," Hotshot said. "Hey, don't hit me, Dag! I mean, Drura's here, and we know she'll get better." Rainbow's heart caught at that; considering all the gashes on her face and arms... "At least she's here. Ral is caught in some magical forcefield somewhere, unconscious, with the monsters who did this to Drura and everyone else!"

Rainbow wanted to say, that everyone knew the risks of becoming a Legionnaire. But seeing it firsthand, like this... she had begun to wonder. Arachno had asked the same thing, as had Retro. Would it be safer to just graduate into becoming a Reservist?

********************************************************************************
Robotican surgeons FN-74 and ZJ-20 studied the instrument panel showing Babbage's systems. As Robotica's Legion representative, Babbage had been fitted with the most advanced self-repairing systems available. Sadly, they had not been advanced enough to keep Babbage whole.

But somehow, Babbage's vital core processors had been preserved.

"It seems that the White Witch's magical protection spell is able to interact with Robotican bodies," ZJ-20 observed. "That's the only explanation I can give for how, somehow, all the circuits containing Babbage's personality are intact."

Both Roboticans pondered this thought as they continued to nudge Babbage's systems together.

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

Mentalla hugged herself tight as she watched her teammates. A few of the newer Cadets were gathered by Gear's side; Mentalla had long ago realized how popular Gear was among the trainees for his sense of humor. But her mind was elsewhere. She chided herself; she had been so wrapped up in becoming the best Legionnaire she could, that she had not really socialized as much as she should.

Echo had been the same, and they had talked about it while sipping banyo-shakes on the roof deck of the Ethnography Museum on Earth. They had teased each other about the calorie surplus they were having from adding one scoop of ice cream to each of their drinks. And they had talked about how... not really disconnected, but slightly aloof they felt around the others.

And what had won Mentalla's heart was when Echo had said: "So, now that we've identified a problem, what should we do about it?"

Remembering his confident, yet shy, smile as he said it, Mentalla had a flash of conviction. She stood up and walked over to Sizzle's bed. Sizzle's parents stood there, both sobbing as they watched their daughter.

"Hi, my name is Mentalla. Delya Castil. Sizzle and I... we were Cadets together," Mentalla said quietly. "She talked about you all the time. She really appreciated the treats you sent over every weekend."

Mentalla smiled as Sizzle's mother held her hand, clutching it. "I promise, we'll stop the ones who did this to her..."

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

Shvaughn Erin held M'Onel's hand. Now that the series of operations performed on him were done, he lay under a yellow sun lamp, just like Andromeda. Shvaughn wondered at how tough Lar's body felt, even as he looked so brittle and broken.

She gently stroked his fingers.

His eyes fluttered open. "Shvaughn?"

"Lar," her eyes filled with tears. "Lar..."

"Please, not fingers..." Lar whispered. "Don't want to twitch and hurt you..."

Shvaughn wanted to smack him! He was lying here with wounds everywhere, and still he thought of her! But she knew him so well. She gently pulled her fingers out from between his, and instead started stroking his hair.

"Thank you..." Lar whispered as he closed his eyes again. "I love you, Shvaughn."

"And I love you, Lar..." she said.

********************************************************************************
At the close of visiting hours, Dr. Gym'll had firmly, but kindly, told all the visitors to clear out and let the Legionnaires rest. He watched as a pair of Kwai reluctantly left Shikari's bed. He stood firm even as King Charlz and Prince Willim of Orando balked at having to leave Sensor's. "Sorry, even calls should be stopped," he said, giving Calorie Queen's uncle and aunt, and Kid Quantum's parents, a few more seconds to say last goodbyes before ending their streams.

"Even you, Pol Krinn," Dr. Gym'll raised a stern eyebrow at Magnetic Kid, who was showing Cosmic Boy to their parents. Pol said his apologies as he told his parents he'd call them later.

Doing a last sweep, Gym'll was satisfied that everyone had left. He grabbed his Omnicom, and once more made the rounds. He would see all of them well again.

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

IB's notes:

1) Apparition died in Legionnaires Annual 2, fighting the White Triangle Daxamites. She got better in stages, returning as a spirit linked to Ultra Boy in LSH 82, and finally becoming whole by... not making this up... merging with her secret Carggite second body in LSH 100.

2) Legionnaires 24, after Triad was beaten up by some non-Daxamite White Triangle members. RJ Brande invited Triad so she could be free of those Carggite institutions that tried to brainwash Carggites into having exactly the same personality among their selves. Thankfully, in Volume 4, those became voluntary.

3) See Legionnaires 66 and this portion of Volume 4 for more on Jacques and Lyle's history!

Last edited by Invisible Brainiac; 04/09/23 04:06 AM.
Re: The Chinese Zodiac: Casualties of Battle
Invisible Brainiac #1024726 04/09/23 08:03 PM
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Yay, more!

Again, I am glad nobody died! I was worried when the Zodiac guys stomped all over the Legion, especially with poor Babbage...I wonder if this near-death experience will impact his personality at all?

Hmmm, Mysa is showing some good leadership skills here just in time for a certain election... wink

...and Dryad! That adds a whole new angle to things!

Having visitors at the medi-bay from different homeworlds is a nice touch, I forget that a lot of the reboot Legion were specifically chosen as representatives of their world and not just because Cosmic Boy decided not to bully them at a tryout laugh

All of the individual medi-bay scenes were so well done too, from Lume's existential crisis to Lu calling RJ dad and Tenzil and Brek's thoughts on Zoe and Vi and everything else...it really brings home the tragedy of it more seeing individual reactions.

I think this is my favourite storyline of yours, IB! It shows how much thought you have put into everything with the foreshadowing of Dryad having been reconstituted recently, the individual personalities and motivations of the Zodiac guys and the reason that they chose the Legionnaires they did. I am really looking forward to seeing how this all wraps up and where it leaves certain characters!

Re: The Chinese Zodiac: Casualties of Battle
Invisible Brainiac #1024737 04/10/23 03:07 AM
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thanks for the read and review, raz!

I'm super stoked that you're also happy nobody died. I mean, I know the "kill your darlings" saying but I really like my Legionnaires... tongue tongue tongue

re Babbage, I don't know if he has a personality per se, but maybe it will become more careful or think of some protocols or something wink

Ooh, Mysa is a good left-field choice BUT certainly one of those that could make sense!!

lol at Cos bullying/not bullying folks. yeah, this whole "one rep per world" thing was really a hallmark of the early Boot, which is why Gim was from Mars and all that wink

and thanks for your mega kind words, raz! glad you're liking it, this has been brewing in my mind for the better part of a decade so I've had time to slip bits and pieces in tongue

to be concluded soon... smile thanks for following!

The Chinese Zodiac: The Final Spell
Invisible Brainiac #1024739 04/10/23 03:34 AM
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Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Dryad

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

The Chinese Zodiac

The Rat: Kono, Brita An'nan of Sklar; phases self and others
The Ox: Ferdinand of the Minotaurs; geokinesis and chlorokinesis
The Tiger: Scratch of Wellur; enhanced senses, claws and agility; self-cloaking ability to make her unnoticeable
The Rabbit: Oswald Lepus of Earth-26; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability and senses
The Dragon: Dragonmage, Xao Jin of New Shanghai (Earth colony); sorcery. Former Legion Reservist
The Snake: Slizz of Orando, sensory manipulation
The Horse: Lusyo of Engkanto, self-teleportation
The Goat: "Pikachu" of Korbal, controls lightning and summons storms
The Monkey: Brawler, Brash Knightley of Moxie; super-strength and durability, can mind-mesh with machinery to control it. Former Legion Cadet.
The Rooster: Chakuq of the Kwai; pathfinding, armored skin and claws allowing for flight and survival in space. creates vibrations from wings
The Dog: Hachiko of Anthropologia; skilled tracker, canine senses and abilities, pheromone control
The Pig: Unknown of Unknown; copies the abilities of others when in close proximity

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

The Dragon walked past the line of captive Legionnaires. Each was secure in a stasis spell; he had offered to use his dragonforms, but the Pig had shot that idea down very quickly.

The Pig had, however, agreed to the Dragon's suggestion to heal each of the captives enough to ensure they were not in deathly peril. After all, the spell they were casting drew on the Legionnaires' energies. Though they were frozen in time and could not get worse, they also could not get better; and healthier captives made for more magical energy.

It had been a very tense discussion; and the Dragon knew that the Pig had tried and failed to manipulate and brainwash him. Only the Dragon's own magics had kept him from meeting the same fate the Monkey had.

The Dragon paused at the large pile of magical objects they had gathered. Each was placed just so, in a circle, their magics feeding into a swirling vortex in the middle.

Above the vortex hovered a sphere of angry red. The Dragon could sense the violence and heat; this was the collection of magical energies drawn from their battles with the Legionnaires, back on Pon.

And below them... well, they all stood on Dryad, now. The reforming planet had grown since the Legion had helped it along. Big enough that the Zodiac could commandeer it as a base, but much smaller than its true size. And it was far from developed enough to begin developing life on its surface. Now it was chained, so to speak, to the spell they had cast; Dryad's magical energies were also feeding the sphere. Just as the Dragon could see the captive Legionnaires' auras flowing into the sphere, so could he see a thin green line emanating from Dryad.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" The Rabbit chuckled as he watched the sphere slowly grow in size, as it drew more and more magic.

"Mmm. I wish I had some vintage wine to enjoy this sight with," The Horse sighed. "This mudball is so uncomfortable."

"You heard what the Pig said," The Dog snorted. "We need to conserve as much magic into the spell - it takes a huge amount to summon the gods."

"Ay, and we will have all the riches and comfort we could want, once the gods are called forth," gloated The Ox.

"And besides..." the other Zodiac signs shivered a bit as The Pig loomed across the circle. "Celebration is premature; we weren't able to kill any of the Legionnaires. They could still attack us in force." He stopped, looking from left to right, meeting each of the other signs in the Eyes. The Ox looked back confidently, the Rabbit defiantly, and the Dog sincerely. That one was fully in his pocket. The Horse met the Pig's eyes, then looked away. The Rooster forced herself to look. And the Snake looked like she wanted to slink away.

"Be glad that your failures to kill an are explained by the White Witch's protection spell," the Pig noted. "I was surprised myself at how powerful it was." He stopped in front of the Dragon. "It was more effective than I imagined, considering we took her by surprise. She had seconds to cast that spell when her comrades disappeared.

The Dragon met the Pig's eyes. "She is quite powerful, you know. Mordru's daughter, the only survivor of the rebellion that overthrew him."

"Yes, indeed..." The Pig trailed off. "So our collective failure in this regard is excused. Although..." he paused, this time before the Snake. Slizz's tongue shivered hesitantly. "Some of us left our targets nearly whole and uninjured." Slizz opened her mouth to protest, but a bolt of black energy streaked from the sky and into her body. She shook, screaming in pain.

The Dragon turned, but before he could do anything, another bolt struck him too.

"I told you to damage them as much as possible," The Pig said, coldly. "Your targets are still battle-ready, and they don't even have advanced healing factors like Timber Wolf."

The Horse tugged at his color; he had battled Timber Wolf. He steeled his body, waiting for a punishment. But the punishment never came.

"You left some very dangerous Legionnaires almost whole," The Pig turned to The Snake and the Dragon. "If they come, I expect you to clean up your failures."

Finally, mercifully, the energy attack stopped. The Snake slumped to the ground, slithering pitifully. "Yes... Yes, Pig."

The Dragon grunted as he too, collapsed. "Yes... I won't.. fail... next time."

"See that you don't," the Pig said. "We still have twelve hours before our spell finishes."

The Pig walked away as the Dragon struggled to stand up.

The Pig mulled over Xao Jin. He didn't trust any of the other Zodiac Signs fully, of course, but Xao - as a magic wielder himself - was especially difficult. He couldn't manipulate Xao in the same way he did Brawler; and Xao was not as blinded by riches or prestige as the Horse or the Rooster were. He would have to devote more time to seeing if one of the magical objects could bind Xao to his will...

Pausing a few meters away, the Pig tapped his staff on the ground. "And how are you, my sweet little Dryad?"

The answer came weakly. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Because I need you, little planet," The Pig answered. "I need you to feed my spell."

The living planet's disembodied voice was almost pleading. "I don't want to die.. Please don't make me die..."

"You almost did, once," The Pig smiled. "I thought you'd be more willing to face death by now."

The Pig listened to Dryad's cries for a bit longer, then continued his stroll along its surface.

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

IB's notes:

1) The Earth elemental blew Dryad up in Legionnaires 71-74

Last edited by Invisible Brainiac; 04/10/23 03:35 AM.
The Chinese Zodiac: The Final Spell
Invisible Brainiac #1024740 04/10/23 03:34 AM
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Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Legion World

Active Legionnaires

Blizzard, Brek Bannin of Tharr; cold projection
Dreamer, Nura Nal of Naltor; precognition
Element Lass, Candi "Princess" Pyponte-LeParc III of Xanthu; transmutation
Kid Quantum II, Jazmin Cullen of Xanthu; time manipulation. Current Legion leader.
Magno, Dyrk Magz of Braal; magnetokinesis
Mentalla, Delya Castil of Titan; telepathic control of others' physical functions
Timber Wolf, Brin Londo of Zuun; enhanced speed, strength, durability, senses and regenerative powers
White Witch, Mysa of Zarrox; sorcery
XS, Jenni Ognats of Aarok; super-speed

Reserve Legionnaires (Not Legion Cadets or Support Staff)

Magnetic Kid, Pol Krinn of Braal; magnetokinesis (magno-ball athlete)
Thunder, Cece Beck of 90th century Binderaan; SHAZAM-empowered human with enhanced strength, speed, durability, stamina, wisdom and flight powers

Honorary Legionnaire

Rene Jacques Brande of unknown; telepathy of unknown levels; Legion Founder/Financier and United Planets Ambassador to the Second Galaxy

United Planets Leadership and Staff

Rosa Tubman Everett, United Planets Fleet Admiral

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

The Legion World hangar was bustling with activity. The UP Fleet was mobilizing, Legion support staff and Science Police officers were scrambling, and a handful of allies were being briefed.

In front of the UP Dreadnought Terra, a small group stood, quietly; the focus and anticipation were palpable.

"Are you sure?" RJ Brande asked the handful collected able-bodied Legionnaires. "Nobody will blame you, lads and lasses, if you wait for the others to recover..."

"Thank you, RJ, but we will be fine." Dreamer smiled. "We are few, but we're still Legion."

"We don't dare wait any longer," White Witch added. "We've discussed, and planned, and..."

"And the rest of us will follow once we can." Kid Quantum II spoke up; she was calling in from the medi-bay. She spoke slowly, with a softer voice than normal, but the conviction in it was clear. "We have to save our teammates, and Dryad, RJ."

"Spoken like a true soldier," Admiral Rosa Everett smiled. "Mr. Brande, when we fought against Mordru, I was thoroughly impressed by my firsthand observations of the Legion during our campaign. Even with smaller numbers, I'm sure the team will prevail."

A smile spread across RJ's face. "I didn't mean to cast doubt at all, team. I've seen the things you can do... I just wanted to let you know that nobody would blame you."

"Thanks, RJ," XS took RJ's hand. She was the most senior Legionnaire present, and had joined close to the very beginning of the team's history, when they were still operating out of RJ's basement. "Your belief in us means a lot."

RJ watched as the team, and Admiral Everett, boarded the UP Dreadnought Terra. Blizzard and Magno turned back to wave, one last time.

Then the hatch closed, and RJ stood back as he watched the ship take off.

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

IB's notes:

1) Legionnaires 48-50! Admiral Everett is one of my favorite minor characters in the Reboot, if it's not yet obvious smile

Last edited by Invisible Brainiac; 04/10/23 03:35 AM.
Re: The Chinese Zodiac: The Final Spell
Invisible Brainiac #1024781 04/12/23 03:15 AM
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That is one mean Pig!

Man, Xao is playing a dangerous game...he is not gonna be able to walk this line he's walking forever, I am not sure he's gonna come out of this a winner whichever way it goes!

After seeing Dryad talking to Pig, I suddenly have the feeling that Dryad is gonna become your universe's version of Blok out of all this!

That is not a powerful team going after the Zodiac guys! But they do have some good versatile powers and intelligence on their side...I am glad you pointed out that XS is the senior member in this lineup too, that would never have occurred to me! She's such a soldier but you never really see her lead anyone!

Re: The Chinese Zodiac: The Final Spell
Invisible Brainiac #1024782 04/12/23 05:28 AM
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wow raz, what a treat, more read and review!

yeah, you got it re Xao, he is in super hot water!

ooh raz, you have a great idea there in Dryad becoming Blok... wink

yeah, this is an interesting team eh! I'm glad there was enough versatility in it... considering the 8 Active Legionnaires there are mainly randomly selected. that is, Mysa was gonna be there because. Brin made it cause he has that healing factor. the other 6 are just lucky they got Xao to fight (he didn't wanna hurt them), or the Snake/illusionist who made them fight each other (so they would not be using lethal force).


Adding Reservists in did mean I got two Braalians to work with…

thinking back on it, XS is the senior member by far... big gap between her (Legionnaires 0) and the next one (Candi, Legionnaires 52 - well ok, the numbering continued with Legionnaires 19 but still tongue ) I think Jenni is happy being one of the troops, too!

Last edited by Invisible Brainiac; 04/12/23 05:51 AM.
Re: The Chinese Zodiac: The Final Spell
Invisible Brainiac #1024810 04/13/23 08:12 AM
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Feel daunted by the length of this thread? You can also check out the Recap Thread to catch up!

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Dryad

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

The Chinese Zodiac

The Rat: Kono, Brita An'nan of Sklar; phases self and others
The Ox: Ferdinand of the Minotaurs; geokinesis and chlorokinesis
The Tiger: Scratch of Wellur; enhanced senses, claws and agility; self-cloaking ability to make her unnoticeable
The Rabbit: Oswald Lepus of Earth-26; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability and senses
The Dragon: Dragonmage, Xao Jin of New Shanghai (Earth colony); sorcery. Former Legion Reservist
The Snake: Slizz of Orando, sensory manipulation
The Horse: Lusyo of Engkanto, self-teleportation
The Goat: "Pikachu" of Korbal, summons storms
The Monkey: Brawler, Brash Knightley of Moxie; super-strength and durability, can mind-mesh with machinery to control it. Former Legion Cadet.
The Rooster: Chakuq of the Kwai; pathfinding, armored skin and claws allowing for flight and survival in space. creates vibrations from wings
The Dog: Hachiko of Anthropologia; skilled tracker, canine senses and abilities, pheromone control
The Pig: Unknown of Unknown; copies the abilities of others when in close proximity

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

Most of the Zodiac Signs were gathered around the circle of magical objects, conversing with each other, or lounging. They did not have long before the spell was complete. For some, it was pure torture; waiting passively as all the magical energies gathered into a crescendo that would call forth the Chinese gods.

The Rat made a show of idly twirling a stick between her fingers. But in reality, her mind was racing. How should she phrase her request to the Chinese gods? Well, she could think on her feet. She'd make sure someone else went first: probably the Pig would, anyway. Or maybe the Rabbit, considering they had just entered the Year of the Rabbit.

The next part was equally important. Perhaps even more. What was her exit strategy?

Once every member of the Zodiac got what they wanted, they no longer needed each other as a group. With the magical objects all collected in the center, and possibly drained of their power.... Kono could protect herself by ensuring she was phased. And maybe she could hitch a ride with... none of them, really. Only the Horse could teleport, and this seemed limited to his own self. Kono might be too big to carry with him, though if she phased and hid inside his body... Risky, though. Too bad they didn't have a ship...

As she played the next few steps out in her mind, she felt... something. The magical currents flowing through her own body, the bodies of the other Zodiac signs, the magical objects, the captive Legionnaires, and from Dryad itself... they seemed to shiver.

The Rat stood up.

The Pig burst onto the scene in a fury, face like thunder, black energy crackling around him. "Who is breaking the circle? Who?"

"It's none of us!" squeaked the Rooster. "The flows are still going through all of us!"

"it's... it's..." The Dragon turned around, a frown on his face. Somehow, the flows were thinning. Somehow... He saw some movement, at the far edge of the circle. "There!"

Twin dragon-forms from the Dragon, a line of black energy from the Pig, and a bolt of lightning from the Goat all converged at where the Dragon pointed...

... and all the attacks faded away.

"What?!" The Pig roared. "Move, you fools, we cannot let the spell disrupt now!"

The Rat watched, eyes wide open, as the lines of magic began to thin. And then, suddenly... she felt a deep, biting cold. She gasped as a block of ice began to form around the pile of magical objects in the center...

... and the ice was reinforced by some kind of metal...

... and then she felt a pull. Some force was pulling the items up into space!

"You fools! Get them!" The Pig screamed. "Am I the only one thinking here?" The Pig sent another stream of energy at the icy block, but it too, dissipated. Angered, the Pig briefly considered summoning the magical Zodiac avatars that had attacked White Witch on Zarrox; but they required a lot of energy and the use of a magical talisman. If he could avoid doing that now... they were so close. None of this disturbance would matter if their spell were cast.

The Rat snapped her fingers. "Use indirect attacks! Throw something at it!"

The Ox, the Monkey and the Rabbit both bent down, grabbing fistfuls of rock. They slowly lifted a giant boulder, bigger than all twelve Zodiac Signs combined, and hurled it at the rock...

... only to watch it disappear, as if it slowly vanished into the air!

The Pig's frown darkened, and he rounded on the Snake. "The Legionnaires. They must be here. Find them, now!"

But the Snake did not move. Her eyes darted, as if she wanted to speak, but could not.

"Imbeciles!" The Pig knocked the Snake back. "We are so close!"

"I know where our path lies!" The Rooster pointed at a spot to the right of the ice block. Moving quickly, the Dragon summoned a dragon-form. The Dragon flew up, curling. It did not approach the ice block, but instead circled it from a distance. The space inside the dragon-form's path slowly began to shimmer...

... and the Rat's jaw nearly dropped, as Blizzard, Element Lass, Magnetic Kid, Magno, Mentalla and Thunder popped into view.

"Who... who is that?" The Dog asked, pointing to someone in their midst. A dark-skinned man, with black hair streaked in white, dressed in an all-white costume with black outlines.

"I'm Jacques Foccart," the young man said boldly. "And I'm here to free my brother!"

"And the rest of our friends," Blizzard spat, even as he created a storm of icicles around the team.

"You will die before you get close to them!" the Rabbit flew at the Legionnaires. Thunder intercepted him, muscles straining as she held both his fists in hers. Blizzard and Element Lass spread out, flanking Thunder; as the Ox sent some vines at them, Blizzard froze them. Element Lass began to encase the Monkey in intertron. Mentalla flew down, eyes focused on the Snake; so it had been she who had stopped the Snake from acting!

The Dragon began twirling his arms; but Mentalla fixed her eyes on him, on e arm stretched towards the Snake, another towards the Dragon. The strain was evident on her face, but she could control more than one mind at once!

"Let me go!" the Dragon grit his teeth. Mentalla did not reply; she was fully concentrating on fighting the Snake's own mental abilities and preventing the Dragon from finishing any spells he cast.

The Rooster and the Rat started flying towards the Legionnaires. A purplish-white warp opened before them, heralding the arrival of the White Witch. Dreamer and Timber Wolf were with her; Timber Wolf leapt at the Rooster while Dreamer began grappling with the Rat.

Angered, the Pig decided to cast an enchantment. He reached into his pocket, pulling a talisman he had secreted away. But the White Witch aimed a blast at him; it threw the Pig backwards momentarily, and he landed with a grunt.

Magno and Magnetic Kid both remained hovering above their teammates; both were focused on lifting the chunk of ice and iron higher and higher. "It's a good thing cold strengthens magnetism," the Rat heard Magno mutter to his fellow Braalian.

"Wait, the magical energies are still being drained!" the Horse called, fearfully looking around. "Someone else must be here!"

"There! That blue-and-white blur!" The Tiger pointed. Blasts of energy and lightning, and thrown pieces of rock, tried to stop the blur. But it kept dodging...

... and then it collided with the nearest of the captive Legionnaires, Nightwind. As it did, the magical spell keeping her in stasis disappeared, and the yellow-skinned Legionnaire fell with a grunt to the ground.

"No!" The Pig cursed. "Hurry, kill them now!" He unleashed a large blast of energy at the Legion. Element Lass and Blizzard created a massive ice-inertron dome to shield their teammates from it.

"Destroy them now!" The Pig snarled. He began chanting another spell; the White Witch landed in front of him, and began weaving a counter-spell.

"But we need their energies!" protested the Dragon, still fighting against Mentalla.

"If they interfere, we lose everything!" The Pig spat. "Kill them, now!" The Goat followed with its own attack, letting loose a maelstrom of lightning. The Ox sent a stream of earth and rock; the Rooster added the vibrations of its wings, causing a massive shockwave.

The Rat shielded her eyes; the air was filled with debris, and she could hear nothing over the crackling of thunder. Everyone stared, waiting to see if their attack succeeded...

... and a familiar anti-energy signature burst from the damaged dome protecting the Legionnaires.

"You dweeks are going to get it now!" Wildfire burst from the rubble. The Rat froze as over twenty voices shouted out in unison: "Long Live the Legion!"

Re: The Chinese Zodiac: The Final Spell
Invisible Brainiac #1024864 04/17/23 06:03 AM
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So, I have an hour and I'm over a month behind - wish me luck!

Thank you for putting in the information about the zodiac signs, that's really helpful.

Interesting that Kono is scheming about her place in the Zodiac gang. So, there are 'ultimate targets' - interesting. Nice group of Legionnaires, old and new. Love Spark's snark. Sinking Drake into the ground is cruel, if he blows his way out he might hurt one of his teammates. What did Kono do to short circuit Ayla?

Ferdinand's people have a history with te Greek gods? Okay, that's a nice twist. Ferro muttering about Mentalla was cute, bless him. Liked the little bit about Cargggite's 'knowing'. Ferdinand is a minotaur - ah, the Ox and association with Greek gods, it now makes sense smile knew it would! Nice seeing Triad in action, though if Ferro can only momentarily stun Ferdinand they didn't stand too much of a chance.

I'm enjoying the individual motivation you give each of the Zodiac gang by the way, Scratch wanting to return Wellur to its former glory is quite poignant. Funny that Scratch, who can go unnoticed, is up against Invisible Kid and Sensor. And nice that she spots that Lyle is the most clever so threatening to her, despite having the most passive power of them all.Glad Umbra got a shot in, even if it wasn't enough to end the fight in their favour.

Funny how Jazmin and Condo think about their partners but Lyle didn't, though still got to see Rokk, perhaps he will. Love it that your rabbit can literally become a rabbit - that made me laugh. An evil Captain Carrot! That is such a great idea, I am very envious as I wish I'd though of it smile

Okay, as time is short I'm skipping over the comments from others so if I repeat things, sorry!

Nice teamwork between XS and Amp - must hurt to see Xao is attacking them.Funny how he ismost saddened by the thought that they will tell Mysa about his betrayal, not the actual betrayal itself. Though his tears make it clear he knows that he's gone too far. Will he end up betraying the Pig? I can see him and Kono cauing havoc if the rest of the Zodiac Gang go too far.

We know that one of Jaka'a people is an illusion caster so I assume Nura, etc., are not fighting their teammates. What a nasty trick to pull! And then creating an illusion that t's Universo, Brainstorm and Charma, that's pretty clever actually. And, Val hurling himself into a tree? Are you stating to channel your inner Giffen, haha. Of course, Candi is crystaline now so none of the others would really be able to knock her out.

Brainy's force field lets in magic - well, that's a design flaw but understandable given his dislike/distrust of the mystical. Nice to see Brin get the chance to be the acrobat, though a nuclear blast to the face has got to hurt!

Imra knowing to expect thunder, and the reason why, were well done. Gear made me smile - creating earmuffs, and the comment "I wish neither of you had said anything," - you're doing a good job of giving your team their own personalities. Andromeda being taken out by lightning? I assume that bolt was magically enhanced, makng her vulnerable. "lit up like a Diwali offering" great phrase, though strange in the usually secular Legion. I kind of feel a bit sorry for the Goat, as she doesn't seem like se really knows whats going on and the Pig is using her just to fill a space in the Zodiac. Still, eagerly hurting the Legionnaires because she had been told to... hmmm I'm not feeling too much sympathy for her.

Out of time, got to dash. This is great IB, take a bow! You are consistantly creative and your team are written so well, take a second bow, go on.

Will be back later in the week for more, more, more!


Legion Worlds NINE - wait, there's even more ongoing amazing adventures? Yup, and you'll only find them in the Bits o' Legionnaire Business Forum.
Re: The Chinese Zodiac: The Final Spell
Invisible Brainiac #1024866 04/17/23 08:13 AM
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Thanks Harbi, always nice to get your comments! I’ll respond properly next week after coming back from holiday!

Re: Post ZH Legion: Volume 4 Moving On (April 13, 2023)
Invisible Brainiac #1024875 04/17/23 09:44 PM
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Hey IB!

I'm back for another R&R. i'm hoping as always to get fully caught up. but if not that means i just get more to look forward to.

I'm starting off at with Sandy and Dr. Ryk'rr.
Poor Splinter. But his first rejection was pretty bad. So understandable that he hasn't gotten over it.
btw, you missed the world over. here
Quote
had evolved into a series of discussions about him never having truly gotten ever his first failed Legion application*,

Of course Sandy is being a brat. lol....brat might be an understatement.
be good Mendalla. be good. and she was.
Man, i don't know how any of them didn't deck her. i love me some Inferno/Sandy but man. You've definitely showcased better why she would never be with the Legion no matter how much i want it to be so.

that meeting with Martin and Sandy went better than expected. i half expected her to honestly just make him cry. its sad that Sandy doesn't have memories of her childhood or her family. But i honestly can relate a bit. i know thinking on my own past is hard sometimes, now that there are many who aren't there any more. So were they both orphaned? I'm blanking on what happened to Sandy's parents.
So if i recall right Martin has fire powers too? is it a family power?
I do hope Sandy keeps in touch and that was really quick thinking on her part getting him into the cadet program. she knew there was no way for them to say no once she gave the kid hope. lol.

Takron-Galtos mission:
i loved the banter between Jo and Chuck
Of course Jo is all whiny about Tinya being busy. lol
Sensor really does bring out the best in Cham and helps him calm down.
Yes use those hands!
I had totally forgotten that Magno's brother went to TG for attempted murder. I wonder if he'll ever reform like Mekt did...
I really enjoy Jo and chuck and the friendship forming there.
I love that Jo gave the advice about the ES. the only thing that i think is interesting though is the team knowing whose on the ES squad at all, i'm not 100% on this and it might be one of the other fics but i thought no one knew but the members themselves. It makes sense that Jo and Chuck would know. But its just a food for thought.

wait were off to see Mano? dang that's a blast from the past.
Cham ever the charmer. lol. oh man i enjoyed it so much when Cham revealed he could speak interlac.
So Chuck is just on edge about Lu?

Omar is a complete nass and definitely doesn't deserve to be an SP. I'm glad Magno stands up to him now and he makes great points. I just hope we don't have a new super villain on our hands with that going somewhere else line it makes me worry...

Mano -
Ah yes, there's the thing the Five were after...idk if we ever found out what the thing was...
Cham is a good detective.
Sensor, i like the way you used/explained her abilities. its so easy to make her a fairly standard telepath. I will have to keep this in mind when writing her. lol.
a Riot? seriously? ok that is just way too convenient. especially with the look Mano just gave. lol

IB stop breaking my heart! and this time it was all because of a little red skinned girl and her mom. frown
I was shocked that Omar didn't break out. i thought this would be the moment. But i'm glad he looked out for Magno. Even if it was just for a second.
Chuck, Sensor, and Jo are making short work of these inmates.
Lol Jo not getting to fight anyone was funny.
Love Sensor being a bit more physical. I enjoy when she gets to do that.
Haha. blinding light then total darkness. She's Inferno and Umbra in one lol.
Chuck is really enjoying his powers huh? its super cute.
Sensor checking in...why not they got the this under control...i hope. lol.
Poor Chuck. i feel for him. it must be hard especially when part of Lu does want that type of guy.
I love that Sensor is giving a self acceptance speech. I'm here for it! For she of all people needs to say it loud and proud.
Love all the examples of who else has also learned to accept themselves and she makes great sense. if Chuck doesn't have a problem and there's no health issues then be happy.
haha laugh laugh i laughed pretty hard when Jo came back in.

Mano makes great points and this might be one of those times...
Mano flashing his smile with his glowing all black head is a rather disturbing image. mainly because we can't see any other features.
three hours later? damn that was a big job.
OK Finally! Finally Cham! i'm glad he's seeing that somethings up.

Kono - The rat? Slizz the snake? ...based off the titles i've seen *spolier* we're moving into the Chinese Zodiac arch.
Oooo another Orandian mentalist... and a Kawi! we don't see many of them outside of being guides for the threshold system.
wait...so what the Fatal Five took was mystical? The Serpent's Crown? is that something you made up or a DC Cannon thing?
haha of course Kono has to have a little fun with the Fatal Five.

Ooo is this start of Tryouts?? I love me a good tryout!
its interesting how one can change when they let down their guard and glad Hannah wells is still with us.
The introduction of Devlin O'Ryan huh? Haha. him shaking in his boots was cute.
thank you for making the distinction about these tryouts and that everyone is going into the Cadet program for the most part.
Microbe is doing great and i like that Cham coached her on this too.
Devlin's nervousness is soo cute and well done. Drura makes a great host companion.

The Heroes of Lallor are getting in on the Xanthu deal? that's a great way to strengthen all these worlds and teams. Hotspot must be thrilled.
poor Splitter. man he makes me soo sad! But i'm glad the others were able to help cheer him up a little bit and he's right. Your team has it so much easier with thresholds...although this line makes me worry. lol.

Lamprey i think will do well and it was super nice of Nightwind and Amp to visit. I want to see them work together again.
Jed and Tel was well done and an argument that i think alot of partners have. I hope Jed makes it but he's right. he can find a support staff job and still stay on Legion World to be with Tel. I liked the moment when Tel finally cried and Jed got to hold him and he wanted to laugh at him. very well done and i felt the love.

I'm glad both Sizzle and Tellus understand their limitations and that they aren't in any hurry.
I like that Sizzle is learning a new trick.
i forgot your Tellus isn't as apt with his telepathy just yet.

hahah Gates is an interviewer? Yeah with him being one of them, Orange was the right choice.
Poor Ral. he's so shy. but i like the idea of him being on the support staff and doing relief missions.

I can't wait for a full cadet list. i totally forgot that Yera was on your team.
Brawler is sure in for a rude awakening.

Retro..Retro... :shakes head:
That whole conversation between him and the others just felt uncomfortable. but very realistic.
All three made the right choice to stay with the academy. But Retro idk if he's going to be here much longer.
Retro caught on to the thing Brawler said about his dream and it having to come true? People with time related powers are odd with sensing future events, i mean look at kid Quantum during the Dream Crime and Foundations Arc. Maybe he's senses something coming. I think he should have spoke up.

the potentials:
I find it odd that Andromeda wouldn't be spending more time with the cadets to get better acquainted with those she might fear to help her conquer her xenophobia even more.
/i totally believe Shikari wouldn't thought. she's all about battle. Not training.
Shikari and Wildfire sitting in a tree. <3

Battering Ram - so kind of like Havok from X-men? Can they fine tune the blasts to make them smaller? I'm with Babbage that its great how they haven't hurt anyone and can control the force well. the misfiring was funny.

Healer - that's a new take on healing powers. usually it drains only the actual healer. but health transference is something i don't think i've ever seen before.

Betty Shell - hahaha i chuckled at Wildfire's comment after Shikari and Karate Kid looked at him. X-Bomb Betty...So she can now do more than one explosion? was she experimented on by the Monitor too? lol. Coming with a med kit was really smart.

M'Rissey - great way of showing how useful he could be and i love Vi's line about surviving a conversation with Gates and Zoe. lol.

Uplift - i like that your giving Cera another shot at life in the comics. Andromeda helped come up with a good one and that was a good idea of Amp to do that. it makes sense actually. That way your not wasting so much time trying to find an upper limit. She's on par with Zoe? hmmmm

Calamity - weakness exploitation...hmmm interesting take on his powers.

Glow Worm - lack of empathy is a big one...yeah not gonna make it. besides who wants someone who only blinds people lol.
Hahah, the moment i read the Legion called i was like good job guys. good job!

Fauna - so does she need an animal present to do ask for their abilities? Starhaven? i for a second thought we were getting DawnStar. (which sooooo happy were not. lol)

Neuron - someone seeking redemption is always good. and we don't see enough of the G'ildan on the side of angles.

Survivor - So the WorkForce is getting some help too? lol love it. and agreed they need someone to watch Evolvo. Loved that they put in provisions to actually make the WorkForce less of cooperate stooges. Interesting power set. Retired military...so does that mean she's too old for the Legion? is there an age limit to being a legionnaire now that i think of it? i mean M'Onel is over 1000 years old. so probably not. lol

The Mess - glad Amp did her thing again. its always cool to see the upper limits of these cadets powers. So he attracts any and all particles in the air or just dust? didn't know this was a former reject.

The Question - a 31st century equivalent. Very nice. When she "transforms" its interesting you put it that way. because it almost seemed like a possession. like someone else is giving her the power to make others answer her questions. I think the support roll with the Legion and the SP's is a great option. I also like that as support staff a legionnaire or Erin will be with her.

Gisell and Bogdan in the SPs works for me. i like that Gigi made it clear how often they end up on Legion World after training. That is a good point you've made about a Legionnaire needing to be inventive and not just take orders.

Swallowtail - i love that your brining back all these sentients affected by the Elements of disaster arc and brining alot of that back. i like seeing the ramifications of it and how the Legion is helping to move it all forward. Those wings are mighty powerful. So this might be a power all of her people could have? the cocooning part at least.


Aquamarine - This is a very interesting powerset! i think it could lead to some funny missions. I enjoy seeing those saved by the legion coming out to try and be a cadet but with much better out comes than in the adventure days.

Dream Boy and Dream Girl - not sure how i feel about the names. but interesting powerset. so is it pheromonal based?
I see what you did there with Vi. There's the Reboot confirmation lol.
I'm surprised Wildfire was affected being an energy being and all.

Jackie/Vampire - i like the powerset and hope that they could learn control to be helpful even on the main team. I like the clean-up /disaster relief role they'll have though.

Paragon - i love how you reveled this one's powers. Wildfire's comment was great. "We've all been through Cos' speeches." boy have we. lol

That was a lot of possible cadets. i really enjoyed the learning in the moment part and how that changed their screen process.
Oh Babbage. lol

Poor Retro. But Triad makes a very valid point. They need to be able to trust him. He's lucky they didn't just throw him out right there and then.
Wow, Brawler is totally delusional! Go get help Retro!

I'm a little shocked that they use goggles still for VR and its not the whole room.
Lol love the back and forth between Spark and Lyle.
Good job Jed! i like how they are both approaching this.
Good job Lamprey! i loved the pulling moisture from the air trick.
I like the back and forth between Tel and the others. especially since it lets me know what their looking for too. smile

Wait did Sizzle run into Brawler? So did Retro actually say something? i sure hope so.
Lamprey and Jed were doing really well until the room went out of control...and of course its Brawler and he looked crazed...
wait he's not that powerful? i thought he was. just had a bad attitude?
Great job for Jed and Lamprey. using the water in Brawler's body was inspired.
Quick thinking Sizzle! i thought someone like Inferno has entered the room.
I like that Lamprey and Jed stuck up for Sizzle and Tellus and that they should get voted on too!

i loved all the small moments with each one.
Retro may have done the right thing. but i don't see him becoming a legionnaire.
Brawler's dreams? that's all that helped him?

ahah love it Tenzil in his MEL uniform!
Loved the celebration.
The moment Amp called out Tenzil reminded me of when Monstress did the same thing about not getting a party when she joined. lol good call back!
Kid Q makes a good point and that is something i think i need to look at for my own roster.
Cham being the detective! yes! i'm on board with this and right with him. something isn't adding up!

Alright, well that's all the time i have for today! looking forward to catching up more later. This has been a fun bunch of posts!


read the adventures of the Reboot Legion!

http://www.legionworld.net/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=001232
Re: Post ZH Legion: Volume 4 Moving On (April 13, 2023)
Invisible Brainiac #1024879 04/18/23 12:23 AM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 84,969
Unseen, not unheard
OP Offline
Unseen, not unheard
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 84,969
Thanks Omni for your r&r and detailed comments, always a treat! I’ll respond properly when I’m back from vacation and behind my laptop again smile

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