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

Thanks for the review Harbi, nothing worse than losing an hour of work so I appreciate you taking a bit of extra time to write still!

I am glad you and IB both picked up on Jrey's missed appointment! That is definitely leading somewhere pretty soon!

Star-Bear is so fun to write, I kinda wish I'd had her pop up more now....I think I have only ever actually used her two or three times and most of those were big group scenes where she was just one of dozens of characters!


Yes!! That was a bit of a callout to SW6 Computo days

Mwindaji was on his Initiation Trek when we first met him, good memory!


Oops I probably should have thrown in a line of dialogue to wrap this up - the lie was that Terrus claimed he had sabotaged one of the three mines, when he was intending on blowing all of them up after he got the money anyway

Hey Raz,
I'm back for another round of R&R! I'm looking forward to what's coming. But bare with me as i might cover some stuff i've already commented on as i'm not 100% sure where i left off and hopefully i haven't missed a post.

I'm starting off with your drawing of Sizzle. very cool and a big change from most of the looks she gets, with a body suit. She's got almost a goth vibe with this outfit. But that doesn't seem to be her personality at all. lol

21st Century -
Glad Swamp Thing isn't going to kill Ivy but at least he got her to finally listen. That's the one thing i hate about ivy sometimes. She is super smart but because of her passion to save the environment at all cost she doesn't always think about the rest of the plan.

Glad Shadow Lass apologized to Batman. Not that he needs it. but give credit when due.

Cos geeking out was super cute and i loved it and i loved it even more when Ayla showed up and was like "yeah no big. caught the joker." lol
loved it.
Robin/Jason Todd blushing was cute. But this defiantly means were way back because current DC Damien is the current Robin i believe.

loved the parts with Supergirl /Kara and Supergirl/ Laurel. Laurel freaking out about getting told she's doing a good job was great. such a sweet moment for the two who never really got to meet.
Jimmy falling and getting saved by Laurel was super funny. good job avoiding the paradoxs with Jimmy.
Hahahah the fact that he was like you never know with that woman. referring to Lois was classic. she always gets the scoop!
Krypto is adorable and loved his interaction with Dogstar. Too bad Krypto knows they probably won't see them again...
Glad that Ivy has started to listen now that the plants are receding.

the battle with Glorith and Verdant was really well done!
And thanks for the shout out about Truth Girl! i had a feeling that was where it could go. But now that she's using it on Grava and Ral too i know this has to get through to Ivy. its just gotta.
Loved Zannata's spell and how Supes and Mon worked together to keep the plants back.

Glorith - hit her fast and hard its the way to go.
the Atom eardrum dance a classic!
Blok and Mysa Marvel are super powerful but so it seems is Glorith.

Yes! Ivy has turned the tide and she realized that Ral and Grava love her and were telling the truth. its too bad that once this was all said and done that Ivy couldn't have been turned back into a baby. but magic has consequences. Man seeing Ral and Grava when they were telling the truth was hard. i wanted to cry right alongside with them!

Oh snap! the Time Trapper did cometh as promised. But not in the way i thought. Hmmm i wonder if this means Glorith is really gone or just those ashes are whisked away on to the sands of time and can be reformed some day. ;P

thanks for the notes on when this was for Robin and Supergirl. (i do enjoy the headband era a little bit even if it was before my time. lol)

Transposition Lad -
Love that your giving us another pic of another new recruit. The hat for some reason makes him seem super hipster. But i love it!
Also thanks for showing us where he came from within cannon too! some of those old issues with all the rejects in the background are a gold mind that i think i need to look into for my own cadets.

LSH Headquarters -
Ral/Grava and Ivy's moment was well done. but super sad. At least Ivy is being practical and taking responsibility for her actions. i did laugh when she was like its either this or fight the legion forever and she was over that. lol.
Ivy has been through a lot. i just hope she does know that Ral and Grava are their for her.
i was slightly surprised she was going to TG. its such a Legion trope to make punishment for a bad guy be legion membership when they weren't exactly at fault.

Love getting good news!
That is some great news! the Legion is welcome back on Earth officially! That's great. i know Gim will be super happy.
Marte and M'Rrissery did a great job and they are so right. hit them where the wallet is and they'll see just how much something is needed if it saves them money.

Truth Girl's moment was cute and nice little moment to check in on one of the new kids. i would feel the same way and vote for the one i know. but i wonder if that means the other newbies would do the same.

Poor Gravity Kid, i know he really felt bad about Nightstone and what happened. But he needs to lighten up. Maybe like Nightstone was offering, have a friend to talk to.
Even though its a sore spot Nightstone seems to be moving on well enough.

The sisterhood of sin -
Hmmm so their that kind of sisterhood in the future? They must come from an alternate future, cause Vielmist and Scorn together? can't see it.
going on a membership drive? ooo this could be good and bad. but its a good thing the legion are allowed on Earth again because its gonna need some protecting.

Sadly that's really all the time i have for tonight. But hopefully i can get some time this week to finish up! looking forward to who the leader will be!

Glad to have you back Omni!

Also glad you liked all the little bits like Cos geeking out, Ayla and the Joker, everyone in Metropolis etc...they were fun to write

I really wish I had actually been able to fit Lois and maybe Perry White in, but we were pretty stuffed with characters as it was!

I actually really love Krypto, one of these days I gotta get around to doing Legion of Super-Pets story lol

re Ivy Arcane....in my original plot idea I had both her and Glorith getting sucker-punched by the Time Trapper and Decay, but it felt like a sucky ending for Ral and Grava. This is a good compromise I think, it leaves the door open for her to redeem herself at some stage but also shows there's consequences for what she did.

The Legion being allowed back on Earth is gonna turn out to be very well-timed with something I have got coming up soon!

And Gravity Kid's storyline is gonna simmer away in the background for a while, but things will get better for poor Tel eventually!

Y'know, I didn't really think much about how the rest of the newbies were gonna vote but thinking about it now I would probably say it'd go like this:

Dogstar = Element Lad (because of how Jan helped Dogstar's homeworld recover the artifacts the UP had stolen from them)
Slug & Transposition Lad = Cosmic Boy
Sheranee = Evolvo Lad
Sizzle = probably Mwindaji actually after he helped her track down the Legion of Substitute Villains!

yeah, and I agree re Ivy's ending. lots of people died through her actions, even though she was manipulated, so it would be a bit of a stretch to have her become a Legionnaire without facing any consequences first.

IIRC, Blok started out as a super-Assassin but (thankfully) never actually killed anyone (and he sort of gave himself up by not fighting) ...

love how Slug and T-Lad are such fanboys, they vote for Cosmic Boy. and Sheranee and Evolvo Lad, hee hee!

Nerds gotta stick together haha

EARTH, SEVEN MONTHS AGO
Nevada, Shantytown

In the 31st Century, almost all of Earth's human population lived in shining chrome towers that reached to the heavens. Earth was one of the jewels of the United Planets' crown, a monument to mankind's technological and social advancement over the centuries. With a minimum universal income guaranteed by Earthgov for all of its citizens, nobody who wanted a comfortable and stable home life lacked for one, no matter their background or circumstances.

...Of course, there were exceptions to every rule.

Parts of North America had been so irradiated by the waste products of any number of wars in the past thousand years that for a long time they had been uninhabitable. Earthgov had worked hard to fix the mistakes of past administrations over the past several decades, and the risk of living in places such as Nevada or Utah was now basically comparable to living anywhere else on the planet. A place's reputation however could have a much longer halflife than any radioactive materials one might find there, and it was generally only the misfits and outcasts of Terran society who found their way to places like Shantytown in Earth's otherwise bright and shiny future.

When a pair of clean-skinned men with athletic builds and expensive outfits climbed out of a large gleaming aircar outside one of the several makeshift apartment complexes in this appropriately named desert town, anybody with eyes could see that the men didn't belong here. Shantytown was all cracked earth, blistering winds and the occasional hardy tuft of grass jutting out of the coarse sands. Men with thousand-cred suits didn't come to Shantytown on a social call.

One of the men became distracted by a trio of rusted yellow and black droids some fifteen feet tall on the other side of this thing that was once called a road. He watched with idle curiosity while they clanked and whirred, plodding like slow fat bugs as they lay down new cable to replace communications infrastructure that had probably needed replacing years back.

"Meith?" the older man called his partner, drawing him away from the droids. "Let's get this over with."

The man named Meith signalled his approval, and the two of them walked toward a filthy towering structure of caravans and shipping containers that looked like it was one dust devil away from being so much wreckage strewn throughout the desert. Repurposed suspension engines sat alongside the residences, nestled in scaffolding that seemed only marginally more secure. As the two men entered the creaking old elevator at the centre of the structure the hum of the engines was oppressive.

"How do people live like this, Cortazz?" Meith hissed at his partner.

"It's beyond me." The man named Cortazz's lip curled in distaste. "Don't worry, we'll be in and out in minutes if everything goes smoothly."

The elevator door stuck halfway and had to be pushed into its recess with a grating squeal of metal on metal, but thankfully the apartment they'd come here to visit was the first door on the left so they didn't have to stray any further into this old deathtrap than absolutely necessary. Both men spent a second or two collecting themselves, then Cortazz pressed the intercom and announced their presence.

The man they'd come to see swung his front door open almost before Cortazz had even removed his finger from the ancient intercom button; he'd clearly been waiting for them. He had a disconcertingly wild gaze, and greasy black hair that framed his pale features like a mane. "You're the men who called me last week..?" he asked with an edge of frantic desperation.

"Cortazz Doran and Meith Portela," the elder man replied. "...You're Myke Chypurz, I take it?"

"Yeah, yeah - come in." He ushered the two men quickly into his dingy apartment and noticed that Meith was examining a many-prodded handheld device that looked like some kind of medical scanner. "Uhh, what's that..?" he asked his visitors.

"He was telling the truth!" Meith beamed, ignoring the question altogether. "He's got nearly more tech in him than organs!"

"Hey--!" Before Myke Chypurz could complete his protestation, Cortazz had taken advantage of the distraction to inject a sedative hypospray into his neck. Myke Chypurz collapsed on the floor in his own flat with a thump that scared a nearby bug into skittering away beneath his front door.

"Sorry for the rude hello," Cortazz spoke as both men stood over their unconscious victim, "But you'll rest in peace soon knowing that the Fraterne Electre couldn't make our next move without you.

When we free Lightning Lady and Lightning Lord from captivity, we'll be sure to tell them it wouldn't have been possible without Storm Boy's sacrifice."

**********

MARS, NOW
A combat training room beneath the Legion Academy's Arqiia Campus

ROLL CALL
Strut: electrochemical perceptions, insectoid physiology

Legion Academy
Saturn Girl aka Imra Ardeen Ranzz: co-head; telepathy
Amp aka Ming Sul: amplification of any power or characteristic
Chemical Kid aka Hadru Jamik: control of chemical reactions
Dragonwing aka Marya Pai: acid venom, fire breath
Enigma Lass: ?
Key Kid aka Miqui Ver: ability to bypass any man-made lock or barrier
Lullabye Lad aka Waiane Wentim: Zwennite physiology, narcoleptic induction
Sojurn aka S'jn: interdimensional cephalopod; teleportation, telekinesis, telepathy
Variable Lad aka Oaa Tseldor: abilities change with each manifestation

As the back of Chemical Kid's head smacked against a padded safety mat, the neophyte hero grunted through gritted teeth.

"I do hope I wasn't too rough, darling!" The insectoid Legionnaire Strut bent down close enough to Chemical Kid's face that Hadru could see his own fuzzy silhouette reflected in Strut's multi-faceted eyes. "I forget you mammals don't have an exoskeleton sometimes!"

Strut offered an appendage, and Hadru took the gesture gratefully. "Just...winded," the young Phlonian replied as he let Strut help him to his feet. "One of these days I'll figure out a chemical reaction that works against your species, you know."

"I'm absolutely certain you will!" Strut remarked with either encouragement or condescension; his lack of facial expressions made it infuriatingly difficult to tell.

"I'm sure you will too," Saturn Girl chimed in from where she stood on the sidelines. "But in the meantime you may want to think about working on your hand to hand skills, Chemical Kid. You're going to come across unfamiliar biochemistry more often than you expect."

Hadru Jamik grumbled under his breath and adjusted his holospecs as he skulked off to join his fellow students standing behind Saturn Girl. Imra didn't react visibly, but to be honest she was impressed with Hadru's restraint; the Chemical Kid she'd known a few months ago would have thrown a tantrum about how unfair it was that he was expected to be able to stand alone against someone he couldn't use his powers on. Saturn Girl was glad to see that Hadru really was making an effort to change since Marya and the others had convinced him not to leave the Academy.

"Don't feel too bad!" Key Kid tried to cheer Chemical Kid up as Hadru took his place at the end of the line of students who'd already gone up against Strut.

"Miqui's right," Amp added, still a little annoyed at her own failure. "It's not like most of us did any better."

Of all the students, Lullabye Lad was the only one not looking dejected. In fact, Waiane Wentim was grinning like the proverbial cat who swallowed the canary. "I mean...it's not like all of us got our nasses kicked either!"

"Oh give it a rest, Waiane!" Dragonwing snapped. "It's not a fair fight when you can just put someone to sleep before they even make a move."

"Can you let me have this one, Marya?" Lullabye Lad made a face at her. "For once I'm not spending a training session hiding behind you guys while you take out a bunch of stupid robots my dumb power doesn't work against, I think I'm allowed to be smug!"

"Students." Saturn Girl cast a stern look over them all and they all straightened their postures and stopped bickering. "...Thank you."

Saturn Girl turned back to the sole remaining student who hadn't sparred with Strut yet. "Now, Enigma Lass..." Imra's voice softened as she addressed the mysterious hooded girl. "Nobody expects you to be able to defeat a member of the Legion of Superheroes in single combat...the reason that Strut here was kind enough to join our session today was so that we can gauge where you're all at when it comes to facing a living opponent. Simulations have their place in training, but there's no substitute for sparring with a real person when it comes to improving your confidence and skill in a fight. And you may come away with a bruise or two, but you can be assured that's the worst that's going to happen to you in here."

"Saturn Girl is absolutely right," Strut added. This shy little girl was maybe not even half as tall as him; he felt awful enough having to roughhouse with her as it was without also having to worry about the poor dear being frightened of him on top of it. "I'll tell you a secret, Enigma Lass...I may act like I'm an incredibly self-absorbed narcissist, but underneath it all I'm actually extremely shallow. I couldn't possibly handle the emotional burden of really hurting anybody, you're perfectly safe with me!"

Enigma Lass gave a tiny giggle behind her gloved hand before clearing her throat. "Thank you both, but....I can do this. I would like to make an attempt at least, as my fellow students have done." Her bubble-edged coat floating behind her, Enigma Lass stepped onto the mat and took her place opposite Strut.

Saturn Girl gave them the signal to begin, and Enigma Lass immediately began circling Strut. He could tell that she was just copying what she'd seen Dragonwing and Amp do, but the poor child had clearly never performed an act of violence in her life. Deciding that it would be best to just end this as swiftly as possible, Strut closed the range between them and moved to sweep her leg out from beneath her. He suddenly froze in his tracks, and even swayed back slightly with one of his lower limbs on the ground and the other just hovering there awkwardly in mid-strike.

"Enigma Lass!" Variable Lad cried out. "He is off-balance! Now is your opportunity!"

Oaa's enthusiasm suddenly made Enigma Lass realise she had the upper hand. She shoulder-barged Strut's one standing leg, and though it was a clumsy maneuver it did its job. Strut fell sideways to the mat, and the other students all let out exuberant cheers.

Of all the students, Sojurn alone hung back to ponder what they'd just experienced. Sojurn was unsure, but Strut had seemed....anxious? Frightened? There was some kind of spike of negative emotion but perhaps, as Chemical Kid had pointed out, Strut was just too alien for Sojurn to read properly.

Still...regardless of anything Sojurn may or may not have felt from Strut himself, Sojurn was absolutely certain that Saturn Girl had made telepathic contact with the insectoid Legionnaire after he'd fallen. It was all very curious...

"Good work, Enigma Lass!" Saturn Girl spoke aloud. "Alright everyone, take a break and go hydrate. We'll see you all back here in five."

"Yes..." Strut waved stiffly as the rest of the class practically carried Enigma Lass out of the room, most of them shotgunning questions at her one after the other. "...You've named yourself very well, Enigma Lass! You are quite the surprise!"

The telepathic contact that Sojurn had detected was Saturn Girl asking Strut to stay back so Imra could clear things up with him, and once the students had left the room she tried to do just that. "Strut, I am so sorry! I thought Enigma Lass's costume kept her shielded from exotic senses, if I'd known that your electrochemical perceptions would give you such an adverse reaction to her physiology I swear I would have given you advance warning! I feel just terrible!"

"Don't fret, darling. You don't know what you don't know, after all." Strut forced himself to shake off the chill that had invaded him ever since he'd gotten close to that girl. "I'm afraid I'm going to need more of an explanation than an apology though, Saturn Girl...

...because if I didn't know any better, I would swear that child has been dead for a very long time."

**********

MARS ORBIT
Legion of Superheroes mobile base, team leader's office

ROLL CALL
Blok: team leader; magically enhanced strength, invulnerability, speed, flight, stamina, wisdom and courage
Diamond Damsel aka Iris Jacobs: living diamond
Mysa Marvel aka Mysa Nal: magically enhanced strength, invulnerability, speed, flight, stamina, wisdom and courage
Timber Wolf aka Brin Londo: super-strength and super-agility

With Diamond Damsel, Timber Wolf and Mysa Marvel gathered round him, Blok looked over the office space that Phantom Girl had so kindly cleaned out for him to make his own.

"My friends," the stone giant said dryly as he regarded furniture that was nowhere near large enough to accommodate him, "I think I may need a bigger office."

"I still can't believe these nuts made you the big boss, pebblehead!" Brin Londo slapped Blok on the arm. "Who'da thought we'd ever see the day?"

"Didn't you tell me yesterday that you voted for Blok, Timber Wolf?" Diamond Damsel flashed him a look of puzzled amusement.

"Of course I'm gonna vote for the big lunk!" Brin laughed. "He's my bud! But when does anyone in this team ever agree with me?"

Mysa gave Timber Wolf a knowing smile. "You forget, Brin Londo...I was here when we made you deputy leader; your teammates have more regard for you than you like to admit. Congratulations, Blok. I'm so happy for you!"

"How do you feel, Mysa?" Diamond Damsel changed the subject. "From what I hear, Ultra Boy only beat you for the deputy position by one vote!"

"Honestly, it's lovely to know my friends have such confidence in me," Mysa answered, "But really I've only just come back to the Legion and I'm still getting used to my new status quo. I think Ultra Boy was definitely the right choice."

"I hope that I can be worthy of the confidence the Legion are showing in me," Blok added thoughtfully. "I may hold a portion of the wisdom of Solomon, but I have never held a position of such responsibility before...and there is so much to do; Glorith is still out there somewhere, and I must ensure that our new recruits are settling in as best they can. I will need to familiarise myself with our student body at the Academy, with the work that the Bina Nawoti Foundation are doing....I must meet with our support staff..."

On that cue, a breep sounded, and the Legion's Communications Officer Trava Coruu appeared in the room via shimmering hologram. She'd been employed by the Legion long enough now that Blok could tell almost straight away that this was the more assertive of the Carggite woman's three bodies. "Welcome to your first day on the job, big guy!" she winked. "Jrey would like to organise a catch up when you're free...your schedule's wide open, but I figured that's probably because you haven't had two nanos to start blocking anything in yet."

"Thank you, Trava. Please ask Jrey to bear with me and I shall be available in a few moments."

Blok turned to the others, but Diamond Damsel had already started herding everyone out of the room. "We'll leave you to it, Blok. Don't worry about a thing, you'll be fine!" More impulsively than usual, Diamond Damsel blew him a quick kiss and then she accompanied Mysa Marvel and Timber Wolf down the corridor as the door closed behind them.

"Jrey, thank you for your patience," Blok greeted the team's counsellor once Trava patched him through. "I am pleased that you have contacted me, I had intended on meeting with all of the team's support staff individually as soon as I had an opportunity."

"Hello Blok, and congratulations!" Jrey Lefen responded. "I do look forward to seeing you face to face when you've settled in some, but I believe I have something you may wish to address more swiftly. I'm truly sorry to have to dump this on you when you've literally just taken office, but Phantom Girl did tell me that I should advise her immediately if any of the Legion haven't been attending their mandatory counselling sessions, so I assumed you'd feel the same way."

"Of course," Blok agreed. "Please, there is no need to apologise for fulfilling the duties for which we hired you." Thanks to the wisdom of Solomon, Blok had already formed a very short list of suspects whom Jrey might be referring to, so the counsellor's next words came as no shock.

"This is a part of my job that I don't relish," the Durlan admitted. "But, well...I'm afraid it's Wildfire..."

**********

EARTH
Mega-California, the Museum of Mystic Arts

The Sisterhood of Sin had descended upon the Museum of Mystic Arts like a force of nature. The quirky institution's four security droids were no match for Nimbus's versatile forcefield, and emergency barrier fields fared no better against Star-Bear's ferocious strength. Vista and Veilmist's powers casually removed ancient parchments, books and magical instruments from the museum, and most of the staff and patrons alike had been smart enough to flee as soon as they had an opening to do so.

The Museum of Mystic Arts was Antonio Stefanacci's life's work though, and he wasn't prepared to just watch these women tear his life's work to ruins. Stefanacci had gained some small arcane ability during the Magic Wars, and he'd hoped that he would be able to use that to bluff the Sisterhood into retreat.

...Unfortunately Antonio Stefanacci had not reckoned on the Khund sorceress named Scorn, nor her lust for violence.

Scorn had easily pummelled the older and more frail man to the floor before ever drawing on her magic or her weapon. As she hoisted the badly beaten Head Curator in the air with a fistful of his ornate lacey shirt in her left hand, her right hand now drew upon her blood dagger. "It is an insult to mages to call you a mage, old man...but it may be best if we leave behind nobody with the expertise to know what we have taken this day. Prepare to explain your failure to your disgusted ancestors."

Before she could bury her blade in Antonio Stefanacci's guts and before he could do more than even begin to whimper in protest, an energy blast from outside the building shattered an exterior wall on the other side of the room. A blur of motion far too fast for Scorn to track sped past her, and she realised with a start that Stefanacci was gone!

The winged woman Dawnstar circled the damaged room in a graceful arc before whisking Antonio Stefanacci to safety back out of the hole Wildfire had just made. "Drake, remember!" she cautioned Wildfire, who had now entered the museum himself. "Star-Bear absorbs--"

"Yeah yeah, let her absorb this!" He made a fist at the charging Star-Bear, and the taut knuckles of his glove were soon subsumed in a potent blast of anti-energy.

Normally, Star-Bear could absorb exotic energies to fuel her power; she had never come across anti-energy before though, and the eight foot tall cosmic bear staggered backwards in pain as her system shuddered at its touch. She opened her mouth to cry out in fury, and she was as surprised as anybody else in the room when a deafening bellow caused the air to shimmer in its path. She'd converted Wildfire's energy into a sonic battering ram, and it slammed him back out of the museum and through the wall of a neighbouring building.

Nimbus's eyebrows shot up. "Shock, I didn't know you could do that!!"

"I did not know either!" Star-Bear remarked gleefully. "Let me see what else the Legionnaire has for me!"

Outside the building, Dawnstar had just transferred Antonio Stefanacci to a Science Police armoured vehicle when she saw Wildfire smash through the adjacent office space. Mentally she began to chastise Wildfire for being so impulsive when she heard Stefanacci issue a shrill warning. Dawnstar reacted just in time to evade the silent slashing talon of White Bat, but the mute assassin's hardlight wing still cut a neat slit in Dawnstar's shoulder before circling back for another strike.

The cut was so clean that it didn't start bleeding straight away, but Dawnstar saw no reason to give her assailant a second chance. Satisfied to hear the door of the SP vehicle slam shut behind her, Dawnstar spread her wings and took to the sky. Now that she was ready for White Bat, she knew she could outrace her without effort; she couldn't make it look too easy though, if she proved too difficult a target the killer would likely just target someone easier.

Standing at the edge of the hole Wildfire had made in the side of the museum, Scorn and Nimbus watched Dawnstar and White Bat loop around one another above while Wildfire and Star-Bear destroyed more of the building opposite. "We should assist them," Scorn stated. "Vista and Veilmist do not need our assistance with their own tasks."

"To be honest, I don't think White Bat or Star-Bear do either," Nimbus smirked. "But it could be fun! You think your blood magic will work on an energy being?"

"There is only one way to find out," Scorn replied stoically. She took a few steps back and then with a running jump cleared the twelve foot gap between the two buildings with only mild effort.

Nimbus couldn't help but be impressed; Scorn was the only one of the Sisterhood who didn't have actual powers if you discounted her magical knowledge, but damned if she wasn't a beast in combat. Nimbus opened the radiotelepathy link that she alone shared with White Bat and began plotting a pincer movement to capture Dawnstar between them. Just as she was starting to get into position though, White Bat told her something that meant--

"--a change of plans," Vista finished saying as she approached Veilmist inside the trashed Museum of Mystic Arts. "Nimbus just called me, White Bat has seen more Legionnaires flying in. They're still several blocks away, but she's already identifed Colossal Boy, Slug and Transposition Lad and she says there are two or three others coming along with them. Slug and Transposition Lad are still new recruits in this era; honestly, I don't hate our chances. But still..."

"...Still, it is not something that we need to put to the test," Veilmist followed her train of thought. "Not when we have achieved so much of our goal here."

"You're starting to think tactically!" Vista gave the attractive pink woman rare praise. "Good girl. Let's spend another few seconds finishing up here and then you can get us all somewhere nice and far away."

So it was that just as Colossal Boy closed in on Star-Bear, and Transposition Lad had come close enough to switch Dawnstar out for the more physically resistant Slug, every member of the Sisterhood of Sin vanished one after the other in lavender-scented plumes of smoke.

Nightwind and Element Lad had been the final two heroes that White Bat had seen approaching, and Jan Arrah correctly pointed out that with Dawnstar on their side they didn't need to chase after the Sisterhood of Sin straight away when they could just track them down later. Right now, it was more important to find out why they'd been here in the first place and make sure that nobody at the museum had been hurt.

"I am ecstatic that Earthgov have recanted their short-sighted stance regarding the Legion of Superheroes operating on Earth," Antonio Stefanacci addressed the heroes once he'd received medical attention. " I shudder to think how today could have ended were you not already planetside dealing with that mess in Metropolis when we sounded the alarm! I must say though, this Sisterhood of Sin's rampage seemed so random. I am not certain that they even knew what it was that they were looking for! They did however seek out our exhibits from Earth's golden age of heroes more fervently than anything else displayed here. We have ritual artifacts from other worlds that they spurned, but they took journals and other documents from far less notable mystics who lived on Earth a thousand years ago!"

"They took some dusty old books and left this behind?" Transposition Lad held a familiar golden helm at arm's length.

Slug's eyestalks stretched thin with shock. "The Sisterhood of Sin nearly stole Dr Fate's helmet??"

"That is a replica, Legionnaires." One of the museum's other curators, a lean six-armed young man, took the fake helmet from Transposition Lad with an indulgent chuckle. "Why, it would be more likely that I would be Dr Fate myself than for us to treat a sacred relic of one of the Lords of Order as a simple curio!"

"Guys...you don't think this is Glorith again, do you?" Nightwind voiced the concern that at least some of the others shared.

"Let's not jump to conclusions just yet," Element Lad cautioned. "Dawnstar, once your injury's been looked after can you please work on tracking the Sisterhood of Sin? I suspect Veilmist won't make it easy for us, but we should at least try...and Dr Stefanacci, if you could please send an inventory of what was taken to the Legion as soon as possible that will be greatly helpful."

"While you're so happy throwing orders around, what do the rest of us do?" Wildfire asked brusquely.

"The rest of us stay here and assist with clean up," Jan replied, some annoyance in his tone. "A lot of this property damage was your fault if I'm not mistaken, Wildfire. The least we can do is make amends for it."

"Ahh, nuts!" Wildfire kicked at some nearby debris and stomped off.

"Is Wildfire upset..?" Slug asked the others warily.

"Wildfire's just being his normal cranky pain in the nass self," Colossal Boy joked. "You'll get used to him, Slug."

Dawnstar said nothing as she watched Wildfire start gathering rubble into a central location. It seemed that Wildfire had been his normal cranky pain in the nass self more and more since they'd faced Mordru the Merciless...

...and the longer this went on, the less she knew what she could do about it...


**********

yay, more!!

Loving the look back at Earth's history... with Nevada and Utah having become wastelands. yikes, Storm Boy! and seven months ago, so that does not sound good for old Myke... Lightning Lord and Lightning Lady, uh oh! I remember your Lightning Lady story... eek!

nice to see Arqiia memorialized. sob!

good to see Hadru growing up a bit... and Imra's comment re working on hand-to-hand is wise ties into a lot of the forum discussions recently too

LOL at Waiane being terribly smug, and everyone being shut up by Imra quickly

also good point re actual, real life sparring versus only simulations...


Strut continues to be hilarious

whoa!! the plot thickens... What did Strut sense? unique physiology, what?! and... who exactly knows who Enigma Lass is? Besides Imra and Garth of course. Do the other Legionnaires know?

yes! Blok won! whohoooo! also a nice collection of his closest friends on the team... and they make a powerful grouping!

ooh nice, and Jo as Deputy! you write him well, with hidden depths, so good to see.

loving that Wisdom of Solomon in action. Huh, Wildfire was the one who cancelled their session...! I thought he'd settled things with Dawnstar, but I do remember he was still smarting from Mordrus's illusion!

Good old Antonio, glad he put up a good fight and glad he was saved in time!

huh, Star-Bear discovered a new facet of her power!

Loving how tactically Dawny is thinking

Scorn is indeed impressive. Magical knowledge... great fighting skills....

interesting that Nimbus and White Bat share a private commslink...



loving the future references, with Slug and T-Lad being "new recruits in this era". heh!

is that six-armed man a reference to the Bendis Dr. Fate?


interesting election results too! Am I right that Blok got a unanimous vote? also interesting that current Deputy Nightwind didn't get a vote. (I know why I didn't vote for her, I didn't like how she handled the Nightstone/Gravity Kid sitch, but I wonder why others didn't?) and Elastic Lad would have been a hoot and a bit of a nightmare I think Cham is a good choice too!



and ooh, you already have membership changes in store! eager to see where you go with the lineup

Hey Raz, I've gor a whole hour free so want to dve in and check out your latest post.

Loving your description of Earth, of course not everyone will get into a shiny chrome tower. Did you pick Nevada and Utah as 'slums' for any reason? "that looked like it was one dust devil away from being so much wreckage" great line! Myke Chypurz - I feel like I should recognise that name. Ouch, thw Fraterne Electre mean business - and he's Storm Boy! Of course, I re-read the whole Earth Man/Superman storyline a few months ago, so that'll be why I know the name, glad I'm not going mad Atleast not there anyway. And, Lightning Lord and Lightning Lady - I do like your villains Raz, so looking forward to seeing what you do with them.

Yay, Strut He makes the perfect sparring partner for the students. Nice that you limit Hadru's powers as he could easily become just too much, too easily. And good to see him shoe the start of maturity. How funny that Lullaby Lad is so chuffed at winning his fight and the other students all snipe about it. Funny how shy Enigma Lass is. Her needing to be told to take advantage of Struts immobility doesn't bode well for a speedy rise through the ranks to becoming a full Legionnaire any time soon. And that's some ending! Has been dead for a long time time? Is she a vampire? I'll have to go back a re-read your section when the team where on Kathoon, see if there's something there.

Brins surprise at Blok getting the leadership was funny, he has no social skills, haha. "But when does anyone in this team ever agree with me?" haha. I'm looking forward to seeng what yo do with him, and how well he handles leadership. And it was Wildfire that missed the appointment - is he still suffering from Mordru's manipulation of him? Whoah, he's not a character you want to go off the rails.

Totally loving your Sisterhood of sin! And great to see Antonio Stefanacci and I'm glad you didn't have Scorn kill him. Of course Drake won't listen to reason and just get stuck in - interesting that star Bear turns his energy in sound! Does her powers work something like Sizzle, or does it usuaully fuel her strength and size? Scorn and Nimbus deciding to help their teammates was a fun little conversation, they know White Bat and Star Bear Ah, more Legionnaires incoming, pity it was shaping up to a nice little scrap, and I'm pleased that you added the line that Slug and T-Lad are new recruits in this era, meaning, I hope, that they have long careers with the Legion. I wonder what the Sisterghood took? A lean six armed youth - ummm Bendis'Dr Fate perhaps? nice. Happy to see Jan take charhe, and getting half the team to help clean up was well done. Ah, so it was the after effects of Mordru that's causing Wildfire to go even more erratic and gung-ho.

And good to see Blok and Jo get the two top spots - it'll be interesting seeing what you do with the boys in charge now.

This was a lot of fun, covered a lpt of ground and gave some really really nice character moments too, well done Raz, top notch storytelling

Of, course that does mean that I'm even more eager for more, more, more!

Hi all, thanks for the R&R!

re Enigma Lass: I can neither confirm nor deny if anyone else in the Legion knows her deal yet, however I will say that until the time comes where she's actively trying to join the Legion there's probably no need for anyone else on the Legion to know any more than Garth and Imra want to tell them...

The six-armed man was a reference to Bendis Fate! I just thought it'd be a cute easter egg, unless I remember him in 8 years time and decide to make him into a real character

IB: from memory, Blok didn't get a unanimous vote - I think he might have been the only one to have more than one person vote for him though, which is what pushed him out in front.

Harbi: for Storm Boy's residence, I got inspiration from Simon Stalenhag's book The Electric State which is kind of a road trip across a post-apocalyptic US west coast. This image in particular grabbed me for the Shantytown residence (and Shanty Town is actually a real place in Nevada! It came up when I was googling a good setting and it seemed too perfect for the vibe I was going for!)



Star-Bear channelling Wildfire's anti-energy like that was as much a surprise to her as anyone else...normally she's just a big brawler, but I like the idea that she just hasn't really had time to explore her powers properly. After all, at the point Earth-Man rescued her to join the Judgement League she had only literally just gotten her powers so she hasn't had much experience.

NEXT UP: Wildfire is cranky! The quest for the Demon Father gets kicked up a notch! And Dragonmage fights alone!!

ah got it, did you do a ranking-type thing where rank 1 gets 3 points, something like that? makes sense when you said 5 votes, I thought 5 different people voted for Blok... but if it was a ranking-type thing with points, it all adds up for me now lol

and whoo looking forward for more... also curious as to why Enigma Lass' identity is so hush hush

Yup! I wasn't sure how many people would be voting so I made it a staggered point system just so I would be less likely to be stuck in a situation with 2 or 3 characters tied for first place

Enigma Lass's secret will be revealed before too much longer actually, but I am gonna have fun dropping some more hints and red herrings first

wise... I also made my elections staggered points to help avoid ties, lol!

aahhh one of these days I just know I will dream about Enigma Lass lol

I hope that picture is photoshopped Raz! Wow, what a building! Love it that there's actually a place called Shantytown, wonder what's it's like (you just know I'm going onto google to search now, don't you ). I've never read any Simon Stalenhag but will look out for his work now, thanks.

You and IB are very brave allowing us to vote for your team's leaders. TBH I'm a bit of a scaredy-cat of doing that, though who knows, perhaps I will for the next election...

I would love to cast votes for your team, Harbi (don't worry, I'm the kind of voter who thinks: who would actually be a good team leader, not who would make the most drama lol)

His whole book is full of scenes like that, they're really cool! I actually bought it ages ago just because I love the art but it occurred to me recently that a lot of it would make good backdrops for Legion stories too!

re voting for team leader - it is fun seeing who people come up with! I wrote Phantom Girl longer than any of my other leaders, she fit in the role so easily it just made sense to keep her there. And having Blok in that spot now is gonna make me think more about what his day to day routine would be like (and as a bonus, I get to write Diamond Damsel more now too!)...I would also be into casting votes as well if you decide to do it, Harbi!

EARTH ORBIT
The Legion of Superheroes mobile base, Blok's quarters

ROLL CALL
Blok: team leader; magically enhanced strength, invulnerability, speed, flight, stamina, wisdom and courage
Wildfire aka Drake Burroughs: anti-energy being

Though every Legionnaire's personal quarters was tailored to be reflective of their own unique personalities and backgrounds, Blok's was perhaps more unique than most. For all the time that Drake Burroughs had known Blok, Wildfire wasn't sure what he'd expected the stone giant's residence to look like...but in hindsight he realised he probably should have expected something like this.

Stepping across the threshold into Blok's quarters almost made Wildfire forget that he was on a mobile space station at all. Lush greenery surrounded them in a space that seemed larger than any internal room could be, with ferns and moss-covered boulders in abundance. A tiny brook babbled delicately through the centre of the room, and birdsong and the rustle of leaves could be heard all around.

"Thank you for agreeing to see me here," Blok's gravelly voice welcomed Wildfire. "I know that I have an office space available to me as team leader, but I am currently renovating that space to be more customised to my own needs."

"Already embezzling Legion funds for personal use, huh?" Wildfire joked sardonically. He perched himself on a flat stone and was mildly amused to watch as an actual butterfly landed on his gauntlet for a moment before flitting away again. "What did you want to see me for anyway? You got my report on the Sisterhood of Sin's little break and enter back on Earth, right?"

"I have received your report," Blok acknowledged as he sat in a grassy clearing opposite Wildfire. "And it was quite informative, thank you. Once Dragonmage returns from his personal leave I shall ask him to lend his expertise to the matter of their ransacking. That is not what I wanted to speak to you about today however, my friend."

"Then what--?" Wildfire was confused and starting to feel a little apprehensive.

"Perhaps it would be best for me to speak plainly," Blok intoned. "Jrey Lefen informs me that you have missed multiple counselling sessions with him, Wildfire. I do not wish to pry into your personal affairs, but you know that it is compulsory for all Legionnaires to attend regular sessions with our team counsellor."

"Oh, come off it!" Wildfire scoffed. "We've had a team counsellor for all of five nanos, Blok. We all managed to get along just fine before Phantom Girl put that guy on the payroll, I don't see why we're all such delicate flowers now that we can't survive without someone psycho-babbling at us every couple of weeks!"

"I am sensing some hostility from you, my friend--"

"You think?!" Wildfire stood to his feet. "Damn it Blok, I give everything I have to this team and I've been giving everything I have to this team since before we ever had to figure out how to fit a flight ring on your massive mitt. Now you expect me to air my dirty laundry to some random head-shrinker so I can keep doing the job I've been doing for years already??"

"Wildfire--"

"Screw it!" Wildfire gave a violently dismissive wave and stalked toward the door. "Do what you want, but don't expect me to play your head games!"

The door obediently slid into its recess, and Wildfire almost bowled over an approaching Diamond Damsel as he stormed off down the corridor.

"Ouch." Iris Jacobs watched as Wildfire marched off. "I take it your little talk didn't go as planned then?"

Blok sighed, a sound like great rocks shifting. "Perhaps I should ask Ultra Boy to intervene," he pondered. "Wildfire has always been quick to anger, but I feel I should have handled the situation more sensitively...and Ultra Boy has known Wildfire far longer than I--"

"Ultra Boy and sensitive aren't really two things I'd associate together," Diamond Damsel said dryly. "Blok, why don't you let me talk to Wildfire..? I think I might actually understand where his anger comes from more than maybe anybody else on the team and I'm happy to help if I can..."

Blok closed his giant gold-flecked arms around Diamond Damsel's waist and rested his chin on the top of her head. "I may benefit from the wisdom of Solomon, but I think your wisdom is greater here.

...Thank you, Iris."

**********

Light Lad had just come back to base from a weekend away with his partner Kent Shakespeare, at the same time that Invisible Kid and Kid Computo returned from visiting their family on Earth. With their shuttles arriving simultaneously, Danielle Foccart had kindly taken over the chore of landing them in the Legion's hangar and the three heroes now waited together for a turbolift.

When the turbolift arrived, Wildfire came stomping out between all three of them. With bootjets roaring, he'd flown out through the hangar's specially constructed forcefield into the void of space before Kid Computo had even had a chance to finish protesting his lack of manners.

"I've got half a mind to seal his containment suit and switch off his flight ring and just leave that rude squaj floating in space until one of us decide to go rescue him," Danielle pouted once the lift doors closed.

"Wildfire has always been impetuous, ma soeur." Jacques Foccart gave an indulgent smile toward his younger sister's crankiness. "Best not to let him get to you."

"I think your brother's right," Light Lad offered. "Wildfire--" The door opened again before Darvan Locke could continue, and Gravity Kid stepped into the turbolift. Suddenly remembering something that had been in the back of his mind, Light Lad immediately changed tack. "Oh, hey! Gravity Kid, I'm glad I bumped into you! I'm gonna have to cancel our next training session we lined up with Star Boy! Ayla and I got clearance to go visit our siblings on Takron-Galtos."

"Are you kidding?" Gravity Kid snapped. He held an arm out to prevent the turbolift door from closing behind him. "We haven't had a training session for weeks, Light Lad!"

"Tel, I'm sorry but I haven't seen my sister in months," Light Lad tried to defuse the situation. "Even Legionnaires have to work within Takron-Galtos's bureaucracy. I'll make it up to you--"

"Whatever." Tel Vole turned on his heel and walked straight back out of the turbolift. "Don't hurt yourself doing me any favours."

The door closed between them, and Light Lad's eyes bulged. "...Yikes."

"What is this?" Kid Computo threw up her hands. "Angry Legionnaire Day??"

"I do not know," Invisible Kid replied, "But suddenly I wish we'd listened to our parents and stayed for dessert..."

**********

SHANGHAI COLONIES
Chonggao De Chengshi Cemetery

ROLL CALL
Dragonmage aka Xao Jin: dragon magic
Neon aka Zoe Saugin: infused with Green Lantern energy

Millions of miles away from the Legion of Superheroes' mobile base, one of many enormous domed cities in Sol's main asteroid belt possessed a particular quality which set it apart from the rest of the Shanghai Colonies of which it was a part; Chonggao De Chengshi was not a home for the living, but rather a sprawling city of the dead.

All of the domed cities of the Shanghai Colonies had their own individual post-life facilities either large or small, but Chonggao De Chengshi had been conceived from the very start to be an enduring place of final rest for the brave Terrans who'd given up their homeworld to make new lives out here, and also for the generations who succeeded them.

Any other day, the domed necropolis was a mostly empty gardened place as silent as its many graves. Today was the annual Qingming Festival however, and young and old alike came by the tens of thousands to offer prayers and tribute to their loved ones who'd been cremated or entombed here. The odor of burning spirit money mingled with the overpowering sound and smell of fireworks, and colorful kites darted and dipped within the confines of the dome while equally brilliant flowers brightened up the countless rows of headstones and plaques below.

At one of these plaques, the young man named Xao Jin looked surprisingly childish on his knees in an uncomplicated black suit. Tiny blue-green dragonforms of his creation flew around the elegant black plaque and when they opened their crocodile-like jaws, cleansing silver flames shot forth to scour the plaque until the golden characters upon it gleamed bright. "Thank you for coming with me today, Zoe." Xao turned briefly to smile at his friend standing a few feet back in a stylish but unusually subdued grey skirt and long coat. Turning back to the grave, Xao spoke as though his parents were right before him. "Baba, Mama; this is my friend Zoe. Fate has taken both of us to some very surprising places both alone and together."

While Xao chatted away, Zoe wondered idly if he literally could converse with his dead parents. With Dragonmage's magical skills, anything was possible!

Giving her friend a moment to himself, Zoe looked around the vast cemetery. Honestly, she had assumed Xao had asked her to come here with him today because he wanted someone to cheer him up after spending time cleaning the graves of parents who'd died when he was seven, but this whole visit wasn't anywhere near as morbid as she'd expected it would be. Families laughed around her and reminisced about times past, loved ones sat cross-legged in front of their lost friends and partners catching them up on what they'd missed. She'd read that Qingming Festival was a somber experience, but now that she was here it actually seemed quite uplifting. "I guess that's why they call it a festival, dope!" Zoe mumbled to herself.

"Did you say something, Zoe?" Xao enquired, turning again to face her.

"Oh gosh, no! Sorry!" Her hands rushed to cover her mouth. "I didn't mean to intrude!"

"You're not intruding, I invited you!" he reassured her kindly. "You know that Madame Chu was all I had left after what happened to my parents. She used to bring me here for Qingming Festival, even when I was young and frightened of death. Now that she too is gone, well...I can come out here on my own now but it's nicer to have someone to share this with."

Zoe too knelt down now by Xao's left and looked over the Hanzi lining the plaque. She knew she could use the Green Lantern power within her to decipher the Chinese characters, but somehow she felt like that actually would be an intrusion. She appreciated Xao letting her into this part of his life, but it was his life and his loss. She didn't want him to feel compelled to share more than he felt comfortable. "It must be so hard," she said sadly. "It was horrible enough when my friends in the Green Lantern Corps were killed...I can't imagine losing my mom."

Xao considered his answer for a moment. "It was hard," he eventually answered, "I don't think I ever told you what actually happened to them, did I? A qiongqi, which is....well I suppose in terms you'd be familiar with, you could call them demons....anyway, a qiongqi sensed my magical potential even when I was an untrained child and he decided to kill me before I could become a threat to him. I was helpless against him of course, as were both my parents. The same way he sensed me though, Madame Chu sensed his entry into our world. She tracked him down and banished the qiongqi, but not before he had taken both my parents' lives."

"Xao!" Zoe's eyes grew watery. "Did you...oh my stars, were you there when they...when the demon..."

"When he murdered them?" Xao finished Zoe's question for her. "My ba -- my father -- he made me promise to hide among our linens and not to come out, no matter what I might hear. I was still curled up and crying in the bottom shelf of our closet when Madame Chu found me, and she took it upon herself to raise me in the ways of sorcery and to keep me safe until I could do that for myself. I know it's an awful story, Zoe. This is why I don't speak of my parents much...but I also know now, after everything Madame Chu has taught me and everything I've learned as Dragonmage...death is not the end for any of us. My parents dwell somewhere I am privileged only to glimpse every now and then, but I know that they are at peace. And I know that I will be with them again one day."

"...Wow." Sitting back on her heels, Zoe wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand and giggled nervously. "How am I the one getting all weepy when we're here to see your parents?"

Xao gave her a loving glance in return, but with sudden and dramatic violence a shadow approached them and the young mage saw a club slam down across the back of Zoe Saugin's head. She didn't even get a chance to cry out before she collapsed to the hard ground insensate.

Shocked, Xao Jin's focus was broken and his twin cleaning dragons dissipated like so much smoke. To Xao's credit, he recovered quickly enough; pressing a button at his belt, he released an electrostatic charge which instantly converted his civilian clothing into his Dragonmage costume, and he stood to face Neon's mystery assailant.

"Sir, I don't know who you are but you've made a serious error in judgement." Even seething with anger, Dragonmmage couldn't help but be polite to the stranger. "Zoe Saugin is not only one of my dearest friends, she is a member of the Legion of Superheroes; as am I. This is not a fight you wish to start."

"I know exactly who you both are, Dragonmage." Zoe's assailant was a tall bald man who radiated menace. His eyes were two black pits, and his stance was that of an animal ready to tear apart its prey. With unnerving speed, he replaced the club he'd used to bash Zoe on a belt-mounted clip and drew a large dagger which reflected the cemetery's artificial daylight. "Your teammate will recover soon enough, but you will not be in a state to care. I am Tseln of Thaun, but today you may call me Dragonslayer...for that is what I came here to do."

He leaped at Dragonmage, Tseln's own green bodysuit hugging each of the very taut muscles on his body. Xao was too angry to retreat, but he had no doubt that if it came down to a physical confrontation this Dragonslayer would surely hold the upper hand. Fortunately, Xao Jin didn't have to let things get that far.

Weaving his fingers together with supernatural grace, Xao released the energy he'd been gathering these past moments to manifest a slithering red-scaled dragonform between the two men. It circled swiftly around the so-called Dragonslayer and then, binding him tight within its sparkling coils, it rose a few feet back and safely distant from Dragonmage. "I don't even know you," Dragonmage's brow furrowed, his tone sharpening despite himself. "What possible reason could you have to murder me?"

"It is no surprise that you do not know my name," the Dragonslayer sneered, shifting about as if to test the strength of Xao's dragonform. "Once I was a killer of men, one of the galaxy's most proficient. But then a chance encounter with an errant demon left me with my pride broken and my life upended. I thought I had the skill to destroy the arcane beast, but it humbled me all too easily. I rotted in a prison back on Thaun for oh so many years, and in that time I pondered my life, the choices I had made."

Dragonmage sensed that the man named Tseln was stalling to buy himself some time, but it didn't bother him. Xao was confident that his magic could hold one lone man, and the longer Tseln kept raving the more likely it was that Zoe would wake up and be able to imprison him more securely or that the Science Police might arrive.

"That demon made a mistake sparing my life," Tseln continued. "For I realise now that I wasted my talents slaying ordinary men and women...I have rededicated my existence to ending all supernatural life, and I decided to start with you. The way you pretend to be a hero, it sickens me! At least I have always had the self-awareness to know that I am a monster! I will not suffer you to draw another day of breath, Dragonmage!"

Dragonmage took a breath to respond, but the Dragonslayer found the right place to flex his arm just so and a mild spear of discomfort shot through Xao's temple. Xao flinched as the villain's dagger tore right through the crimson dragonform, shredding it to nothingness and passing the psychic feedback on to its master. "My knife is mithril silver," Dragonslayer explained as he advanced on Dragonmage once more. "And it has tasted a blood sacrifice to the gods of luck! It has the power to destroy any creature of magic!"

The surrounding people had noticed by now that their local hero Dragonmage was in combat with some villain. Confident in the Legionnaire's ability to protect them, they were gathering around to watch the spectacle. Xao knew he had to somehow move the fight away from here, but ironically enough there was nowhere in this cemetery to escape the living today. Then he had an epiphany...he might not be keep this fight away from those people, but he might be able to keep those people away from the fight.

Dragonmage used his flight ring to pull back from Tseln's maddened knife thrusts, and created a new dragonform at the same time. Tseln's blade still found purchase once however, and ripped a clean gash into Xao's abdomen. Xao's dragonform shimmered in the making, but Dragonmage refused to succumb to his pain. He finished spinning the dragonform into life, into a vibrant blue creature that flew overhead before dipping down toward the crowd where its circling form subtly pushed everyone back and away from the fight. As soon as it had cleared enough space, it exhaled freezing blasts of air to build a thick wall of ice which created a makeshift arena separating the Dragonslayer, Neon and Dragonmage from everyone else around them.

Now that he didn't have to worry about any civilians Dragonmage could finally focus all of his attention on the Dragonslayer, and Xao was surprised to discover just how much righteous anger he'd been holding back till now. Xao Jin looked down upon the Dragonslayer with a contained cold fury that gave the killer pause for the first time.

"...Just so I understand," Dragonmage chose his words with deliberation, "You really thought the best way to confront me was at my parents' gravesite after you cowardly assaulted my best friend? Am I correct, Tseln the Dragonslayer?"

"You do not frighten me, child." The Dragonslayer gritted his teeth in defiance.

"Don't I, Dragonslayer? I probably should."

Xao Jin's eyes glowed with raw power, and putting aside his concern for Zoe and the burning throb of his wound he drew on even more power. The frost dragon circling them seemed to fade to a powder blue color before becoming as insubstantial as Phantom Girl herself. Tseln realised that the breeze was picking up around them, an impossible eddy which mimicked the dragonform's movements. Dragonmage was using his magic to control the air!

While the sorceror hovered out of reach, Tseln could not stab or strike him; there was no reason he had to be restricted to melee combat though. He flung his dagger at Dragonmage, and though the teen tried to fly out of its path the dagger still stuck deep in his thigh. The sensation was excruciating, and again his dragonform faltered. Instead of rising above his emotions as he usually did, Dragonmage instead let his emotions fuel his power. The bitterly cold winds generated by Xao's dragonform swept Tseln off his feet and into the upper part of the domed sky.

Dragonmage's flight ring steadied him, but he let the dragon's wind carry him along with Tseln. Xao was glad that he didn't have to do this on the ground; if he'd had to put any pressure on his pierced leg he was sure he would have passed out.

"If you're going to kill me," the Dragonslayer spat, "Get it over with! I won't beg for my life!"

"Legionnaires don't kill," Xao replied sharply. "Perhaps those luck gods are looking out for you after all, Dragonslayer."

This high up, Dragonmage had a much better view of Chonggao De Chengshi, and he knew now the quickest way to end this. He had the dragonform fly them over an ornamental lake high on a hill which fed several small creeks that trickled through the cemetery. The dragonform released its hold on Tseln, and the villain plummeted painfully into the lake. As soon as Tseln came up to draw breath, Xao converted the dragonform once more to a frost dragon and froze the surface of the lake around the Dragonslayer into a sheet of buoyant ice which held him rigid and was too thick for him to break.

Hovering above the crowded cemetery long enough to centre himself and contain his emotions once more, Dragonmage then flew back toward Zoe to make sure she wasn't too badly harmed...and then, if Mwindaji wasn't on base, the Legion's new doctor was about to get two new bruised and bloody patients.

**********

LUMBAK
Aantapholis, the World Gallery

ROLL CALL
Sisterhood of Sin
Scorn: Khund blood witch
Star-Bear aka Ursula Yenova: cosmic ursinthrope
Vista: contains a pocket astral environment in her mind

The Sisterhood of Sin had stayed busy these past several days.

The first 12 hours after ransacking the Museum of Mystic Arts on Earth, Veilmist's teleportation kept the team constantly on the move in a successful attempt to confound Dawnstar's famous tracking ability. She'd slowed her pace since then, but the team still never spent more than one night in one place. Every day Scorn, Vista and Star-Bear pored over the artifacts they'd stolen and categorised them as best they could. Nimbus and White Bat kept their eyes out for unwelcome company, and then at the end of the day Veilmist teleported all of them to their next hideout.

Right now they had taken over the planet Lumbak's most prominent art gallery nestled deep in its capital city Aantapholis. Lumbak was a thoroughly unremarkable world, its only claim to fame being one time years in the past that Phantom Girl tracked some criminals down here. The World Gallery had closed hours ago, and Nimbus and White Bat were more than capable of dealing with any security droids who thought to interrupt them.

The Sisterhood had managed to separate the materials they'd stolen into several distinct piles depending on their subject and/or authors. There were separate sections for the Zatara, Constantine and Thirteen bloodlines. They'd so far found more than a dozen incomplete but apparently enchanted decks of tarot cards, one of which Star-Bear had noted with amusement bore images of some of the more legendary members of the Justice League (she had not so secretly pocketed one card named The Moon which featured a delicately illustrated Batwoman; Star-Bear figured she was owed a souvenir or two for her assistance). There were a surprising amount of books and other ancient media about something that Star-Bear vaguely remembered having heard of back in her own era called the Church of Blood (naturally, Scorn had claimed this for herself so she could investigate more thoroughly when she had time).

One thing they hadn't found however was literally anything pointing them to the location or even the existence of this so-called Demon Father.

"I have a question for you, Vista!" Ursula Yenova burst forth with almost aggressive boisterousness. "I have been considering this power of yours....and how is it you can transport books and old electronics into your mindscape world? These things do not have minds, no?"

"The same way I transport people's clothes and other personal effects when I use my power on them," Vista explained curtly, rifling through a box of faded photographs to see if she could find anything of significance although she still really didn't even know what it was that she was meant to be looking for. "I don't know how it works, it just works."

Scorn looked up from where she was studiously separating ancient texts apart from one another twenty feet away from Star-Bear and Vista; judicious use of Scorn's sorcery kept the decrepit paper from decomposing in her hands and had also allowed her to understand much of the language in these Terran documents, but she too was growing frustrated with this search. Blood divination had sent her on this path, she was certain they had done the right thing in invading that place on Earth...but she was growing impatient for her divination to bear fruit.

"Star-Bear!" Scorn barked across the room. "We recruited you to this team because of your familiarity with this era...would it be too much to ask you to put that familiarity to use?"

"Keep your chainmail on, Khund." Star-Bear rolled her eyes and squatted by the nearest unsorted pile. "I joined your team because Vista promised me there would be punching! So far there has been precious little of that, you need a librarian more than a Star-Bear I think."

Scorn's eyes flickered with anger, but she saw that Star-Bear had actually started reading through a book she'd found, so the blood witch held her temper...for now.

A few minutes later, Star-Bear chortled boorishly. "This one should have had a career as a pornographic artist, girls! This is getting me steamy!" She'd been flicking through a large sketchbook, and she held it open now for the others.

Vista ignored her, but Scorn had decided she'd had enough. She cast a furious glare toward the Russian woman and her book, and Scorn's expression changed from anger to wide-eyed awe once she saw what was upon the book's open pages. Sure enough, there were tawdry drawings of naked men and women in different forms of entanglement but that wasn't what commanded her attention.

Scorn immediately got to her feet and stomped over to Star-Bear's side. Without asking, she simply snatched the book out of Ursula's hand and examined the picture which had caught her eye. An elongated rock structure, easily more than a hundred feet high if the stairs carved into the rock were any sign of scale. It was thin and stabbed upwards like some enormous stalagmite, and at the rock's peak it weirdly reached out on a horizontal plane, circling around on itself until it almost formed a full halo. Frustratingly, the page was too torn for Scorn to make sense of the notes that had been scrawled upon it, even with her translation spell. Thrusting it back toward Star-Bear, she spat two words. "Read it."

"There is not much to read," Star-Bear obliged. "This woman's name is...Ella? Something like this, she says this is a cult which is going to make her the bride of Satan, and here is something she calls a gate to somewhere -- but the page is torn here, you see? I cannot know where this gate is or where it leads, but it looks like somewhere fun to me!"

"I know exactly where that gate is," Scorn announced triumphantly. By now, Vista's curiosity had been aroused and she and Star-Bear both stood expectantly before the sorceress.

Scorn continued, her excitement building. "This Earth woman from a thousand years ago has faithfully depicted a natural structure which exists on the cursed world H'crides in the Khund Empire...my people finally gave up trying to colonise it decades ago and now it lays barren of life. Call the others back...

...and tell Veilmist we are going to the Demon's Gate."

**********

EARTH ORBIT
The Legion of Superheroes mobile base, Medlab

ROLL CALL
Dragonmage aka Xao Jin: dragon magic
Neon aka Zoe Saugin: infused with Green Lantern energy

Dr Skorski: Legion of Superheroes Physician

In her latest Neon costume (a strapless white one-piece leotard, black tights and opera gloves, a white domino mask and headband, and a mini-skirt and Green Lantern icon upon her torso which were both made of emerald light), Zoe Saugin swung her legs in a carefree manner while Dr Skorski's micro-ship hovered over Dragonmage's prone form on the bed opposite. Dainty chrome tentacles wiggled forth from the blue and white ship and expertly sprayed a healing gel on Xao Jin's bare leg.

"You are very lucky, young Dragonmage!" Dr Skorski cooed. "If that nasty fellow's blade had been a few centimetres to the left, he would most certainly have severed your femoral artery!"

"What a jerk that guy was!" Neon blurted. "What kind of creep attacks someone in the middle of a cemetery?!"

"I am just happy that we're both relatively unharmed," Dragonmage turned his head to face his friend. "Thank you for your attention, Dr Skorski. How long do you think until we can be cleared for active duty?"

"Why don't you both come see me in 24 standard hours?" Dr Skorski pondered the question. "I am certain that Neon will be fine, and I should be able to assess your recovery more accurately then as well, Dragonmage."

"Thank you again," Xao replied. He still wasn't sure he could get used to a Teallian sounding anything other than shrill, but he couldn't help but admit Dr Skorski's manner in general was far more pleasant than Quislet's attention-seeking chirrups. Before Dragonmage could get another word out, Star Boy suddenly burst into the Medlab carrying Dream Girl in his arms. Thom Kallor's hairy body was clothed only in a pair of purple briefs, and Nura Nal was swathed in satin sheets. She seemed to be having some kind of psychotic episode, screaming and raving as she thrashed beneath the sheets Thom had used to bind her.

"Doc, you gotta help me!" Star Boy sounded desperate. "I thought she was having a vision, but this...I don't know what this is!" His voice broke toward the end, and Dr Skorski was already by his side with Neon and a half-dressed Dragonmage close behind.

"What's wrong with her face?!" Zoe gasped as Dr Skorski hovered over Nura's body scanning her. Deep cuts had been raked into Dream Girl's forehead just above her perfectly maintained eyebrows, and blood streamed down her face as she convulsed.

"It's...she just started scratching," Thom answered, his eyes welling with tears. "I had to try and restrain her, I was scared she'd claw her eyes out..."

"Place Dream Girl here please, Star Boy." A light switched on over a nearby bed. "I believe your first impression may have been correct. Dream Girl's theta wave activity is consistent with a Naltorian dream state, but you may be gratified to know she is not displaying any other phsyiologically alarming signs. I can safely sedate her for now." Star Boy obeyed, making sure to keep Dream Girl's arms restrained as he lifted her onto the flat mattress.

"Excuse me..?" Dragonmage asked, looking strangely intense as he approached. "...What is that she's been saying in her sleep..?"

Dragonmage, Neon and Star Boy all paused to listen to Dream Girl while Dr Skorski concentrated on the medibed.

"...The terrible..." Nura screeched, "...the Ravager...the Demon Father approaches!!"

Then Nura Nal slipped deep past the grip of nightmare, and into a dreamless sleep...

**********

EDITOR'S NOTES:
* You may or may not know that Tseln of Thaun is an actual DC character who appeared one time in a backup story alllll the way back in 1977! The "errant demon" he talks about was actually a few Legionnaires undercover, Comics Archeology did a good review of that issue here (I am actually pretty sure that's where I stumbled across this guy and got the idea to use him, so if you see this thanks CA!).

* Qingming Festival is also a real festival in China, which I have taken a couple liberties with as it will have been in existence for over 3500 years by the Legion's time so I figure that's enough time for traditions to alter - but it is essentially as I described it here, Chinese families visit the tombs of their ancestors to clean the gravesites and make ritual offerings.

* NEXT: Lightning Lass & Light Lad vs Lightning Lord & Lightning Lady! PLACE YO BETS!!

yay, another installment !



loving the description of Blok's pad. sounds amazing and relaxing.

an actual butterfly, cool!

good old Diamond Damsel, I really like how you've built her character up!

ooh, Light Lad and Kent are an item! I still remember your scene when they first started developing an attraction. Love it!

I love Jacques gently being all big brotherly advice to Danielle... and her comment also highlights how powerful she is, especially in the tech-rich world of the 31st century!

whew, Tel sure is in a snit!

looking forward to the Ayla/Darvan/bad guys bit. I forgot that Lightning Lady was Darvan's sibling!


drawing on my limited Mandarin, does Chonggao De Chengshi translate into "Tall, central city"? (I know Chengshi is city at least!)

I love how you capture the cultural practice so well. I still remember burning spirit money with grandma, to send to our ancestors and all that! and of course, Baba and Mama are dad and mom! nice that Zoe came along

Madame Chu, did you name Dragonmage's old teacher after Reboot Pres Jeanne Chu?

wow, what a story for poor Xao

Dragonslayer? whoo boy!

wow, Dragonslayer sure is... is he just a rabid magic-hater? oh yikes, that ups the ante, that mithril silver. whoops.

yeah, so like a crowd to watch a fight eh? I love how Xao is so angrily polite!

ah, the Sisterhood. I like how they just kept teleporting to evade Dawny's tracking... it can be so tough coming up with convincing reasons for why Dawny (and Mwindaji) haven't found someone lol!

separate sections for different bloodlines? whoa! intriguing. ah, nice tidbit about Star-Bear taking the Batwoman card ah, smart that Vista has been storing these things in her mindscape

love how Star-Bear's rifling around led them to their destination. whew! that sounds VERY ominous

haha, Zoe is still changing her costume all the time, love it
thanks for your note re the Qingming festival. yeah, the fireworks and kites made me think, but like you rightly said, things could very well change in 1000 years

huh nice callback to the original story with Tseln of Thaun! well done, very well done raz!

and yikes at Nura's dream... eek, this is extremely ominous!

as always , looking forward to more more more!

First cab off the rank! Thanks for the R&R, IB!


Thanks! She has got a couple good scenes coming up, including one in the next instalment!


Me too actually! I feel like it has been ages since I gave Ayla & Darvan any spotlight with their respective crazy siblings!



Google Translate told me that 'exalted city' translates to Chonggao De Chengshi....to be honest I just threw in a few different english names that I thought sounded cool for a city of the dead and picked the one that I liked the best when it was translated

I am glad I captured it well, I only really know about it from the internet and some old friends really!


Madame Chu is a remnant from Dragonmage's very brief time in the SW6 Legion, he mentioned that she was his mentor there - so that one is a happy coincidence!


In my original plot idea I had Tseln just figuring out somehow that the demon was really the Legion tricking him and he decided to get revenge on them, but I much prefer the idea that he still thinks it was a real demon and the Legion accidentally just turned his psychosis toward magic users - and now Dragonmage can have his own pet bad guy!

Ah thanks for clarifying re Madame Chu in the SW6 team! (Chu is a pretty common surname anyhow so it tracks lol)

Xao deserves his own pet enemy


and yeah you got the cultural bits down pat, well done!

Hey Raz, thanks for the PM as I missed this when you posted it.

Love that Blok's apartment is a jungle, it feels right that he would want to be surrounded by nature. If any of the team were to challenge the use of counselling it would be Wildfire so that rang true. Poor Iris, walking in on that, though offering to help was sweet - and really, Ultra Boy for sensitivity? C'mon, Blok's supposed to have the wisdom of Solomon now Nice image of Blok resting his chin on top of her head, bless him! I'm interested where you're planning on taking this.

Yay, Light Lad, I was going to ask you about him as we haven't seen him in ages! Don't be rude to Danielle! Haha, seal Drake's suit shut and leave him to drift, I bet several of her teammates wouldn't complain if she did. And if Drake's drama (which could be a whole thread to itself) wasn't enough, on comes Gravity Kid, haha, I do love your interpersonal moments Raz. Angry Legionnaires Day, indeed

Chonggao De Chengshi - sounds interesting, the Shangalla for the Shanghai colonies. Can Vao actually speak with the dead? I would wonder the same thing tbh. That said, in the last few years I've lost a few members of my family and I sometimes find myself chatting to them... Madame Chu - from the TMK run? I thought the reboot Dragonmage had a different back story, though could be wrong. I can't remember his backstory at all, now I tink of it Loving the rather tragic story you've given him. Bless Xao being all polite after seeing Zoe get bonked out cold, Madame Chu obviously brought him up well. I think your Dragonslayer missed a trick - rather than chatting he could have just stabbed Xao and got it over and done with - am glad he didn't though, obviously That knife is nasty! Clever to get the civilians out of haarms way. Xao anger showing? That's new, and fun/worrying... using his dragon-forms to create ice and winds like that is clever. I like how we both use him but nether of us write his abilities in the same way. That was a nice little outing for Xao, and you did a good job of highlighting his thoughtful nature - the total opposite of what Drake and Tel were exhibiting in the section above.

Yay, it's the Sisterhood of Sin time! I have popcorn ready So, they don't know if they have the right artefacts after breaking into the Metropolis museum then? That's interesting. Interesting that they are mining the Earth's magical history. Is the Demon Father a villain we'll have seen in comics? I can't really think of a DC devil character, other than Trigon, though am sure there must be though. Ha, "I don't know how it works, it just works." - just like every super power really. Fab that Star Bear joined as she was promised there would be punching, haha, she's easily pleased. And Scorn has found what she was after. It's going to get messy now, isn't it? And they are going into Khund space, oh dear, that could spell difficuties for the team as well.

Back to Xao and Zoe... With them being told to return in 24 hours does that mean Xao could miss the show down with the Demon Father and the Sisterhood? Ah poor Dr Skorski, they'll always be pre-judged because of Quislet. Oh wow, great cliffhanger, and with those scratches to her face I bet that was one time Nura wished her nails hadn't been perfect

Great stuff Raz, well done integrating all the inter-personal shennanigans together and keeping the plot moving on so quickly. Looking forward to seeing what you do next, so please don't keep us waiting too long for more, more, more!

Hi Harbi, thanks for the R&R!

I have to give Blok a bit of a moment every now and then just to remind everyone that he only has a portion of the Shazam powers hahahaha

You will be getting lots of Light Lad next instalment! And also an overdue Ayla/Mekt rematch!


The very same! And you are right about how Dragonslayer probably should have just given Xao the shiv to start with, but we'd probably have much shorter comics if supervillains followed any kind of logic

I really like writing Dragonmage as being all reserved and polite like the original version was...it's a rare quality for male superheroes!


He is! And that is all I will say on that for now! Except to confirm that yes, it is going to get VERY messy before it's all over!

The Sisterhood of Sin will be taking a break from my next instalment, but we are back with some more on the enigma of Enigma Lass!

EDITOR'S NOTE: usually I save these things till the end, but I am using some characters in this instalment who haven't been seen for a while. If you would like to familiarise yourselves with Lightning Lady and the current Workforce members before you jump in, I have written up some bios for them below (I also included Light Lad just because it goes into his pre-Legion history more than has really been touched on for some time in the actual series):
Light Lad
Lightning Lady
The Workforce

On with the story!

**********

On board a stolen passenger shuttle heading toward the prison planet Takron-Galtos, Meith Portela and Cortazz Doran watched as twelve of their fellow cultists in the Fraterne Electre donned their ceremonial green robes complete with white lightning bolt insignias over each shoulder.

"I can't believe we're finally doing this, Cortazz!" the younger Winathian hissed in excitement. "Freeing Lightning Lady and Lightning Lord!"

"Believe it, Meith." Cortazz had a faraway look in his eye as he watched his brethren prepare for their mission. "Lightning Lady's intellect is incredibly formidable, deciphering her coded planbook was a long and frustrating process...but the storm rolls in our favour, and soon our beloved sister will be with us once more."

"And soon," Cortazz grinned at this prospect, "Soon we will get to meet Mekt Ranzz for ourselves! Lightning Lady's twin brother!"

"Do you think the others know..." Meith trailed off, unable to complete his sentence in front of the twelve men and women they were about to send to their doom.

"...that this will kill them?" Cortazz completed the question knowing that the rest of the cultists were entirely too focused on their mission to have heard him. "I suspect Juuli and Setann may have realised by now; I don't think the rest of them have any idea, no more than Storm Boy did when we cut him open to learn the secrets of his weather control cybernetics. But no sacrifice is too great for the woman who brought our family together."

"Hail the storm," Meith Portela almost whispered reverently.

"Hail the storm," Cortazz repeated.

**********

TAKRON-GALTOS
High orbit

ROLL CALL
Chlorophyll Kid aka Ral Benem: chlorokinesis
Comet Queen aka Grava: flight, gas generation
Light Lad aka Darvan Locke: gravity negation
Lightning Lass aka Ayla Ranzz: electricity generation and manipulation

Completely oblivious to the Fraterne Electre's scheming, four heroes waited in various states of apprehension above the prison planet's southern hemisphere for clearance to land.

"I can't wait to see our little sprout again!" Comet Queen enthused. She'd been noticeably subdued since everything had gone down with Glorith and Verdant, but this trip seemed to have restored some of Grava's normal perkiness. "You must be parsed to the C-span to glom your stellar sibs again too huh, Light Lad? Lightning Lass?"

"I'm....I'm not sure how I feel, Grava." Light Lad sat his chin in both hands and stared out at the prison world beneath them. "It's been so long since I saw Davana, and well...to be honest, I nearly accidentally killed her when I got my powers. I hope she understands how bad I feel about it..."

"Darvan Locke, don't you dare beat yourself up over that!" Ayla chastised him. "You know as well as I do that she would have killed the lot of us if not for you and Garth!"

"Still...I'm not proud of what I did, Ayla." Darvan continued looking over the dull grey planet beneath them rather than meet her eye. "I know it was necessary, but I always wonder...if I'd had my powers longer, if I had been a Legionnaire back then...maybe I could have found a way to help my sister instead of hurt her."

"Ivy tried to kill me more than once," Chlorophyll Kid volunteered, "But she came around in the end. There's always hope, Light Lad." Grava leaned across and gave her husband a quick embrace and a peck on the cheek.

"I know," Light Lad agreed quickly, giving Chlorophyll Kid and Comet Queen a glance of acknowledgement before he turned to Lightning Lass. "And Ayla, I really do understand that I did the best I could do under the circumstances, but...Davana's had so much adversity in her life, I don't want her to think of me as her enemy now too."

"Darvan, I love you but you're downright infuriating sometimes!" Ayla Ranzz snapped. "Your sister isn't a victim any more than Mekt is! Yes, they're singletons but so are you! You're a superhero and you have a ridiculously hot boyfriend who also happens to be an amazing person, and even before you joined the Legion you were helping people in a psych hospital! You're a good person through and through, and your sister and my stupid big brother are both just horrible! Some people don't deserve your compassion!"

"If you really believed that," Darvan Locke said gently as he locked his gaze with Ayla, "You wouldn't be here right now."

There was a moment of tense silence which felt much longer than it was, then the comms came to life and the Legionnaires were given permission to land.

"Hypernova gleaming!" Comet Queen exploded with perhaps a little too much glee.

"Let's make like a shooting star and head on down, huh?"

**********

MARS
Husband Hill, Legion Academy's Arqiia Campus

ROLL CALL

Legion Academy
Amp aka Ming Sul: amplification of any power or characteristic
Chemical Kid aka Hadru Jamik: control of chemical reactions
Dragonwing aka Marya Pai: acid venom, fire breath
Enigma Lass: ?
Key Kid aka Miqui Ver: ability to bypass any man-made lock or barrier
Lullabye Lad aka Waiane Wentim: Zwennite physiology, narcoleptic induction
Sojurn aka S'jn: interdimensional cephalopod; teleportation, telekinesis, telepathy
Variable Lad aka Oaa Tseldor: abilities change with each manifestation

In a classroom far away from Lightning Lass, the students of the Legion Academy waited for her twin brother Lightning Lad to arrive. While they waited, the students kept themselves occupied in their own ways. As Variable Lad, Enigma Lass and Sojurn reviewed their homework, Key Kid and Lullabye Lad played a raucous game of thumb wars. Chemical Kid and Dragonwing sat at the back of the class whispering covertly to one another, and Amp sat in front of Hadru and Marya pretending to work on an essay while her amplified hearing listened in on their gossip.

"Okay, so how do you think she beat Strut?" Chemical Kid asked Dragonwing in a hushed tone. He was referring to the mysterious newest addition to their class, the aptly named Enigma Lass. Her recent takedown of the Mantodean Legionnaire in a training session had thrown one more spark on the bonfire that was her fellow students' curiosity about her.

"I've been thinking about it," Marya confided. "Maybe she's got illusion powers! Remember when she took on those Taurus Gang squajes on her own? They thought they'd killed her and she was fine!"

Amp couldn't restrain herself any longer, and spun around in her seat to the surprise of Chemical Kid and Dragonwing. "Okay, so Miqui said when they were at the Legion's new base getting Sojurn's voice modulator fitted, Sojurn told them Enigma Lass has a voice modulator too and she flipped out! What if she's got like some artificial version of Princess Projectra's powers??"

Chemical Kid leaned back in his chair and held up a hand. "Whoa. First of all, Lallor; private conversation. Second of all--"

"No wait, she might be on to something!" Dragonwing interrupted. "Also, while we're talking about her voice...haven't you guys ever noticed there's something weird about the way she talks? I can't put my finger on it, but it's just...off. Like, I don't think she's ever used mine or Oaa's codenames!"

Before either of the girls could speak again, Chemical Kid suddenly cleared his throat and sat up straight in his seat. From his angle, he was the only one who could see the shadow along the wall outside that meant their teacher was approaching. The rest of the students quickly caught on, and by the time Lightning Lad entered the room they all looked like butter wouldn't have melted in their mouths. The next 45 standard minutes was taken up with a very dry review of United Planets legal codes, something Garth agreed was incredibly boring but assured the students they needed to have at least a familiarity with if they were ever going to be Legionnaires.

At the end of the lesson, Lightning Lad assigned each of the students a random world. They were told to prepare a presentation on laws specific to that world. One of Variable Lad's three arms shot up as Lightning Lad began handing out the assignments, and Garth gave him a congenial nod. "Variable Lad, obviously you're excused."

"What? Why??" Lullabye Lad protested. "You're way more of a hypernerd than most of us, Oaa! You love this stuff!"

"Our teachers have kindly allowed me to take a few days leave to visit my family back on my homeworld Jaquaa," Variable Lad explained. "My uncle Odeli is being presented with an award by the World Medical Council and we want to be there to share his happy moment."

"Odeli Gym'll?" Enigma Lass piped up. "Oaa, is the famous physician Gym'll an uncle to you??"

"He is!" Variable Lad beamed, happily taken aback that one of his fellow students recognised his uncle's name.

"How do you know who he is, Enigma Lass?" Chemical Kid asked. "I mean...no offence, but famous physician isn't really a thing..."

"Odeli Gym'll developed a new method to eliminate an awful genetic condition on Jaquaa, I scanned an analysis of it in Sciencezine last week! It's quite exciting! How amazing to be the nephew of such a talented man, Oaa!"

The rest of the class weren't sure that they'd heard Enigma Lass say this many words at once since she'd joined the Academy and they were all a little shellshocked. Lightning Lad noticed it too, and the young girl's obvious enthusiasm gave Garth Ranzz a bold idea. "You know..." Lightning Lad pondered out loud, "I bet it wouldn't be difficult for all of us to get an invitation to the award ceremony...

...How would you all like to go on an excursion?"

**********

TAKRON-GALTOS
Visitation Room 92

ROLL CALL
Chlorophyll Kid aka Ral Benem: chlorokinesis
Comet Queen aka Grava: flight, gas generation

Triplicate Boy aka Dru Lorgo: Workforce member, Carggite physiology
Verdant aka Ivy Arcane: model prisoner, Avatar of the Green

Chlorophyll Kid had been asked to surrender any seeds on his person and remove the wooden armour he usually wore over his costume these days before one of Triplicate Boy's selves could escort him and his wife to the room where two more Triplicate Boys waited alongside Ivy Arcane. Ral had thought the security measure was kind of pointless; after all, Ivy could create plants from thin air if she really wanted to. It had also occurred to Ral Benem that he wasn't sure exactly what an athletic Carggite was meant to do if a girl who'd taken on the Legion of Superheroes singlehandedly did decide to lash out, but he didn't want to cause any friction so he went along with the request.

"Little sprout!" Comet Queen screamed in glee. "It's nova-bright gleaming to see you again!!" She almost knocked Ivy off her seat with the force of her hug, though Ivy Arcane still hadn't quite become accustomed to displays of affection and she unconsciously stiffened in Grava's grip.

"Oh, Grava..?" Chlorophyll Kid mumbled awkwardly, "We uhh...might not be allowed physical contact, this is a prison after all..."

"Bro, don't sweat it!" one of the Triplicate Boys gave a relaxed wave. "Ivy here's a model prisoner and if we can't trust two Legionnaires to behave themselves who can we trust?"

Ral noticed the irritated glance that one of Triplicate Boy's "brothers" flashed the one who'd spoken, but Chlorophyll Kid didn't care about any of that. He waited for Grava to finally release their daughter and then he gave Ivy a much more subdued embrace. "How are you finding it here, Ivy?" Ral asked as all three of them sat in comfortable armchairs facing one another. The room itself was much more homely than Chlor had anticipated, with a coffee table and art on the walls; it was almost more like a sitting room than part of a prison.

"I know in advance how strange this is gonna sound," the plant-haired girl replied, "But it's actually so good here! The Workforce got me involved in a literacy program, and--"

"You can't read?" Comet Queen gasped. "Oh, my poor little space sprout!"

"There wasn't much to read where I grew up," Ivy shrugged. "Not a lot of texts survived whatever world war it was that Glorith dumped me into the aftermath of. But here there are so many texts, and developmental programs, and--"

The lights flickered for the barest moment, and everyone in the room stopped.

"Stay frosty, everyone...we're lookin' into it!" One of the Triplicate Boys smiled easily while another of him turned away for some privacy and made a call on a discreet earpiece.

In the Workforce's base on McCauley Island, their team leader Magno was already marching toward an answer when he took Triplicate Boy's call. "Hi Dru...yep...yes, I'm aware...I'm on it, in fact I'm just about to find out right now." Double doors whooshed back into their wall recesses and Magno walked into a dimly lit monitor-laden room where his teammates Bioluminescent Lass and Gear analysed a couple of specific datastreams. Gear was sitting, his arm panels opened up with countless cords plunging into the console before him. Bioluminescent Lass stood behind him, oddly out of place here with her tall wispy frame, her blousey outfit and a long blonde ponytail reaching down past her waist.

"I've had four calls in the time it took me to get here from my quarters," Magno announced by way of greeting. "What the sprock is going on, guys?"

"We had a couple of very localised storms from the look of things," Gear replied, a little distracted as he was still interrogating all of the incoming data.

"What?" Magno stopped in his tracks. "What do you mean, storms? Takron-Galtos has global weather control!"

"Exactly," Bioluminescent Lass turned to face her much shorter leader, her elegant features painted with concern. "I've asked Gear to dig a little deeper."

"And Gear has come through with the goods!" The friendly Linsnarian took over a couple of monitors, cloudless blue skies on both screens. "This wasn't a storm, gentlebeings...this was some storm people." At his biomechanical command, the satellites he'd co-opted zoomed in on what at first seemed to be a few specks and were soon revealed to be two distinct groups of men and women in high altitude breathing masks and identical green gowns marked with lightning bolts. As the fierce winds whipped their gowns about, each of them displayed some kind of chunky flight belts underneath.

"They're dressed like...Lightning Lord..?" Magno wondered out loud. "But...why..?"

The answer became readily apparent when both groups followed the same mid-air manoeuvre; they held hands with each of their neighbours, forming a weird kind of skydiving ring of people. Thick black clouds immediately grew above and around them, obscuring them from sight. Then a stark white light blinded the satellite visual arrays and the screen flickered for several moments. When vision was restored, there were now only charred corpses falling helplessly toward the ground far below.

"Looks like they had some kind of super sophisticated weather control technology," Gear explained before Magno could ask. "They combined forces to bring down the granddaddy of all lightning bolts in two separate areas, but they channelled the power through their own bodies; it was a suicide play."

"What a horrid way to die!" Bioluminescent Lass shook her head sadly.

"It is, but they died to achieve something and we need to find out what that something was," Magno said. "Gear, where did those mega-bolts strike?"

"I'll give you two guesses," Gear retorted. "And they both begin with Lightning..."

"Sprock! Jana, you're with me!" Magno yelled at Bioluminescent Lass. "Gear, you're our eyes - stay here and keep us in the loop!" Magno had already begun to run back down the corridor when he remembered that Triplicate Boy was still on open comms with him. "Dru, we've got a potential breakout! Keep it subtle, but I need you to go check on Lightning Lady right now!"

"If Lightning Lady is the first target," Bioluminescent Lass reasoned, "Does that mean..?"

"Yep!" Now that they were in the corridor, Magno ripped a random panel from the wall with his magnokinesis and jumped on it as though it were a hoverboard before helping his Lupran teammate up. "Congratulations, Jana...we get our second ever breakout since we formed the Workforce, and it's Lightning Lord!

Let's just hope we survive the experience!"

**********

TAKRON-GALTOS
Lightning Lord's cell

ROLL CALL
Lightning Lass aka Ayla Ranzz: electricity generation and manipulation

Twine: Workforce member, energy-draining whips
Lightning Lord aka Mekt Ranzz: supervillain, electricity generation and manipulation

"To what do I owe the pleasure, little sister?" Mekt Ranzz snarled from where he was suspended spread-eagled above Lightning Lass and Twine. All four of his limbs disappeared inside enormous metallic restraints, gluts of cable leading from the restraints into the floor and ceiling. "Normally it's Garth who comes all the way out here to assauge his guilt."

Ayla sighed. "You know, that's a good question. I'm not even sure to be honest." She looked across at Twine, whose cold silent glare offered no support. Ayla wandered closer to her brother, her arms folded protectively across her chest. "Do you feel like it's helping you being here, Mekt? Give me something to make this worth it, huh?"

"Is it helping?" he shot back contemptuously. "Every day and night I buoy my spirits thinking about the pain I'm going to visit upon our brother before I kill him...and I think about your betrayal, sister. You know, I expect no more from him; Garth has never respected me, and he's had that wretched Titanian in his head for years now. But you...you I used to think there was hope for. Even though you're his twin, I know you used to want the best for me. But like every hated Winathian, your familial compassion only really extends to your twin in the end, doesn't it?"

"Oh, give me a break!" Ayla snapped. "You've tried to kill me or brainwash me or hurt me and Garth and everyone else we love so often, is this seriously supposed to make me feel for you? You've had a hard time because you made life hard for yourself, Mekt! You bullied us when we were kids, you made life miserable for Mom and Dad, and you've never ever developed the mildest amount of self-awareness that might actually help you be sprocking normal! I understand you're a singleton, I understand it's hard, but you can't tell me we didn't try our best to love you despite--"

"You understand nothing!!" Even though Ayla knew Mekt couldn't hurt her, the white hot rage in his outburst gave her pause.

"That's it." Ayla threw up her hands in disgust. "I'm done." She turned around and started walking toward the door. Wordless as ever, Twine attended her; Ayla somehow couldn't escape the annoying feeling that the Rimborian woman was loving this drama.

Mekt Ranzz got the first syllable of his next response out before the room was filled with light and sound. It were as though some deity had struck the room with a celestial lightning bolt, and Lightning Lass and Twine were both thrown against a wall.

"Mekt..?" Ayla's head was spinning, but she forced herself to her feet so she could face her brother.

For his part, Mekt Ranzz seemed better than fine. The electricity that had filled the room had focused on him, and he'd channelled some of it to overload Takron-Galtos's energy absorption equipment. The tens of cables which had kept him imprisoned till now lay smoldering and frayed around him, and he advanced on Lightning Lass smugly.

"I don't know what act of providence this is but don't stand in my way, sister." Lightning Lord began walking toward the door and Lightning Lass hoped that he couldn't tell how shaken up the unexpected blast had left her.

"She won't...need to." Twine's own power had saved her from the worst of the assault, but she too was feeling worse for wear. She stood and cracked one of her bright pink whips between Mekt and Ayla.

"Hang on," Lightning Lass gaped at the buxom Workforce member. "You can talk?"

"Of course I can talk," the pink-skinned superwarden spoke from beneath her facemask. "I just prefer to let these do the talking normally."

Lightning Lord had already turned to face Twine, but she moved faster. Energy whips shot forward from both her forearms and held Lightning Lord fast. He struggled against the painful grip of the energy-draining whips at first, but it didn't take Mekt Ranzz long to realise that was only going to delay the inevitable.

"You want to feed on lightning, woman?" Mekt's eyes crackled with raw power. "Be my guest."

For the barest of instants, Mekt Ranzz seemed to almost transform into the lightning he was named after. Megavolts of energy coursed through Twine's hot pink tendrils, and the woman at the other end of those tendrils arched her back as she screamed in torment. Already weakened from the lightning bolt which had overloaded the equipment holding Lightning Lord captive, Twine collapsed into violent convulsions on the ground and her energy whips fizzled into nothingness.

Although Lightning Lord had won this round, Ayla could see that Twine had stolen some of Mekt's newfound power. As much as Lightning Lass found Twine off-putting and maybe even a little creepy, she appreciated what the Workforce member had done for her. "I can't let you leave here, Mekt." Ayla stood tall, her fists crackling with electricity.

"Forget your empty threats and tell me something, little sister." Though Lightning Lord was feeling the effect of Twine's power drain, he marched toward his sister without hesitation. "Why are you here? If you find me so irredeemable, why did you come to see me at all?"

"Maybe because I know someone else who thinks you're worthy of redemption, Mekt." Arcs of lightning travelled across Ayla Ranzz's form and her eyes glowed a vivid pink. "And maybe I want him to be right. It's just too bad that I know he isn't." Lightning Lord and Lightning Lass threw their arms up toward one another at the same time, and though it took a concentrated effort on Ayla's part she proved the stronger sibling this time. Ayla's lightning overcame Mekt's, and he too soon joined Twine in a heap on the floor.

Ayla Ranzz released a long exhalation as she sat herself down against a wall. She could see Twine breathing and she would summon help for her in a second, but right now every nerve in her body was jangling.

Before Ayla could make another move, the door to the cell was wrenched open and Magno and Bioluminescent Lass burst in with their Imskian teammate Ion perched on Magno's shoulder. "Lightning Lass, do you need medical attention?" Bioluminescent Lass asked as her teammates rushed to check on Twine and slap power-dampening manacles on Lightning Lord.

"Not really," Ayla stood up again and cracked her neck. "I just want to know who or what helped my insane brother escape to try and kill the both of us."

"We'll explain on the way," Magno replied quickly, wrapping half a ton of metal debris around the now powerless Lightning Lord just to make sure he stayed put until the security droids arrived. "That is, if you wouldn't mind giving us a hand. Lightning Lord wasn't the Fraterne Electre's only target today...they've freed Lightning Lady as well."

"Lightning Lady..?" Ayla's blood ran cold. "Oh sprock, Darvan!"

**********

DEEP SPACE
The Legion of Superheroes mobile base, Fitness Level

ROLL CALL
Diamond Damsel aka Iris Jacobs: living diamond
Slug aka Kes Mtsto: inertron form and projectiles

As its name suggested, the Fitness Level of the Legion's mobile base was a place for Legionnaires of all shapes, sizes and power levels to hone their various abilities. Its most basic form was simply a huge open space, but the Legion could use forcefields and modular technology to set aside individual areas for themselves where they could perform a dizzying variety of training exercises.

Sizzle and a full-size Shrinking Violet sparred in one section while King Canary flew a scaled down obstacle course in a small hardlight cube beside them. Stone Boy played squash with Color Kid directly underneath a huge levitating swimming pool in which Elastic Lad was currently experimenting with different ways he could deform his natural shape to maximise his swimming speed. Gas Girl and Life Lass had taken over a small slice of space to erect some cardio equipment so they could work out as they streamed the latest pop hits from their homeworld Lallor...and in a segmented space which was safely enclosed in translucent force walls, Diamond Damsel had agreed to an unorthodox training idea proposed by one of the Legion's newest recruits Slug.

The Pseudatanian Legionnaire Slug took position at one end of a long space meant to resemble a firing range, and Diamond Damsel started from the opposite end. Slug's idea was simple but surprisingly fun. Diamond Damsel advanced on Slug, trying to dodge her teammate's cannonball-like inertron projectiles as she approached. Each time Slug hit her, Iris had to start over again.

For Slug, the game was a way for them to refine their aim. For Diamond Damsel, it was a rare opportunity to practice evasion tactics rather than just charge her way through opposition as she normally did. So far, the furthest she'd made it was two thirds of the way toward her metallic comrade before they pegged her.

"I was always dreadful at dodgeball when I was a kid!" Diamond Damsel shouted across the distance between them while she narrowly evaded an inertron sphere hurtling past her. "Or anything athletic really! This should be giving me terrible flashbacks, but I have to admit I'm actually enjoying myself!"

Slug laughed, their eyestalks jiggling happily. "Wait," they paused abruptly mid-chuckle, "..What is dodgeball??"

Diamond Damsel threw her head back with laughter now as well, and the distraction cost her. A dull grey ball of indestructible metal smacked her right in the face as she steadied herself, and she gouged tracks into the floor as she half-skidded half-rolled into a very inelegant position fifteen feet back.

"Ohh, Slug is so sorry!" The limbless hero took flight immediately, rushing to check on Diamond Damsel. "Slug hopes Diamond Damsel isn't hurt? Slug didn't mean to aim for Diamond Damsel's eye house!"

"Eye house..?" Iris stood up, clearly more inconvenienced than injured. "Oh, you mean my face! It's fine, really...I'm pretty much indestructible myself, Slug. I should thank you actually! This is the first time I've done something silly like this since I don't know when, it was a wonderful idea!"

Through the hardlight walls surrounding their training area, Diamond Damsel suddenly saw someone she'd been looking for earlier and her tone instantly changed. "Slug, I'm so sorry but I'm going to have to run. Let's have a rematch next week though?" Slug agreed, and Diamond Damsel jogged off. By the time she caught up to Drake Burroughs, he was busy programming a part of the supremely adaptable room to fill his own needs.

"Wildfire!" Diamond Damsel shouted by way of greeting. "Sorry if this is a bad time, but you're a hard man to get hold of! I'd like to have a chat when you've got some free time?"

"Now's good." The anti-energy hero turned to face Diamond Damsel, her angular features distorted in his visor. "I was just about to get in some target practice, but it can wait...what's up, DD?"

Iris looked around to make sure nobody else was in earshot. "Look, everyone can see you've been dealing with some things since we faced Mordru...a lot of us have been, there's no shame in that. I just--"

"Sprocking unbelievable." Wildfire's posture visibly stiffened, body language left over from when he still had a body. "What other skeletons does Blok bring out of our closets when you're having rocky cuddle time, DD?"

"It's not like that," Iris returned. "Wildfire, I won't lie...Blok did tell me you haven't been seeing Jrey, but be realistic; none of us are idiots, we can all see that something's not right with you. I just thought I might be in a better position to talk to you about it than a lot of other people."

"It, huh? And what's it?"

Diamond Damsel internally counted to 5 before she continued. While she wanted to help Wildfire, she didn't exactly have the most placid temper in the world herself and it hadn't occurred to her how triggering this conversation might be until now that she was in the middle of it. "I don't know what it is that's set you off right now, but I do know that you have a uniquely harrowing burden to carry that nobody else can understand as much as they might want to...and I know how that impacts every interaction you ever have with any of these people around us who can still eat and drink, who can still take for granted that they can touch anyone they love without accidentally breaking them. I know what it feels like when every minor inconvenience becomes something enraging, because you don't have any other outlet for the thing that's really eating you up inside and so it comes out where it can."

"Yeah?" Wildfire stepped closer, one angry finger pointed at Diamond Damsel's face. "Looks to me like you don't have to worry about any of that stuff anymore, lady. You found someone who's a walkin' hunk of rock just like you, and that Zoe Saugin from the other universe even gave you a makeover so you look more human now. So maybe get off your high horse and let me get back to shooting stuff, huh?"

"Wildfire...it took me a thousand years to let anyone help me the way Blok and the Legion did. Before that, I was just seething and broken all the time. I wasted so much time hating my life that I didn't live it. I'm happy now, but it took me so long to get here--"

"Then it looks like I got a thousand years of this to look forward to," Wildfire cut her off. "Thanks for the pep talk, DD. Now if you don't mind, I got things to blow up."

He turned his back on her, and Diamond Damsel watched with a mix of frustration and concern before she decided she wasn't going to do any good here right now and she walked away.

She just hoped that if Wildfire wouldn't talk to her, he would talk to somebody...

...because if Diamond Damsel's own experience was any indication, Wildfire's current path wasn't leading him anywhere that was good for him....

**********

TAKRON-GALTOS
Lightning Lady's cell

ROLL CALL
Light Lad aka Darvan Locke: gravity negation

Abyss aka Danning Tolagson: Workforce member, wielder of the void-ring
Lightning Lady aka Davana Locke: supervillain, electricity generation and manipulation

Just like Mekt Ranzz, Davana Locke was too dangerous to be kept in general population. If Abyss and Light Lad had arrived here a moment earlier, Darvan Locke would have seen for himself how his sister was suspended by an ugly series of cables that prevented her from lashing out with her terrifying power.

However, the mega-bolt of lightning which freed Lightning Lady from captivity struck just before the two men entered her cell. They both heard what sounded like a bomb going off on the other side of the cell door, and the lights shut off in their corridor for two seconds before secondary power kicked in. Light Lad had begun to ask a question, but Abyss ignored him to shout an override command at Lightning Lady's cell door.

"What was that??" Light Lad repeated, grabbing Abyss's shoulder this time. "Is this a prison break? Why won't the door open??"

"Don't know, hope not, and don't care." Abyss shoved Darvan back along one wall and followed suit himself. Without yet having even looked at the Legionnaire, Abyss extended his left arm toward the door and made a fist. "Be ready for anything though." A ragged black energy spewed forth from the void-ring on Abyss's hand, which Darvan somehow found uncomfortable even to look at, and the cell door vanished into what Abyss called Voidspace; a pocket dimension of pure darkness.

Smoke came pouring out of the open doorway, and Darvan couldn't hold himself back any longer. "Davana!" Light Lad ran into the cell, ignoring Abyss's protests. "Dav, it's me, Darvan! Are you hurt?"

Whatever had happened in here had well and truly drained all power from the cell...Light Lad had no problem at all seeing his sister though, she herself was aglow with so much electrical energy that she was like a beacon. The ton of plasteel cabling which had imprisoned her until seconds ago lay charred and melted all around her.

"Damn it, Light Lad!" Abyss bellowed as he followed Light Lad through the doorway. "Are you trying to get us both killed?!"

Lightning Lady's attention snapped instantly from her brother to Abyss. She had every intention of dealing with her little brother, but Darvan could wait...this Abyss person, she'd come to nurse a burning hatred for him more than any of his other Workorce colleagues in the time she'd been trapped here. Most of the Workforce were just doing a job, but him...Abyss enjoyed lording it over the prisoners here, and Lightning Lady was very familiar with his mocking taunts and comments.

As soon as Abyss saw that Lightning Lady was free, his eyes bulged. He overcame his surprise almost immediately and raised his void-ring against her, but he wasn't faster than lightning. Flicking her cape behind her with her free hand, Lightning Lady gestured at Abyss and a horizontal lightning bolt went straight through him. He didn't even have time to cry out before he collapsed in a smoking heap on the ground. "Shocking, isn't it..?" she smiled cruelly, walking casually towards him.

Light Lad was almost in a panic. He couldn't tell if Abyss was still breathing from where he stood, and Darvan was wracked with guilt as much as fear. If he hadn't come running in here like some amateur, they could have worked together to secure his sister safely. Now she was going to kill the two of them, and anyone else in her way. No. Darvan Locke looked down at the golden flight ring on his finger and twisted it to activate the emergency beacon. I'm a Legionnaire, I'm not going to let her kill anybody. He took a moment to settle on a plan and then, taking a deep breath, committed to it.

"Davana!" Darvan Locke's voice was uncommonly harsh, and his sister forgot about Abyss, along with anything else in the room aside from her brother.

"What have I told you, little brother?" A mask of hatred consumed the red-haired woman as she turned on Darvan. "There is no Davana Locke!" She shot him with a much less powerful lightning bolt, one which hurt but didn't incapacitate him. "There is only Lightning Lady!" Another blast of electricity, this one bringing Darvan to one knee.

It took everything Light Lad had to maintain his focus, but he didn't dare give up this easily. "Okay, okay...truce, please." He held up one hand in a gesture of surrender. Darvan took his time rising to his feet, knowing he'd have a much better chance of survival once Ayla and the others got here. He backed away from his sister slowly, showing her that he was afraid of her power. "What happened in here, Lightning Lady? I don't doubt your power, but...they've kept you imprisoned all this time. What changed?"

"Takron-Galtos may have accounted for the abilities of myself and my twin," she explained as she stalked Light Lad across the room, "But they did not account for the resourcefulness and ingenuity of the Fraterne Electre. I knew that my beloved family would find my contingency plans and enact one of them, all I needed was patience."

Confusion gave way to realisation as Light Lad remembered the cult his sister had surrounded herself with when she'd turned herself into Lightning Lord's ersatz twin. Everyone thought that the Fraterne Electre had simply dissolved without Lightning Lady to lead them, but obviously that hadn't been the case. "But...how did they do this?" he followed up. "None of them had any powers!"

"Passion is their power, little brother...for now," Lightning Lady spoke with pride. "It may have taken my Fraterne Electre some time to pull everything together, but unless I miss my guess they took the technology to speak with storms from a Terran man who never deserved it and then they used that power to overload the machines keeping Lightning Lord and myself here. You see, all that time you thought I was crazy, I was forming so many plots...so, so many plots."

Darvan stopped moving momentarily and looked his sister in the eye. "I never thought you were crazy. I've never once thought that, you must know that I've only ever wanted to help you."

"Is that so, little brother?" Lightning Lady's eyes flared with energy and she shot her brother again, this time bringing him down onto the floor. Stars danced before his eyes, but Darvan refused to succumb.

"Is that why you threw me off a cliff?!" Lightning Lady raised both arms, and there was so much electricity in the air that every hair on Light Lad's body stood on end. He looked up at his sister with open fear. He hadn't been able to manoeuvre her where he needed her, and now his own sister was going to kill him. Even if he sent her flying into the ceiling, it wouldn't be fast enough to stop her from--

"Starshine!" They both turned to see Comet Queen come zooming in, her trademark sparkling trail behind her. "Chlory's right behind me with that trinary solariffic-- hey! You leave Light Lad alone, you big mean pulsar!!"

Lightning Lady spun on her heel and released the blast she'd been planning for Light Lad at Comet Queen instead. With her metallic skin, Grava lit up like a screeching firework as she rebounded painfully off of a slagged console to land unconscious near Abyss. Davana Locke turned to face her brother again, but before she could complete the motion she heard a rebellious shout rise from Darvan and felt him yank on her cape.

"That's enough, Davana!!" Gambling successfully that Lightning Lady's cape wouldn't conduct electricity, Light Lad gripped it hard and then reduced his sister's weight just enough that he could throw her across the room. As soon as she began sailing through the air, Darvan restored her normal weight and Lightning Lady smashed face first into the ground where she rolled to a stop in the middle of the (now oddly debris-free) floor which had been piled with the remains of her restraint cables.

"I told you--" Lightning Lady began resentfully, wiping blood from her nose as she clambered to her feet.

"I don't care what you told me, Davana." Light Lad's voice, full of fury only a moment ago, was now flat with disdain. "And I don't want to stand against you, but I'm not going to let you hurt anybody else."

Lightning Lady began to form a response, but Light Lad turned off the power he'd been maintaining this whole time and thousands of pounds of warped and blackened plasteel restraint equipment rained down from where it had been floating against the ceiling. Lightning Lady was buried in a pile of junk, and she stayed there.

Light Lad's knees gave out, and Darvan collapsed to the floor where he smacked his head hard. Just before his vision faded to black he saw Chlorophyll Kid fly in with Triplicate Boy's three bodies right behind him, and Darvan finally allowed himself to pass out.

**********

DEEP SPACE
The Legion of Superheroes mobile base, Medlab

ROLL CALL
Gravity Kid aka Tel Vole: gravity manipulation

Dr Skorski: Legion of Superheroes Physician

Gravity Kid lay prone on his stomach, the small piece of black fabric which constituted the top half of his costume hanging over a nearby chair in front of him. He couldn't see Dr Skorski's microship hovering above, but he could certainly feel the restorative warmth of the regen-ray she was projecting up and down his back.

"This is the second muscular injury that you have sustained working out this week," the Teallian doctor's soothing voice spoke as she healed his back injury. "If you would like me to review your exercise program I am well-versed in kinesiology and exercise science for a variety of organic lifeforms, Gravity Kid."

"Thanks for the offer but I'm fine," Gravity Kid declined with just a hint of impatience in his tone. "Are we done yet?"

Before the conversation could continue, they both heard Star Boy's voice cry out hoarsely from the other side of the room. "Doc! I think she's waking up!"

Tel started to lift himself off the bed. "I insist that you remain exactly where you are," Dr Skorski spoke up in a voice which, while sweet as usual, seemed to contain a firmness that Tel didn't think it was worth fighting. "I will be back to check on you just as soon as I can."

Gravity Kid sighed in defeat and collapsed back on the bed while Dr Skorski darted off to greet a newly conscious Dream Girl.

"Hello, Dream Girl," Dr Skorski gently interrupted Nura and Thom. "How are you feeling?" The question was mostly superfluous; Dr Skorski had checked Dream Girl's bioreadings as she'd flown across the room and Nura was no less the picture of health than she'd been when Star Boy had brought her in 32 standard hours ago.

"I feel...groggy, and...and terribly shaken up." Nura placed a hand on Thom's bearded cheek. "Oh, Thom...you look awful! How long have you been awake?"

Star Boy laughed. "I love you too," he teased, taking her hand gently in his and kissing it. "You've been out of it nearly a day and a half, Nura...do you know what happened? What's the last thing you remember?"

"It was...it was a vision." Dream Girl clutched Star Boy's hand. "And it was ghastly, Thom. I feel so...so...I don't think I've felt a sense of foreboding like this since Darkseid."

Star Boy felt a chill run down his spine. "What was it? What did you dream?"

"I don't know...I don't remember much except for...for blood, and loss, and...and..." Star Boy and Dr Skorski saw Dream Girl's expression change from one of abject fear to understanding to grim purpose.

"...and the answer lies with the Khunds."

**********

NEXT: The Sisterhood of Sin! Dream Girl takes things into her own hands!! And the enigma of Enigma Lass...REVEALED!!!

yay, more! and thanks for the links to the bios, raz!

I'd read them before, but whew, Light Lad's and Lightning Lady's origin sure is exciting! what a juxtaposition too!

(also cool that Darvan and Ayla remain friends, despite not being friends with benefits anymore)

also a nice bit that their parents learned from their elder child, so Darvan ended up much better adjusted than poor Davana

ah, Davana also has that extra trick! probably cause of her scientific know-how eh? definitely makes her quite scary...

I really dig your Workforce, lots of cool characters on there. Happy to see Ion get a second chance in your reality, she seemed cool in her one Reboot appearance. before, you know, dying. Also pleased Gear and Magno are there of course, and I really like Bioluminescent Lass! and good job keeping Abyss' and Twine's mean streaks!

ah, so the Fraterne Electre still exists AND they have grown in number (well, maybe just a bit, but now we have 14 others instead of 11!)

yow, so Storm Boy really is dead?

pleasant surprise seeing Grava and Ral along too, makes sense that visiting hours would overlap in this way.

poor Darvan. Davana IS his sister after all, and she's not well, so I get him

I agree with Darvan: Ayla doesn't 100% believe this. And it's very shades of gray isn't it? What Davana and Mekt have done is inexcusable, but on the other hand how much of it is because of the trauma they had growing up?

Loving the characterization of the students - in one quick paragraph re how they spend time waiting, you've painted quite a picture!

also LOL at Amp eavesdropping using her powers, hah! great way to use her abilities!

lol at Garth agreeing the lesson topic was boring, and also Hadru alerting the class that Garth was coming!

hah! Dr. Gym'll gets a first name! will be good seeing him again!

huh, another clue in the Enigma Lass puzzle. is she some sort of geneticist? I'm looping back to my theory that she was that little Dominator girl the team saved from Duplicate Boy II some time back! (although the "dead" part... did she die then?)

love the detail re the precautions Ral had to take to visit Ivy! and also his thoughts re, well what WOULD Triplicate Boy actually do?

also a nice bit re the diff. personalities of Trip. Boy!

Ivy not being able to read actually makes sense! why would Glorith waste time teaching her that? awesome detail raz!

I like Magno and Bio-Lass being smart enough to realize something was afoot!

"You can talk!" hah! go Twine... so I guess her power let her safely absorb some of the electricity safely?

whew! nice 1-2 punch of Twine and Ayla! So Mekt is taken care of... but I bet you won't let it be that easy!

Loved the descriptions of the training bits done by different Legionnaires, more great characterization! and nice reminder that Diamond Damsel actually comes from the 20th century too (with that dodgeball comment)!

ah, Wildfire! looking forward to this scene!

good of Iris to try keeping calm, because Wildfire sure wasn't making it easy! (he DID at least say thank you... lol!)

(also nice bit having the Reboot Zoe adjust DD's face a bit, hah!)

dun dun, more to come. Will DD tell Blok what happened?

LOL at Abyss just answering all of Darvan's questions snappily.

Davana's thoughts re "most of the Workforce are just doing their jobs" actually earned her a little sympathy from me - and I was wondering if Abyss' meanstreak would get him into trouble sooner rather than later!


I do like that all this was Davana's contingency plan. She's smart, for sure.

wow! Creative use of Darvan's power there, raining debris on Davana! nice thinking!



lol at Tel pushing himself so hard that he's actually hurting himself! Man, Tel needs help almost as much as Wildfire does

really loving Dr. Skorski's beside manner!



another great installment, raz! lots of great stuff, nice action, great characterization. (iS Abyss still alive?)

and yes! eager to unravel the mystery of Enigma Lass... and see more of the Sisterhood too!

Thanks for the R&R, IB!

I don't know if I would have enough ongoing story ideas for the Workforce to be able to write anything long-term with them but I like having them pop up occasionally! I wanted to challenge myself to use Abyss and Twine more this time around to show how even though they're not great people, they're still professionals. They might be jerks but they'll put themselves on the line as long as someone's paying them enough.

Storm Boy is quite dead, I am afraid! I am not too broken up about it, one less space nazi isn't really a great loss lol

His technology may just see a resurgence at some point though now that the Fraterne Electre have got their hands on it....

Abyss didn't actually die by the way, I just couldn't think of a way to include his recovery in the story without dragging things out too much! However, he lives to be snide at people again!

...Also, I got so excited about revealing Enigma Lass's secret that I forgot to mention the thing coming up in the next installment which I am actually MORE excited about!

We are gonna get to meet Variable Lad's family and see what life on Jaquaa is like! I have been thinking about this for weeks and I can't wait to get some real weirdness out of my head and into the keyboard

yeah, not too broken up over Storm Boy either. pleased that Abyss lives though, I definitely got what you were aiming for: neither Twine nor Abyss or particularly nice BUT they are good "allies" to have (well, one could argue that Abyss was making enemies of the prisoners but...)

yeah, not the last we've seen of the Fraterne Electre eh

oooh stoked to see what you've come up with for Jaquaa for sure!