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

I HOPE IT WORKS! I HOPE IT WORKS! I HOPE IT WORKS

Thanks, Omni Poor Magno has certainly had a lot of bad breaks. Gotta admire his optimism though!

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

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

WHITE WITCH

Mysa looked gently at the sleeping Dyrk Magz, and thanked the spirits as she did. As Drs. Shakespeare and Gym'll had determined, the operation had done no harm to him at all. He was still whole.

Now, whether the operation had succeeded was another matter. As predicted, the procedure had been physically draining for Dyrk and he was now sleeping comfortably. They would have to wait until he woke up to determine if his powers had returned... or they might not know right away. She would have to be patient.

Patience. Every time she heard that word, she remembered Dragonmage. Poor Xao. If only he had been more patient, like Dyrk here was. Or like Pol Krinn, who had worked hard to attain mastery in Magnoball. He had always said that he was not quite as naturally talented as his brother Rokk had been.

She looked across at her younger teammate, who was sleeping on the bed beside Dyrk's. He had also been drained by the procedure, though he would wake up much sooner than Dyrk would. It was quite interesting, what they had done. She had cast a spell that would highlight differences between Pol's physiology and Dyrk's; Kent and his team had used technology to determine which of the differences should be common to all Braalians. A combination of magic and science - mostly magic, as Dyrk's injuries had been caused by magic in the first place - had been used to restore Dyrk.

She sighed as she looked at both of them, and thought once more of Dragonmage. The young sorcerer had been severely injured fighting Mordru, losing most of his magical mastery in the process. Much like she herself had. So after she had regained her own mastery, she had taken him on as a student. But frustrated by his lack of progress, he sought out power too, unwittingly releasing four destructive elemental spirits who had possessed four sentient beings! After a momentous battle, three of the host bodies had died; destruction had visited Tokyo and planet Swizzar; most of the G'ildans had died after G'ild's oceans had been pulled into space; and Dryad had been destroyed! And all for naught, as Dragonmage lost his powers yet again at the end - this time without even a spark of the ability.

Besides mourning his loss of power, Dragonmage had been so racked by guilt that he turned himself in. Thankfully, and partly because of her testimony, the court had considered the mitigating circumstances. Dragonmage had been warned by a spirit guard, but he had not known of the true nature of the elemental beings he had released. His incarceration had been brief, and the rest of his sentence was being served as a consultant to the UP missions in the remnants of Mordru's old empire, an area of the galaxy filled with a great culture of mysticism. She only spoke with him sporadically, and often those talks centered on him consulting her about some of the stranger beliefs the mission encountered.

Such was the price of shame. Once one's head is lowered, it is difficult to raise again.

She spared a backwards glance for the two young Braalians, and stepped out into the corridor. The whole area was festive, with holos celebrating Legionnaires past and present. A hum of excited calls filled the air as people rushed to get ready for the culmination of the Legion Month celebrations. Even when the Legion had been new, she had recognized their vast potential as a force for good in this galaxy. But now... Seeing the excitement of all these people, many of whom were support staff or visitors and few with any metapowers of their own...

... She wished that Dragonmage had seen Legion membership as a chance to give back to the galaxy, instead of a chance to bolster his own ego and reputation. It was a lesson he had learned, a little too late. She was just glad that so many others had learned that lesson earlier.

Lost in her thoughts, she strode along the corridors.

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

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

SPIDER-GIRL

"Sussa! Just the Legionnaire I wanted to see." Chuck Taine beamed as Spider-Girl entered the Legion World Command Deck. Behind him, Sussa's former Workforce teammate Particon smiled, while Captain Shvaughn Erin gave a respectful nod. Sussa returned both with a nod of her own as she let a tendril of hair nuzzle the back of Chuck's neck. "What's up, oh faithful sentinel of Legion World?"

"What's up is that you WERE right!" Chuck was grinning from ear to ear now. "The checks you told us to install ARE picking up the things you told us to watch out for! Like that unreleased program that can generate detailed schematics of a place without tapping into the place's security systems? Three sentients have tried to smuggle it past security already!"

"Your intelligence is almost as updated as the Science Police's," Shvaughn pointed out with an arched eyebrow. "I find that very impressive, Spider-Girl." Sensing the veiled suspicion in Shvaughn's tone, Sussa made sure to look her in the eyes while keeping her smile warm and genuine. "I'm sure the Science Police's intelligence-gathering capabilities are much more efficient than mine, Captain," she smiled as she placed a hand just so on Chuck's shoulder. "But I made many useful contacts while working for McCauley - businesspeople, suppliers, technological geniuses and researchers - and it would be a shame not to use them to help the UP or the Legion, wouldn't it?"

"I'll say!" Chuck blurted out before Shvaughn could say anything. "This is amazing! Sussa's input has increased Legion World security by a factor of 2.87!"

"And of course," Sussa cut in quickly as Shvaughn opened her mouth, "I would be happier to share any useful information with you, Captain. In fact, I have a report ready on a former contact of mine who, it seems, may know something about the recent attempted kidnapping of the Dagoskian Vice-Chancellor's daughter." Sussa's hair deftly pulled an Omnicom from her pouch; she took it with her hand and offered it to Shvaughn.

"Thank you, Spider-Girl," Shvaughn said as she glanced at the contents. "This will be quite useful. I very much appreciate it." Sussa flashed a dazzling smile as she shook Shvaughn's hand. "Any time, Captain, and anything for the good of the galaxy. Helping others is reward in itself," she added with a wink. A tight-lipped Shvaughn nodded.

"Now if you'll excuse us, we have to get ready for the opening ceremonies," Sussa laughed as she grabbed Particon's arm with her hair and pulled her towards the exit. "Blizzard is bursting with excitement already!"

As they exited the Command Deck, Sussa barely heard Particon's excited chatter. Shvaughn Erin was smart AND experienced, and Sussa knew she would have to be very careful not to cross the line. Some of her contacts were engaged in less than savory businesses such as smuggling or bribery. Nothing worse than that, though; she would not condone extortion or slavery, much less murder. Definitely not after that squaj McCauley. She had already anonymously tipped off the SPs on the worst of those former contacts of hers. She couldn't afford to turn all of them in though; information was a useful tool and though corruption was at an all-time low, it still thrived in some areas of the UP. Still, though she was tempted at times, she made sure never to dabble in the illegal dealings of her contacts.

She was shaken out of her thoughts as a pink-gloved hand tapped her visor. "Hey, LW to Sussa!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Jen," Sussa gave her full attention to Particon. "Sorry, I just... was trying to remember if the Omnicom I gave Erin contained my complete case files."

"No worries," Particon smiled back with a laugh. Jennifer - Particon's real name, which Sussa had just learned after joining the Legion - pointed to her flight ring. "Nightwind just said we need to meet up in two hours."

"Copy that," Sussa covered up a yawn as she stretched her arms. "Enough time for a nap. I'm bushed. How about you?"

"I think I'll go see how the food is coming along, then maybe I'll help Mr. Brande greet our guests. I want to be there when the Amazers show up."

"Okay, I'll see you in a couple of hours then," Sussa smiled as she gave Jennifer a small hug.

"Rest well, Sussa, you deserve it," Jennifer smiled. "And I really have to say, it's good to see you on the side of the angels."

"Heh. Well, a girl's got to eat, but if she can eat well while respecting the law AND being a good girl..." Sussa winked.

Jennifer laughed as she held Sussa's hand. "And if she can work for a boss who will treat her right, right?" She winked back as she waved goodbye. "It's really good to have you here. I mean it."

Sussa smiled warmly, and for real this time. "Thanks, Jen." As she waved, she couldn't help but cringe slightly at how happy that compliment made her. Maybe she was getting a bit soft.

It was nice to be respected and valued by her new teammates, though. She hummed to herself as she walked along the hall. And it was nice to actually feel happy for a change.

My posting will slow down a bit; it's the start of the Christmas season in the Philippines. For real.

Though to continue the pattern, I will have 7 posts focusing on each of the remaining 7 "new" Legionnaires. The posts will move the action along though and some of them will be quite fast-paced

Loving your Mysa: humble, wise and considerate - everything she had been back when she had first joined the team after the Great Darkness. Her assessment of poor Dragonmage was spot on.

And Sussa, one of the most superficial appearing characters with a depth thats rarely touched upon was written perfectly. Of course Schvaughn knows whats going on but while neither Sussa or the SPs look to hard at the situation all will be well. Hopefully something won't happen to compromise Spider Girls new outlook as I really like your take on her IB, it's really clever and enjoyable to read.

More, more, more!

Thanks for the usual thorough comments, Harbi! I am so glad you are liking my takes on Mysa and Sussa, and the Sussa-Shvaughn "standoff". Don't worry, I plan to keep Sussa as is, she adds a very pragmatic outlook to the team

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

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

PARTICON

Particon closed her eyes as she felt the rush of air in the hangar. She was glad she had listened to Nightwind's suggestion of ditching her old armor; her special new jumpsuit was just as durable, yet lighter. She loved that it allowed her to feel things like the cool air around her.

She stood staring at the bright sea of stars outside the windows of Legion World. It felt good to be up here, looking down on the world below. She had worked so hard to make it here, and now...

Something else else sticky covered her visor. In a flash, she tore them off; twisting her body around, she dropped down to her knees and faced the direction of the attack. The pink energy she controlled flared up around her hands. "Who did that?"

"Oh, don't look so serious, Jen!" Particon relaxed as a familiar melodious laugh filled the air. The glow vanished from around her hands as she straightened up and smiled at the redhead hanging above her. Insect Queen, her former teammate in the Uncanny Amazers and probably her closest friend among the bunch after Radion. No, even more so than Radion. Insect Queen's more upbeat personality had been a beacon of hope for the Amazers as they battled to save Xanthu from Robotica.* "Lonna! You weren't due to arrive for another thirty minutes!"

Insect Queen laughed as she dropped down from the ceiling and gave Particon a big hug. "What can I say, I was excited to see you."

Particon made it a point to visibly arch her eyebrow. "So excited that you wrecked my visor?"

Insect Queen brushed her hair back with a laugh. "I was in the form of a Swizzarian Sylph Spider, Jen. So named because they are masters at covering their tracks. They have adapted so predators could barely tell they were there at all." To demonstrate, Lonna shifted her abdomen into the form of a spider whose color blended into the floor as she moved. A sticky web shot out of her hands and snared Particon's discarded visor. "Their webs disappear after a few seconds. See?"

Sure enough, the web line Lonna had used faded before their very eyes. "Clever, Lonna," Particon smiled as she took her visor from Lonna's hands. "Not that I should be surprised. You always were the most mature one on the team."

"And you," Lonna said as she flashed a dazzling smile, "have matured the most."

Jenifer paused, then flashed Lonna a quizzical look. "How so?"

Lonna brushed her hair back as she looked Jennifer up and down. Jen didn't know why, but her former teammate's scrutiny made her want to hide in the bathroom. "It's not hard to tell. You just seem more... together. No," Lonna hesitated for a second. "You already were together before - a lot more than Radion was, for example. No, you just seem... happier."

"Huh. I never thought about it that way."

"Truth to tell, I was surprised you didn't join the Legion sooner. I mean, I figured the Mordru battle had done a number on you, or maybe you wanted to keep Radion company while he healed, but..." Lonna bit her lip. "You always seemed so capable while we were in the Amazers together, and I could tell you wanted more."

Particon shrugged. "I guess... At first I wanted to make sure Radion was fine, but I also wanted some safety and security, you know? Watching Blast-Off and Atom'x die like that, and seeing so many injuries among the task force, kind of scared me a bit. But when Robotica came, I guess I realized that I needed to become more capable..." She paused, and forced herself to gather her thoughts. What exactly HAD she been thinking then? She moved to Xanthu because she thought things would be quieter and safer there, and now here she was, part of a new and inexperienced and relatively weaker Legion, risking her life to keep an entire galaxy safe.

She realized with a start that she did it to prove to herself that she could handle the responsibility. Joining the Amazers had simply been her way of trying to avoid facing the question of, was she really not good enough to be a Legionnaire?

The sheer enormity of her realization hit her, and she reeled for a moment. "Huh, I feel like I just came from a session with Dr. Ryk'rr."

"Wow," Lonna shook her head. "I'm sorry if I'm being such a downer, Jen."

"No, no," Jen smiled as she took Lonna's hands in hers. "A little introspection is always a good thing, Lonna." She smiled warmly, and the redhead smiled back. Jen savored that smile for a moment.

Then her thoughts were interrupted by Nightwind's voice over her flight ring. "Legionnaires! See you in 15!"

Particon sighed as her Legion persona switched on again. "Sorry, Lonna, I have to get ready. Have you found your quarters yet? How about the others?"

"Done, and the others will be late, as usual."

Particon chuckled as she headed for the door. "Still smarting that the Legion has now lured a total of five Amazers away?"

"Something else else like that," Insect Queen winked as she flew beside Particon. "You're our friend, and the Legionnaires are our allies, but pride dies hard."

Particon smiled as the truth of Lonna's words hit her. "Yes, it does. But you have to lower your pride before you can really get to where you want to be." She smiled as she flew on into the halls of Legion World. And now, she was exactly where she wanted to be.

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

IB's notes:

1) As depicted in Legion Worlds 4. Particon, Radion, Blast-Off were Legion rejects who joined McCauley's workforce in L* 43. They deserted McCauley to help out against Mordru in L* 49-52. Blast-Off seemingly died in L* 50, though he would become one of the components of Wildfire in L* 76. Radion and Particon survived, though the former was badly disfigured, and both joined the Uncanny Amazers after. Insect Queen was an Amazer from the start.

Ibby, as with Harbi's thread, I promise I'll catch up on this thread after the holidays.

Thanks, Fanfie! I really appreciate the continued support.

IB you've brought a character to life that i never really felt very attached to during the Reboot days.

I love her interaction with Insect Queen as well. They have a sassy feel to them that i don't think we see with many of the other Legion ladies and i like that....so is there possible plans to bring Miss Lonna being the sixth Uncanny Amazer to join the Legion ranks????

Thank you, Omni, for such a nice compliment! I've been intrigued by Particon ever since the Mordru story, and thought it was a shame she didn't get an invite after performing so well in that battle.

I was surprised too by how much I enjoyed writing Insect Queen. All I can say is, she's definitely near the top of the list of non-Legionnaires who might get an invite!

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

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

MICROBE

Drura hovered above the Legion's meeting spot, heart aflutter. Of COURSE she was the earliest Legionnaire to arrive; earlier even than Blizzard, the ultimate cheerleader. And of COURSE she knew how important it was that nothing go wrong. This would be the first time this new, untested Legion team would formally spearhead a Legion month celebration in front of the entire galaxy. She was sure that for every sentient who was grateful to have an active Legion again, there was one more asking why they were celebrating a team which had not proven itself yet.

And did this team ever have to prove itself. Particon and Blizzard had both been rejected once before; Babbage was a Robotican, one of the most distrusted species in the galaxy; despite having fought him, the White Witch was the daughter of Mordru; Spider-Girl was a long-time lieutenant of McCauley, who had been impersonated by Ra's al Ghul; Magnetic Kid had made a name for himself in his own right but was still seen by some as Cosmic Boy's kid brother; some politicians had been making a big deal about Lume turning down the Legion draft once upon a time; and she was a Somahturian.

A race potentially even scarier than the Durlans or Titanians or Daxamites ever could be, or so the United Planets official report had said.

She could still hear the tremulous voice of the man who had greeted her upon her arrival on Legion World.

She sighed as she once again reined in the colonies of microbes living in her system. She had never had to worry about keeping them from exiting her system back home, but an outbreak on this closely-packed artificial satellite would be a disaster. She went through her mental checklist once more. Imskian shrinking sickness, Tenazorian jungle fever, the Guronian Flu... she had to be extremely careful of the Steeplian fungi she carried. It had adapted to become an airborne disease...

"Infectious Lass!"

Drura cursed to herself. She did not need this right now. Making a mental note to revisit the rest of her airborne microbes later, she turned to face a somber, well-groomed young man who seemed vaguely familiar.

"Ms. Drura Sehpt," he smiled, extending a hand. "Condo Arlik from Your Galaxy Direct. May I have a few moments?"

Drura calmed herself mentally as she flashed what she hoped was a sincere smile. "Of course," Drura shook Condo's hand. She noticed something odd as she did. It felt moist. She kept her face smooth as she met his eyes. "By the way, I don't call myself Infectious Lass anymore. Please call me Microbe."

"Interesting," Condo replied with mild interest. "You're the second Legionnaire to change code names. May I ask why?"

"To infect implies that I merely spread ill effects," Drura made sure to keep frustration out of her voice. She hated having to tell people over and over again, but she knew she had to fight a tide of fear and prejudice. "But if you look at my work with the UP Medical Missions, you will know that I can share beneficial microorganisms too."

"That's correct. Records show you among the current Legionnaires are the most active participant in those missions, and Dr. Gym'll has filed a petition to begin recruiting more Somahturians into the program," Condo added. He absentmindedly rubbed his fingers together as he tapped at his Omnicom, and then Drura knew. The moisture on his hands were tears.

She scrutinized his face with interest. He hid it well, but his eyes were slightly reddened. Yet for some reason he remained stoic, acting the part of the eager reporter. Why?

"... Ms. Sehpt?" Condo tilted his head in confusion.

"Oh," Drura smiled as she caught herself. Whatever it was, it was likely none of her business. "I'm sorry, I was just recalling that I have to meet the other Legionnaires in a few minutes. But I have time. Would you mind repeating that last question?"

"Certainly," Condo smiled, though it did not touch his eyes. "How do you think your Legion membership will impact Somahtur as a whole?"

Without thinking much, Drura launched into the answer she had rehearsed in her mind over and over again. She might not be sure about how Somahtur would be accepted by the UP at large, but that didn't mean she wouldn't do her best to help her people find their place. Just like Chameleon did with Durla. "I think I am giving the United Planets a chance to see how Somahturians can contribute to the galaxy..."

Love your work IB, especially as I'm not really all that sure about any of them apart from Drura. Particon and Insect Queen 's conversation was very telling. particon knowledge of Lornas more up beat personality and how she appreciated it was very sweet. Drura being keen to ensure that the wider galaxy understand that there's more to her than just making people sick was great too, you've given her character more depth in that one snippet than any other writer has that I've read, bravo! Great work IB, really splendid stuff!

More. More. More!

Thank you Harbi! I think you may have picked up the things I was hinting at in the Particon/Insect Queen piece I just thought of it the other day, I had planned the segment for a while but that bit was new.

And your compliment on my Drura piece is just stunning, thank you so much! I'm glad it worked instead of turning into a cliche.

Next up will be Lume, then Babbage - both very challenging to write as neither is organic! Going to have to give those some thought!

Microbe is an awesome addition to the team and I like the updated names for her and Brek. It fits with the postboot world and I really like how you handle her explanation for the name change.

i don't know how else to say it but Drura is just very likeable.

can't wait to see Lume, whose always intrigue me and wished had accepted the draft in LSH 66.

Thanks Omni, for your continued support and compliments! While Brek's name change could be explained by peer pressure or wanting to be cool, Drura didn't seem the type. I actually decided to change her code name before coming up with the reason, but luckily it fit in with where I wanted to take her.

Really glad you're liking Drura!

I'm excited to write Lume too, have a couple of things in mind though it will be.a challenge!

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

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

LUME

"You okay, Lume?"

Lume nodded as Nightwind approached it. "I am, Nightwind. I am just appreciating the illumination being provided by Legion World." There was much to appreciate; had it not been for the luminescence of the artificial planetoid, Lume might not have been a Legionnaire.

It had been years since Leviathan and Chameleon had tried to recruit it, and Lume had turned them down because of a fear of the darkness of space. The Silvans had petitioned the United Planets to release its obligation to draft a sentient, and after much wrangling the UP had agreed. Lume had been grateful then; no Silvan in living memory had ever journeyed offworld. They had no need to; each Silvan generates its own energy and is practically self-sufficient. They had little need to ally with other worlds, except for one - protection.

Lume shuddered as it remembered the old story, of how G'dath helped save the Mud'ay from extinction after a Sun-eater devoured their Sun. Burning brightly for 18 straight days, G'dath sustained the Mud'ay long enough for UP ships to relocate all of them. G'dath had only left Silvan because the UP had told the Silvans of this frightening creature who consumed energy sources. If it could absorb an entire sun, what hope would a tiny Silvan have against it?

After that incident, the Silvans had been left alone except for UP scientists who studied their biological energy production. And then the Khunds came and tried to kidnap the Silvans for use as an energy source; they had been saved only because of M'Onel's timely intervention.

The Silvans had remained content in their relative isolation after that, until Ra's al Ghul came. Many Silvans had been captured and experimented on, Lume among them. And Lume realized there were worse things to fear than the darkness of space.

Which brought it to Legion World. Space travel was tolerable now that the Thresholds allowed instantaneous travel between worlds. And Lume's world had expanded in so many ways.

Lume looked around at the nine other beings gathered around it, waiting for the signal to begin their flyby parade over Legion World. Each was there for different reasons - Impulse loved to heal, Blizzard longed for excitement, Magnetic Kid wanted to honor his brother - but they shared the common trait of altruism. And sentients from all over the galaxies had gathered on Legion World in celebration of their purpose.

Unity, hope, and justice. There was more to life than sustaining oneself through nuclear fusion.

"Okay, team," Nightwind's normally calm voice was a little breathless as she checked her chronometer. "Almost time. Get ready to give the good folks below a great show!"

"Yeah!" Blizzard's exuberance was infectious; even the normally cool Spider-Girl and the usually serious White Witch laughed and cheered. The Robotican Babbage likewise extended its fist in a gesture of approval.

"Before we begin, fellow Legionnaires," Lume smiled as it turned towards them, "I would like to express my sincere thanks. I am forever grateful to be part of your ranks. I..."

Lume's next words were drowned out as a massive blast rocked the team, and Lume felt a pang of terror as darkness took it.

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

1) G'dath was mentioned in Legion Secret Files 2. One of the monuments on Shanghalla is dedicated to it.
2) The Khund incident occurred in Legionnaires 56

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

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

MAGNETIC KID

Pol Krinn couldn't wrap his head around what was happening. One moment, he and his teammates were waiting to fly around Legion World to celebrate the Legion of Super-Heroes with thousands of sentients; the next there was chaos as half of his companions disappeared in an explosion, which had thrown him back a good few meters.

"What's going on?!" Blizzard gasped beside him as a warp opened, pulling Lume inside. Pol didn't answer; the explosion had singed his arm and though his transuit had started repairing itself, it still hurt. And he could not stop shaking the thought that he might die on his very first Legion Day celebration as an active Legionnaire.

"We are under attack," Babbage replied as it emerged from the explosion, supporting a gasping Spider-Girl. To Pol's relief, Nightwind followed, dragging a confused White Witch by the arm. Oh grife, their leader was here. Everything would be fine. "Fall back and regroup, team!" Nightwind commanded as she looked around. "I only see nine, who's missing?"

"Make that eight," a blue-skinned woman with large green eyes and lizard-like features chuckled as she appeared seemingly out of nowhere and grabbed Microbe's shoulders, turning the Legionnaire forcibly towards her. Microbe raised her hands in defense, then fell silent as she turned to stone.

"That's Stheno! Everyone turn away!" Nightwind shouted as she tried to blow the woman away. Stheno staggered back, then fought determinedly towards the Legionnaires. "Babbage, be my eyes, I can't look at her directly! Nass, not enough air coming from Legion World..."

"I will subdue her," Babbage replied as it charged at Stheno, knocking her out. It gingerly grabbed the stone form of Microbe. "She should be fine, Stheno's petrification wears off after about an hour. What do we do now?"

"You will die." Pol's blood chilled as the White Witch suddenly blasted Nightwind back, then turned towards the rest of them. A bald man with a Saturn tattoo on his scalp smiled wickedly as he placed a hand on Mysa's shoulder. "Titanor will make your deaths swift." Pol's mind raced desperately to think of something. There was precious little magnetic material on Mysa's costume, and he could not sense much on this Titanor as well. If he made a wrong move... Mysa slowly raised her glowing hands, eyes blank.

"Don't do it, Mysa..." Pol found himself yelling.

"She won't," Particon spoke calmly as she blasted Mysa from behind. As Titanor turned in surprise, Impulse slammed into him with both fists. "Whoo, nice work, team!" Blizzard cheered as he encased both Titanor and Stheno in ice. "Score one for the good guys!"

"I wish I could be that happy, Brek," Particon said somberly as she cradled an unconscious Mysa. "I hated to do that."

"But it had to be done," Impulse replied kindly as he tended to Nightwind. "I'm sure you tempered the intensity of your blast."

"I... I think we should go back to Legion World," Pol stammered.

"I gotta agree," Spider-Girl rubbed her temple. "We're in no condition for a parade now."

"No, Lume is still missing," Babbage noted. "Neither Titanor nor Stheno had the powers to do that. That warp must have been created by the former Workforce member called Abyss. He must be here somewhere. He would also not have been able to cause the explosion that stunned us. There may be other villains here."

"So smart of you, ro-butt," sneered a young woman in a yellow top and large, round red earrings. "Cherry Bomb was the one who created that blast." Beside her floated a man in a grey-and-white bodysuit; he raised his clenched fist to show off a glowing ring. With a wave, a warp opened behind him and Lume fell through. "So... so cold and dark..." Lume whimpered as it huddled, arms over its head. Behind them approached a few more villains Pol failed to recognize; a purple-skinned woman in a green costume, a dark-skinned husky woman with an orange outfit; a large and muscular yellow-finned alien; and an anthropomorphic cat. And there was one he did recognize, by the glowing axe that he held. Pol held his breath.

"Abyss, Pollen, Density, Holdur and Bandarkat," Babbage recited. Pol paid him no heed; the Persuader was bad news. Even without the stories Rokk had told him, he knew how vicious the man was. The way he brandished his axe was a clear indication. His first instinct was to flee.

But he looked around at his teammates. Four were definitely out of the fight for now, and the others looked shaky themselves. He swallowed as he started at the assembled villains, who were slowly floating towards them.

He wanted to flee. He didn't want to die. But he didn't want his teammates to die, either. As he watched his teammate's faces, full of fear and determination, he decided.

"In 5 counts, I want you all to fly as fast as you can towards Legion World," he thought out over their telepathic earplugs. He hoped everyone was wearing theirs.

"What...?" a puzzled Impulse asked. Beside him, Particon tightened her grip on Mysa's shoulder.

"Just make sure to grab Lume too," Pol thought again. Then he began focusing his magnetic powers on the cruiser they had brought with them.

"Babbage, you're the fastest. You should take Lume," Particon thought back. At least she had understood.

"The Braalian's twitching!" Bandarkat growled as he began to move faster. The Persuader raised his Axe, and Abyss raised his fist.

Pol swallowed, then used his powers to slam the cruiser right into the approaching villains. Before waiting to see if any were hit straight on, he dove after his fleeing teammates towards Legion World.

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

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

BABBAGE

Checking to make sure the stone form of Microbe was secure in its arm, Babbage turned itself backwards and propelled itself towards Lume. The Persuader and Holdur both saw its approach, but before they could react, Babbage had fired a dozen laser beams at them. It disliked using violence; Babbage had spent most of its Legion career volunteering for humanitarian work in a bid to show the United Planets that Roboticans could be trusted, now that they were free of COMPUTO's slavery. Yet sometimes, violence was necessary.

As the two villains were pushed back, Babbage yanked Lume out of the way just as Magnetic Kid sent their cruiser smashing into the assembled villains.

Tucking both teammates in securely under its arms, Babbage used its thrusters to propel itself towards its fleeing teammates. "That was an effective tactic, Magnetic Kid."

A dazed Pol Krinn looked at him and smiled weakly. "Thanks."

"Babbage, can you tell Chuck about our situation?" Particon asked as the White Witch moaned weakly in her arms. "I'm sure he has an idea, but best to give him an update."

"And please ask him to have the med-teams ready." Impulse's tone was somber as he checked on Nightwind. "I'd like to examine Berta and Lume."

Babbage nodded as it patched through to Chuck. "Babbage!" Chuck's voice was frantic as it made contact. "I've been trying to reach you! There's been some weird static!"

"Odd," Babbage opined. "None of the villains we encountered have that power."

"But then, most of those villains have never worked together, right?" Blizzard observed. He shrugged his shoulders as his teammates turned to look at him. "So I read the old Legion case files a lot."

"Could be a villain, could be tech, let's figure out what later," Spider-Girl cut in. "What is it, Chuck?"

"We have a transmission from Chief Adept Erqol of the Titanet. Routing to your flight rings."

"And I will patch in using my link to the Mission Monitor Board." Babbage initiated the two-way link it had forged with the monitor room; its visage appeared in one of the monitors. It could see a concerned Chuck Taine, Shvaughn Erin, Insect Queen, a shaky Dyrk Magz and Legion Cadets Mentalla and Retro, all intently staring at the monitor screen. It must have been Mentalla and Retro's shift; the Cadets now rotated on monitor duty as part of their Legionnaire training.

"Connection established, Chief Adept," Chuck spoke. "The Legionnaires are listening."

"There is no time to waste," the Chief Adept said breathlessly. "One of our Naltorian cadets had a dream. The attack on the Legionnaires was just a distraction for an invasion of Legion World! You must evacuate immediately!"

A murmur went up among those hearing the message. "Who else knows about this, Chief Adept?" Shvaughn Erin asked. "Besides those with me, none. We have been trying to transmit a message, but something has been blocking communications from Titan, whether technological or telepathic. We had to fly out of Titan's atmosphere, and have only now been able to reestablish a link."

"That may be also why Chuck has been having trouble reaching us," Spider-Girl mused. "And it corroborates the vision; why else would someone want to keep the Titanet from being able to warn us?"

"Then we have to act fast," Chuck breathed, sounding determined. "Chief Adept, if you can, please transmit as many details of the vision as you can. Stand by, Legionnaires. I'm taking the Bouncing Boy to pick you up. Retro, I want you to coordinate the cadets. Help organize the evacuation until we can return. Tell the cadets to help out until the Legionnaires return and take over. Mentalla, you're with me. I dislike putting you in danger but I'll need another pair of hands as backup. "

"It is my pleasure," Mentalla smiled determinedly as she stood up. Beside her, Retro looked on in what Babbage surmised was a mix of jealousy that he was not chosen, and relief that he would be out of relative danger. Mentalla was one of their most promising cadets, and had been one of the few to earn Reserve Legionnaire status. And on a retrieval mission, her telepathy and ability to control the bodies of others would be more useful than Retro's ability to rewind a subject's personal timeline.

"I'm going too," Insect Queen stepped forward. "Just in case there are more villains out there."

"As am I." Shvaughn was tapping furiously on her Omnicom. "I've already alerted Gigi Cusimano to coordinate with Retro and begin evac procedures. She's sent a team to safeguard President Wazzo and RJ Brande. They're going to move the UP dignitaries out stat."

"And me," Dyrk Magz spoke as he cocked his Science Police blaster. "I just woke up and I don't know if I'll get my powers back, but I still have my Legion AND Science Police training. I can help."

"No arguments there," Chuck smiled as he clapped Dyrk on the shoulder. "You've proven yourself many times over."

"Then let's go," Shvaughn started towards the door.

"I will keep in contact via the flight ring array," Babbage noted. "Chuck, Dyrk and Shvaughn are all honorary members and have their own flight rings. As a reservist, Mentalla has one as well." Babbage shifted the majority of its focus to its teammates, though kept a portion of its mental circuits tuned in to the MMB. Retro, unlike Mentalla, had not yet been granted Reserve status and would need watching.

"Come on," Particon urged as Mysa began to stir. "Let's keep moving so we can meet them half way. We have thousands of lives on our hands."

The team looked somber as they flew towards Legion World. Babbage did not need to share the emotions of his organic teammates to understand that they were both worried that they might not be capable enough to save Legion World... and determined that they would do their best to succeed.

The action is heating up!

I can't wait to see who this master villain is.

I love the villain's you've brought into try and distract the Legion.
Sthenois a character i always wanted to see comeback and take on the Legion. (i also just love nods to Greek mythology. lol)

The Persuader!

Lume's was really insightful.

Pol is such a legacy character and in such a good way, he embodies Cos in so many ways but still his own person. its clear how much he looks up to him. i sure hope he doesn't die.

Love Dryk's spirit.

i honestly love Babbage action and the forward momentum of the scene. but i hope you don't mind me saying i had hopped to see more of Babbage's inner mind. even though he's not organic i bet you could do wonders with his observations.

great work again IB and i just want more!!

Hi Omni, thanks for the support and insightful commentary as always! I'm hoping the big bad will be worth it.

Glad you liked Lume's segment, it was challenging to think of what an energy being's life would be like.

Also glad you liked Pol's segment, how he is similar to Cos yet still different. I'll do my best not to kill anyone

Thanks for commenting on Babbage, yes I agree I would like to explore its thoughts more. Same for Impulse/Kent, I think I could do some more work exploring his motivations.

Thanks again Omni! I'll be reading your own work soon!

I am glad I got a chance to catch up on my reading! Seeing this team in action so far has been great, I like how you capture their inexperience...can't wait to see how the rest of this pans out!

Thanks raz! Contrasting this new, inexperienced team with the "lost" Legionnaires has been fun. I love both groups equally. Glad you're enjoying and thanks for the support as always!

I have to thank Omni for some great tips om writing Babbage. I will try it out in a post soon!