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

Hey IB, you continue to excel, this is tremendous fun!

I can't remeber Lume at all so it's great to read your interpretation of it, certainly it's motivation sounds credible and the backstory was well done. Looking forward to reading more about this character - you've got me interested!

Pol always struck me as a second stringer, guess growing up in Rokk's shadow would have that affect. Nice to see him grow up a bit and use his head, his doubts about how to act against the White Witch was well written, and his tossing the cruiser against the villains was the perfect way to make up for his earlier hesitations. Looking forward to watching him grow as you delve more into his character.

Babbage, ah there's a cool looking robot that needed some proper screen time! Well done for taking him on, you've made him very proactive and logical which makes perfect sense for a robotic Legionnaire. Really enjoyed reading him take such a strong role.

I love how you are building up the action and mystery, you've got me on the edge of my seat IB!

More, more, more!

That's so nice of you to say, Harbi! Thanks as always for your kind feedback and support!

Lume only appeared in LSH 66 and Legionnaires 56, and it always interested me how a species of light energy beings would think.

Pol also struck me as a second stringer for a long time, especially with both Cosmic Boy and Magno as available Braalians for the team. He's a hero in his own right but certainly a very different personality from Cos, and I'm glad I was able to show that.

Thanks for the comment on Babbage taking the lead! My main struggle now is writing him to be different from both Brainiac 5 and Gear!

Glad you're enjoying the ride Harbi, I really hope I'll get a chance to write soon and continue the action - I have the next dozen posts plotted but it's getting to sit down and write that's tough Thanks again for the encouragement!

Up next - insights into the remaining new Legionnaires, and the return of a familiar face!

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

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

INSECT QUEEN

Legion World grew smaller in the distance as the Bouncing Boy zipped forward on its rescue mission, but Insect Queen did not spare a glance at the view. Nor did she marvel at the blue-and-white bouncing ship she was riding in. She was focused on her Omnicom screen as her fingers briskly searched for an insect form that would be useful in space. But her mind was distracted even as she poured through the few options that came up. Her thoughts kept flashing to her good friend Particon, out there in space with her injured teammates, and grife knows how many more villains right behind them.

"I recommend the Aarokian Sphinx Moth. Aarokian colonizers bred them from Earth specimens to ensure their wings can vibrate even in thinner atmospheres, like the artificial one surrounding Legion World." Lonna nearly jumped as Babbage's voice came over the flight ring array. The Robotican Legionnaire's voice was uncannily emotive.

"Oh... thank you, Babbage. How did you know I was searching for a useful form?"

"I apologize, Insect Queen. I was not spying on you." Lonna noted with amusement that Babbage's voice dropped in timbre at just the right moments to convey sincerity. "It was the logical deduction after I observed you searching through your Omnicom, especially after I had already uploaded datalinks on the villains we faced earlier."

"Yes... how logical." Lonna shook her head as she pondered that no robot she had ever encountered on Xanthu could be this in tune with humanoid thought.

"Forgive me, but I sense a trepidation in you. I apologize if it seems intrusive of me, but I have allowed my systems to link with the Bouncing Boy. They also automatically measure the biological readings of all my allies. Are you concerned about the villains?"

Lonna's heart caught in her throat. She was actually most concerned about Particon - but she did not want to admit that her concern was so deep as to cause Babbage's readings to go off the scale. As logical as Babbage might be, it probably did not understand that she was not ready to let Particon know. "I... this is just new to me. I am in a bouncing ship with a handful of Legion allies, three of them non-powered, off to rescue the Legionnaires, many of whom are unconscious. A dozen villains are out there, and I just heard a prophetic warning about an attack on Legion World. It's a bit beyond me... though I suppose I should be more used to it after the Robotican attack on Xanthu." Lonna sighed to herself as her pulse continued to quicken. She hated feeling out of control and... her eyes widened as she realized what she had said.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Babbage! I know you Roboticans were actually being controlled by COMPUTO then...! And you helped us rehabilitate Xanthu, too!"

"No, please do not apologize. Although it was not of our own free will, we do acknowledge the actions we have taken," Babbage's voice changed once more, and it made Lana think of how her mother used to speak when Lana had torn her dress as a child. Not quite humanoid, but very close. "In fact, I should be the one to apologize to you. Even though it was not of our own volition, our actions were indeed terrible."

"Apology accepted, and thank you for accepting mine as well," Lonna smiled. And though she would not say, she was grateful for how this little conversation had taken her mind of her worries a bit. She practiced turning into the Aarokian Sphinx Moth just to be sure; concentrating on the data feed in her Omnicom, she felt her lower body morph slowly into an exact replica.

"I'm glad you're ready." Lonna snapped to attention as Shvaughn Erin stood up from her seat. "Let's gather at the airlock. We need to be ready to help the Legionnaires board. Four of them are still down."

Lonna nodded, as did Mentalla, who was calmly sitting in front of her. Lonna eyed the cadet with interest. She was calm and confident, but Lonna could tell she was itching to prove herself.

"Uh oh. Better be more ready," Dyrk Magz's voice normally friendly voice was clipped as he called out from his seat beside Chuck Taine. "Sensors indicate at least twelve bodies pursing the Legionnaires. Only nine villains attacked them initially." The rescue team looked at each other in stunned silence. Lonna knew they were all thinking the same thing - whoever planned this attack could have recruited dozens of villains to their side.

"Then there's no time to waste," Lonna resisted the urge to test her transuit again as she walked to the airlock. "Let's start bringing them in."

"We're just about close enough," Chuck replied grimly. "Go. And remember, we can't Threshold out of here. Comms are scrambled and the Thresholds are busy funneling civilians out of Legion World."

Lonna barely heard him as she launched herself from the airlock, with Dyrk, Shvaughn, and Mentalla following right behind her. She ignored the urge to head straight for Particon, though she did wave at her friend, who smiled back. Lonna quickly coasted to a hover beside Babbage's robotic form as she shifted to a Winathian Orb Spider. Wrapping Microbe's stone form snugly, she headed back to the ship as Shvaughn Erin arrived to scoop up Lume from Babbage's other arm.

As she flew back to the Bouncing Boy, Particon angled around to accompany her. "Thanks for the save, Lonna. Just don't tell the other Amazers, okay? Especially not if that flight ring on your finger means you're switching teams."

Lonna laughed as her mind registered the gold band that surprised her with how snugly it fit. "No, I've just been deputized for the time being. So I won't tell if you won't, okay?" The two girls smiled at each other as they neared the blue-and-white ship. "Now, let's get back into more hospitable surroundings."

"Not so fast, you Philistines." Lonna gasped as the airlock door slammed shut on its own. A small, bald man with one of the most evil grins she had ever seen appeared above the Bouncing Boy with several round automatons. "Brainstorm, a powerful telekinetic," Particon whispered.

"Don't listen to him, team! I..." Chuck's voice was cut off as dents appeared on the Bouncing Boy's hull. "Surrender, or your poor Mr. Taine will be trapped inside an increasingly dense rubber ball," Brainstorm smiled with satisfaction. "I promise, we won't kill you if you do come peacefully."

"That is not an option." Mentalla's eyes glowed a light green as she focused her power on Brainstorm, whose own eyes began glowing white. "You are the one who will stand down."

"Hnnnk!" Brainstorm struggled to flail his hands. "Titanian mind-witch! Saturn Girl was able to stop me, but you shall... not... succeed!"

"I believe I will," Mentalla replied coolly as Brainstorm's arms began to raise jerkily. "My talents may not be as strong as Saturn Girl's were in some areas, but few can match my ability to control motor functions." The Bouncing Boy's door slid open quickly as Brainstorm's telekinetic shield vanished. The next instant, his body flung itself onto the Bouncing Boy's hull; it bounced once and then lay still.

"Good work, Mentalla," Blizzard smiled as he encased Brainstorm in ice. "Keep watch in case he wakes up. I think you're our best weapon against him."

"Which is why I'm taking you down!" Mentalla gasped as a blur of green flashed under her chin, knocking her backwards. The unconscious form of the White Witch flew from her arms as she did. "Score one for Micro!" The red-headed Imskite who appeared laughed gleefully.

"Nasshead!" Magnetic Kid trained his powers on Micro, trying to snag any magnetic metals on the Imskite. But before he could, a purple rope gripped hold of his arm. "Sorry, kid." Twine didn't sound the least bit sorry as she yanked Magnetic Kid towards her using her energy-absorbing lash. "Can't have you messing up Repulse's aim now."

"I don't need your help, Twine," the Braalian known as Repulse snarled as he magnetically threw metal darts at Lonna and Particon. "Behind me!" Particon yelled as her power-lance manifested; she handily deflected each projectile. Lonna took the opportunity to snag Mentalla and the White Witch with her webs; with a sigh of relief she saw that Mentalla was already recovering. "Thanks for the cover, Jen. Keep it up while I get these three to safety."

"Gladly," Particon sounded grim as she fired a few shots of pink energy at Repulse, who manipulated his metal armor into a shield. Though each shot scorched the shield, they only served to throw Repulse back slightly. "Not bad, but not good enough," he smirked as he flew closer, forming spikes on his metal glove. "Let's see how you do in close combat."

"Quit messing around, Repulse, and remove their flight rings already!" Twine hissed as her lash wrapped around Particon's right arm. "Jen!" Lonna turned from depositing her allies into the Bouncing Boy's airlock to see Particon's power lance winked out. "Mmm, I can feel this one. Very rich in energy."

"Fine, boss," Repulse's voice dripped heavily with sarcasm as he raised his other arm. "Hey, wait, they're not magnetic! Hey... OWWW!" Repulse moaned in pain as a piece of debris slammed into his mouth, courtesy of Spider-Girl's long red hair. Before he could react, another slammed into his forehead, knocking him out. "I'm glad you didn't cover your entire body in armor, you nasshead," Sussa breathed. "And who knew the Legion would be smart enough to make all flight rings non-magnetic?"

"Your allies are down, Twine." Shvaughn said as she and Dyrk trained their blasters on Twine even as their other arms held onto Lume and Nightwind. "Drop them."

"I don't think so," Twine said as she held a weakened Pol in her other hand. "I can snap this urchin's neck with one hand, while extended exposure to my lash can cause Particon's brain functions to cease. And Micro is still out there."

"We still outnumber you," Dyrk said icily as his finger twitched. "And your hand might not be faster than our... UGH!" He and Shvaughn both lurched forward as Micro grew to normal size behind them, giving both a powerful kick. "You never know where I might pop up!" he laughed.

"Like a lot of viruses I know," Lonna growled as she fired her stingers at the Imskite. He gasped in surprise as he tried to shrink away, but fainted when he was about three feet tall. "Thankfully, the Tenazorian Jumping Wasp's venom works very quickly indeed."

"Bad move, Amazer," Twine snarled as she shifted her weight to grip Magnetic Kid's neck. "Unlike Particon, this one is disposable."

"Nobody is," Impulse said calmly as he gripped Twine's wrist, breaking her grip on Pol. His other arm quickly slammed into her head. As her body floated in space, Impulse quickly grabbed Pol and started flying towards the ship. "Let's not bother with prisoners now. We have too many injured to worry about."

"I commend your concern about your comrades, but I disagree," Babbage replied as it assisted a dazed Shvaughn and Dyrk. "We could interrogate one of them on the attack. Twine might be a good candidate, as she has no powers without her lash."

"Consider it done," Lonna snagged Twine in her webs. "Someone grab her lash... Oh!" Lonna felt the recoil as something snapped her web. She looked up in horror to see the Persuader's atomic axe zipping through space to return to his outstretched arm. Behind him, another dozen villains smiled menacingly, at least half of whom had not participated in the initial attack.

"Give up, Legionnaires," the Persuader smiled as he hefted his axe. "I slice your ship in half and none of you have a prayer of escaping safely. Make this easier on yourself and give up."

Lonna looked around dazedly at her allies. Babbage was holding onto Lume and Nightwind while Spider-Girl helped a weakened Shvaughn and Dyrk; while the two Sci-cops were conscious, both were dazed. Lume was still shivering and Nightwind was still out. Impulse supported a weak Magnetic Kid while Blizzard was helping a drained Particon. With so many needing assistance, the odds were bleak indeed. But this was not her call; she was a guest here. She looked to see what the conscious Legionnaires would do. Babbage, Sussa and Brek were looking towards Kent; he was one of the older ones on the team, and Lonna guessed that the logical Babbage would respect that.

Kent spoke, his voice quavering with anger. "How do I know you won't hurt any of us if we surrender?"

"You don't," Persuader grinned. "You just have to take our word for it."

"What if we surrender AFTER you let everyone who is on Legion World now leave? And the cadets, too. You will still have ten active Legionnaires as captives."

The Persuader shook his head as he hefted his axe. "No can do, Legionnaire. We want you all, but we also want them. No, I think we'll have to make this option more attractive." He raised his axe as he turned towards the Bouncing Boy. "No ship, no rescue."

Lonna heard herself scream as she tried to catch the Persuader's arm with her webbing. She was too late; the axe zipped towards their ship even as she netted her target. A wall of ice appeared in front of it, only to be shattered as she and her allies watched helplessly. Even as the crowd of villains moved menacingly forward, Lonna couldn't force herself to look away as the razor-sharp weapon sped towards their only hope.

As she glanced towards a feebly struggling Particon, she bitterly thought to herself that so many wonderful things would end today even before they had had a chance to begin.

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

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

MENTALLA

Mentalla's head pounded she tried to understand what was happening outside the Bouncing Boy. All she knew was that the others had not returned yet. She could hear Chuck Taine feverishly radioing for help even as her mind felt his panic.

She forced her thoughts to assert themselves. I am Delya Castil of Titan. I am a telepath gifted with the ability to control the motor functions of others. Unlike others with this gift, I have pledged to use my powers for good. I am a Legion Reservist and Cadet...

It worked. She felt her mind calm itself down. She pulled herself to her feet as she looked out the porthole, and almost wished she had not. A projectile was speeding towards them, and from the wicked gleam on its blade she knew it would cut through metal and rubber as easily as it would rend flesh.

"Get out of here, Mentalla!" Chuck yelled as he frantically restarted the Bouncing Boy's systems. "Brainstorm shut us down, I don't know if I can get us started in time!"

"No!" Mentalla stammered as she tried to rouse the White Witch. "We need to save the ship or else...!"

"There's no time! One of us has to get back to Legion World..."

"But I..." Mentalla's breath caught in her throat. Was this what it was like to be a hero? To have to choose between two normally unacceptable alternatives? She began frantically opening the airlock even as she watched the Atomic Axe speed nearer and nearer. Oh grife, would she even make it? The Axe was coming closer and closer, its blade shining like Death's Sickle....

...and then she blinked, and the blade was gone. "What...?" she gasped. And then she saw it.

"Mr. Taine, look!" she pointed as Chuck hurried over. "What's happening? What... Oh!"

Mentalla did not need her telepathy to feel Chuck's joy. In front of the Bouncing Boy hovered a red-clad blonde woman with a headband. "I can't believe it!" Chuck cheered. "THUNDER!"

Thunder quickly snapped the Axe's handle and tossed the blade far in the opposite direction. Then she grabbed the frozen Brainstorm and threw him towards the Persuader, before diving towards the assembled villains. "Thunder to Legionnaires! Start moving towards the Bouncing Boy! We have to get out of here!"

"You heard her!" Impulse yelled as he kicked a snarling Bandarkat. "Take the wounded and get to the ship!"

"You witch!" screamed the Persuader as he watched his Axe fly far. "I'm going to... UNF!" Mentalla watched in awe as Thunder slammed into the group of villains. The experienced Legionnaire quickly darted from one to another, not engaging any one opponent for more than a few seconds. She was not defeating each one she punched, but she was definitely keeping them occupied.

"Ohhh... what is happening?" Mentalla looked down in surprise to see the White Witch stirring. She bent down to help Mysa up even as she kept her eyes on Thunder, studying her impressive battle tactics. "It is okay, White Witch. We are being rescued."

"And not too soon, too," Chuck said as he opened the airlock wide. "I'm beginning to worry. We've been out here too long." Mentalla heard him counting as the Legionnaires began arriving. "Here, place Lume beside the engine, this should help him recover..."

"I don't believe this," Blizzard stood beside Mentalla even as he supported Nightwind, who had began to moan. "Another Pre-Vanishing Legionnaire! Oh my grife!"

"I hope you reacted that way when you first saw me arrive on Legion World," Dyrk Magz joked as he supported himself against a seat. As Blizzard began to stammer, he held up a hand. "I'm just joking. Let's just make sure we're all here."

"We are," Chuck replied as he held his flight ring to his mouth. "You did it, Thunder! Everyone's here. Come on in and let's go!"

"Gladly," Thunder replied as she lifted a rock-skinned Density and slammed her into Abyss. "Start the engines, I'll be there in a few!"

Mentalla and Spider-Girl rushed to make sure that all the recovering were strapped into their seats while Blizzard and Impulse tended to Nightwind. "She was definitely hit hard," Impulse murmured as he checked her out. "But hardly lethal. They really do want us alive. Blizzard, help me shock her awake." Blizzard nodded as he sent a small wave of cold air into Nightwind, who opened her eyes with a jolt. "Oh! Kent! Brek! Is everyone okay?!" she gasped as she sat upright.

"Indeed," Babbage replied as it helped Nightwind stand up. "With Microbe's petrification beginning to wear off, everyone is now conscious. However, we are not yet battle-ready."

"That's fine," Thunder spoke as she emerged from the airlock. Mentalla turned with admiration as the pre-Vanishing Legionnaire addressed the group. "I'm sorry, but we need to get out of here. Mentalla, please link my mind to Nightwind's." Chuck gave her a thumbs-up even as the Bouncing Boy started speeding towards Legion World.

"Wait a minute," Shvaughn stood shakily as she faced Thunder. "Thunder vanished years ago and never returned from the future, despite her promise to do so. You have her powers and a working flight ring, but how do we know you are you? And how do you know Nightwind and Mentalla, who appeared after you disappeared?"

Thunder turned to face Shvaughn with a small smile. "I expected you to be skeptical, Captain. I know, you were only Lieutenant when I left, but hear me out. CAPTAIN MARVEL!" Mentalla gasped at the boom that appeared, though to her surprise neither the sound nor the bright light hurt her eyes. As the smoke cleared, a young girl stood before them. "Magic lightning. I can control its intensity when it hits," she said. "You never saw me in my civilian guise, but you've read the files."

"Yes, and I grant it is difficult to fake magic lightning and such a fast transformation. But I also know that Thunder would have been transported back into the future in her civilian form." Shvaughn's voice was thick with suspicion.

"Well, the Rock of Eternity was rebuilt in the future, which was how I got back here. I found the Wizard again, and he also gave me a glimpse of what happens here today," Thunder's smile slowly faded as she spoke. "It... I am sorry, but a hard decision has to be made today. And it has to be made by the Legion's leader." She turned towards Nightwind and took her hand. "I'm sorry, Nightwind."

Nightwind sighed as she rubbed her temples. "I hope I won't wish that I was unconscious again." She looked at Dyrk and Chuck as she spoke. "You also knew Thunder quite well. What do you two think?"

Dyrk shrugged as he exchanged glances with Chuck. "Shvaughn has every reason to be suspicious, I think," he said slowly. "But then again, what we saw just now IS very hard to fake. A mindlink with Thunder would be beneficial, but it could also be..."

"... a way to gain control of YOUR mind, Nightwind," Shvaughn finished.

"Okay, then I'll decide after Mentalla updates me," Nightwind said. "Delya, if you will? And update Mysa and Drura too."

Mentalla nodded, even as she mentally upbraided herself for not practicing her thought casting more. The most she could handle know was three sentient minds at once; just enough to update Nightwind, White Witch and Microbe simultaneously. Certainly nowhere close to the number of minds someone like Saturn Girl could touch. She comforted herself with the thought that she had other talents even as she linked the minds of all three with hers, updating them on the events of the past hour.

"Damn," Nightwind muttered as she got up to speed. "This IS bad, alright. I'm sorry Shvaughn, I respect your counsel and all, but I think desperate times call for desperate measures."

"Okay, then," Shvaughn's voice was icy as she pulled out her blaster. "But we will be ready to take you down if you show any signs of being mentally dominated."

"Deal," Nightwind said as she turned towards Thunder. "And Thunder, for added security, please remain powered down while our minds are linked. Mentalla, if you will?"

Mentalla's heart pounded as she turned towards Thunder's. She had read that minds touched by magic were exceedingly harder to penetrate, as she had experienced with the White Witch. Silently thanking Nightwind's foresight for asking Thunder to remain powered down, she began to initiate the link.

As she saw what Thunder knew, she almost wished she had not.

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

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

NIGHTWIND

Though she made every effort to project an outward calm, Berta's mind raced as she opened herself to Mentalla's telepathic link. As she locked eyes with the blonde telepath, Berta made sure her face remained impassive even as her emotions flooded through. Reacting quickly, Mentalla sent forth a thought - "You hide your nerves well."

"As do you," Nightwind thought back. "Thank you for your trustworthiness."

"Thank you as well," Mentalla returned. Out loud, she said, "Initiating mental link." Nightwind felt Thunder's mind with her own, and gasped as she saw what Thunder had seen.

She gasped as Mentalla ended the link. Nightwind could see that the young telepath was shaken; and Thunder herself looked unnerved after reliving the memories. "How...?"

"The wizard who granted me my power showed me this vision," Thunder replied sadly. "Now, do you see what must be done?"

"I... I..." Berta shook her head as she turned to face her teammates and their allies. All were staring at her in apprehension. "The invasion of Legion World is being commanded by a pink-skinned humanoid male clothed in armor. I could sense that he is incredibly powerful. He is also technologically adept, which is how he scrambled the Titanet and our communications." She breathed as she thought of what would come next. "He has assembled an army of super-powered beings to assist him. He intends to conquer the United Planets and all worlds in our universe; I saw vaguely that while he is interested in power, he is more interested in knowledge. He means to study, observe and catalogue sentient life in the universe."

Nightwind took a deep breath as she tried to wipe the memory of sentient beings unconsciously floating in transparent tubes. At least they would be in a dreamless sleep, she consoled herself.

It didn't work.

"Then what are we waiting for?!" Blizzard stood, icing up his hands as he did. "Let's go stop them!"

"No... we can't," Nightwind spoke, her voice breaking. "I saw Thunder's vision. They will overwhelm all who stand in their way. They aren't interested in killing, but they will capture everyone left on Legion World after they come in. They're too powerful."

A murmur broke out among those around them. "How... don't we have a chance?" Microbe flexed her arms, as if not believing she could move again. "We're so close to Legion World now." Nightwind shook her head. "You all know how well we did against the villains attacking us. We would be wiped out if we went against this much bigger force."

"Then..." Magnetic Kid gulped as he sat down. "What is our alternative?"

"I saw the enemy opening a massive Threshold. I didn't see where it leads, but Thunder's wizard told her it will lead us to help." The words made her feel simultaneously hopeful and despairing. She looked at Thunder, who nodded. "I'm sorry. The wizard only gave so much knowledge; he said I could not know every detail that would happen. But Solomon's wisdom told me that it might be the other Legionnaires. They must still be alive somewhere."

"I don't like this," Shvaughn spat as she looked out the window. "How can we trust some vision - you're not even Naltorian!"

"But I am from the future, and I assure you I am telling the truth," Thunder replied calmly, but Nightwind could pick up her emotional strain. She did not like the idea of abandoning so many people either. "But please, if you don't trust my vision, trust the wisdom of Solomon. And the wisdom of your leader." She placed a hand on Nightwind's shoulder. "You believe I am honest?"

"I could feel it. And Mentalla confirms it."

Mentalla spoke up, her voice weak. But to her credit, it did not tremble. "She believes she is telling the truth."

Babbage spoke up. "I have lost all contact with Legion World as well. I believe that this unseen enemy has managed to completely sever all communications. I did not want to alarm you earlier, but I have tried every wavelength I am able to access. Legion World is now a dead zone."

Berta looked at the faces around her, and saw doubt and confusion. "Look, if it will convince you... Mysa, do you feel strong enough to let us look into Legion World?"

Mysa nodded, and began waving her hands as she muttered an incantation. "I am commanding this spell to open in the Mission Monitor Board." In a flash of light, a warp opened in front of the group. It was much like an Omniscreen winking into view. All save Nightwind and Thunder gasped at what they saw.

Legion World staff were lying face down on the floor, hands behind their heads. Retro was groaning even as his forehead bled. Gigi Cusimano, Porcupine Pete and Dragonwing were huddled back to back, surrounded by over a dozen beings, two of whom Nightwind recognized as Credo* members. A third was the terrorist she had fought on Earth, Lantern. She averted her eyes as their three allies went down fighting.

"Are... are they...?" Dyrk asked.

"Alive, yes," the White Witch replied, her voice trembling slightly. "I can sense nobody has died yet."

"Take us to the Threshold Chamber, Mysa," Nightwind asked. The screen before them blinked and shifted.

The Legionnaires gasped once again at the scene that unfolded before them. Hundreds of staff and civilians huddled on the floor, looking in horror as Cadets and Science Police officers fell to overwhelming numbers. More emerged through an open Threshold; Nightwind could only guess where it originated from.

"Even the Amazers are there..." Insect Queen whispered as they watched Atmos get thrown into Amp and Density.

Tenzil Kem stood in front of a battered Gravity as a shadowy figure approached. "Who are you?!" Tenzil screamed as he grabbed a blaster from a fallen Science Police officer. "What do you want from us?!"

"I simply want to study you," the figure replies in a deep, booming voice. "But to do that, I will need you placed in stasis so I may undertake this at my own pace."

"We're not lab specimens. You can't do this!" Tenzil yelled as he pointed the blaster right at the figure, hands shaking.

"You go, Tenz..." Chuck muttered as he moved up beside Nightwind.

"Damn it, Chuck," Berta whispered as she watched in horror. "We have to tell him to stand down!"

"How?" Chuck shook his head as he watched his best friend. "We can't even get through to the Titanet adepts!"

"I would not do that," the shadowy figure said as he moved in front of Tenzil. "I have no wish to be cruel, but I will make an example of you if need be. My scans show you are a Bismollian with no unique powers, so it will not matter if I lose you as a specimen."

"Bite me," Tenzil said as he pulled the trigger. The blast aimed true, right between the figure's eyes.

It barely even flinched.

In one fluid motion, it grabbed Tenzil by the neck and ripped the blaster from his hand. Dangling Tenzil in front of the crowd, it began to speak in calm tones. "My dear sentients, this is what will happen to you if you fail to cooperate. If you do, I will simply place you under stasis until I am done with you. You will feel no pain at all. But if you fight me... Open a Threshold into space, Herros. Make it just outside this room." A blue-haired Kwai male complied, and Nightwind's eyes widened as she saw the warp appear on Mysa's screen... just as another opened a few klicks to the right of the Bouncing Boy.

"Oh my sprock. Is he doing what I think he's doing?" Kent breathed.

"I think he is," Nightwind snapped as she looked up. "Chuck, get us in front of that Threshold. Turn cloaking on. Thunder, power up and get ready to go out there. Mysa, can you cast a spell of protection from here?"

"Only on this side of the doorway," Mysa replied, brows tightened in determination as Thunder said her magic word.

"Let's go then," Nightwind turned to the doorway as the blue-haired Kwai appeared. The monstrous reptilian muscle called Bronto followed, carrying a struggling Tenzil.

"Oh my grife," Chuck breathed. "He's not really going to...? Oh my grife!" From their position, Nightwind could see Bronto pull his arm back. Then he tossed Tenzil into the vacuum of space with all his might. Herros and Bronto looked for a moment, then vanished back into the Threshold as it winked out.

"Go, Thunder, go! Bring a spare transuit!" Nightwind yelled as a red blur flew out the airlock. "Mysa..."

"Already cast!" Mysa breathed as her screen winked out. Before it did, Nightwind noted that their mysterious enemy had closed down all Thresholds in the chamber. She turned her attention to Tenzil; if they were helpless to retake Legion World, she would save whom she could. Careful to maintain outward calm, her breath caught as Thunder intercepted a gently glowing Tenzil and began to carry him towards the Bouncing Boy. As the airlock opened, Impulse rushed to them. "Help me get this transuit on them!"

"Oh my grife!" Chuck panted as he squeezed through the crowd to kneel beside Tenzil. "Oh my grife, I can't believe it!"

"Hey buddy..." Tenzil smiled weakly as he raised an arm. "I can't believe it either!"

"Don't do that again!" Chuck wrung his hands as he clasped Tenzil's hand. "You're our Head Chef, not a Legionnaire-in-training!"

"Heh, guess I just got inspired. Can't let... you have... all the fun..."

"Ssssh," Kent said, not unkindly. "You need to rest now."

"You heard him, team," Nightwind clapped her hands. "Let's give Tenzil some space. I think the rest of the injured should rest too. Kent, I know you must be tired, would you quickly check on everyone please?"

"Ahead of you, oh fearless leader," Kent smiled.

As the group settled down, Nightwind pulled Dyrk and Sussa aside and asked them to try and get a warning to Earth and any other UP worlds in range. They both saluted and ran to the controls. As she turned to check on her team, Shvaughn stepped forward and extended her hand. "That was great going, Nightwind," she smiled. "Just like Kid Quantum would have done. You have the makings of a great Legion leader."

"Thanks, Captain," Nightwind smiled as she took Shvaughn's hand. "And thank you for your trust."

"Call me Shvaughn. So, what's our next move? I completely agree with you that we are outmatched, by the way. I just wish we knew who managed to make it off Legion World before the bad guys invaded."

"I think we need to keep ourselves hidden and wait. From Thunder's vision, I saw us following some ships through a Threshold. But... I didn't actually see if we made it."

"Neither did I," Thunder mused as she joined the pair. "But I think we need to do our best to ensure we do make it through."

"Which is why we are staying in the immediate vicinity," Nightwind replied. "Although, if we can't reach Earth via comms maybe a few of us should go and make sure they get the message. Mysa could probably teleport some of us to Earth..."

"Um... sorry to interrupt boss, but something tells me we'll need every hand we can get on this..." Nightwind turned to follow Blizzard's outstretched finger, and gasped.

She had only seen one ship in Thunder's shared version. But below them, no less than five massive ships, each the size of a Dreadnought, were soaring below Legion World. The ships were dwarfed only by the size of the Threshold that opened up in front of them.

"That blue-haired Kwai Herros is there in the lead," Insect Queen called out as she took on the form of a Venusian Telescopic Insect. "I think this is it."

"I still don't believe this..." Blizzard muttered as he slumped back in his seat. "I can't believe it..."

"I'm sorry, everyone," Nightwind straightened her back as she tore her gaze away from the Threshold. "I'm going to have to ask you all to take a leap of faith here. I know we're not comfortable leaving behind all these sentients who have gathered for us today, but we won't do them any good if we get caught too. And if you had seen Thunder's vision, you would know how real it is. I trust it... All I ask is that you trust me, too."

Fifteen heads nodded, some more slowly than others, others still more feebly. Lume's smile in particular was wan; Nightwind guessed that being trapped in the dark must have been traumatic for a being made entirely of light. And Blizzard... Blizzard looked most lifeless of all. She would have to check up on both of them later.

"Sussa, Dyrk, any luck reaching the UP?"

"We managed to contact UP Fleet Admiral Everett and Science Police Commander Hagbard," Dyrk reported.

"Shvaughn's foresight paid off," Sussa added. "The Science Police received her alert before they tried to rescue us. Not in time to send backup to Legion World, but enough time to warn the UP High Council."

"Then we're settled then. Chuck, take us in. Mysa, help cloak us." Nightwind paused as she looked at the ships slowly entering the gaping Threshold. "And may we all find our way home."

***

IB's notes:

1) The Credo was a group formed by Singularity to hunt down and destroy all remaining Progeny, in revenge for their destruction of his homeworld. He tried to destroy Live Wire and the Legionnaires because Element Lad used to be a Legionnaire before he became the Progenitor. Live Wire stopped him by turning him into crystal. The Credo disbanded, but it's not a stretch to believe that some would remain villainous.

wow IB things have definitely moved forward. i still have no idea who this villain is...well not no clue my mind leads towards a certain ancestor of a team member.

Mentalla's interesting. very determined. i like that.

THUNDER'S back! i love it. she gives this team the right amount of muscle and experience i think they will need.

i love Shauvaung and her very logical thinking.

Tenzil is back in action too!

the conversation between Lonna and Babbage was really good. that's a conversation that i think needed to be shown but wasn't. gives it a personal touch to it.

too bad she won't be joining up just yet something tells me she just might.

So why is Pol expendable?

Hi Omni, many thanks again for your usual support and for your insightful comments!

A certain ancestor, you mean perhaps our favorite Coluan? Good guess, but no. I'm actually thinking hard on how I should treat this villain and his eventual reveal. I'm not quite as good at writing villains as I am at heroes, I think.

Glad you're liking Mentalla's determination. I always empathized with her Preboot self's desire to prove herself, and thought she would make a great addition to the Postboot universe. She is also more likable than Jancel, IMO.

Glad Thunder's return had impact, and yes, it was fun showing how much more experienced she is than the majority of these new Legionnaires.

Shvaughn's skill has often been under-appreciated, and as a Captain of the Science Police I think she can be relied upon to be a very strategic AND tactical thinker. Glad it came across well!

I was happy to include Tenzil for this ride, he has always been an important supporting cast member in the Postboot. I just needed a logical way to include him, and the scene with the bad guy gave me the perfect opportunity.

I'm very glad you liked the Lonna/Babbage scene, and I actually have to thank you for that! Your comment about delving deeper into how Babbage thinks inspired me to highlight that, and it just so happened that Insect Queen was up for a spotlight. I'm glad Lonna is coming across as a competent hero, and you're not the only one who had good things to say about her before

As for Pol, he and Tenzil were both deemed by the bad guys to be expendable because they come from worlds where everyone has the same powers. The big bad is interested in knowledge, so he will prioritize those with unique powers. I'll go back and edit the Nightwind bit to add another reference to that.

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

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

BLIZZARD

A quiet air of determination and urgency hung around the Bouncing Boy as people scurried about, ensuring that injured friends were healing and that systems were up and running. All were focused on their tasks, except for Blizzard, who stared silently out of the window at Legion World while his fingers thumbed aimlessly through piles of supplies. As the artificial planetoid grew smaller, Blizzard felt his chest tighten even more.

He had already objected, but maybe he should again. His mind had been replaying the same scenario over and over again ever since they started following the ships. Maybe if he had objected more. Or maybe if he had convinced some of the others to back him up - Pol maybe? Dyrk? Particon? What if he had...

"Brek?"

Blizzard almost jumped as Nightwind appeared in front of him. "Ah... Berta?" Sprock. Brek mentally kicked himself as he avoided eye contact. Despite all his mental rehearsal, he couldn't form the words now that he was face to face with her. Brushing back tears, he turned away and began to paw through the rations he was supposed to be organizing. "How are the others doing?"

"Well... Lume will be okay, it really hates the dark, being an energy being and all. Drura is with him now, she really likes helping people heal. Everyone else is recovering nicely, and Mysa and Chuck are cloaking the Bouncing Boy as we trail the last ship."

"Good," Brek replied as started stuffing a tube of manna paste into a sack of rations. "That's great."

"But that's not really what you wanted to ask, was it?"

Brek's eyes bulged as he shoved the tube into the sack too tightly, causing the sack to burst. Paste sprayed all over his costume. With a frustrated groan, he slammed the empty tube onto the table. "I can't believe we're just abandoning everyone, Berta!"

The corners of Nightwind's mouth twitched. "I was expecting a question, but I can see that this really means a lot to you."

"Yeah, yeah it does!" Brek turned to face Berta, hands flailing as the words came flooding out. "I thought Legionnaires were supposed to protect people! How come we're just running away while we let the bad guys take over Legion World? That's our base and those people were there to see us! And we're headed to safety while who knows what is going to happen to them!"

Berta eyed him silently, hands at her sides. Then she grabbed a tissue and handed it to him. "I acknowledge your feelings on this, Brek. Is there anything more you want to say?"

Brek took a deep breath as he accepted the tissue and started wiping himself down. Luckily, the paste was designed not to stick to clothing; it had already started forming into clumps of matter. "I... I guess there's no chance of us turning back now, is there?"

"I'm afraid not," Berta said sadly as she bent down to look Brek straight in the eye. "Oh Brek, this is hard for any of us. And for me too. I'm the Legion leader who let Legion World be invaded by an unknown enemy with overwhelming power. And it doesn't escape me that 90% of the people who were there today are only there because of Legion Day!"

Brek blinked back tears as he studied Berta's face. She was definitely distraught. "Berta... I know why we turned tail. We're outnumbered and overpowered, and Thunder's future knowledge says we need to do this. I know it, my brain knows it. But it just tears me up inside too, you know?" Berta nodded solemnly as Brek took a deep breath. He was beginning to feel a little giddy because of his outpouring of emotion.

"It's just that I've always admired the Legion so much. When I became a Cadet I thought it would be the best day of my life. When they vanished I thought my world would fall apart. And I was so proud when I finally became a full Legionnaire, and I swore I would make the original team proud even if I never got to work alongside them and I can't help but think if they were here we could have done something - not that we're worse than them, but we're just inexperienced and there are more of them and they would add so much power and maybe they would know what to do and right now I just feel so hopeless and useless and..."

He couldn't stand it anymore. Without finishing his sentence, he slumped down on the floor, head in his arms as he wept.

"Oh, Brek..." Berta knelt down beside him and placed a reassuring arm around him even as she held back her own tears. "I know, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. So, so, sorry..."

The two huddled together for a few minutes as Brek released all the negative emotions that had been building up inside. As his sobbing subsided, he turned to Berta. "Berta... I'm really sorry."

As Berta opened her mouth to speak, her flight ring beeped. "The last ship is about to enter the Threshold, Nightwind," Spider-Girl's voice called. "As you said, we're about to go in. We're keeping close because we're going in blind. You coming to the front?"

"In a minute," Berta replied. Then she turned back to Brek. "Listen, Brek, I'm really sorry for putting you through this. And I want to thank you for continuing to follow my lead. I promise you, we'll come back in full force and save all those people. Okay?"

"Okay," Brek choked out as he dabbed the last of his tears away. He still felt light-headed, but the despair in his heart was being replaced by an odd calm. "And thank you for coming to talk to me, fearless leader."

Nightwind smiled at Brek's use of their friendly nickname. Patting Brek on the leg, she stood. "I know you'll be okay, but is there anything more you want to say?"

"Just... I'm glad you're leader, Nightwind. I could never have made such a difficult decision, you know."

Nightwind laughed. "Oh Brek, maybe you could, maybe you could not. But your compassion and enthusiasm make you special. Remember that." As Brek returned her smile, she turned and headed towards the front.

Brek watched her leave, then took a deep breath. Turning back towards the supplies, he began sorting them again. Now that they had decided on their course of action, he would do everything he could to make sure they succeeded.

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

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

SHVAUGHN ERIN

Shvaughn stood with her arms crossed, calmly surveying the young men and women around her. Besides Dr. Kent Shakespeare and he century-old White Witch, all were barely out of their 20s. Less than half had had any sort of combat experience before Legion basic training. And from what she had observed, while they worked decently well as a team, they had not been forged in battle like the old Legion had.

But then, the old Legion had barely been together a few months before repelling four Daxamites during the White Triangle War. And she saw the same enthusiasm, the same hope and optimism, in these Legionnaires that she had seen in the old team. She was more than willing to bet on that.

"Is the Bouncing Boy all set?" Nightwind asked as she strode towards the front of the ship. Chuck Taine gave a thumbs-up. "All set, fearless leader."

Nightwind closed her eyes for a second, then opened them with a steely resolve that reminded Shvaughn of Kid Quantum II or Saturn Girl. "Then let's go in."

As they approached the Threshold, everyone rushed to strap themselves down. Shvaughn marveled at Chuck's foresight as she fastened her restraints; each seat was designed to allow a full range of movement of the limbs without any danger of smashing into the ship's walls. She had never been in the ship while it bounced, but from the holos she could tell that any passengers would be perfectly safe.

Besides the pilots of the craft, nobody spoke as the Bouncing Boy zipped into the Threshold and positioned itself right behind the last ship. Shvaughn involuntary tightened her grip on the edge of her seat. All of her previous Threshold trips had only lasted a few minutes at most; but she knew that if you lost your way, you could be lost forever. Everyone around her seemed to know so as well; they all sat in tight-lipped silence as Chuck Taine skillfully maneuvered the ship through the swirling colors inside the Threshold.

"So far so good," Nightwind whispered encouragingly as the colors streaked by. "Looks like they have not detected us yet." Shvaughn only nodded in assent, though she kept a hand on her blaster. Much good that would do if a ship fired on them.

And then she blinked as the colors faded, giving way to the blackness of space dotted with a myriad of tiny bright stars.

"I don't understand," Spider-Girl called from the controls. "Is that... Earth?"

Shvaughn quickly unbuckled herself and raced to join Spider-Girl. Nightwind was already there. "This doesn't make sense," Chuck breathed. "If this were Earth, there would have been no need for a Threshold..."

"This must be a different Earth. A different universe!" Nightwind's voice was barely a whisper. "Right, Thunder?"

Thunder nodded. "I understand what my dream meant now!"

The Bouncing Boy began to fill with a buzz of voices. A different universe? Could the old Legion be here? What new wonders might they see?

"Uh, guys?" Dyrk Magz's voice cut through the chatter. "I've spotted the Kwai. And he's heading right towards Earth!" Shvaughn cursed as she saw Herros' translucent wings flapping at full speed. The large ships slowly turned to follow.

"Can you get Earth on the line?" Nightwind asked. "Chuck, start taking us down and... Oh!" Her words were cut off as the Bouncing Boy shook.

"We're caught in some sort of tractor beam!" Chuck announced. "Trying to fight it..."

"I'm going out to free us," Thunder yelled. "Particon, Babbage, with me..."

"Wait," Shvaughn said as she looked out the window. "I recognize that energy." Heart pounding, she took out her Omnicom and scanned it. "Oh my grife. Oh. My. Grife." She turned around with a big smile on her face. "I think I know who has us."

Nightwind's eyes lit up in recognition and hope as a glowing green disk appeared in the middle of the Bouncing Boy and three familiar figures emerged. The group gasped as a blue and white blur raced towards Dyrk. "Icannotbelieveityouarehereyouarereallyhere! Allofyou! OhmygoshChuckTenzilShvaughnTHUNDERInsectQueenMysa..." was all they could hear as Dyrk's chair tilted backwards.

"Particon! Nightwind! Infectious Lass! Polar Boy! Your new costumes are just stunning!" gushed a melodious voice which Shvaughn had not heard in a very, very long time. "And Chuck! Tenzil! Shvaughn! Mysa! THUNDER! I can't believe I'm seeing you all again!"

"It's about time!" snapped another voice that sounded like a loud buzzing. "I hope you have a good explanation for why five large ships with the same quantum signature as our home universe are attacking this one!"

"It... it cannot be!" Lume gasped, its voice back to full strength.

"Oh, it is!" Shvaughn found herself saying as Gates, XS and a humanoid Kinetix smiled at them warmly. "We have finally found them."

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

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

TENZIL KEM

Chuck Taine looked in amusement as his best friend Tenzil's jaw dropped in awe at the sight before them. They were standing in the meeting room of this reality's Legion of Super-Heroes as an alternate version of their own Apparition barked orders. This reality's versions of Wildfire, M'Onel and Ultra Boy, plus a winged woman neither of them recognized, had already headed out to intercept the ships from their own universe. Several other Legionnaires from this reality had already gone to join them; several of their own companions were huddled together with this reality's Brainiac 5, Dreamer, Live Wire, Cosmic Boy, Saturn Girl and a brunette they didn't recognize and were briefing them on recent events. The others, like them, were staring open-mouthed at eerily similar duplicates of people they once knew. While many looked a lot like their own Legionnaires, like the other Umbra or Chameleon, others looked very different - this Star Boy had a full beard, this Invisible Kid was not Lyle Norg, and this Dirk Morgna retained his powers.

It was a lot to take in.

"I don't believe this, Chuck!" Tenzil raised his sunglasses, perching them on top of his head. "An alternate universe, an alternate Legion, and we find XS, Kinetix and Gates here! Grife, this is so beyond me!"

Chuck laughed as he placed a reassuring hand on Tenzil's shoulder. "It's a bit beyond me as well, Tenz. I guess I'm a little bit less surprised because we saw glimpses of them, back when I was trapped in limbo with the others. You know, before the red skies. But I have to admit, being IN this new reality is a big, big rush. I wonder if we're in one of the realities where we are Legionnaires?"

Tenzil's jaw dropped even more. "Us? Legionnaires? No way!"

"Now why is that so unusual? Have to admit, we look pretty good in spandex." Tenzil and Chuck turned to look in awe as older versions of themselves stepped forward with big grins on their faces. "Besides," continued the other Tenzil, "the ladies love a witty hero."

"Chuck Taine and Tenzil Kem, I presume?" the older Chuck smiled as both pairs of doppelgangers shook hands. Older Chuck turned to the brown-haired woman before him, whom Chuck noticed was absolutely gorgeous. "And this here is..."

"Luornu?" Chuck gasped in recognition. Her hair was longer, and she was a bit taller, but it definitely was her!

"That tone is very telling," Older Luornu smiled as she gave Older Chuck a kiss on the cheek. "Your Luornu will be so pleased to see that you made it!"

"We, uh, we're not actually an item," Chuck laughed nervously.

"Not YET," Tenzil stressed as he patted Chuck on the back. "Wow, I still can't believe I'm a Legionnaire here!"

"I can't believe that you aren't!" Older Tenzil grinned. "But then, there are a lot of differences between our worlds. Your Nightwind and Infectious Lass are full Legionnaires, your Spider-Girl is a good guy..."

"There are a lot of surprises for us all," Older Chuck noted as the two Brek Bannins and two Mysas exchanged greetings in the background.

"So, uh, while the others are talking about how to find the rest of our teammates, is this everyone?" Tenzil waved his arms to encompass the whole room as the older Cosmic Boy shook hands with their own Magnetic Kid, while Nightwind, Shvaughn and this reality's Apparition began drawing on a board. "I don't think I've seen your, uh, Shrinking Violet, for example."

"Oh, she's over there," Older Tenzil pointed to where a brunette with close-cropped hair was talking with a redhead. "Talking with her girlfriend, Lightning Lass."

"Um... what?" Tenzil looked on in shock as the alternate Violet and alternate Ayla kissed.

"You should have seen MY face when I found out," Older Tenzil sighed as he shook his head. "We went on a date once, you know."

"Something else else I never got to do with our Violet. Chuck here did that," Tenzil said matter-of-factly. Chuck exchanged glances with his older counterpart as Older Luornu studied both of them intently. "Well, SHE asked him out," Tenzil shrugged.

"If I may have your attention please, Legionnaires!" Flight rings all over the room buzzed as both the Older Tinya and Nightwind reached out over their respective flight ring networks. Tenzil leaned over and listened intently to Chuck's ring. "Everyone gather by the Bouncing Boy," Nightwind continued. "We will go track the other Legionnaires from our reality. Apparently, our mysterious enemy has some sort of ability to do this with his own technology, but as we don't we will have to use XS' Cosmic Treadmill to do so."

"Cosmic Treadmill? That would make a great workout machine for you," Tenzil joked as he elbowed Chuck.

"Dawnstar of this universe's Legion will help us track them," Nightwind continued. "The other Legionnaires of this reality will stay here and take on the ships. They will hold the fort until we can retrieve our other Legionnaires and come back here to back them up. And yes, we all have to go find them. Their Dreamer said so, and we all know better than to ignore Nura Nal's visions. After we stop the invaders, we can go back and retake our own universe."

Chuck and Tenzil looked at one another. "Well, I guess that's that, then," Chuck said as he shook his other self's hand.

"We should make time to catch up after," Tenzil added. "That is, assuming you don't run us out for invading your reality."

Older Tenzil laughed. "Are you kidding? Meeting another me is awesome!"

"He's a lot nicer than you, that's for sure," Older Chuck said teasingly. "Good luck, guys."

The Legionnaires from two realities saluted one another as they scurried off. Tenzil smiled as he followed Chuck. Soon, the gang would be back together again. Being here for that was almost worth being thrown into space without a transuit.

Almost.

I love the exchanges between the Chucks and The Tenzil's! very cute and gives the realistic perspective of some one who hasn't experienced alternate realities before.

Also might inspire someone to try and join... ;-)

Love it they found them! can't wait to see more.

Thanks Omni glad you liked it more to come when the Legion reunites. Lots more differences to remark upon thanks for the support!

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

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

Marla Latham

Back on Legion World, in our Legion's universe...

"It's okay, just keep calm and we will not be harmed." Marla Latham wished he believed what he was telling the crowd of frightened sentients who had come to Legion World looking forward to a wondrous celebration of the United Planet's greatest heroes. Instead, they had found fear and terror.

Unconscious Cadets, Uncanny Amazers and Science Police officers littered the ground as pockets of hostages huddled together. Some had escaped before the invaders had Thresholded in, but less than half had made it; the majority of UP officials and dignitaries had escaped as well, but a defiant RJ Brande had refused to leave before the civilians had. "By damn!" he had thundered as he started directing traffic. "I'm not a UP official anymore and I sure am not irreplaceable!"

Marla had urged him to leave; as the founder and inspiration of the Legion, RJ was more important than anyone knew. And now, here he was. Marla looked on in fear as the shadowy figure peered at RJ, scanning him with some handheld device. "I see you have some mental abilities," the figure said. "Yet you are not a Titanian. Fascinating." RJ met his stare with stony silence.

"Take him away," the shadowy figure snapped his fingers. Two figures grabbed RJ and started dragging him off.

"RJ!" Marla called.

"I would listen to your own words, Mister Latham." The enemy's voice was calm and deep. "Cooperate, and no harm will come to any of you."

"It's okay, Marla. Keep everyone calm. I will be fine," RJ called as they carried him out of the Threshold chamber.

Marla sat in stony silence as the enemy walked down the line of hostages, peering at each one in turn. Rond Vidar was first; he flinched a little as the device scanned him, but to his credit he did not look away. "Baseline human," murmured the enemy. In turn, he also passed over Dr. Gym'll and Dr. Ryk'rr. Dirk Morgna was not so lucky; Marla watched helplessly as the enemy noted his ability to see heat signatures and had him taken away. Next was Lori Morning, who stared back at the enemy with a defiance greater than most older sentients. The enemy scanned her up and down and tapped a finger on his lip. "Interesting," it said. "No evidence of a metagene, but a large amount of chronal energy... this bears further study."

"Please," Marla said, heart pounding. "She is just a little girl."

"And she will not be harmed," the enemy spoke absentmindedly. "I will just understand this glorious anomaly. We shall take this Protean creature too."

"Mr. Latham..." Lori's voice trailed off as she and Proty were taken.

Then it was Marla's own turn. The scanner moved up and down, and the enemy moved on without a word.

Breathing a sigh of relief, yet still reeling from watching so many others be taken, Marla looked around to see who else remained. On the right, he noticed that at least one reporter accompanying Hannah Wells was missing. He craned his neck to see which one.

Before he could though, a rough hand pulled him down. A yellow-skinned alien with four arms waved a finger in his face. "Ah ah. The Master is about to address us."

The shadowy figure stood in the center of the room. "Sentients. I have taken away those among you with posthuman abilities, or the potential for the same. For those of you from species with natural powers, I have only selected the best specimens. Now," the enemy made it a point to turn from one end of the room to another, "I wish to invite you all to serve as my guests while I conduct my research. You will not be harmed, but I certainly would not wish for you to seek aid and disrupt my efforts." He snapped his fingers, and his thugs moved forward to herd the crowd. "You will be very comfortable, and I assure you, your wait will not be long."

Marla's heart fell as he put an arm on the shoulder of a shivering Dr. Ryk'rr. Where in heaven's name was the Legion?

They needed heroes now, more than ever.

This is great stuff! Nightwind is really coming to the party leadership-wise and I loved Chuck & Tenzil meeting their alternate reality selves too....should be fun seeing how the different universe Legions interact

Thanks raz I see this version of Nightwind as a natural leader. And I plan to have a lot more conversations between counterparts later on Tinya/Jo, the Rokks, the Shvaughns, the Berths, Breks, Druras, Vis and Aylas should be fun!

Hi IB, you have so much going on here! I really enjoy all the character work you've put in.

I've never liked Insect Queen, at all. Lana Lang is possibly my least favourite comic book character ever so that kind of guides my views on the character - in fact I murdered her in my Dream Boy series because of that. And, even with that you write her really well - her conversation with Babbage being a stand out point to me as it showed a very human side to her. Her concern for Particon was very touching too.

Mentalla is another character I have issues with - the silver-age trope of a spurned potential Legionnaire going off to prove them wrong kind of grated me at the time - despite the great costume. And again... her all too human fear and striving for control, and her doubts at the choices before her. Well done making her a lot less whiney and a whole lot more interesting. Bringing Thunder in to save the day against the Persuader was fun too.

Nightwind is great, trying to calm herself as Mentalla enters her mind and then dealing with the problems at hand. It's as Raz said above, she's stepping up to the plate as a leader! Thats a really hard decision she made asking the team to abandon Legion World like that.

Nice scene between Brek (loving the name Blizzard btw) and Berta. Shvaughn's assessment of the situation was well written, they really are in a poor position. There fear as they crossed the threshold was well done too, it could have just as easily ended in disaster. And finding teammates like that was a very pleasant surprise, I expected them to be captured and the other team rescue them.

The reactions of the two teams wa well written, "Wow, I still can't believe I'm a Legionnaire here!" - indeed, neither can we!

Also the comments about Ayla and Vi's relationsahip were well done, as I imagine some of the boys being shocked by that revelation.

Marla Lantham tryinng to protect the prisoners was good to see. I don't know much about him other than he had something to do with Jo's induction into the group, so thanks forfleshing out his character a bit more. Though if he wants to sacrifice Lori for the common good I won't complain

Ihave no idea who the villain will be, maybe the chief Life Eradicator from Shooters run on the 3boot? Whoever it is IB, I can't wait to read more, more, more!

Harbi, thanks for the usual support and the comments, your thoughts are always so insightful and it's very encouraging indeed!

I'm glad you're liking my "new" Legionnaires. Both Mentalla and Insect Queen were indeed quite irksome in the Preboot, and I'm glad you like my updated Mentalla and my take on the Postboot Insect Queen. Mentalla is the first of my featured characters to never actually have debuted in the Postboot era so I'm especially invested in her. And high praise indeed to see that you find this Insect Queen interesting!

Glad you find Nightwind's leadership credible! I'm just taking off from her appearance in Gail Simone's arc. This won't be the last hard decision she has to make.

Glad Blizzard's and Shvaughn's moments went well too. I confess I was so excited to get the gang back together that I had Kinetix, XS and Gates encounter the Bouncing Boy right away. And very glad the meeting between teams of two universes seemed realistic!

Marla was supposed to be the Legion's adult advisor, but frankly I don't think he played that role well in the Preboot. He did a better job of it Postboot (mostly because he appeared more!). Glad you found his piece illuminating.

Lori has been quite a brat, hasn't she? I still blame her for keeping half the team stranded in the past far longer than they should have, and causing them to miss the Mordru battle! I'll try to make her a little less insufferable.

Oh the chief Life Eradicator! Good guess, but still no. Now comes the hard part, I'm still thinking of the best way to reveal who the big bad is!

Thanks again for your comments and support, Harbi

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

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

"Oh my gosh, I really really really cannot believe you're here!" XS' exuberant voice filled the Bouncing Boy as she sat down beside Dyrk Magz. The baby-faced blonde smiled back at her, gray eyes full of joy at seeing his old friend - and one-time potential lover - welcome him with such enthusiasm. "I can't believe you're here too," he said as he held her hand. "I never thought I'd see you again. And I find it amazing that you helped restore our universe. Besides the weird shift in reality when the cosmic hands pulled you all in, we never felt a thing."

XS laughed her usual mirthful, melodious laugh. This laugh had made Dyrk's heart skip a beat many times before. "This reality's Brainiac 5 deduced that after reforming our universe, nobody would remember feeling anything different. I'm just glad nobody did, really. Think of all the trauma they would have gone through."

"That's real thoughtful of you, Jenni." Dyrk's smile lit up his face again, and Jenni had to resist the urge to hug him then and there. He was so appreciative, and in a way that Cosmic Boy or M'Onel were not - while both viewed XS as more of a slightly younger sister, XS could definitely notice the romantic undertones in Dyrk's voice. Her heart pounded a bit as she studied his smiling face and felt his warm hand. She didn't want to waste any more time; she had lost her home universe once. She licked her lips, and leaned in. "Dyrk, I... I..."

"Look alive, Legionnaires! We're almost there!" Chuck Taine's gleeful voice interrupted. Jenni cursed mentally as she sat back in her seat, while Dyrk leaned back, his cheeks blushing. Behind Dyrk, Kinetix winked at XS, who stuck her tongue out at her friend. Of all the good timing... Jenni groused mentally. Oh well... at least we will have the gang back together.

Dawnstar, the only being in the ship not from their native universe, flapped her wings as she peered straight ahead. "I can sense them. It is time to break the barrier."

Dyrk smiled at Jenni, and she returned the smile as she stood up. She stuckher tongue out again at a grinning Zoe, and headed to the cosmic treadmill they had connected to the ship, her frustration giving way to excitement. "Finally. I can't wait to see them all again."

Nice! That was sweet IB, Jenni's crush on Dyrk and his reaction to her was nicely written. The interruption is classic comic fare as they two build up the nerve to be open with each other. Doe noticing was cute too. Now you have the team away to be reintroduced and I can't wait... More, more, more!

Thanks as ever for the speedy and thorough review, Harbi! Jenni and Dyrk always seemed like such a natural couple, but sadly this was not explored beyond the late Postboot-era just before DNA took over. Given the long time in between, I thought it best they start from a feeling-out position first.

Zoe has always been perceptive, especially when it comes to teammate's crushes! And she has often teased poor Jenni

This part was originally supposed to be longer, but it was late and I got sleepy. At least, the team is poised to reunite... and what a reunion it will be!

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

Time to catch our breaths a bit!

And it sounds like a good time to enumerate our cast of characters:

1) On the Bouncing Boy, en route to the "Lost" Legionnaires:

Active Legionnaires

Babbage, I-45ENG/Nth Series of Robotica; combat mechanoid
Blizzard, Brek Bannin of Tharr; cold projection
Gates, Ti'julk Mr'asz of Vyrga; opens teleportation disks
Impulse, Kent Shakespeare of Earth; enhanced speed, strength, durability and recuperative abilities, medical doctor
Kinetix, Zoe Saugin of Aleph; advanced telekinesis and animation of objects
Lume, of Silvan; energy being made of light
Magnetic Kid, Pol Krinn of Braal; magnetokinesis
Microbe, Drura Sehpt of Somahtur; generate and control harmful and beneficial microorganisms
Nightwind, Berta Skye Harris of Earth; wind and air manipulation
Particon, Jennifer Sanchez of Earth; "hard light" energy casting and manipulation
Spider-Girl, Sussa Paka of Luna; prehensile hair
Thunder, Cece Beck of 90th century Binderaan; SHAZAM-empowered human with enhanced strength, speed, durability, stamina, wisdom and flight powers
White Witch, Mysa of Zarrox; sorcery
XS, Jenni Ognats of Aarok; super-speed

Allies

Chuck Taine of Earth (Honorary Legionnaire). Skilled architect and mechanic, pilot of the Bouncing Boy
Dyrk Magz of Braal (Honorary Legionnaire). Science Police officer and former Legionnaire, currently depowered though it remains to be seen if his recent operation will restore his powers.
Shvaughn Erin of Earth (Honorary Legionnaire). Science police captain and Legion Liaison Officer.
Tenzil Kem of Bismoll (Honorary Legionnaire). Consume and digest all forms of matter. Skilled chef and Legion support staff member.
Mentalla, Delya Castil of Titan. (Reserve Legionnaire and Cadet). Telepathic control of others' physical functions.
Insect Queen, Lonna Leing of Xanthu. (Uncanny Amazer and Legion ally). Ability to morph her abdomen into various insect forms, gaining the powers of the forms she takes.
Dawnstar of Starhaven (Member of the other universe Legion). Tracking abilities, flight, super speed and enhanced durability.

2) On Planet "Eden": The original "Lost" Legionnaires:

Andromeda, Laurel Gand of Daxam; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers
Apparition, Tinya Wazzo of Bgztl; intangibility
Brainiac 5, Querl Dox of Colu; 12th level intelligence and force field powers
Chameleon, Reep Daggle of Durla; shapeshifting
Cosmic Boy, Rokk Krinn of Braal; magnetokinesis
Dreamer, Nura Nal of Naltor; precognition
Ferro, Andrew Nolan of 20th century Earth; previously could turn his body into durable iron, but now stuck in his iron form
Gear, I.Z.O.R. of Linsnar; bio-mechanical techno-morphing
Invisible Kid, Lyle Norg of Earth; invisibility
Karate Kid, Val Armorr of Omega Colony; skilled martial artist
Kid Quantum II, Jazmin Cullen of Xanthu; time manipulation
Live Wire, Garth Ranzz of Winath; electric manipulation. Formerly had Element Lad's transmutation abilities.
M'Onel, Lar Gand of Daxam; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers
Saturn Girl, Imra Ardeen of Titan; telepathy
Sensor, Jeka Wynzorr of Orando; sensory manipulation
Shikari Lonestar of the Kwai; pathfinding, armored skin and claws allowing for flight and survival in space
Spark, Ayla Ranzz of Winath; electric manipulation
Star Boy, Thom Kallor of Xanthu; gravity manipulation
Timber Wolf, Brin Londo of Zuun; enhanced speed, strength, durability, senses and regenerative powers
Triad, Luornu Durgo of Cargg; triplication
Ultra Boy, Jo Nah of Rimbor; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers and flight, but can only use one power at a time
Umbra, Tasmia Mallor of Talok VIII; shadow casting
Violet, Salu Digby of Imsk; size manipulation of own body
Wildfire, Drake Burroughs (energy gestalt of two beings). Anti-energy being.

^ this should be fun, I have 21 vs. 24 = 45 different characters to juggle! Well, let's get cracking...

You have a really good grasp of their personalities IB and excel at character driven pieces so I'm excited to see where you go next with your very expanded group. Fabbo!

Thank you Harbi, that's so nice of you to say! Your encouragement and support is very much appreciated

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

VOLUME 3: HOMECOMING

In another reality...

Dreamer lay awake as she listened to Star Boy's contented breaths. It seemed to fit so well with the peaceful world they had come to call home; chirping birds, rustling leaves, the rush of a gently flowing brook...

It was almost too good to be true. Her mind knew that; but somehow her will would not cooperate. She kept telling herself she had to do something, but every time she managed to rouse herself from her complacency, the effort exhausted her. Every time she tried to trigger a vision, her mind would cloud over.

Something else else was indeed very wrong.

She opened her eyes and sat upright. Two weeks after first coming here, she had started sleeping again. She didn't actually have to, ever since going through Khundian training, but it still felt good.

Leaving a slumbering Star Boy, she she walked around the village the Legionnaires had built. Her teammates were lounging around; even those like Brainiac 5 or Wildfire, who had been most adamant about finding their way home, seemed perfectly at ease here. And even those like Saturn Girl or Sensor, who should have been first to detect mental tampering, did not seem to notice anything amiss.

She stood silently, watching as her teammates settled into their normal routines. How could she rouse them, when she could not even rouse herself? How...

"You sense something wrong, too." Dreamer nearly jumped as Karate Kid stepped beside her, eyes even more narrow than usual. If she had access to her visions, he would not have been able to sneak up on her at all.

"Have you been able to do anything about it?" Dreamer asked quietly. She made it a point to look as relaxed as possible.

Karate Kid smiled warmly even as he lowered his voice, his tone serious. "No. I can mull over our situation, but when I try to act, I suddenly feel drowsy and distracted."

"Then, something is controlling us."

"Yes. So, what do we do about it?"

Karate Kid leaned against the post behind them, and stretched his arms out as he gave a big yawn. "I wish I could say, but I just suddenly felt the need to take a nap..."

Dreamer nodded as she pressed a finger to her temple. "I can't even trigger a vision, I..."

She stopped speaking as a shimmering array of colors appeared in front of them. "Oh my grife!" Beside her, Karate Kid tensed his muscles. Interesting. It seemed like they could act if there was danger present.

"We need to make our move now," Val murmured. The focus in his voice was comforting. Dreamer nodded and tried to trigger a vision, but swooned as she did. She bit back a curse as she balanced herself. Whatever was keeping them here was being careful.

As the colors stopped swirling, she heard gasps of surprise from her teammates. Her own jaw dropped, then turned into a smile as she recognized the blue-and-white ship that she never thought she would see again.

She and Val turned to each other and hugged in joy as Chuck Taine's voice rang through the air. "Legionnaires! We've come to take you home!"