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

(IB's note - Harbi commented on Dirk Morgna, and originally I had him decide to take Reserve status. But I got to thinking and decided to make him a full-time Active Legionnaire. Thanks Harbi )


Awesome!

You really didn't make it easy for your team did you? That fight scene was inspired, and returning Candi is an amazing idea, and as Element Lass too, wow! Will she still have her strength or is it just the transmutation abilities? Her scene with Umbra apologising and her dad was really poignant.

Well, bye bye thunder, and its a pity that Dirk decided not to hang around, though hello to Chuck, Condo, mentalla and Magno. I'm not a fan of insect queen so I'll wait and see what else you can do, though I think it's the icky visual of her being half bug that I hate... eww....

Jas and Berta being co-leaders is good, that would work well. And thank you for the roll call, greatly appreciated!

I hope you are taking a well deserved rest after that IB, your story has been a cosmic rollercoaster ride that must have driven you to distraction to plot out. Well done, it was worth the time and effort as you have written a truly classic legion tale.


I hope you decide to carry on with this universe you have created as I'm eager to read more, more, more!

And here we go, ladies and gents. Thanks for reading along until this point. It's been quite a ride; four years and two days from the first post to this point, to be exact! I'll be taking a bit of a break after this, but I'll be back to writing early next year.

This roll call is pretty voluminous, and I'm still toying with some membership shakeups. But for now, the Active membership will stand pat at 42 Legionnaires. We have 21 girls, 19 guys, and two gender-neutral (Babbage and Lume). Non-humanoid Legionnaires are Gates, Sensor, Lume, Babbage; I might need to add more later on, but I think I'll need to drop some. This Volume was pretty difficult to write because of the large cast, and I don't think I can handle a large ongoing with 41+ Active Legionnaires and so many reservists and support staff!

Some notes on my choices:

Magno and Chuck as Rebound were sure bets from the start. I love both their personalities, and Chuck is a top fave.

After consulting with Omni to test my idea, so was Condo as Chemical Kid. His relationship with Lyle gives me a gay male couple on the team. Like with Mysa, I think I may have some initial difficulty getting a handle on Condo's powers though.

After I decided to give Condo the Chemical King powers, instead of Element Lad's transmutation, I hit on the idea of a returned Monstress as Element Lass. Sweet, sweet Candi is another favorite of mine, and her return allows me to up the Legion's power quotient as well.

I decided on Mentalla on a whim; I found that I had fun writing her, so she got called up to Active status. Her story in the Levitz era has always stuck with me and I see a lot of myself in her.

Finally, I hadn't originally planned on Insect Queen, but Mystery Lad posited a while back that she would join. And after rereading some of the scenes I used with her (the Monstress and Star Boy tributes), she seemed like a natural fit. Her relationship with Particon was a stroke of inspiration at the start of Volumne 3.

As noted above, I at first had Dirk Morgna remain a reservist because he used to express fear at losing control, and even with them I thought he would find it hard to disentangle himself from his responsibilities at Morgna Industries for the time being. But thanks to Harbi, I took a second look and saw some scenes (Legionnaires 43, 71) where he expressed enjoyment at the thrill of accompanying the Legionnaires on missions. Now that his powers are much more controlled, I decided he would be the type to take on the challenge of joining the Legion. So join he does

As for the new Legionnaires at the start of Volume 1, or the interim team, they were: Nightwind, Microbe (Infectious Lass), Blizzard (Polar Boy), Particon, White Witch, Lume, Spider-Girl, Babbage, Impulse, Magnetic Kid.

Nightwind, Microbe (Infectious Lass), Blizzard (Polar Boy), Particon and White Witch were all established Postboot characters. I always felt all of them deserved to be Legionnaires long ago, so all got flight rings.

Spider-Girl was also an established Postboot character, and I was inspired to add her based on her TMK/5YL usage. Lume as well, and I always liked light-energy based characters (Kimiyo Hoshi is a fave of mine and my own LMB character Invisible Brainiac has light powers), so Lume got added in.

Babbage was never really a favorite, but I decided I needed a brawler/physical attacker/short-range fighter type for this interim Legion.

Now on to the cuts:

I originally added Kent Shakespeare beside, like Blizzard, he made a cameo as a Legion Cadet; and like Babbage, I wanted another physical/short-range attacker for the interim team. But now with the Legion reunited, I decided to drop Kent first but keep him as a reservist and Legion doctor. Sadly, as I went through Volume 3 I decided I needed a better handle on the character. And I made sure to note that if he were to choose between being a doctor and a Legionnaire, he'd pick the former.

Finally, I had a lot of fun writing Pol, but with Cosmic Boy and Magno both back I wanted to increase my power diversity. I think my references to his doubts early on paved the way for his exit; and also, Pol only joined the Legion in the first place as a way to honor Cos. His heart was never really truly in being a superhero (at least, he doesn't think so as of now!) This isn't the last we'll see of him, though.

Of the other reservists, Tenzil and Dragonmage were both strong candidates. But as I was writing, I decided it wouldn't be that "organic" to have them suddenly become active members. Tenzil has always been content to be a support staffer (unlike Chuck, who played a fairly big role during Legion Worlds as a field agent under the Legion Subterfuge Team).

Dragonmage was a very strong contender for Active status, but I decided against it because of the heavy consequences of his actions in releasing the Elementals. Dryad blew up and Gil'd was desertified, leaving pretty much the entire Gil'dan population on-planet dead. That's not the kind of thing you can sweep under a rug, and if I were a voting Legionnaire it would be enough to make me vote No.

Finally, Thunder has a life of her own in the 90th century, and nothing is keeping her from going back to the future. But she can and will pop in from time to time, as will all the others mentioned above.

On the other Reservists, some of those I'm considering for future active membership are Amp (Girl) and... well, just here, really. I think the six I listed above (Pol, Kent, Dirk, Dragonmage, Tenzil, Thunder) plus Amp are more than enough candidates for now. I already have 41 Active members to juggle Though some might need to take a leave of absence...

Finally, let's tackle the "original" Legionnaires who appeared in Legion of 3 Worlds. I'm thinking of having a few leave the team for a bit - maybe Ferro, who still hasn't fully dealt with his inability to turn back to flesh; and Sensor, who still hasn't fully dealt with her mutation. But besides that, I don't see any reason for them to leave the team.

Same for everyone else, really, including the returned Andromeda who has given up her cloistered ways - I don't see any reasons for any of them to leave the team at the moment, except maybe to take a break.

The resurrected Kinetix was a lock for me as well - she is still my #1 fave - and bringing her back allowed me to restore the Postboot Legion's reality And there was no way I was going to leave XS and Gates in comic book limbo!

And that's that. I'll still think on my membership choices over the Christmas holidays, but I don't foresee myself changing my mind on a whim. Story-wise though, I already have a plan for getting at least one of my Reservists upgraded to Active status...

Thanks again y'all for reading along. Comments, suggestions and questions welcome! I'd love to hear thoughts on the lineup too

(IB's note - Harbi commented on Dirk Morgna, and originally I had him decide to take Reserve status. But I got to thinking and decided to make him a full-time Active Legionnaire. Thanks Harbi )




Hi Harbi, thank you for the comments and encouragement and support! I'm glad you liked the finale, I couldn't make it easy because of how powerful the bad guy was.

Glad you liked the return of dear, dear Candi. She always made me smile and I'm happy to have her back. No super-strength for now as this lineup has quite a lot of heavy-hitters, though her crystalline body does give her a bit of strength and durability.

Thunder will show up fairly often, don't worry. Given her history though, I could not come up with a compelling reason for her to stay in the 31st century long-term.

As for Dirk, I actually had a hard time deciding if he should get Active status or Reserve status. In the end, given his role in the family business and his past disastrous brushes with power, I decided on Reserve... but this doesn't close the door to future Active status In fact, I have a story idea in mind already where he will definitely play a big part, and that might inspire him to become full-time

Glad you also liked the "promotions"/returns of Chuck, Condo, Mentalla and Magno!

Perhaps I can do something about the visuals of Insect Queen

Jaz and Berta have a good dynamic, glad you like it. And the roll call was a big help for me too, so hard to keep track of so many characters!

And thank you so much, it was indeed hard plotting (and writing!) this long, long story. I need some R&R now, and to catch up on other things that I have neglected while writing this

Thanks again and I will definitely continue this in the near future. Thanks a bunch for your support

Okay, I feel so indecisive, but I'm decisively so! Harbi's post got me to thinking, and I reviewed past issues (Legionnaires 43, 70, 71) where Dirk Morgna appeared. He enjoyed the thrill of going on missions, and with Dirk's attitude, he's totally the type who'd take on the challenge of being an Active Legionnaire AND doing medical research AND helping run Morgna Industries at the same time. So...

Welcome to the Legion full-time, Dirk!

Ibby, I just finished reading Volume 1. All the tributes were outstanding, but I'd have to say my favorite was the long one for Garth with Jancel & Mekt. I'm so glad they didn't go the predictable villainous route, that was a remarkable subversion of clichés that you did. Great work all around.

I'll start Volume 2 next weekend.

Thank you Fanfie, I really do appreciate your making time to read. I'm glad you liked the semi-twist with Mekt being fully reformed and Jancel getting a wake up call.

Thanks again for reading and commenting, I do so appreciate it!

Wow IB i've had so much to catch up on. i loved every minuet of this ride. Your battles were really well done.

The monitor using Zoe and Garth to gain the Proginator's power was ingenious. You've made this Monitor very power hungry. But it works well.

OMG! Candi is alive! i love it and a really creative way of bringing her back. It makes sense that as a "God", Jan wouldn't necessarily kill her. and if Garth could come back through the crystals why not her too. But i have a question. did it only work because of their memories? Also Is this the last of the trapper's knowledge?

I'm so happy Chuck is alive and now Rebound!

Thank you for the acknowledgements for Condo, Wildfire and the others. I'm glad Condo has made the team and him and Lyle finally get to have a life together. Lyle deserves it.

I love all the side characters you've added. M'Onel's comment about them holding their own is spot on.

I loved Wildfires! and a great use of Dirk's research and the explanation of how he has to keep his consciousness alive, reminds me of how Wildfire will sound in Legion of Super Heroes Annual #7 i think it is, when he has to get back into his suit after being attacked by the cannon.

I had a feeling about Insect Queen and Particon being a couple and i'm glad Insect Queen had been bumped up. I think she'll make a great Legionnaire and she adds a new power set which is always fun.

Umbra's humbleness was well done. I'm glad she was able to say sorry and be forgiven.

Candi's moment with her dad was really touching and a good way to bring your lost post full circle.

This looks to be a great team and a lot of great story potential.

I'm so glad for this happy ending and it will be a well deserved break. But i still can't wait for more.


The Monitor getting away holds some great story potential for his return.

Hi Omni many thanks for the usual comments and support! Really tickled to see you like this, and thanks again for our conversations. They have helped me mold my own eyes so you definitely deserve the shoutout.

Glad you liked my returns and additions.

On Candi, her return was enabled by the Hypertaxis energy of Kinetix and the transmutation powers of Live Wire. She was existing in a sort of disembodied state, so they just helped her coalesce so to speak. Glad you liked how she returned and glad it made sense!

So far this is the last of the Trapper memories, but I may revisit that some time in the future...

Lonna and Jen (Particon) are my only female couple and I'm happy you like them. Ditto Lyle and Condo, I especiLly enjoy writing those two as Blaze and I have gone through many things in real life as well. It is very cathartic for me.

Glad Drake's return and Dirk's role in it rang true! I forgot the LSH Annul v7 scene so thanks for bringing it up, i will be sure to reread.

Lastly, glad you like Candi and Tasmia and Candi's dad, i think Tasmia as well has grown a lot after Legion Lost. And yes, the Monitor will be back to darken the Legion's doorway again...

Thanks again for the support!

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

VOLUME 4: MOVING ON

Legion World. The Legion Day celebrations.

Legion World. A mobile, artificial planetoid that became the new headquarters of the Legion of Super-Heroes after their reformation post the Blight invasion. Legion World was moved just off Earth to counterbalance Luna**, but was moved back once Luna was restored to its proper orbit.

Legion World was recently invaded by an extremely powerful other-dimensional being known as a Monitor, who had gathered an immense army of criminals, villains and hired mercenaries. The second Legion was forced to flee, but retrieved the first Legion from a different dimension. They freed Legion World without casualties.

- Encyclopedia Galactica entry on Legion World



Devlin O'Ryan was literally bouncing as he faced the holo-cams. "Sentients and gentlebeings! I cannot tell you how excited I am to be here, in the front row, as the Legion will kick off Legion Day with their flyby! As you all know, Legion Day was rudely interrupted by the mysteriously powerful being known as Monitor... Thankfully, it seems no lasting damage was done to Legion World, or harm to the hostages."

"Cut the cams, Lizu." At Hannah Wells' command, the four-armed cameraman dutifully obeyed. Devlin tilted his head in surprise. "Something else else wrong, Trudi?"

"It's Hannah now, Devlin. I gave up being Trudi to be myself, remember?"*** Hannah Wells said, not unkindly. "You're doing a great job, Devlin, but despite being strong Legion supporters, we should also try to paint a balanced picture. It's not quite right to say that no lasting harm was done to the hostages without citing a source, and even then, we should clarify that assessment."

Devlin frowned, then nodded his head. "You're right, Hannah. I'm sorry."

"No harm done," Hannah smiled. "Now, I'll have the cams turned on again in 30, so think of what you're going to say."

At Hannah's signal, Lizu turned the cams on. Devlin broke into his on-screen smile and continued. "As per preliminary medical and psychological assessments, none of the hostages seem to have been harmed by their captivity. Of course, they will continue to be observed, especially those who were kept in the Monitor's laboratory. Among those who were, some reportedly gained super-powers or had their existing ones enhanced; all of these are affiliated with the Legion in some way..."

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Amp, Ming Sul of Earth (Korea); amplifies the natural abilities of self and others. (Legion Reservist and Cadet)
Babbage, I-45ENG/Nth Series of Robotica; combat mechanoid

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"Okay, Reservists!" Kinetix smiled warmly as she watched the newly-promoted Cadets look at their costumes. "Now that you've earned your flight rings, you also get individualized costumes. No more last-minute changes, okay?"

"Yes, no more, please!" Lenzslo Philish, the lead Athramite assigned to Legion World, shook his head. He and his team had been up all night catering to the requests of the new set of Legion Reservists; prior to their mass promotion, only Mentalla and Echo among the Cadets had earned that designation. The other previous reservists - Nightwind, Microbe, Blizzard, Babbage and Impulse - had all long since been promoted to Active status. Comet Queen and Rainbow weren't the only ones who had kept requesting tweaks to their costumes; Density and Gravity insisted on matching costumes, which had kept the Athramites scrambling to find a color scheme that flattered Caucasian and purple skin tones equally. Things had gotten so bad that Kinetix and Element Lass had needed to step in to help out.

"Oh, you poor, poor Athramites," Element Lass cooed as she wagged a finger at the Cadets. "Look at how tired they are! Any more changes you want can be made after the parade; grife knows I've had my share of costume changes, but never with such a tight deadline!"

Zoe chuckled as she eyed the assembled Reservists. "I've had more changes than anyone here, but most of them were those I made myself," she laughed.

"Only because you have your powers," teased Mabuhay***, Kinetix's childhood friend from Aleph. Granted a scholarship at the Zoe and Candi Institute of Design, she had been brought in to help design and prepare the Reservist's costumes. "Remember how many of our moms' clothes we ruined as kids because of the improvements you tried to make?"

Zoe stuck her tongue out at Mabuhay. "You enjoyed playing dress-up as much as I did, Mabuhay!" She turned to the Reservists. "Now, put on your new costumes and line up according to the program. We have a full parade here, including our Honorary members, so don't hold up the line!"

Babbage glanced at its former classmate Amp. The normally cheery Ming Sul was in a quiet mood today; even Retro, her closest friend among the Cadets, failed to cheer her up. It decided to approach her. "Amp? You seem rather unhappy today. I thought being promoted to Reservist would please you."

"Oh..." Amp glanced at Babbage with an odd look that Babbage's sensors could only categorize as a mix of surprise and several other emotions which it could not quite classify yet. "It's... it's nothing, Babbage."

A lie. Babbage's sensors could more easily identify those through physiological changes; unlike emotions, which Roboticans had not quite yet been able to program into their sensors. "You seem rather quiet, unlike the majority of the Reserve Legionnaires," Babbage continued. "Are you certain you are alright? If you would like to share, I promise I can keep a secret." It was true; Babbage was programmed with the utmost discretion, and would not divulge something which had been agreed to be kept secret unless Babbage decided it would do more harm than good.

Amp eyed Babbage up and down; Babbage recalled its rocky first encounter with her and Retro. It acknowledged that Roboticans were not quite so trusted yet, especially after the ravaging of Xanthu. Babbage itself had not participated though, as it had been newly created after Robotica had been freed from COMPUTO. That was the reason Babbage had been chosen to represent Robotica in the Cadet program. Amp looked around; nobody else was in earshot. She sighed. "I believe you. It's nothing really, just a bit silly..." She cast an eye towards Condo Arlik and Dirk Morgna. "Among those who gained new or expanded powers because of the Monitor's experiments, I'm the only one who wasn't even offered Active membership. And Dragonmage," she cut in hastily before Babbage could respond. "But that's because of his past. I mean, I have more combat experience and training than Chemical Kid and Inferno! And for that matter, I enrolled as a Cadet before Mentalla did, not to mention Nightwind and Microbe. You and I and Kent and Blizzard were all classmates, Babbage!" She held her arm as she said this; Babbage could tell that Amp was becoming agitated. It mirrored Amp's pose to help put her at ease. Amp took a deep breath and continued. "I know it's silly, but I can't help wondering what more I'm lacking. I think my powers are now good enough to qualify me for Active status... Sometimes I think I just wasn't in the right place at the right time. I mean, Mentalla was lucky enough to have been with the rest of you in the other Legion's dimension... Or maybe I am just too weak. After we were freed, Dirk Morgna and Dragonmage were able to help battle right away, and I wasn't..."

Babbage paused for a moment as it thought of the appropriate response. It recalled the deliberations the Active membership had taken when voting on new members; Mentalla, Rebound, Inferno and Chemical Kid had made the cut, while Matter-Eater Lad had but declined. Mentalla had indeed been in the right place, but she had been chosen to accompany Chuck Taine and the others because she had already been a Reservist. Chuck himself had been an easy decision for Active membership due to his long service in support of the team. Dirk Morgna and Condo Arlik had been chosen pending completion of Legion basic because of their powerful abilities, control, and their roles in the final battle. Tenzil was in a similar boat as Chuck; a long record of service as Legion support staff and good performance during the final battle.

Amp had played a key role as well, boosting everyone's powers during the final stand against the Monitor. Yet she had not displayed a compelling enough performance to have gained a majority vote. And with so many other Cadets being promoted to Reserve status, it might have diluted the impact of said promotion in her mind. Babbage decided to choose its next words carefully.

"I understand your frustration, Amp. I am certain that you are not too weak; your inability to battle after being freed was not unique to you. Condo Arlik had been sedated as well. As for your feelings that you simply were not given the proper opportunity to be seen, we considered that as well during our deliberations. Because of that, we agreed to set tryouts in one month so that other Reservists and Cadets would get the chance to display their prowess. I am certain you will do a fine job during those tryouts."

"Yeah..." Amp shot a sidelong glance at Mentalla, who had made no changes to her costume. "Thank you, Babbage... Just please, don't tell any of the other Legionnaires what we talked about, okay?"

"I promise." Amp uttered her thanks, then turned around to join the other Reservists. Babbage watched her break into a smile as she did, though it could tell it was not quite genuine.

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IB's notes:

1) Blight Invasion - Legion of the Damned, LSH 122-123 and Legionnaires 79-80.

2) The moon (Luna) was sent blasting into Earth by Ra's al Ghul to attempt to force humankind to evolve. (Legion 6-8).

3) Legion 35-38; Hannah Wells used to go by Trudi Trusoe, but was so inspired by the Legion she decided to use her real name and quit being a personality.

4) This is Devlin O'Ryan's first Postboot appearance.

5) I introduced Mabuhay in the Kinetix tribute in Volume 1. Mabuhay is a Tagalog/Filipino word meaning "live". Nice connection to Zoe, which means "life".

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

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Legion World. The Legion Day celebrations.

"Okay, everyone, remember to keep flying at the same pace as the one in front of you," Kid Quantum II called as she glanced out at the crowd. "Let's keep the line flowing, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Nearly a hundred voices called from behind her. Besides the 42 Active Legionnaires, there were about three dozen Reservists and a handful of Honorary Legionnaires, including Shvaughn, RJ Brande, Marla Latham and Lori Morning. Even Drs. Gym'll and Ryk'rr and Rond Vidar had been given that honor for their long service in support of the Legion, and their strong role in rallying the hostages during the invasion of Legion World. Gigi Cusimano of the Science Police had earned the ring as well, working well with the Legion as head of the SP contingent on Legion World and helping bolster the training programs for both the SPs and the Legion.

Not a few Active Legionnaires had expressed reservations at the mass promotion of Cadets to Reservists, though others like Blizzard and Wildfire had argued strongly in support, citing the Cadets' strong contribution in the retaking of Legion World. Others had cited the opportunity to include these Cadets in routine missions, alongside the Legion's expanded mandate to protect both the UP's Galaxy and the Kwai's Galaxy, as well as the need to continue the many programs that had been started recently, such as the Medical Missions began by Gates. In the end, the vote had prevailed by a clear majority.

"We're almost go, Legion," Marla Latham called as he signaled the team. Despite his busy schedule, Marla had taken it upon himself to head the preparations.

"Big smiles, everyone," Nightwind called as she began using her wind powers to whip up the flaps on her costume. Jazmin smiled as she watched several other Legionnaires imitate her example - Rebound had gleefully inflated himself, Shikari was armored up, and Spark and Live Wire were generating small bursts of electricity. Element Lass had figured out how to make her costume change color as she flew by playing around with elements in the fabric. Dreamer wore the tiny white cape that she only brought out for formal occasions, and Blizzard was experimenting with putting frost on his shoulders and head, to Kinetix's amusement. Even Cosmic Boy, ever the showman, was making the discs on his uniform rotate around him.

"Sentients, I present to you... The Legion of Super-Heroes!" Kid Quantum II could feel the smile spread across her face as she jumped from their perch high above the great Threshold Hall; her co-leader Nightwind was beside her, and the remaining Active Legionnaires followed suit. She could barely hear the announcer reading each Legionnaires' code name as she flew above the ground. Sentients from every world in the UP were here; a particularly loud group of Phlonians were dressed all in dark green, the color of Chemical Kid's costume, out in full force to celebrate their first citizen in the Legion. There were a handful of Coluans, their green skin plainly visible in the crowd; most were fairly young, but Jazmin was pleased to see that there were a few families, and even one or two with gray in their hair. There were even a few Gil'dans and Sklarians, and it warmed the heart to know that not all survivors of those worlds blamed the Legion for what happened.*** There were also a few Enwans; the large-eyed, yellow-skinned group cheered as Nightwind passed by. The brunette smiled and waved; though she was born on Earth to an Earthling father, her mother had come from Enwa. There was even a smattering of Carggites in the crowd, nearly all of them displaying differences; Triad's update had been right, a lot of those like her had chosen to live offworld to escape from persecution. And Jazmin also spied a few Daxamites; though the technology on the red-sunlight bracelets they wore kept the bracelets invisible to most, their Legion flight rings allowed them to override that technology.

She allowed her mind to wander a bit as she looked over the crowd; different races and species stood shoulder-to-shoulder, forming a kaleidoscope around the hall. This was the Legion's dream of interspecies diversity and cooperation made flesh.

It was enough to bring a tear to any eye.

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Colu.

A world of unparalleled intellect, the United Planets depends much on its technological contributions. Even with the membership of Robotica, Colu still retains its seat at the forefront of UP research; the Coluans maintain that their organic minds and capacity for emotion allow them much more creativity and imagination than any robotic mind could ever hope to achieve. The Roboticans call that logic sound and do not dispute it.

- from Encyclopedia Galactica 3015

Orin Fex held his thumbs and forefingers together as he watched the viewscreen. It was embarrassing enough that Brainiac 5 had achieved so much more with the Legion than he ever had on Colu; Querl Dox had been "given" to RJ Brande for causing massive damage to property in his studies.* But Dox's newfound predilection for applied science, rather than pure theory, had caused murmurs on Colu and encouraged radicals among the youth. Add to that Brainiac 4's irrationality and exposure as leader of the Dark Circle...!**** Colu was still the intellectual jewel of the UP, but Orin Fex was not so blind as to ignore the sneers and gossip by the other UP delegates during meetings.

Colu had tried to regain its prestige by raising the alarm against the Robotican invasion, and had even sent Sharn Nux to try and eliminate Robotica's leader COMPUTO... but Sharn Nux had failed, and Brainiac 5 had caused COMPUTO to "evolve"! Coluans everywhere had shuddered at the term; only organic species had that capacity! And worst of all, the United Planets had voted to recognize the Roboticans as a sentient species AND had admitted the blasted world!

Colu would have seceded on the spot had it not needed the trade and resources granted by other UP member worlds.

And now, many Coluan youngsters were emulating Querl Dox. One, Zaron Lux, had even enrolled in the Cadet program!

The Coluan government had had no choice but to cooperate with the Legion's exercise of hooking the Robotican Babbage to the Sleepnet. With the proper safeguards, of course. But change was afoot in Colu, and Orin Fex did not like it.

Recent events, though, had given them an opportunity...

Orinx Fex considered. The Legion was beloved, but would they still remain beloved if he could expose negligence on their part during the Legion World invasion?

As he watched the Legionnaires parade past on the viewscreen, he considered again.

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Ferro, Andrew Nolan of 20th century Earth (USA); previously could turn his body into durable iron, but now stuck in his iron form
Mentalla, Delya Castil of Titan; telepathic control of others' physical functions.

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Mentalla kept a perfectly-composed smile as she flew over the crowd. She was not shy, just careful; having traveled extensively in her youth, she had experienced firsthand the suspicion and mistrust other species felt towards Titanians. She forced herself not to clutch at the Saturn symbol that held her green cape together at her neck, and focused instead on smiling and waving back at the cheering crowd.

Behind her, Ferro licked his lips subconsciously. Not that he could feel or taste anything; being stuck in his iron form had that drawback. He couldn't smell anything, either; yet he was strangely drawn to Mentalla. Delya. She was prim and proper, much like Saturn Girl was; but there was something else. Though she had plenty of self-control, like Saturn Girl did, she would never be called icy. She was, instead, very kind and warm; he sensed the same earnestness and desire to prove herself that he himself felt before accepting his disfigured face.

He watched as she flew ahead of her, and he kept feeling the desire to get to know her more.

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Rimbor. This lawless world barely maintains its United Planets seat; the ruling council is comprised of representatives of the mining enterprises which headquarter their operations there, and most of their decisions impact off-world trade and navigation and mining regulations. The inhabitants of Rimbor are left largely to fend for themselves. Gangs and crime groups have cut up the territory of Rimbor into their own little turfs.

Recently, though, some gangs such as the Wolfpack have started maintaining order in their territories. Their influence is spreading slowly, but it is spreading, leading sociologists to declare that there may be hope for Rimbor yet.

- from Encyclopedia Galactica 3015

Luonel Burdo gripped his hood tight around his head as he moved quickly through the crowded, dirty streets of Rimbor. This was the world to be whenever one wanted to disappear, and that was what he needed right now.

He cursed his stupidity as he wove his way through the tangle of thugs and other undesirables. He should have learned his lesson when he gave up two of Tinya's selves to the Luck Lords; he had risked so much. If Tinya had died and an autopsy had been made, he would have been exposed... He was just lucky that he had charmed Winema**** enough that she had never found out until it was too late.

And when she had called him in a fit of rage, he had run. He ran from the full force of the law, and that sprocking Legion of Super-Heroes which Tinya had joined. They had already taken down the mining company which had bought her third body; it would probably only be a matter of time before they took down the slavers that had sold her to the miners. They wouldn't be able to take the Luck Lords down that easily, though. And if he could, he would have hold up with those blasted Luck Lords... if they weren't looking for him, too.

And he kicked himself mentally again as he thought about how stupid he was. Having to give up two-thirds of his daughter was dangerous enough; now he had to go and get himself into debt AGAIN, and he had nothing left to give. The Luck Lords would take delight in torturing him if they ever got their hands on him.

He ducked into an old alleyway and looked around carefully. Sighing, he pulled out a loaf of bread and began eating. He had to think carefully; most of the gangs and clans on Rimbor would sooner kill him than take him in. The ones starting to go on the level, like the Wolfpack, would probably turn him in instead of letting him hide with him; or at the very least, they would alert the Legion to his presence. Tinya had run with them for a while, after all.

After 10 minutes, he brushed the crumbs off his cloak and began to move again. Without advanced technology, he could never be sure if he was being followed.

He hated living like this, but at least he was still alive.

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

Lume, of Silvan; energy being made of light

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

Lume watched in awe as sentients from dozens of worlds gathered below. It recognized some Vyrgans from its time as a prisoner in Ra's al Ghul's laboratories.***** Many other species were there, but he had trouble differentiating most; he was still amazed at how many species and races in the United Planets looked exactly alike.

The energy being from Silvan suddenly gasped as it turned a bend. Could it be? Turning into its small firefly form, Lume made its way down to a group of shining lights hovering above the crowd.

"Lume!" The cheers that met it were melodious to its ears.

"Light-kin!" Lume intoned as it adjusted its glow to match those of its brethren. "You have arrived!"

"Of course, Lume," laughed one called Ponlu. "The Thresholds allow us to travel through space without the darkness. There was no reason for us not to come."

"I am honored, light-kin," Lume laughed. "I must join the other Legionnaires now, but I shall come find you and show you the wonders of this place."

The other Silvans shone in greeting as Lume made its way back to its teammates.

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

IB's notes:

1) Colu's ruling council is at odds with the Legion and the UP over the admission of Robotica into the UP; the Coluans even sent Sharn Nux to destroy Computo, and she nearly killed Brainiac 5 to accomplish her mission (Legion 10-16).

2) All of Gil'd's water was stolen by the Water Elemental (Legionnaires 71-72).

3) Sklar was destroyed by Mordru after a Legion attempt to stop him failed (Legionnaires 48).

4) Cargg institutionalizes any Carggite, like Triad and her grandmother, who display differences among their bodies. Triad escaped from one such institution. I explored this in the Triad piece, and had it that many Carggites escaped offworld where they became more relaxed in displaying their differences.

5) After the White Triangle war, in which rogue Daxamites destroyed Trom and ravaged Earth, I explored the consequences in the Andromeda entry. I had it that Daxamites traveling offworld had to wear bracelets that radiated red sunlight to minimize their powers; they still retain slightly enhanced strength, speed, senses and durability, but only at about peak human levels.

6) Brainiac 5 had a bad habit of causing explosions while conducting research, leading him to destroy several laboratories. The Coluans gave him to RJ Brande, and he was eventually drafted into the Legion. In both places, he continued blowing up labs. (Legionnaires 0, LSH 77, LSH 82, LSGH 88...)

7) Brainiac 4, Brainiac 5's mother, wanted to feel something - anything. She failed to do so even after giving birth to Brainiac 5, until she became Dark Circle leader and sent the Dark Circle fleet to war against the UP fleet over Durla. She enjoyed it so much she tried to kill Brainiac 5 to feel even more joy. (Dark Circle saga, LSH 106-108 and Legionnaires 62-65).

8) Luonel Burdo is Apparition's dad. He was the Wazzo family groundskeeper, a rough type whom Winema fell in love with at first sight. Ironic isn't it? Maybe that's one reason why she hated Ultra Boy so much at first. Anyway, Burdo was a pathological gambler, and secretly a Carggite. He gambled away his money at the Luck Lords' casinos, and to escape his debt he gave up two of Tinya's bodies. Winema and Tinya never found out until Tinya, whose body died in the White Triangle War (Legionnaires Annual 2) but whose spirit survived in Ultra Boy's body (LSH 82), merged with Phase of 20th century LEGION (LSH 100). Turned out that Phase was one of her other bodies (LSH 102). Her third body was never found... but Reboot's excellent story revealed that this third body had been sold to a slave trader, who in turn sold her to a mining company, and the third self had died in those very mines.

9) Ra's al Ghul had experimented on Winathians, Carggites and Vyrgans in order to create the Footstep Drives, which allowed ships to teleport by harnessing hybrid clones. I revealed in Volume 3 that other races, such as Lume's, had also been studied.

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

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Legion World. The Legion Day celebrations.

Live Wire, Garth Ranzz of Winath; electricity generation and manipulation.
Saturn Girl, Imra Ardeen of Titan; telepathy

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

Saturn Girl smiled as she clasped Live Wire's hand in hers. They had been through so much; and now, they were finally going to have their happily ever after.

She blushed as Garth sent a mental image of them sipping kono juice in a hot tub - the very first mental image she had caught from him, all those years ago when they had first met on that fateful flight to Earth. She had chastised him then, but now she welcomed it. She sent him a mental image back, one which caused his eyes to widen and a mischievous grin to appear on his face. "Oh, Imra, if the other Legionnaires knew how naughty you can get," he thought back.

"Now, now, you know this side of me is only for you," she replied with a mental wink, all the while keeping her face smooth and composed. This was a skill she had developed early on in her training.

She let her mind wander free, as she gently touched the thoughts of the others around her. Not penetrating their subconscious minds, but just feeling the emotions they were letting off. There was so much love in the air, she was giddy! And it wasn't just the strong marriage of Apparition and Ultra Boy or the passionate romance between Star Boy and Dreamer or the playful affection between Spark and Chameleon; she was happy to feel the comfortable attraction between XS and Magno; the deep caring between Wildfire and Shikari; the childlike exuberance of Triad and Rebound; the mutual respect between M'Onel and Shvaughn Erin; the laughing understanding between Particon and Insect Queen; the supportive collaboration between Cosmic Boy and Kid Quantum II; the passionate reunion that Invisible Kid and Chemical Kid were enjoying; the long-term plans that Density and Gravity were dreaming of; and, she noted with a smile, the excitement that Kinetix and Blizzard were feeling at discovering more about each other.

She paused as she felt a familiar mental signature, one she honestly did not expect to see here today. "Jancel?" she sent.

"Hey, Imra." It was indeed her little sister.

"Oh Jancel, I'm so glad you came. You and your friends are being honored for your role in warning Legion World of the upcoming invasion..."

"Yeah... I wouldn't want to miss THAT, you know. Finally, my own medal."

"You... you deserve every bit of that." Imra's heart caught in her throat; Jancel had always been jealous of her, and before she was lost, Jancel had never bothered to return her calls. For her to be here, on Legion World, on a day that honored Imra and her team... "I'm really glad you're here."

"It IS good to see you. Mom and Dad say HI, they're somewhere in the crowd too."

"Dinner later, okay? I'd love for you to meet Garth's sister Ayla, I think you'll like her a lot."

"I'm sure she's a lot cooler than you," Jancel replied, with a hint of a smile. "See ya, okay?"

"See you, Jancel."

Imra smiled. There was indeed much to celebrate today.

She snuggled up to Live Wire happily in her mind as they flew on.

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

Dr. Mollie Dennum of Hephaestus; materials scientist
Dr. Ryk'rr of Jaquaa; Legion psychiatrist
Marla Latham of Earth (Germany and Sweden); Legion adult advisor
Rene Jacques Brande of unknown; Legion Founder/Financier and United Planets Ambassador to the Second Galaxy

**********************************************************************
"By damn!" RJ Brande murmured as he looked at the crowd below. Though he had a flight ring, he chose to sit in the flyer that followed the Reserve Legionnaires and Cadets; the former were reveling in their new flight rings, while many of the latter were enviously motivating themselves to earn that coveted status. A few other Honorary Legionnaires like Shvaughn Erin, Gigi Cusimano, Lori Morning and Proty were also happily flying behind the others. With him were Marla Latham, Rond Vidar, and Drs. Ryk'rr and Gym'll; Marla was busy tapping away on his Omnicom, arranging details of the celebrations, while Rond and Dr. Gym'll were discussing the latest findings on using chronal research in medical diagnoses. Dr. Ryk'rr was chatting with newcomer Dr. Mollie Dennum*, a renowned materials scientist who had been brought in to assist with the repairs on Legion World.

Dr. Dennum was gushing with exhilaration. "I can't believe I'm HERE!" she told Dr. Ryk'rr for the tenth time this parade. "Working with the Legion is so interesting, there are so many personalities involved. It must be fascinating working as their psychologist!"

"It is," Dr. Ryk'rr smiled politely as she mirrored Dr. Dennum's own mannerisms. "I am sure you will find no day is like the day before, here." RJ Brande smiled; though he himself had telepathic abilities**, Dr. Ryk'rr was an expert at reading people. He was happy she used her powers for good.

He quickly turned to Marla and tapped him on the shoulder. "By damn, Marla! We all appreciate your hard work, but you should really enjoy yourself for a little bit! Surely you have arranged all the major details by now!"

"No detail is too small, RJ," Marla said as he continued to focus on his Omnicom. "I have to make sure the Legionnaires are scheduled just so for the crowd games! You know how many of them will be entertaining? "Guess the species" with Chameleon; "Guess my weight" with Star Boy; "Spot the Legionnaire" with Invisible Kid;**** "Guess the Element" with Element Lass; "Get a Hero Costume" with Kinetix; "Make a Snow Sculpture" with Blizzard; "Guess the Temperature" with Inferno; I'm just lucky Dreamer decided not to do "Find Your Fortune!"

"Marla!" RJ said as he pulled Marla's Omnicom down forcibly. "You've been working so hard, you deserve to enjoy the fruits of your labor just for a little bit. Look around you! Look at all the Legionnaires flying through the air; you help keep them organized! And look at all the sentients below! They would not be here if not for you!"

Marla gulped as he drank in the enormous crowd, which stretched as far as the eye could see. And in the sky above them were dozens upon dozens of young heroes wearing costumes in all colors. He settled back into his seat as tears began to well up in his eyes.

"You're right, RJ," he whispered as he drank in the sights. "It IS beautiful..."

RJ Brande smiled as he lay back into his seat and sipped his Martian martini. It was, indeed, very beautiful.

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

Pon

The Lesser Moon of Xanthu. For much of its existence, Pon has been devoid of resources or life; however, just before the Dark Circle crisis****, Legionnaires Star Boy, Monstress and Kid Quantum II discovered a Dark Circle installation manned by Gil'dans and Sklarians that was scrambling communications out of Xanthu. The Khunds destroyed this installation and any proof it existed. Today, Pon is back to its normal quiet existence.

- from Encyclopedia Galactica 3015

Several figures sat around the dark table, all hooded to prevent their identities from being known. Now was not yet the time to reveal themselves; not until they could be sure they trusted one another.

Their leader stood up; though he was small in stature, he still commanded the room. All looked at him in silence.

"We have found, and contacted, almost all of the twelve that we need," he intoned. His voice was robotic, masked by a scrambler. Only he knew the identities of all the others in the room. "There is one last, though, who will be quite difficult to reach." He paused, waiting for his words to sink in.

"How may we assist, Master?" This speaker, a female, was quiet but confident. "Command us and we shall obey."

"I already know to whom I shall initially assign this task," the Master spoke. He turned and pointed to one of the cloaked figures. "After this meeting, stay and I shall give you instructions."

The chosen one bowed, then remained silent. The Master quickly discussed his other plans, then beckoned to each of the others one by one. In turn, they would follow him into the inner sanctum. The others remained silent; even if they wanted to speak, their words would not be heard by the others. The Master was careful that way.

The one the Master had chosen waited patiently as each of the others entered the inner sanctum; after receiving instructions, each one left the cave. One by one they did, until only she remained.

"Enter, Rat," he said. She sat down across the Master, who slid an Omnicom across to her. She looked down and raised an eyebrow as she read it.

"At last, then, Master?"

"Yes. We have found the last one. Your job is to secure him."

"I shall not fail, Master."

"I trust you will not. If you do, another will take your place as the Rat."

She bowed, then stood up silently. As she exited the cave, she pulled off her hood to reveal bright blue hair and yellow skin. She looked out at the debris surrounding Pon, and remembered with bitterness her dead world of Sklar. Those bumbling Legionnaires had let it die; and now she would see them pay.

And if this all worked, she would get her world back.

"I'm doing this for you, Mom," she said as a tear slid down her cheek. "Kono's going to prove she can pack a punch, too." ******

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

IB's notes:

1) Dr. Mollie Dennum consulted with Ferro on "fixing" his disfigured face (Legionnaires 58) and helped the Legion build a containment suit for Wildfire (Legionnaires 76).

2) RJ Brande first revealed his telepathy in order to help Violet overcome the effects of her possession by the Emerald Eye (Legionnaires 52). The origins of his powers were never revealed, though Invisible Kid would remain suspicious for a time.

3) All three of these games were first mentioned in the second story in LSH 100.

4) At the very beginning of Volume 3, a Titanet trainees from Naltor saw the invasion about to happen. The Titanians saw that outbound telepathic transmissions from Titan were being blocked, so they had to physically travel far enough away from Titan to send their message. They were able to warn Legion World just before the invasion, enough time to allow the majority of hostages to escape.

5) Kono appeared during the Dark Circle storyline (LSH 104 thereabouts until LSH 108) and after (Legionnaires 67, 77). She is wanted by the Science Police for stealing various priceless artifacts for wealthy businessman Viktor Rhysson.

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

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Legion World. The Legion Day celebrations.

Matter-Eater Lad, Tenzil Kem of Bismoll; consume and digest all forms of matter. Skilled chef and Legion support staff member. (Legion Reservist)
Violet, Salu Digby of Imsk; shrinks and grows own body

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

Matter-Eater Lad laughed as he zipped over the crowd. Though he had gained Honorary status some time ago, and with it a flight ring, using one as a Reservist AND wearing a superhero-type costume was a hoot! With his trademark shades on his face, he enjoyed zipping around his fellow Reservists. Magnetic Kid gave him a thumbs-up as he did a mid-air cartwheel, and even the serious Impulse gave a small smile.

Now, THIS was the life. Enjoying the fun and the adulation, but not risking your skin every single day.

He laughed as he angled himself closer and closer up the line, past the other Reservists and near where the Active Legionnaires were. There was one Legionnaire in particular he wanted to see...

"Hey, Vi!" he smiled his most dazzling smile as he came up beside Violet. She smiled back, and the green streak in her hair made her violet eyes gleam even more. "Looks like you're getting the hang of your flight ring," she complimented.

"Oh, this?" Tenzil tucked his legs under him, much like Brainiac 5 did when he was puzzling over something. "You should have seen when I first tried it. Almost went through the roof. Not with excitement, mind you." He made a show of rubbing his skull. "These things should come with helmets!"

Violet giggled. "We first tried them out in the old Legion plaza. So I guess not helmets, but anchors?"

Tenzil laughed. "I like that. Oops, our new member is flying too far! Somebody yank him back!"

Violet laughed again, and this time brushed her hair back. "You know, I think we should have made you an Honorary member way earlier. And not just because we found out the other Legion had their own Matter-Eater Lad who joined early on. You came through against the Monitor's army. Chuck told me how you nearly died standing up to him..."

Tenzil made a show of shrugging. "Yeah, well... I don't go seeking danger, but when I need to be a hero, I need to be..."

"And that's why you decided not to go for Active status? Because you had a very clear majority."

"What, not unanimous?" Tenzil made an exaggerated face, causing Violet to giggle again. "Seriously though... I get enough fulfillment manning the kitchens. I contribute to everyone's nutrition, and get tapped for official functions and the odd medical mission. And being a Reservist lets the team call on me as needed. I think it's all good."

"Yeah... it was on a mission when I was possessed by the Emerald Eye, and when Magno first lost his powers, and quite a few Legionnaires have died... so I see your point." Violet took on a pensive look. "The Legion's the only real home I've ever known, though, and I can't imagine leaving it."

"Same here, and I can tell you that all the support staff feel very much part of the family," Tenzil said gently. "Just being here makes us all feel part of such a big whole. And it's a far cry from my life on Bismoll. Nothing much there worth going home to."

"Funny... I feel the same way about Imsk," Violet murmured. "I was an orphan. I know my family was killed in an accident when I was little."

"Oh, I'm sorry..."

"No, it's okay. It was so long ago I don't even remember what my parents looked like," Violet smiled. "I grew up in the capitol. Micro did, too. Only Ion among the three of us came from a complete family. I guess that's why she was the most well-adjusted of us. Of course, Micro killed her..."

"Because he didn't have the inner confidence to believe in himself, and because he underestimated you," Tenzil said firmly. "Big mistake on his part."

"He always did want to be a big man," Violet noted. "So, enough about me. What's your sob story? Why the lack of longing for home?"

"It's a long story," Tenzil said sheepishly. "Longer than our flyby, anyway."

"So tell me about it some time," Violet smiled as she arced towards the left. Tenzil followed, though he veered a bit too far. He quickly angled his body so he followed Violet's path. As he did, Kinetix gave him a big wink; a slightly flustered Tenzil smiled back. "Maybe while you teach me how to make that delicious black hole layer cake of yours?" Violet finished.

"I'd love that," Tenzil said as they started to descend. "Uh... tomorrow, then?"

"It's a date," Violet winked as she started to grow. The crowd OOOHed as she used her powers to dazzle. The Legionnaires were only a few meters above the mass of sentients now, and most were using their powers in some way. Apparition phased through Ultra Boy's torso as he flexed his arms; Umbra was trailing wispy bits of darkfield behind her cape; Chameleon had morphed his antennae into a replica of the Legion symbol; and Insect Queen had sprouted iridescent wings while keeping her abdomen in humanoid form. Tenzil reached into one of his belt pouches and pulled a large rock; he chewed on it as they swung past. "Coooool!" a group of kids cheered as he munched on it loudly.

"One last pass, Legion!" Nightwind called over their flight rings.

Tenzil smiled as he followed Violet. This really was the life.

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

IB's note:

Violet's parents never appeared Postboot. This made me decide to make her an orphan.

IB volume 4 is starting off on a good note! Legion Day is finally here!

I loved each of these moments for different reasons.
The Encyclopedia Galactica is a great inclusion and i can see how beneficial it is to have. I may start to include that in mine story with new worlds.

Devlin and Hanna are kind of like Lois and Jimmy. i like it!

"Yes, no more, please!" Lenzslo Philish, the lead Athramite assigned to Legion World was such a cute moment and a nice nod to when Montress i mean Element Lass did the same and then her commenting on it made me laugh.

The pre-parade moment with Amp and Babbage. i loved that he used his logic to showcase how much she's needed but just didn't get to showcase what she can do. But it gives high hopes that Amp will be a Legionnaire soon.
But i feel her pain. Its hard when you know you have the experience but still haven't made the grade. But She's relatable so i can see her stepping up.

Orinx Fex better reconsider. But i like this potential sub plot thats developing. Could they have over looked something?

Ferro and Mentalla seem like a cute couple. I'd really like to see Andy happy.

Tinya's father is finally coming into focus huh? this is going to be an interesting reunion.

You're bringing a lot full circle from loss here and moving forward and i'm loving it!

Lume and his light-kin are great and i would love to see more of Lume.

that fly by really was the realization of the true dream of the U.P. and RJ and it was a great moment to see. Now that would be a great one for a Cover or draw up done.

Imra and Jancel was good too. I hope they reconnect.

Marla's worrying was well done. Always the adult adviser.

The Dark Circle rising again and with Kono its lead spy. This looks like the Legion has a fight coming.

Vi and Tenzil's moment was a great moment. They really are adorable together and its cute how he makes her smile. I loved every minuet of that scene.

and i will say i was surprised you started writing again so soon. i'm happy for it and can't wait for more but please do take the rest you need. we want you at your best!

Great job IB again.

Hi Omni, thanks for the comments! I really appreciate your strong support.

I would love for you to do Encyclopedia Galactica entries in your own work, I am sure you would come up with some very interesting descriptions.

Glad you liked the little moments sprinkled throughout, Hannah/Devlin and lead Athramite Lenzslo among them. Candi really terrorized the Athramites during her time

Glad you found Amp's feeling relatable, Omni. I have been in a similar boat myself before, and I'm glad the arguments had merit and she did not seem entitled. She is definitely one of my prime candidates for full-time membership.

Ferro does have eyes for Mentalla, but she has not made her own feelings known yet. Ferro's crush on her just wrote itself much like Brek's crush on Zoe! It just seemed so right.

I think Lume (and Babbage) are among the Legionnaires I wasn't able to give much focus to in Volumes 1-3, so expect more of these two. They are both so alien and so different from the others, I'm excited to explore them more.

Imra and Jancel's relationship will only get better, much like Garth/Ayla/Mekt.

Really glad you enjoyed Tenzil and Vi. There was only a small hint of that in the Reboot I think - Legionnaires 66, where Tenzil makes Vi a giant sundae - but it also has roots in the Preboot. I think they would make a good couple, and Vi may be a contributing reason for Tenzil to accept full-time active status

villains and sub-plots: Colu will continue to make trouble, while Tinya's dad is going to get into deeper trouble. And Kono is part of a new group, not really the Dark Circle but something just as sinister Some other characters will resurface here too!

I would love to see that fly-by in print one day

And thanks for the concern I'm not really feeling sick but I do need to focus on some errands and tasks I have been neglecting. But I just needed to write these bits out because so many ideas were floating around in my head. Now that I have set up these plotlines though, I will be resting for a bit

Thanks again Omni!

What an awesome finale! So much to love about it, the final fly-by was classic Legion optimism and I love the cuts to future threats and thorns in the side....Kono was one of the best characters to come out of 5YL so it will be interesting to see what she's like in this different context!

Speaking of 'best characters', soooo glad to see Candi back! That was totally unexpected but very logical! You've got a massive and very powerful Legion team, I wouldn't want to be a bad guy going up against them!

Funny that we both thought of using H'lven around the same time

I don't think I can take credit for Amp Girl's adjusted powers, but it does sound familiar....maybe someone else on the board came up with something similar!

Looking forward to seeing where this new Legion go when their adventures are ready to go, and seeing new relationships develop between them all! Oh, and before I forget...super glad that Insect Queen is a full member! I love Insect Queen!!

Hi raz, thanks for the comments! Glad you enjoyed the return of Candi and the promotion of Insect Queen!

Candi especially is a big fave of mine and I'm glad her death in Legion Lost left me an opening for her return - and with the return of Element Lad's powerset too, though without her "human" body.

This IS a powerful team huh? With White Witch being promoted, Kinetix returning, Monstress as Element Lass, and the powering up of Condo, among others... if my plans for Volume 4 come to fruition there will be a few powerful new members to round out this team too Not too many though, I don't think I can juggle too many more!

I remember you used Amp in your piece where some Legionnaires travel into the team's future, and Yera and Gim had a demon child or something like that. Amp used her powers to boost Tinya's and phase the child into the Phantom Zone.

I'm pretty excited to continue writing. Kono was always fun 5YL, and even in the Reboot she was never evil, just a thief. So I'm going to have a bit of fun with her.

thanks again for the comments and continued support

Wow, you've got an impressive memory! I had forgotten all about that, I had to go back and re-read it hahaha

Haha writing stories in the Postboot and Retroboot verses AND in the LMB verse has helped sharpen my memory!

Quick note and minor edit, but I retconned Lamprey to have water manipulation powers instead of bio-electric blasts. I wanted to differentiate her more from Live Wire and Spark.

Because Amp (Girl's) powers were expanded, I also retconned her to be in the same group of hostages as Condo, Dirk and Dragonmage.

I kind of sort of miss writing, but as I only have my phone with me it is hard.

I am also not sure how to end my Legion day segment. I have some ideas but I am still playing around with them...

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

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Legion World. The Legion Day celebrations.

Amp, Ming Sul of Earth (Korea); amplifies the natural abilities of self and others. (Legion Reservist and Cadet).
Lamprey, Tayla Skott of Earth (Maldives and Palau); underwater survival; hydrokinesis. (Legion Reservist and Cadet).

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

Amp scowled as she watched the dozens and dozens of heroes ahead and behind of her in the flyby. Even the likes of Stone Boy and Spectrum were using their powers and working the crowd; Dag Wentim had turned his whole body, except his head, into rock and was flying in his "statue" pose; while Spectrum was making his multi-hued costume change color with each second. And here she was, with no flashy powers! Even if she used her powers to enhance those of the others, the crowd would never know her part in it unless it were announced.

She sighed as she forced herself to regain composure. She was just upset; her conversation with Babbage had forced her to confront her own feelings head-on. She was just frustrated at her lack of progress. After all, she wanted to be a Legionnaire so badly, and not for the adulation - she genuinely wanted to do good and to better herself in the process. Whether or not the crowd applauded her now was not important.

"Ming... watch out!" Amp looked sharply to the right as Lamprey's warning came. Ming Sul quickly arced her body down as Lamprey veered into the space she had been occupying. Amp flew up and grabbed Lamprey's arm, helping steady her. Lamprey must just have lost control; Amp didn't really know Tayla Skott that well, but she knew she was a diligent student and was watching where she was going. "Here, I've got you," she said.

"Thanks," Lamprey exhaled as her cheeks reddened. "I'm so sorry, and I'm so glad that you dodged. Grife," she looked down at the crowd below. "I hope nobody saw me!"

"It's okay," Amp replied with a hint of a smile, and hopefully without a hint of bitterness. "Most people are watching the active Legionnaires, anyway." She gestured towards their fellow Cadets; Comet Queen was chattering animatedly with Porcupine Pete as both snapped holos of the active team, oohing as Kinetix changed her outfit for the fourth time and Chameleon mimicked M'Onel's costume while keeping his head the same. "See?"

Lamprey laughed in relief as she righted herself. "Thanks. I don't know how you do it; you fly as well as most of the Legionnaires, and certainly better than any Cadet. I can swim really easily, but flying seems to be a different skillset entirely."

"The trick is to start slow while you're still getting used to it," Amp explained as she remembered getting top marks in flight ring training. Only Zaron Lux and some of those with natural flight powers had beaten her. "Once you get the hang of it, you can do it subconsciously. Like flying a hovercraft. Come on, you can fly beside me and I'll help you."

"Thanks," Lamprey replied as she licked her lips and followed Amp. "That's really nice of you."

"No problem. I could use the practice too. Legion tryouts and all that..."

"Yeah," Lamprey's face brightened. "In just a month! I'm really excited, but trying not to get my hopes up. Still, I'm working towards it..." She fell silent for a moment as she veered too far to the left; she corrected her path easily enough as Amp looked on. "Hey, I talked to Wildfire and he said he would give me the schedule of the special basic training session for Chemical Kid and Inferno. He'll check but he thinks interested Cadets can join. Do you want to come with? I already asked Comet Queen and she doesn't want to, and I don't want to ask too many others so it won't get too crowded."

Amp felt herself smile at Lamprey's offer. "Wow, thanks, Tayla. Any extra training would be great. Retro's too lazy for something like that, but I am definitely in!"

"My pleasure, Ming," Tayla smiled as she extended an open palm. "Let's help each other. With luck, active status will be ours."

Ming smiled as she shook hands with Tayla. This looked like the beginning of a beautiful friendship - and hopefully would help stack the deck in their favor come tryouts. She looked down and began to wave at the crowd below. Now, maybe she could begin to enjoy Legion Day in earnest.

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

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Legion World. The Legion Day celebrations.

Nightwind, Berta Skye Harris of Earth (Iceland) and Enwa; wind and air manipulation. Current Legion co-leader.

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Enwa. An average-sized planetoid with an average economy and average population size for a UP World. In fact, Enwa scores near the galactic average for most indicators save one: emigration. Thousands of Enwans have moved to other UP worlds to escape Enwa's four-cycle night and its middling economic prospects, and their remittances to family form a significant portion - 24% as of 3014 - of Enwa's economy. These remittances come in the form of credits sent to their families at home, a testament to the strong family ties of Enwans.

Taking advantage of new UP legislation on dual citizenship, many of these Enwans have reapplied for Enwan citizenship, and an estimated 250,000 Enwans now hold dual citizenship from Enwa and the worlds they now reside in. - Encyclopedia Galactica

As she was making the tassels on her costume fly around wildly using her powers, Nightwind caught sight of a group below which made her smile.

"Jaz, I'm just going to head down for a bit. My mom's family is here from Enwa!" Kid Quantum winked and waved as Berta flew down excitedly, cloth strips on her costume trailing behind her.

"Mom! Grandma!" she reached out and hugged the two most important women in her life. "And you brought everyone!" In turn, she hugged her two aunts, three uncles, and the eleven cousins she had among them.

"Your dad will be bringing his side of the family over for dinner," her mom said as she kissed Berta on the cheek. "But we couldn't wait."

"We're so proud of you," Her grandma kissed her on the forehead as she hugged her tight. "All of Enwa is. You are our first citizen in the Legion, after all."

"I almost am, grandma," Berta corrected gently. "Once my application pushes through, mom and I will be the proud holders of dual Enwan and Earth citizenship. But I have never forgotten my Enwan roots," she added firmly.

"I'm just glad to see something good has come out of the Enwan diaspora," her Uncle Habagat** teased as he poked her mother playfully. "Those of us who decided to stay certainly think so."

"You are never going to let me hear the end of it, are you, big brother?" Nightwind's mom elbowed him playfully. "But if I had not moved to Earth, I would never have met my wonderful husband... or had my wonderful daughter."

"And despite being only half-Enwan, I still love Enwa very much," Berta smiled. "By the way, I'll be visiting again very soon - I can't say why yet, but we will be traveling to different UP worlds soon and I asked to be the Legion representative to Enwa."

Her grandmother clapped her hands. "Then we shall have a feast when you do!" Her cousins began chattering excitedly, with some of the younger ones asking for her to bring snacks that were hard to find on Enwa. Berta smiled. The Legion was her family now, but it was also great to have her own flesh and blood here with her today.

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IB's notes:

1) Habagat is the south-west monsoon in the Philippines. It is characterized by hot, humid weather and frequent rainfall.

2) Enwa's entry in LSH Secret Files 2: "Class-M planetoid populated by yellow-skinned humanoids with large eyes that allow them to function during Enwa's four-cycle night." I always thought that Nightwind could be from Enwa, given her physical characteristics. Why not explore a new world, instead of having so many Legionnaires be from Earth?

Enwa's situation is based strongly on the Philippines. 2.3 million Filipinos are Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) who work abroad. Many are the sole breadwinners for their families still in the Philippines.

Two nice sections there IB.

Loving Amp's personal growth, it's good to see you didn't take the bitter and twisted route with her and instead focussed on her strength of character and positivity. Lamprey and her sneaking in extra training was good too, it's always great to see bonds being made between two very different characters.

Nightwind's family are a great addition to her back story, as is their world's story. Very well done for incorporating real world issues so well into your story - the diaspora from Asia (and Africa, and thats before we get into the recent heartbeaking flood of refugees streaming out of war zones in the Middle East) is an ongoing truth about the current world that touches many millions of lives. I bet Berta's gran would cook a tremendous feast!

More, more, more!

Thanks, Harbi, for the usual support!

A lot of my own experiences are going into Amp's story, and I am happy you like her growth. Lamprey is another character whom I think has a lot of potential, and these two will definitely not let Legion membership just slip past their hands.

Glad you liked the Enwa situation. You are right about the heartbreaking situations in the present, and writing about them in this fictional and more optimistic world is a way of helping myself process that.

I like Nightwind's huge family and the cultural background you're giving her...it can be difficult making Legionnaires' family lives & background really unique without being obviously alien, great job differentiating her from the rest of the team!