Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Bits o' Legionnaire Business Young Legion Book 2

“Norgine is a mutagenic. Its effects can differ from individual to individual. For me, there was a side-effect of spontaneous long-range teleportation. Fortunately, Dr. Gym’ll was able to get that under control. It looks like, for you, you have less control over your invisibility?”

“It’s not a matter of control… it’s just that I feel more comfortable like this. I have to concentrate to stay visible.
“And there’s another weird thing. When I’m like this, I feel fine, but the rest of the world seems out of focus. Less… real. Blurry, and far away.”

“That’s because you aren’t seeing with your eyes. Light goes right through you. Lyle Norg compensated for that by having his serum give him extra senses. But since you don’t interact with photons, you’re also a little bit out of phase. You can even accidentally fall into a pocket dimension… temporarily. With me, it mostly happened when I was stressed out or anxious.”

“That makes sense. Out of step with reality… while I’m invisible, I can also kind of… push through walls. You know how you can concentrate, and make your clothes, or small objects invisible with you? Well, I kind of… push in the… in the other direction, and the wall becomes… permeable? I mean, I can walk through it, but it’s like walking through Pindar bean jam.”

“Like walking through Pindar bean jam… Do you often walk through Pindar bean jam? How do you know what it feels like?”

“I mean… it feels like that’s what it would feel like.”

“You’re his big brother! How could you let him do this to himself?”

“It was his choice, not mine.”

“The Medicus can’t do anything for him. Your mother has taken Jarn to a hospital on Daxam. Hopefully they can find a cure.”

“And what if they can? Will you try to find a ‘cure’ for my powers, too? How about fixing my ‘rebellious streak’?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. And a Time Bubble! Why would you take a Time Bubble to the 2Oth century?”

“It’s not against the law.”

“Not everything that is legal is… necessarily a good idea.”

“We took a self-guided Time Tour. You’re allowed to bring back souvenirs. No one can change the past, even if they try.”

“Kara was not a souvenir!”

“You and Uncle Garth and Aunt Imra did it first! I wish you had told us before, too. I mean, everyone knows about Superboy, but… both cousins? Honestly?”

“That was different… Look, I know that you hear stories of a ‘Golden Age of Heroes’, but there are a lot of UP citizens-- people in charge-- who don’t look back on those years as so golden. Your idea of creating a new Legion of Super-Heroes… It won’t turn out as you imagine. You may as well call yourself the Legion of Super-Villains, as far as some people are concerned.”

“Then we’ll call ourselves the Justice Society, or… what does it matter what we call ourselves? We have special powers and abilities, and we should use them to make the Galaxy a better place. Just like you and Mom did when you were my age. And all our ‘aunts’ and ‘uncles’, too.”

“Look, R.J. had a vision. He infected us with it. We thought we could change the world. So we took it on. But you… if only you could stand here and see how really young you are. You kids are barely into adulthood. The world has so many possibilities waiting for you. You should be planning on a career, meeting new people, socializing, dating… you don’t need to take on such responsibilities now. Look at Ronin and Arna. Or Ayla and Brin’s kids. Their lives are… normal. Happy. They’re on track for careers, families. They never needed to be heroes.”

“Maybe we need to.”

“Have you counted the cost? Son… we named you after my little brother. He wanted to be a hero, too. He looked up to me. Followed me into the Legion. And died a hero… saved the Universe… defeated the Archimage… He saved all of Reality. But he’s gone. No matter what else, no matter how noble his sacrifice, he’s gone, and he’s not coming back. I think about that every day. I don’t want you to follow the same path.”

There was silence for a time. The father left the room. The son sat in the light of the fading dusk.

“But maybe the world would have been better,” he said under his breath, “If the Magic had never gone away.”

“I am sorry, but there is nothing we can do.”

“But the effects of Norgine have been reversed before! Jacques, and The Invisible Invaders, and… well, others, right?”

“Your son is half-Braalien and half-Kathooni. Over the centuries, the genome has diverged. We believe his DNA pattern to be unique… unless you have other children? But the Norgine reacted quickly with his system, and… the mutagenesis is complete. It is an integral part of… who he is now. Ethically, we can do nothing. Practically, we have no idea what ‘turning off’ the affected strands might do to him. If, indeed, that would be even possible.”

“His original genetic sequence has been on file with EarthGov since birth…”

“There are limits to what even Daxamite medical science can do. We cannot simply rewrite the genome from scratch. Nor would we, if we could.
“You yourself could travel back in time, and bring some younger version of your son into the present, then claim him as your only son, and disown your invisible child.
“But would you? He is legally an adult, he made an informed, although, in most jurisdictions, illegal, decision. But can you accept him as he is now? As he wants to be?”

“You know, I’m right here!”

“My best legal advice for you-- for anyone, really, in a similar situation-- is simple. If you did it, and it's your first offense, plead guilty, skip the expense of a trial and an attorney, suck it up, and throw yourself on the mercy of the court. This is simple possession. No one is going to send him to Takron-Galtos over it. One or two years probation would be usual. And an even lighter sentence If he gives up his dealer. The Directorate might even drop all charges if its someone notorious. I would understand if you don’t want to give up your dealer, though. Some of those guys tend to hold long-term grudges.”

“I made it myself.”

“You what?”

“You what?”

“I made the Norgine myself. It’s not too hard. And the recipe is in the public domain.”

“You sound like you were baking a birthday cake!”

“You didn’t sell any of it, did you?”

“Do I look stupid? No, no, you already think I am. No, I didn’t sell any. We barely got enough for one full dose as it was.”

“I guess it wouldn't really have been that hard, if you have the right equipment... and access to the right ingredients. Lyle whipped it up in his basement, after all. And Dox used to make up samples at LHQ on a regular basis. For experimental purposes only, you know. But where did you find the equipment? I’m pretty sure that some of what you would need is pretty sophisticated. You wouldn’t have access to that kind of stuff in your virtual ChemLabs, would you?”

“Dorritt’s mom has a pretty sophisticated setup at her place. Of course, Dorrit and Dacey aren’t allowed in, but that’s just a house rule, not the law. I’ll bet their mom still hasn’t found out. They’ve gotten pretty good at thought-blocking.”

“You realize I’m going to have to tell them now?”

“Oh, D&D are already in deep splod about the Time Bubble thing. I don’t think anything you say about Norgine will make it any worse.”

“I’m sorry, miss. You can’t be here. The Park is closed until sunrise. Come back in twenty centimes.”

“I’m meeting someone here, officer. Is there a place I could wait close by? Someplace visible?”

“There are benches, next to the Shi outside the gates. You can wait there. Anyone coming to this side of the park would see you.”

O O O

“Are you waiting for someone?”

“I’m a docent, dear. Ms Kuruka. Just waiting for my shift to begin. Have you been to the park before?”

“I’ve lived near this part of Metropolis for a long time. So it’s funny. Not really, no. Is there a lot to know about a park?”

“Metropolis New Downtown Public Park replaces the old park that was once where the Weisinger Shopping Mall stands now. They moved all the park structures over here, including the Interplanetary Zoo. Oh, that was decades ago; I was just a young woman then. But they still call it “New Park” after all this time.”

“I’m supposed to meet some friends inside-- at the big plascrete ellipse just inside the gate. It's not hard to find, is it?”

“Well, some of these paths are a little twisty, but… if you give me a description of your friend, I can let them know you’re looking for them.”

“They shouldn’t be too hard to spot: four teen-age boys-- well, maybe only three, come to think of it-- and one girl, and a Durlan.”

“I’ll keep my eye out. And your name dear?”

“Lor-El… Riiv.”

“Oh, you’re Lor-El Ken T5477, aren’t you? My grand-daughter used to love watching you in Zeta the Space-Girl. What have you been doing with yourself for the last couple of years, dear?”

“We’re here.”

“Oh, did you hear something?”

“I see the Park is open now. Thank you. I’ll just be going. In, I mean. Going in.”

“So what have you been doing since Zeta ended? I was a big fan.”

“Well, if you were such a big fan, you would know that my parents vanished under mysterious circumstances during the filming of the last season. I’ve been trying to deal with that, as well as trying to get control of my earning for Zeta. And get my parent’s not-insubstantial assets released from probate. They’re letting me stay at our home in Hollywood Estates, but the entire staff has been let go, even the robotics. So I have this huge house to keep clean, while I wait for the lawyers to finish. Meanwhile, I get a small living allowance. I wonder, when it's all over, if there will be any money left at all.”

“Ouch. Cannot relate. I’ve never really had to worry about where the money is coming from. Mom and Dad have pensions from the Brande Corporation, I guess, and I know they do some consulting work.”

“Well, Dad was no RJ Brande, but he had a good income from residuals.”

“He starred in the old Superman of 2965[/i] show, didn’t he[/i].”

“Yes, he… could you make yourself visible? It’s kind of weird talkinginto the air. No… wait… Yes, there you are. Now I can see you.”

“How…? I’m transparent to all forms of electromagnetic radiation. You shouldn’t be able to see me unless I want you to.”

“You displace air molecules, and I can see the outline of your body when they bounce off. Probably no one but a Daxamite could see it, and then only if they had practiced with their heightened senses for a while.”

“So what do you think of being our new Supergirl?.”

“I’m done with acting. And I need to do something that gets me out of that house, or I’ll go stir-crazy. I can give it a shot with you guys. Why not? Maybe we’ll even be-- are those your friends? Around that picnic table?”

“That’s us.”

“Dorrit Ranzz- Saturn Girl. So glad you could come.”

“Graym Ranzz- Lightning Lad. Pleased to meet you.”

“Juulz Allon- the one and only Chameleon Boy.”

“And I’m his brother Lenaar- Colossal Boy. We’re twins, believe it or not.”

“Pol Krinn- Cosmic Boy. You’ve already met my brother Jarn.”

“And who is this?”

“I’m the secret seventh member. Vajezatha of Fwang. I won’t be going on missions with you, but I can do this!”

“Wow. His power is that he creates buildings?”

“He turns into the building. A living, nigh-invulnerable fortress. He can create a headquarters around us-- and our stuff-- anytime and anywhere we need him to. Plus, he’s got mad office skills. He’ll be keeping our mission logs, handling communications, and so forth.”

“He’s made the fortress look a lot like the original Legion clubhouse. A little more orange-y. Although my father says we ought to distance ourselves from the name Legion of Super-Heroes. .”

“My folks said the same thing. But there are a lot of other names from history to choose from. How about the Teen Titans?”

“Justice League or Justice Society?”

“Freedom Fighters?”

“Seven Soldiers of Victory?”

“Global Guardians? Or maybe Galactic Guardians?.”

“Infinity, Incorporated? The Terrifics? Justice Corps?”

“The Outsiders? Because right now, that’s what we really are.”

“How about the Teen Philanthropists? That seems non-threatening, and gets across the idea that we intend on going around doing good.”

“You know, a few centuries ago, all philanthropic organizations were organized under a national law called ‘Section 5O1c’. Maybe that’s what we should call ourselves. It’s obscure enough that we can make it mean what we want-- put our own stamp on it, as it were.”

“My brother, the history buff. Takes after Dad..”

“You know, I like it. It can mean whatever we make it mean. Shall we vote on it?”

“Hmmph. Who died and made you Legion Leader?”


Section 5O1c

Invisible Kid (Jarn Krinn)

Fortress Lad II (Vajezatha of Fwang)

“As the robot-butler passes out the desserts, let me introduce our host.”

“I am sure some of you are thinking, ‘Who is this child?’ and, ‘Is this some sort of joke?’ Well, if it is a joke, a fine dinner has been provided, so this evening has not been a complete waste of your time. Be assured, I do have a serious proposal to you.”
“For those of you who do not already know me, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Garridan Ranzz. Yes, those Ranzzes. Famed leading citizens of Metropolis. You may have even heard my name. But there is another aspect to me.”
“Let me change into something more comfortable. Ahem.”
“Frightening, isn’t it? Yes, I am the original Validus, whom some consider was the most powerful member of the Fatal Five. Murderer. Destroyer of worlds. Agent of chaos and destruction.”
“A little more than a dozen years ago, my parents rescued me from my time-lost condition, and restored me to my natural form. But the old Validus still dwells within me. Smaller now, perhaps, more human-sized, but I assure you still as powerful and malevolent as when it first appeared over three decades ago.”
“Having established my bona fides, let me explain my vision. Each of you is the head, actually or practically, of a minority political movement, on Earth or in the United Planets. My idea is that we combine our funding, utilize one another’s political bases, to create a much broader and stronger movement. Each of us is persona non gratawith the United Planets, and on some planets, your political parties or affiliations have even been criminalized.”
“But enough about me. Let’s go around the table and introduce ourselves. Saturn Princess?”

“My name is Norja Kem, of the planet Bismoll. My mother is the expatriate Queen of Titan. This is because there have been two factions fighting over the throne: right now the Librae faction is ascendant. My question is, in the modern United Planets, why are there monarchies at all? Orando, Pasnic, Avalon; Naltor and Talok, in all but name. And a lot of little duchies and empires scattered around as well. I stand for abolishing every monarchy in the United Planets, and requiring a world-wide representative government for any new applicants to be considered. There are many who agree with me among the monarchist worlds. Some who oppose us. Many more who just don’t care.”

“I am Youdu Darga of Bgztl. My ambitions are not so grand as Ms. Kem’s. I just want Bgztl free, and out of the United Planets altogether. We reside in an entirely different dimensional plane, for Gnohho’s sake.”

“Well, by a remarkable coincidence, I am Validus’ cousin, Quetzal Ranzz. My parents were once known as Lightning Lord and Beauty Blaze, but are now reformed, productive citizens of the United Planets. Which, I suppose, is well and good. But the psych-enhancers the United Planets Prison Complex Medical Facilities used to get the job done are essentially brain-washing machines, which could be put to bad use if they ever fell into the wrong hands. Many of those in my coalitions believe they have fallen into the wrong hands already. Who is to say any of us might not be branded ‘super-villains’ for our beliefs, and subjected to UP mind-scrambling and re-programming?”

“Oh, I am sure you are all very passionate about your causes, and your political actions committees spend many fruitful hours wringing their hands over the injustices in United Planets governance. But I understand why Garridan has brought us together. My comrades are the people who can get things done. You can call me Cosmic Queen. Indira Pradeshi of Venus, Sol System. Nihilist, Agent of Chaos, Anarchist, occasional Dadaist, Absurdist and Chaoticist. I know how to get attention. I know how to get the newsfeeds talking about your respective causes. I know how to make you unforgettable.”

“I am Quaara Yakklo, one of the Durlan diaspora. You may remember my father, Ringus Yakklo, the Durlan actor. He died during the galaxy-wide DKP viral outbreak, as did so many Durlan males. Those few who recovered found themselves crippled-- sterile, and unable to shape-shift. I would like to see our remaining Durlan females somehow able to find a place in U.P. society, but that would take a major change in mind-set. I have no idea how to go about it. I’m not sure I belong here.”

“Quaara is here at my invitation. As is Garridan, who reached out to the rest of you.”
“My name is Elwinda Warren-Daggle. Ah, I see that caused a stir. I am also in favor of Durlan rights. I also have my own agenda. I would like to see the insane levels of taxation among the United Planets completely done away with. I would like to see a firewall between UPGov and the Interplanetary Banks. But most of all, I am here because I am the sole beneficiary of the Daggle and Warren fortunes, including a controlling interest in Brande Industries. I would like to put that money to good use. For you, and ultimately, the future welfare of the United Planets and the Galaxy.”

“And who, or what, is that?”

“Hi, Folks! I am Mistress Elwinda’s humble servant, mechanobot Designation Seven-Three-Slash-Seven-Vee-Ex, the Super-Mannequin of Dollworld. Just happy to be here, and programmed to be of service.”

“The scene was chaos down on Legion Plaza today. Rege, you were on the scene today?”

“Thanks, Lelani. Yes, shoppers were shocked as explosions rang out around Weisinger Shopping Mall and the Legion Plaza Gift Shops this afternoon. Eye-witnesses tell us there were flashes of lightning and a robotic sky-battle. There were also reports of outbreaks of small fires, around the Mall, and one storefront collapsed when a retaining wall just seemed to vanish.

“Perhaps the oddest report we have heard is the sudden appearance of the old Legion Headquarters from the ‘6Os. Once an iconic building on the Metropolis skyline, the ‘Super-Hero Club’ headquarter was torn down decades ago. Materializing only briefly, no evidence of the building remains at this time, and evidence of the attack itself has been disappearing quickly, as City repair crews have been active on the scene.

“There has not been a terrorist attack in Metropolis for over twenty years, but it is suspected that this was an aborted attempt. No groups have claimed responsibility, but a team of renegade Sklarian Raiders has been broached as likely suspects.”

“I told you my baby sister and her band of misfit heroes would try to interfere if we struck at the Plaza. We need somewhere more distant-- but just as newsworthy. What do you think, cousin?”

“Our messaging failed, but at least we got away. We can thank our Black Phantom for that.”

“You and Darga seem to have formed a mutual admiration society.”

“This random vandalism seems pointless. What we need is more long-range plan set toward a well-defined goal. Planet Opsdomus uses old Superboy robots they purchased from the U.P. as an automated law enforcement squadron. It’s their answer to the Science Police. If we could capture a few at a time, I believe I could reprogram them, to swell our ranks.”

“You’re no technological genius. Your father only played one in the Holos.”

“True, but I am also not stupid; these robots were created using centuries-old technology based on a design by a sixteen-year-old boy. I believe I have acquired enough IT skill over the years to reprogram them.”

“I think we should go to Bgztl. I have cohorts there who can serve as ad hoc militiamen for us.”

“And just what would we do there?”

“I propose a program of targeted sabotage. The trans-dimensional ports are the only thing keeping trade between the U.P. and Bgztl freely flowing. Shut those down, and Bgztl will be forced to become independent again-- and the U.P. will have one less world to exploit.”

“And what time period are we talking about?”

“Every major city on Bgztl has a TDP depot. So, five or six hundred targets.”

“Even at an optimistic one per day, this is a project that could take over a year. And how quickly can these stations be repaired?”

“It’s not just taking them down. If we can hit each one with maximal damage, and a few serious casualties each time, whatever repair systems they have in place will become overloaded.”

“And when things begin to falter, we can make our demands known. At that point, we can even start sending out patrols to hit other points in the cities.”

“I still think that robotic reinforcements would be valuable before we start a regular program of assault.”

“OK, what if we agree that you and the Super-Mannequin head for Opsdomus, and the rest of us will go to Bgztl and scope out the situation. Take my cousin Quetzal with you; his abilities ought to be useful battling robots-- even super-robots.”