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

I agree with Harbinger it does sound like an Escher painting. Domain is a fun one to write. Can't wait to see what you do with him.

I''ll admit i'm scared for Thunder and M'Onel too.

oh Rond don't be so hard on yourself.

looking forward to more.

I also only know Domain from Omni's series so it will be interesting to see how someone else uses him...I like the team you've chosen to face him, it's an interesting blend of powers, skills and personalities

thanks guys!

I am actually a little bit pressured, seeing as how Omni has used Domain so much. Though my plans for him are very different.

Glad you all are liking the motley crew I have put together. More next month, including a resolution, I hope...

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

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Somewhere That Defies The Laws of Physics

Cosmic Boy, Rokk Krinn of Braal; magnetokinesis
Echo, Troy Stewart of Earth (South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago); sound manipulation
M'Onel, Lar Gand of Daxam; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers

Thunder, Cece Beck of 90th century Binderaan; SHAZAM-empowered human with enhanced strength, speed, durability, stamina, wisdom and flight powers (Reserve Legionnaire)

Rond Vidar of Earth (Greece and Iran); skilled scientist specializing in time studies
Shvaughn Erin of Earth (Ireland and Montenegro); Science police captain and Legion Liaison Officer (also Honorary Legionnaire)

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"Arrrghhh!" Echo arched his back as much as he could to try and stave off the pressure, but his bonds left him little room to move. There was nothingness all around them, except for bits of floating rock. Somehow, their captor could manipulate the very form of the rock they were standing on. He and his companions were all in gigantic fists of stone, stone which resisted his sonics and Cosmic Boy's magnetism.

There was nothing else to do but take it.

As the force crushing his body stopped, he allowed his body to go limp. Breathing heavily, he remembered what he had researched on resisting torture. Willpower is finite, and the less of it you spent trying not to scream, the better. Because you would scream, eventually.

"Stop it!" Cosmic Boy glared at their captor, as he struggled with his own bonds. "It's me you want, so leave them alone!"

Their captor laughed, a deep, rumbling laugh. Echo forced himself to look. He couldn't explain it; the assassin called Domain hovered in front of him, but the sound of his voice seemed to come from... well, everywhere. Try as he might, his sonic powers could not pinpoint a single source of the arrogant taunting.

Domain chuckled again, sending chills down Echo's spine. "It IS you I want, Rokk Krinn. You are the only one of my marks to escape me." Domain folded his arms over his chest; as he moved, his right sleeve split open to reveal several bloody gashes. It was just as the report said; Domain had been injured when Cosmic Boy had turned his own weapons against him.* Yet somehow, he had survived. But how, Echo again couldn't explain. His injuries didn't seem to have healed at all.

The right side of Domain's face twisted in a smile, but the left was covered in blood. "But I know enough about you, to know that torturing your friends is the biggest way to give you pain! I will enjoy watching you scream as they do; and then, I will kill you slowly and painfully." He raised his left arm, and Shvaughn Erin was lifted up. The Science Police captain visibly steeled herself, all the while glaring daggers at Domain. "I have no quarrel with either of you two," Domain said, almost apologetically. "But Rokk Krinn is responsible for my current state. I will make him pay."

It took seventeen seconds before Shvaughn began screaming. This time, Echo couldn't bring himself to look.

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"So, basically, he can do whatever he wants." Rond Vidar made a show of removing his spectacles and cleaning them with a cloth. He didn't need to, but it helped him keep calm. "And neither of you two have your full powers, while all the allies here with us are his captives. So, tell me again how we can win?"

"We think," Thunder said calmly and confidently. "The Wisdom of Solomon has given me an idea." Rond shook his head; he was comfortable enough examining Thunder for the effects of her travels through time, but he had difficulty wrapping his head around her magically-imbued abilities! For him, magic was simply a natural phenomenon that science hadn't explained yet. But while he could theorize as to how Thunder gained flight, speed, strength and durability, he still had yet to come upon the theory that explained how wisdom, of all attributes, could be granted with a magic word.

Thunder gave him a glance as she continued. Rond wasn't unsettled; his skepticism had been well-established in their earlier meetings. "Domain's crimes suggest he cares about his reputation as an assassin. And though his injuries seem to have left him changed, his ego is big enough that he will still find it important."

M'Onel frowned. "So you think Rond's hypothesis, that Domain can somehow "infect" our reality with his dimension-altering powers but can no longer physically move himself into it, is correct?"

"It makes sense," Thunder began. Rond cut her off, a bit too hastily. He mentally kicked himself for getting defensive, but continued anyway. "It certainly does. From what your faulty telescopic vision can tell, Domain seems to somehow be merged with the fabric of this alternate dimension of his. And his injuries are consistent with Cosmic Boy's report from the end of their battle. It stands to reason that Domain somehow survived by merging his form with this dimension. And as Cosmic Boy observed, he cannot fully control or alter said dimension - that's how he was defeated in the first place.* Furthermore, we are fortunate that I have my instruments with me. Every time Domain manipulates this dimension, I detect a surge of chronal energy." Rond swallowed; the torture that Domain was inflicting on Shvaughn Erin and Echo was distasteful. But every time he began crushing them with his stone fists, the handheld time beacon he carried in his lab coat detected a spike. "I think I can harness that energy to get us home. But I will need a much bigger spike than before - at least ten times the magnitude."

"So if we can get him to expend his energy on someone who can withstand the punishment..." M'Onel continued.

"Exactly," Thunder finished. "But it will be risky. Especially considering our fading powers."

M'Onel and Rond looked at each other. M'Onel shrugged. "Well, it's not like we have any better ideas at the moment..."

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

Cosmic Boy fought back tears as he watched Shvaughn Erin slump forward. He thought he had heard some bones crack when Domain held her in his clutches. He forced himself to stay calm; though it might be good to let Domain know he was affecting him, so he wouldn't hurt Shvaughn and Echo too much, he also needed a clear head to think. He sized up his companions; they were weak and in pain, but Echo at least was looking around, observing. Good. He had scored extremely well during the Cadets' exam, and Cos knew he had a good head on his shoulders. Shvaughn too; she had proven herself in dangerous situations before. Now he needed to wait for an opening...

He nearly gasped as a reddish blur crashed in front of them. He coughed as dust erupted; and when it cleared, his eyes widened. "Thunder!"

His blonde teammate groaned visibly as she tried to stagger to her feet. "Uh... stupid... thought I had better control of my powers than that..." She leaped forward to tackle Domain, who merely laughed. With a wave of his arm, he caused another fist of rock to erupt from the ground. Thunder could only groan as it stopped her in mid-air. "Ah, so you've finally come to find us, Legionnaire." Domain leaned forward, staring at her. "You were new when I was still among our reality," he whispered. "I should have paid more attention to the newslinks about you."

Thunder stared defiantly at him. "Afraid that I'm too powerful for you?"

Domain laughed, a deep throaty laugh. Rokk hated it; you could tell that Domain enjoyed torturing his captives. "Oh, I don't think it will be long before I show you that nobody can stand up to me!" The stone fist around Thunder began contracting, and Thunder threw her head back.

"Stop it!" Rokk said, despite himself. Then he saw it - something that was extremely subtle, but recognizable to those who knew to look for it. Thunder had her middle and pointer fingers crossed. It was a Legion sign that meant to follow the signaler's lead. Thinking quickly, Rokk continued. "She has the stamina of Atlas and the power of Zeus! You can't break her!"

"Quit while you're ahead," Shvaughn laughed. As Legion-Science Police liaison, she knew most of their code signals too. "It's one thing to crush a baseline human, another to crush a Shazam-empowered meta!"

Echo made a show of shaking his head. "Typical. Biting off more than you can chew..."

Domain growled. "I'll show you I'm not afraid of you!" Making a show of forming his hands into fists, he caused the rock encasing Thunder to contract upon itself. She let off a howl of pain. Rokk steeled himself, hoping it was just an act. If it were, it was incredibly convincing. Sweat dripped down his back as he prayed M'Onel and Rond Vidar were out there, ready to make their next move.

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IB's notes:

1) Legionnaires 70. Domain dragged Cosmic Boy and others into his alternate dimension, and created magnetic spheres that were attracted by Cosmic Boy's powers, and exploded upon contact. However, he seemed to have only limited control on them; Cos was able to magnetize the spheres to him, but jumped out of the way at the last second so they hit Domain instead. Domain was badly injured, and his dimension faded away.

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

Chameleon, Reep Daggle of Durla; shapeshifting
Gravity, Tel Vole of Earth (Cambodia and Thailand); gravity manipulation
Kinetix, Zoe Saugin of Aleph; advanced telekinesis and animation of objects
Magno, Dyrk Magz of Braal; magnetokinesis

Density, Jed Rikane of Earth (Mongolia and Nepal); controls his body's density; increasing density grants a degree of strength and durability, decreasing makes him lighter but without phasing
Lamprey, Tayla Skott of Earth (Maldives and Palau); underwater survival; hydrokinesis
Mandalla, Tari Wahlmunn of Takron-Galtos; projects a thought-sphere that affects the target's mental and physical functions
Night Girl, Lydda Jath of Kathoon; super-strength in darkness
Splitter, Floyd Belkin of Lallor; ability to detach his limbs from his torso
Stone Boy, Dag Wentim of Zwen; turns self into stone
Tellus, Ganglios of Hykraius; telepathy and telekinesis

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"... And I spent hours waiting to clear Titan customs," Magno laughed as he and Chameleon walked into the VR room. "I don't feel bad, though; even Rokk had to wait hours when he visited on official Legion business! And I was only there to get fitted for a tuxedo for Garth and Imra's wedding..."*

Chameleon smirked as he shifted his form. In seconds, he was "wearing" a top hat, coattails and was carrying a staff. "I guess I shouldn't gloat about MY shapeshifting, huh?"

Magno punched Cham on the arm playfully. "No, but you did it, anyway." The two laughed; they had gotten a bit closer after they, and their respective significant others XS and Spark, had joined Kinetix, Violet, Blizzard and Tenzil on the last leg of their Asian trip. Chameleon still marveled at the sheer beauty of Mount Everest and the beaches of Palawan Island in the Philippines. Durla was almost all rock, and very drab; he still found it amazing that Earth had such a diverse ecosystem. But sadly, the vacation was over, and they had tons of Legion business to do. They had just come from a session where Magno had spoken about his Science Police career to many of the Cadets whom the Legion felt didn't have the powers - or control over their powers - to potentially become full-time, Active Legionnaires. Cham himself had spoken about his experiences as a de facto United Planets diplomat. Grife knows, both institutions could use more good people. Night Girl and Stone Boy had been very keen, as both knew there was little chance they would ever hone their powers enough to overcome their limitations. Mandalla, on the other hand, had quizzed them both on potentially open positions on the Legion World support staff. Chameleon knew that Mandalla had a very weak citizenship, as UP worlds go; like his own Durlan citizenship, Mandalla's Takron-Galtos passport severely limited her options for migration. Gaining Legion World support staff status would open many doors for her.

Cham's reverie was interrupted by a loud crunch. He and Magno looked to see Tellus and Kinetix floating nearby, with debris strewn all around. Tellus was apologizing profusely. "I am sorry, Kinetix," he began. "This pile was too heavy for me... I am nowhere near as powerful a telekinetic as you are..."

"That's not the point, Tellus," Zoe sighed. Her tone was full of exasperation. "Consistency is more important than power; else, why would we accept Timber Wolf or Ferro despite them not being as strong as M'Onel or Andromeda?" With a wave of her hand, she gathered up the debris in her own telekinetic field. "You're powerful enough to be effective on missions, Tellus. But what we need you to do is to know your limits and be able to articulate them for us. Imagine you're on a rescue mission, and someone's trapped under a collapsed building. If you say you can lift the rubble, we will proceed accordingly; and if you can't, we'll figure something else out. But we need to know how much you can lift to plan properly, and only you can tell us that!"

"I think I understand..." Tellus began stammering. Magno and Cham shared looks. The active membership had debated just that when voting on Gravity's membership, and the consensus was that, despite him being weaker than Star Boy, the margin was slim. He was powerful enough to hold his own on most missions; and unlike Night Girl or Stone Boy, he could become stronger with continued training. Theoretically, anyway; he was the product of Earthgov experiments seeking to replicate Star Boy's powers. Luckily, they had succeeded.

Speak of the devil, Cham thought. Gravity was flying towards them. "Hey Reep, hey Dyrk," he began cheerfully. "I wanted to ask you about the latest bylaws on minimum acceptable power levels based on mission type..."

Behind Gravity, Splitter raised his hand, and let it fall. Cham's heart almost broke; the poor Cadet looked so crestfallen. Among the current Cadets, he was one of those with the slimmest of chances of becoming an Active Legionnaire, based on powerset. Cham gave Magno a look. "I can handle this, Dyrk," he began. "I was part of the committee that defined those levels. I think Splitter needs to speak with you." Dyrk gave him a look of gratitude. Since becoming an Active Legionnaire, Gravity had spent endless hours lobbying with the other Active members on his boyfriend Density's behalf. "Thanks, Reep," Dyrk said.

Cham put Dyrk and Splitter out of his mind as he turned to face Gravity. "What's up, Tel?"

"I wanted to check the interpretation of this clause," Tel began. "It says, in any situation a Legionnaire is expected to be able to use the full extent of its power. But how does that work, considering that Andromeda and M'Onel lose their powers under a red sun, or that Umbra's darkfield vanishes under a powerful-enough light, or that Saturn Girl and Mentalla can't affect robotic minds, or that Nightwind can't conjure up winds in a vacuum, or that our Braalians can't affect non-magnetic substances?"

Cham resisted the urge to rub his temples. Thankfully, Zoe had just given a very good example to Tellus, so he could use that. But he knew Gravity was smart enough to know this, and was just looking for ways to convince the membership to let Density in at the next tryouts. "Look, Tel. I know that you and Jed really want to get Active membership together so you will have greater stability in your relationship. But frankly, this isn't the right way to go about it."

Gravity's eyes widened in mock surprise. "What do you mean?" he chirped. Cham fixed him with a stare. After a few seconds, Tel's fake smile melted away. His shoulders slumped forward. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I know I'm being annoying..."

Cham put a reassuring hand on Tel's shoulder, being careful to touch the part that was covered by his costume. Grife knows, these non-shapeshifting carbon-form humanoids could be picky about touch. "Look, you have to realize that Jed came very close to receiving an offer. We just feel that he doesn't appreciate the full extent of his density powers. If you want, I can give him extra training sessions. I'm one of the most experienced at that."

Tel's face shot up, and a grin spread over his face. "That would be wonderful!" he chirped. He raised his flight ring to his lips. "I'll call him now!"

"Ah, yes, and let's schedule one," Cham stammered quickly. He already had an appointment with Lamprey - someone else who had come very close, but who needed to improve on her ability to draw moisture from the atmosphere to use as a weapon in situations where she had no access to water. "I should be free tomorrow morning..."

"It's a date," Tel squealed. He squeezed Cham's hand in thanks, and bounced off with a wink. Cham shook his head with a smile. Whenever he felt exasperated by the new kids, he reminded himself that most of them had good intentions. He spotted Lamprey approaching, and headed in her direction.

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

Magno shook his head as he detached himself from a grim Splitter. It hadn't been easy, explaining the majority stance on Splitter's powers. Yes, detaching limbs could unnerve an opponent, but the Legion had to hold itself to a higher standard than that, given the situations the team faced. Dyrk felt pangs of empathy, though; when he himself had been depowered**, he had despaired that he would never be a Legionnaire again. Regaining his powers had been a stroke of luck mixed with magic and science. But how would Splitter, with his limitations, ever boost his powers enough to earn active membership?

His Omnicom beeped, and Dyrk put Splitter put of his mind as he read the message from his sister Trin. She had always been closest to him; big borther Omar was too arrogant and overbearing, and younger brother Lev was too immature. But Trin, being only a year younger, had always understood him well. He still smiled whenever he remembered finally introducing Trin to Sensor; the two had gotten along immediately due to their appreciation for art.

He reminded himself to thank Live Wire and Saturn Girl for allowing him to bring Trin along to their wedding. She had squealed with glee at the thought of attending the wedding of two Legionnaires.

As he flew towards the VR room exit, he began idly thinking of where he would take Trin when she visited Legion World and Earth. Perhaps Burkina Faso, for the African music festival. Or Samarkand and Osh, for the ancient Silk Road cities. Or the sacred megalithic temples of Malta...

He began humming to himself as he flew out of the VR Room, not noticing the tendrils of inky whiteness creeping along the walls...

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IB's notes:

1) L* 38, on a goodwill tour that Cosmic Boy, Live Wire and Saturn Girl did to Titan to help mend ties between Braal and Titan.

2) Magno lost his powers in L*50. He spent some time on permanent Monitor Board duty on the Legion Outpost, and as a Science Police officer. He only regained his powers in my fic, never in canon! He finally regained his powers by a contraption that Impulse and White Witch drew up that allowed him to absorb magnetic fields to jump-start his own abilities, and a magnetic surge from villainous Braalian Repulse was strong enough to repower him.

Hi IB,

The Domain mission looks to be shaping up nicely and he is certainly much scarier and darker in your work.
I loved Thunder's Wisdom about Domain's pride and reputation.
Ha! of course Rond can't wrap his mind around magically induced wisdom.
Oh Rond. At least he fully recognizes what he does wrong. Now just gotta work on getting him to apologize in the moment.

I've re read but can't seem to find where you explain why Thunder and M'onel's power's aren't working. is it because of Domain's control? or has it not been explained yet?

Oh wow he's fused with the technology? That sounds way more dangerous than what he was capable of before, especially since he can bleed it over to reality making him a true reality warper something I don't think we've seen a lot of, if at all in the DCU.
I like that the team has figured out ways to communicate without having to always use the telepathic earplugs and it would make sense.
Someday we'll need a play book and protocol list from your team.

Gravity Kid is super egar about Jed getting in. But I'm glad that Cham was able to talk him down into accepting more training sessions.

I'm glad Magno's branching out. He and Cham seem to get along nicely.


Haha this made me laugh out loud. Love when we see Cham's inner monologue about non shapeshifters.

I like how your Legion is always working toward the better meant of everyone and finding a place for their cadets even if they aren't 100% perfect to be a legionnaire.
I also like how you bring up the difficulties of interplanetary migration and how it affect their opportunities for just about everything.
Another list of laws we might need to see.

Kinetix and Tellus' moment was also well done. Zoe makes a great point. raw power isn't what its all about. I hope Tellus can gain the confidence needed to gain the control he needs to join.
Poor Splitter. I wish there was a way to upgrade him.


is Domain coming for the rest of the team or is this another threat? has the VR room come to life?

Can't wait for more.

Hi Omni, thanks for the usual thorough comments! Domain used to be a contract killer, so I figured I would pick up on that in my take on him.



No, this part I haven't explained yet. Watch this space for something in the conclusion!




Yeah, maybe after I finish Volume 4 I'll put some thought into actually writing and compiling these



I think he could eventually. And he would certainly add to the diversity on the team. If not in powers, at least in origins!



Sadly, short of another Monitor experimenting on him, it seems unlikely.



watch this space for the answer... next installment

I love Thunder's plan, it's so comic-booky

Also I really like the others trusting that she knows what she's doing, it shows good teamwork!

I feel sorry for Splitter too...I wonder if the Subs could be in his future?


Man, Domain is scary! I only know him from here and Omni's writing but he definitely seems like someone who gets beaten by intelligence and not raw power!

Thanks, raz! Comic-booky is a compliment, considering the origin of our team And good teamwork is something the Legion has in spades. I love highlighting that aspect.

Domain's powers were so ill-defined in his lone appearance. It's a good thing he's cocky and arrogant, makes beating him easier - especially for crafty, clever good guys (and the Wisdom of Solomon doesn't hurt, either!)

Didn't remember Domain myself, but he's plenty memorable here!

It just struck me that you list Shvaughn's origin from Ireland and Montenegro. Did you just choose Montenegro at random or is there some link to fictional detective Nero Wolfe?

It makes perfect sense that there would be limits to a Takron-Galtos passport. I wonder if T-G has a rep at the United Planets - Lythyl did and you figure that there might have been restrictions on Lythyl passports as well.

I like the idea of Lamprey learning to pull moisture from the air. We've sometimes had these examples of characters learning to expand or develop their native powers, but not enough. You fan fic writers do a much better job at that!

Hi FC, glad you’re liking Domain!

I chose Montenegro at random to represent the Balkans. But now I have to look up Nero Wolfe!

Takron-Galtos is an interesting case. with its own passport and citizenship, I imagine there should be a UP rep pushing for citizens to be recognized as staff or people born there. those incarcerated shouldn’t be included. but also, most of those born there have birthright citizenship by blood from their parents’ homeworlds. and most staff came from elsewhere. Mandalla is a relatively unique case indeed, as she renounced her birth citizenship

Happy you like Lamprey expanding her power uses! more characters will be doing that in the future

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

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Somewhere That Defies The Laws of Physics

Cosmic Boy, Rokk Krinn of Braal; magnetokinesis
Echo, Troy Stewart of Earth (South Africa and Trinidad and Tobago); sound manipulation
M'Onel, Lar Gand of Daxam; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers

Thunder, Cece Beck of 90th century Binderaan; SHAZAM-empowered human with enhanced strength, speed, durability, stamina, wisdom and flight powers (Reserve Legionnaire)

Rond Vidar of Earth (Greece and Iran); skilled scientist specializing in time studies
Shvaughn Erin of Earth (Ireland and Montenegro); Science police captain and Legion Liaison Officer (also Honorary Legionnaire)

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Amp, Ming Sul of Earth (Korea and Taiwan); amplifies the natural abilities of self and others
Apparition, Tinya Wazzo of Bgztl; intangibility
Chameleon, Reep Daggle of Durla; shapeshifting
Dreamer, Nura Nal of Naltor; precognition
Ferro, Andrew Nolan of 20th century Earth (USA); previously could turn his body into durable iron, but now stuck in his iron form
Gear, I.Z.O.R. of Linsnar; bio-mechanical techno-morphing
Gravity, Tel Vole of Earth (Cambodia and Thailand); gravity manipulation
Kid Quantum II, Jazmin Cullen of Xanthu; time manipulation. Current Legion leader.
Kinetix, Zoe Saugin of Aleph; advanced telekinesis and animation of objects
Lume, of Silvan; energy being made of light
Magno, Dyrk Magz of Braal; magnetokinesis
Microbe, Drura Sehpt of Somahtur; generate and control harmful and beneficial microorganisms
Particon, Jennifer Sanchez of Earth (India and Philippines); "hard light" energy casting and manipulation, disruption of energy flow
Rebound, Chuck Taine of Earth (Canada and Uzbekistan); inflates into a durable bouncing form
Shikari Lonestar of the Kwai; pathfinding, armored skin and claws allowing for flight and survival in space
Star Boy, Thom Kallor of Xanthu; gravity manipulation
Timber Wolf, Brin Londo of Zuun; enhanced speed, strength, durability, senses and regenerative powers
Triad, Luornu Durgo of Cargg; triplication
Ultra Boy, Jo Nah of Rimbor; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers and flight, but can only use one power at a time
Violet, Salu Digby of Imsk; shrinks and grows own body
Wildfire, Drake Burroughs (energy gestalt of two beings); anti-energy being
XS, Jenni Ognats of Aarok; super-speed

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Shvaughn Erin used the mental exercise her grandfather had taught her, over a decade ago now in the emerald hills of Ireland. “Ignore the discomfort, focus on the goal,” his eyes had twinkled. That had always been his response whenever she began complaining of tired feet as they walked through the fields where he still kept the sheep that Earthgov protected as part of Ireland’s heritage. “There’s a nice pie for you at the end of this walk.”

Shvaughn felt the pain in her limbs fade away; the pain was still there, but she could ignore it, for the moment. As her focus sharpened, she saw Echo’s eyes widen slightly. Only for a micro, and then she heard it.

“Shvaughn, Mon says, you have several hairline fractures in your leg.”

She glanced at Domain; his attention was all on Thunder, who was making a show of gritting her teeth while wrapped in a fist of stone. Shvaughn hung her head so her mouth could not be seen, just in case, and began speaking in the softest tone possible. She
knew he would hear it too; while Echo was needed to relay his message, he would hear hers. “I’m fine for now. What’s the plan?”

She listened as Echo’s voice sounded again. “Rond is safe, and he is drawing on the chronal energies Domain is throwing off. Mon’s powers are fading, Thunder’s are too but not as quickly. If she can keep up long enough, Rond thinks he can…”

“You arrogant worm!” Shvaughn jerked her head up in time to see the hand of rock slam Thunder face first into the ground. She gave a pained cry, and tried to stand. Quickly, the fist formed into an open palm and swatted Thunder to the side. She rolled over and over, and staggered to her knees. “The Power of Zeus won’t be beaten this easily, Domain!”

“Plucky girl,” Shvaughn muttered under her breath.

“So are you,” Echo replied. Shvaughn shook her head. “Part of the job,” she laughed under her breath. “Wish my old squad could see how the Legion Liaison Officer desk job is turning out…”

This bravado was more for M’Onel’s benefit than anything else. Lar was all too keenly aware of how much more power he had than the average sentient being, especially as he had grown up without them. And despite the great control he had developed, he insisted on only touching Shvaughn under the powerful red sun lamp Brainiac 5 and Gear had installed in his personal quarters.

Her reverie faded as she scolded herself. She was supposed to focus, sprock it! She whispered again. “What’s the play, then?’

A moment’s pause, then Echo began to speak again. Shvaughn listened intently, keenly aware that she could do little against Domain, but determined to show that she could still pull her weight.

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“Shvaughn can be so stubborn sometimes…” M’Onel muttered as he trained his x-ray vision on her. Blurry as it was, he could still make out the fracture spreading across her right femur.

“Tell me about it,” Rond muttered. “Science fascists…”

“How much longer?” Lar hated rushing people, but he didn’t want Rond to distract himself with another freedom-of-research rant. “Thunder hides it well, but she is weakening too, remember?”

Rond clicked his tongue. “If the instruments in my lab had been transported here too, I could give you a better estimate, you know.”

“Give me the best one you have,” Lar pressed. He could feel his own heartbeat increasing; though they had distracted Domain by presenting Thunder as an unbreakable target, they couldn’t be sure that his rage would last long enough to remember that he had three more captives – including Cosmic Boy, the target of his revenge.

“Soon enough,” Rond snapped back as he fiddled with the chronal energy detector he had. “Fascinating, Domain is proving the Pocket Universe theory right… The entrances to adjacent universes do seem to intersect at certain points within our universe… and those points can be predicted, if we only know what to look for…”

“And if it’s right, we can re-enter ours at the same point we left,” Lar finished. “I know that already, Rond. Please focus.”

“I am more focused than you could imagine,” Rond retorted as he continued working. Lar didn’t bother to reply; he kept his vision trained on Shvaughn and the others. Especially on Shvaughn. Cupping his hands in Echo’s direction, he whispered a message.
“Hang tight, it won’t be long now…”

Thunder screamed, a few seconds longer than her body felt the need to. She did not need the Wisdom of Solomon to know that Cosmic Boy, Shvaughn and Echo were all playing along with her act. It was painful, yes. But she could bear it. Now if only she could keep Domain’s attention on her invulnerable form, rather than on her more fragile friends…

Which was easier said than done.

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“Bah! This is too slow!” Domain roared. “Stupid invulnerable Marvel!” Thunder’s breath caught as she watched the stone fists holding Shvaughn and Echo rise. “I want you to pay, Rokk Krinn! And, stupid noble hero that you are, I know that you will hurt more if I hurt your friends!” Shvaughn threw her head back as the fist around her squeezed.

“No!” Cosmic Boy’s scream was even louder than Thunder’s. “I’m the one you want, sprock it!”

“Yes, and I will keep you here while I kidnap each of your friends. And your parents, and your brother,” Domain’s mouth widened in a horrible, horrible smile. “I will watch you scream as they do. As each of them dies gasping with your name on their lips.” Echo’s cries grew strangled, and Thunder thought she heard a bone snap.

“Rond only needs six milliseconds,” Thunder heard M’Onel whisper as if he stood beside her.

Shvaughn’s head fell forward.

“Stop it, Domain!” Cosmic Boy struggled, and Thunder could feel the magnetic forces emanating from him. Useless against rock, though.

“Cece… you have to help Shvaughn. Please.” M’Onel’s voice held a pleading that Thunder had never heard before.

Six milliseconds. Thunder knew she could buy that much time. She had to.

Shvaughn’s groan turned into screaming. So did Echo’s, and he was losing control of his powers. Waves of sonic energy erupted from his mouth, deafening Thunder even as Domain threw his own head back to laugh.

With a mighty roar, Thunder pushed outwards, shattering the rock holding her. She had been reducing her strength the whole time, lulling Domain into a false sense of security. She raced forward, and tempering her strength, punched the rock around Shvaughn and Echo just so. As her friends fell forward, Thunder grabbed each gently. Both were still breathing. She needed to get them out there…

She gasped as she felt herself being yanked backwards. She barely managed to hold on to Shvaughn and Echo as she did. Glancing, she saw that Domain had conjured up tendrils of a rubbery substance to grab her cape. “I won’t drop you…” she whispered to the feeble forms of her friends as she was pulled up towards Domain’s leering face. “So, you were not as weakened as you pretended…” he hissed.

Thunder defiantly stopped herself from replying. Now was not the time to rile a disturbed psychopath like Domain, not when she had two vulnerable colleagues with her.

More rubbery strands of… something… formed behind Domain. They whirred and shifted, like living ink. Then they shimmered, forming into sharp, gleaming steel. “This will hurt a lot,” Domain laughed.

Below them, Cosmic Boy screamed once more. “Hurt me! Hurt me instead!”

“Not a chance!” Domain spat. “You WILL hurt, Rokk Krinn… but in a different way!”

Thunder tried to turn around so her back was to Domain. If only she could shield Shvaughn and Echo, they might have a chance…

“Let us go, Thunder…” Shvaughn whispered. Thunder had never heard her sound so weak before.

“Grife, my first mission as a full Legionnaire…” Echo went limp.

“You will die!” Domain shrieked as his sharp tendrils flew forward.

“NOOOOO!” Thunder gasped as a red blur streaked in front of them. “M’Onel, no! You’re not invulnerable!”

“I know!” That was all Lar Gand could say before a cloud of dust erupted in front of them. Thunder coughed; as the dust cleared, she saw M’Onel holding one large chunk of rock in each hand. Brilliant! He had brought pieces of stone as shields. “I should have known…” Thunder thought.

“Fool!” Domain waved his arm, and a cascade of stone flew at M’Onel from below, knocking the weakened Daxamite around. M’Onel grunted as he crashed into a large floating rock, and again as he bounced on its surface. He landed with a thump; Thunder could see his arm shaking in pain as he tried to pull himself up. Before he could, the stone formed around him again. “What did you hope to accomplish, you weakened fool? You are nothing without your powers!”

“Wrong, Domain.” Lar Gand’s voice was calm and unshaken as he stared at Domain right in the eyes. “None of us here is nothing. Look at Shvaughn; she has no powers but she didn’t give in to you. And Rond Vidar has no powers either, but he will save us all.”
Thunder thought that even the weak ears of Tellus could have heard a pin drop. “Rond Vidar?” Domain squeaked.

“You discounted him because he has no powers,” M’Onel laughed. “And now…”

“Now you’re going to lose.” A glowing white triangle – the tell-tale sign of a Threshold - appeared behind Domain, and Rond Vidar appeared, being carried by a frowning Ultra Boy. Kid Quantum II followed close behind, and Thunder saw a dozen others behind her.
“Kinetix, Gravity….!” Jazmin barked.

“Say no more, fearless leader,” Zoe quipped as she dissolved the bonds around Thunder, Shvaughn, Echo and Cosmic Boy. Thunder felt herself being lifted up as Gravity’s power surrounded her. Shikari flew up to them as another Threshold appeared. “I have come to take you home, Marvel Legion,” Shikari announced. “I can stay, Shikari,” Thunder said through clenched teeth. “Take Shvaughn and Echo.”

“As you wish,” Shikari said. She jumped into the Threshold, Gravity following close behind with Shvaughn and Echo in tow. Thunder clenched her fists as she watched Domain. He had conjured up hundreds of tendrils, and was swatting at the reinforcements with reckless abandon. A tendril passed harmlessly through Apparition’s intangible form, while Ultra Boy was shielding Rond, who was typing furiously on am Omnicom. Kid Quantum II aged another tendril to dust, while Kinetix deftly deflected a half-dozen more as she worked to free Cosmic Boy. Amp was leaning beside M’Onel; the red glow that signalled her power surrounded the Daxamite, and with a mighty flex he broke free of his own prison.

“Watch it, Thunder!” Cece gasped as someone pulled her to the side. A tendril slammed into where her head had been seconds ago. “Oh… thanks, Nura.”

“Any time,” Dreamer replied calmly. “Now, if you would please fly us three klicks to the right…” Thunder complied, dodging another attack. She landed beside Ultra Boy and Rond.

“I did it I did it…” Rond was mumbling as he jabbed his Omnicom. “Circadia Senius will eat his hearts out…”

“Focus, Rond!” Ultra Boy snapped as another tendril slammed into his back. “Great that you brought us here, now focus on sealing this place off!”

Dreamer placed her hand on her forehead. “Domain is adapting,” she said. “Tinya! He’s going to work through your intangibility!”

Apparition jumped as she heard Dreamer’s warning; a tendril tore a hole through her cape as it passed through where she had jumped from. “Grife, you’re right! I’m still intangible,” Tinya called back.

“He’s getting faster too!” Thunder could barely make out XS’ voice as she ran around Domain, dodging tendrils left and right. “At least Chuck is doing better!”

“Barely!” Rebound replied as he bounced from tendril to tendril. “I have to make sure I’m hitting their sides! These things are sharp!” Close to him, Wildfire and Particon were standing back-to-back, using their powers to form an energy shield; metallic sparks flew as tendrils battered against it. Star Boy’s body glowed purple as he used his powers to increase his mass, while Ferro braced himself as tendrils crashed into his iron form. Chameleon’s pliable body oozed and flowed as he dodged Domain’s attacks, while more tendrils passed harmlessly through Lume’s energy form. Timber Wolf’s agility was also being pushed to the limit, as tendrils crashed around him.

“We have to end this now, Rond!” Thunder gasped as a violet blur signalled the arrival of Violet. “I can’t even grow anymore. Domain is pressing too hard!”

“I’m trying!” Rond snapped. “But Domain is creating some sort of interference around him… Can’t get a Threshold to activate behind him…”

“But can you seal him off then?” Kid Quantum II barked as she surrounded them in a quantum bubble. Tendrils smashed against it, aging to dust within seconds after penetrating it. “If we can trap him here…”

“You won’t do it!” Domain shrieked. The floating rocks around them started flying towards him. “I will not let you thwart me!”

“That’s it, Legionnaires! Retreat! Control, give us a Threshold!” Kid Quantum II yelled into her flight ring. Barely a second later, Shikari’s head popped out of another triangular doorway. “Come, Legion friends!”

Domain screamed as the Legionnaires began flying to their exit. “No! You will all die here!” Waves of sharp metallic limbs began to descend at them. Thunder could see several of her teammates’ hands glowing as they began to form shields around them.

“Stop it, Domain! You’re crazy!!” Cosmic Boy flew up, supported by Kinetix and Magno. “It’s me you want, just let everyone else go.”

Domain paused for a moment. “You’re right… it’s you I want… to suffer. And now I have the opportunity to really make you hurt!” Domain pointed his arm at the Threshold, and it began to widen, somehow. Thunder could not describe what she was seeing any more clearly than that. She saw Shikari’s startled face as Shikari somehow moved towards them… and so did the entire Legion World command center. Triad, Gear and Microbe were among the shocked faces Thunder recognized as the whole artificial planetoid somehow shifted through space towards them. Domain’s maniacal laughter reverberated through the whole dimension as Legion World loomed closer and closer.

“Rond!” Kid Quantum II barked. “How do we stop this?”

“I… I don’t know…” Rond stammered. “I can’t… I know how to use the chronal energy as a pointer, but… but…”

“Domain, listen to me!” Kinetix and Magno staggered backwards as Cosmic Boy propelled himself forward using his magnetic abilities. “No you don’t, Cos!” Magno tried to pull Cosmic Boy back towards him; he was strong enough to slow Rokk down, but the former magnoball champion was still much stronger. Still, Rokk hung in the air for a moment, though he began to advance slowly. “I’ll help you,” Kinetix muttered as her telekinetic field encased Cosmic Boy. “Together now… UH!” Zoe cried out as a tendril slammed into her and Dyrk, throwing them both forward. Rokk used the opportunity to fly straight towards Domain’s mouth. “Nobody else will be hurt because of me!” he yelled as he gathered all his magnetic energies. “Domain! Stop it now!”

“You are indeed correct, Cosmic Boy.” Rokk gasped as everything just… stopped. Legion World still appeared through the tear in space that Domain was causing; Kinetix and Magno’s bodies bounced off a rock; XS hung in mid-air as she leaped past a tendril; Rebound was in mid-bounce; Kid Quantum II in mid-scream as she called Rokk’s name. Only he and Domain could move.

“Well, well, well. The arrogant Cosmic Boy, humbled at last.”

Rokk froze. That voice. The last time he had heard it…* He had barely made a dent. Resisting the urge to attack, he clenched his fists and steeled himself.

“What do you want, Trapper?!”

“I want to be amused. Perhaps that will involve turning you into an infant…” Cos gasped as he suddenly shrank, his costume loosening around him. He could barely think, and he could not speak… “Or a wizened old man…” Cos grew again, but his back began to ache. He gasped as his hands began to wrinkle. “Or maybe devolve you into protoplasm…”

“Bah! Cosmic Boy is mine to play with!” Domain stretched his hand out, then gasped. “Why is nothing happening??”

“Fool. The only reason you still live is because of me. I saved you and empowered you,” The Trapper laughed. “And now you only have power that I will you to have.”

“I…” Domain bowed. He had been a contract killer and assassin, and despite his burning desire for revenge, he knew there were instances when he had to be cautious. This was definitely one of those times. Besides, the Trapper clearly hated Cosmic Boy as well. Perhaps he could still get what he wanted.

“I want Cosmic Boy to suffer, but he must live,” the Trapper sounded thoughtful. “Events must play out as they will.” He ran a finger lazily around the frozen Legionnaires, settling on XS. “Ah my dear, you have played your part well. With the visions I imparted into you, you restored your universe**. And you as well, my dear Zoe,” he pointed at Kinetix. “Without your restoration, your universe would never have returned. And neither would I.”

“What are you talking about?” Cosmic Boy snapped. “Are you saying…?”

“That I orchestrated the return of our universe? Of course,” the Trapper sounded triumphant. “I am tied to this universe, as other Time Trappers are tied to theirs. Its existence means I exist, and the other way around.”

“That such an evil being as you can…” Cos’ mouth felt dry.

“What is evil?” The Trapper laughed. “I helped you restart time, you young fool.*** I am not evil, I am a force of nature.”

“You manipulated us, dragging us into alternate realities!”

“For amusement,” The Trapper laughed. “You came to no lasting harm. Though I do understand from your outbursts that you children did not appreciate being given false memories.**** But I stopped, didn’t I?”

“Until now!”

“Yes, well, this is a very important junction in your history,” the Trapper laughed. “You see, Cosmic Boy, you Legionnaires are extremely, extremely important. There are threats out there that only you can defeat, with some assistance from myself. Now, I have learned to keep my involvement secret from you mortals, considering how temperamental you are. But this fool –“ the Trapper gestured towards Domain, who wisely stayed silent. “This fool escaped when my attention was otherwise occupied, and now we have this mess.”

The Trapper studied the fissure through which Legion World was visible. “A simple matter to heal this rift, and I should. Now for you…” The Trapper cupped Cosmic Boy’s chin. “You insignificant little speck. You must not die, for you still have a key role to play as well. And so do the two you will seek out. Now, you will forget our conversation ever happened. But you will remember one thing: you must seek out Kon-El and Sandy Anderson.”

Before Cosmic Boy could react, a rainbow of colors appeared. They were not so much in front of him as they were in his mind; Brainiac 5 had explained long ago, this was the manner by which most beings’ minds tried to make sense of the timestream.

“No…” Cosmic Boy muttered.

“Yes,” the Time Trapper laughed. “Now, forget.”

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

XS felt a momentary flash of confusion, if only for the shortest of instances, barely even perceptible to a super-speedster. But something had happened, for sure.

Her attention was drawn elsewhere though; Domain began to scream as his body glowed in all colors of the rainbow – no, all colors of the visible spectrum.

“What’s happening to meeeeeeeee” his scream faded as he…. Vanished. Vanished into nothingness. Then the glow surrounding him expanded outward.

“Domain!” Cosmic Boy screamed, and then the glow enveloped him too.

“Rokk!” Magno and Kinetix both screamed, arms outstretched. They were only klicks behind him. Before the glow reached them, Thunder and M’Onel had yanked them away.

“Move, people, move!” Kid Quantum II was yelling. “Go to Shikari! XS…!” Jenni could hear the twinge in her leader's voice, though. Everyone knew that Jazmin and Rokk had begun dating.

“Oh, of course, Jaz!” At the speed of thought, XS began running to those teammates of hers farthest away from the Threshold. In short order, she had grabbed Amp, Wildfire, Particon, Chameleon…

But her mind was with the one she could not save. Grife, what had happened to Cosmic Boy?

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

Rokk Krinn groaned as he felt his side. It felt… worse than any magnoball injury he had ever had. Worse than when Dr. Psycho had shut his mind down.*****

He tried moving his limbs, to see that nothing was broken. Satisfied, he slowly sat up.

He wished he hadn’t.

“Oh no… no… no!” He could not stop himself from crying out.

He was sitting In a cave he had lived in years ago, a cave he had hoped never to see again. But he recognized it, and it was unmistakable.

He was back in the 21st century.

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

IB's notes:

1) The Time Trapper offered Cosmic Boy a reward in LSH 108, because the Legion successfully restarted time. Cos attacked the Trapper in anger at being manipulated. The Trapper vowed that he would make Cos grovel.

2) See Volume 2 and Volume 3 for details. In sum, XS was imparted with visions by the Trapper, and she used those to rescue Gates and set in motion the restoration of Kinetix from Legion of 3 Worlds, and Kinetix was able to use the magic she absorbed from their universe to restore it. XS’ visions also gave her critical knowledge needed to restore Monstress as Element Lass and defeat the Controller who had invaded Legion World. XS did not know where her visions came from.

3) Dark Circle Rising, specifically L*64 and LSH 108. The Trapper made the Legionnaires immune from being frozen in time when the Space Anomaly collapsed. The Legionnaires were able to restart time.

4) As part of the training, the Trapper would place Legionnaires into alternate realities, giving them false memories. LSH 92, L*54, L*61, LSH 105.

5) LSH 90

Wow IB, that was intense!! I was really scared we were gonna lose Shvaughn and maybe Troy for a bit! That Domain is a psycho!

I liked the way you subverted Lar's sacrifice play by showing he was clever enough to have shields with him...also the part about him being too wary to touch Shvaughn was inspired. They very rarely address in comics how difficult it would be getting used to having super-strength (I imagine it'd be even weirder after 1000 years of being essentially a ghost too)

Thunder and Cos both really shone here, and I'm really interested to see Cos catch up with Inferno & Kon again (assuming we're in a reboot where either of them still exist lol)

Looking forward to seeing how this develops!

Hi raz, thanks for the read and review! I always enjoy seeing which bits spark the interest of which readers.

Glad Domain's psycho need for revenge came through well, and glad that the bits for Mon, Thunder and Cos did as well. It can be tough writing these characters (Mon and Thunder are just so powerful, while Cos is Cos!). But I like contrasting Mon and Thunder to, say, Timber Wolf or Ultra Boy - they are all battle-smart, but Brin relies more on instincts and Jo is more street-smart. Mon is more likely to calculate that shields of rock will protect him long enough to let Rond do his job, while Thunder's wisdom is a bit more intuitive and careful. And of course for Cos, it's his self-sacrificing, inspirational leader nature.

The Shvaughn/Mon relationship will be explored a bit more soon (perhaps as early as next installment!) - good suggestion on the 1000 years of being a ghost making it tougher to get used to powers

And don't worry, my setting is the Reboot-era universe as it was, so the 21st century won't be that big a surprise... in SOME aspects

Good to see you back at the fiction table, IB!

Domain was almost too powerful, so I was actually glad to see the Time Trapper appear and outclass him.

Should be interesting with Rokk alone in the 21st century - how his teammates will find him, if they do.

Shvaughn and M'onel was a relationship that I expected to develop in the comic after DnA put them together (was it in Legion Worlds?), so I'm looking forward to see what you do with it.

Thanks, FC! Appreciate your comments!

Yeah, Domain was tough to get a handle on. He was also very powerful in his sole appearance as well. I always meant to tie him to the Time Trapper, though.

mm, the completionist in me probably won't keep Rokk in the past forever... but I do have to decide how long to keep him there.

It was indeed Legion Worlds 1, where Shvaughn and M'On started becoming a bit close! I'm glad to have the opportunity to take forward what DNA started.

What fun! I didn't know anything about Domain until Omni and you started using hm but he's a tremendous villain.

Thunder's plan to get Domain to use more of his abilities to power Rond's device was great,as was Mon shielding himself behind rocks - they were exactly what I'd expect in the comic. You called Troy Tyroc instead of Echo - was that intentional? Nice to see Shavaugn in action (as restricted as it was) too, great highlight of her intelligence and determination.

The whole team arriving to help was also well done, particularly as I expected they would make short work of Domain - you gave a lot of them some nice screen time in amongst the action too that was well written. Though the Trapper having to save them was a good twist that was definitely not expected. I wonder what his plans are with Inferno and Super Boy are?

Also, the Legionnaires taking time to speak to the cadets was touching. Poor Splitter! And I'd love to see what you could do with Mandalla so I hope she gets her support staff role.

As always when i come to the end of one of your posts I'm looking forward to more, more, more!

Glad you liked everyone's contribution to the plan, Harbi. Oops, using Tyroc was a mistake indeed - good catch! Have gone back and edited to Echo.

Happy you liked the Trapper twist, and that it made sense. I originally wanted Domain to vanish without the Trapper speaking with Rokk, but thought that the Trapper, petty being that it is, would love to gloat - even if Rokk's memory were erased after.

I do enjoy writing these big crowd scenes! Glad you liked all the action.

Mandalla definitely has a future with the team, and I'm glad her motivation also brings her in the direction of staying with the team - albeit in a supporting role. She has the chops to be an effective contributor, for sure. And this Legion is very humanitarian, they will surely take care of their cadets. As for poor Splitter... well, he has to understand his limitations!

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 Medical Bay

M'Onel, Lar Gand of Daxam; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers

Shvaughn Erin of Earth (Ireland and Montenegro); Science police captain and Legion Liaison Officer (also Honorary Legionnaire)

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

Shvaughn Erin's eyes fluttered open slowly. Was it morning yet? She normally slept well - even as a child, she had been trained to keep a strict sleep-wake schedule for better alertness - so why did she feel so... achy?

Then she remembered. Cursing, she tried to sit up. Domain was...

"You're safe now, Shvaughn! Easy!" M'Onel's deep, rich voice brought a wave of calm to Shvaughn, and she felt her body relax. How could she not be safe with this man - this strong, powerful man - at her side? And it wasn't just his abilities. Lar Gand was wise and mature beyond his biological years. She had never felt so safe with anyone else.

"I knew... we would.... win..."

"Are you okay? You should be feeling a little dizzy. I've scanned your bones, Impulse has healed all the fractures; but the amount of painkillers needed to do that should make you less than alert."

"Mmmm. The Composite Legionnaire broke my back, remember? This is nothing compared to that."

She heard Lar draw closer, and opened her eyes. He was leaning over her now, and she saw a reddish hue suffuse the room. "A red sun lamp! How sweet."

"I thought I was going to lose you, Shvaughn." Lar gently touched her hand with a finger. She knew he wouldn't do more than that; unless he had been bathed under the red sunlight for several hours, he would still retain sufficient strength to break her arm unless extremely careful. Or unless the intensity had been increased a hundredfold, which would have burned her. But she could lay a hand on him. "Keep still and draw close, please. I need... I need to hold you. I was scared too..." she trailed off. Nothing she would admit to the rest of the Legionnaires; she knew they already cared too much for the wellbeing of other sentients. Most would find the idea of acceptable sacrifices horrific, but Shvaughn's own outlook had been shaped by the Science Police. There were simply times when an officer had to lay her or his life on the line in order to give innocents a chance; and there would be times when an innocent had to be sacrificed in order to save a greater number. She would fight hard to find another way, but there would be times when it just would not be possible...

Shvaughn felt herself lurch forward before she could articulate that thought. She felt Lar's hand gently catch her, and set her back on the pillow. "I had to stop myself from rushing in to save you..." he whispered.

"But you didn't, because you knew it was the right thing to do. And it paid off..." Shvaughn smiled as she closed her eyes.

"I really wish I could keep you out of harm's way all the time..."

"And make me give up my Science Police badge? No way, Jose..." Shvaughn tried to laugh. She always had liked that rhyming slang, ever since she had heard it in the 20th century . "You and I both know the only way to always keep me safe is to lock me up in an inertron bubble. Or to spend every waking moment beside me... And I love my job too much, and the United Planets needs you too much. And we've been through this... your non-invulnerable teammates risk their lives every day. Why should I be any different?"

Lar's voice softened to a whisper. "Because nobody makes me feel the way you do."

A wide smile spread over Shvaughn's lips as she clutched Lar's fist. "Nobody makes me feel the way you do, either." As her voice gave way to gentle breathing, the smile stayed.

Lar watched for a few milliseconds, then gently laid Shvaughn's hand down on the bed. Shvaughn was a strong, brave woman. And she had been in danger many times before. He told himself again: if he really loved her, he would let her do what she loved.

... but that didn't mean he couldn't take precautions.

After giving a last, lingering look at Shvaughn, Lar strode out of the medical bay, a purposeful look in his eyes.

IB,

I really enjoyed these two updates. You make Domain so much more menacing than I ever could. great job.

Shauvghn's determination is really incredible and shows why she's not just the laision but I feel like she is a bonafide member of the Legion at this point.
I enjoy Mon and Shauvghn's relationship and the who aspect of his control and refusing to touch under unless under a red sun lamp is a really good detail and wrinkle I don't think many of us think about when it comes to someone having super strength and how they have to exercise strict control in everyday situations.

I'm glad Rond's came up with a plan to take the Chrono energy from him. It was really close there for a moment. But I forgot how touchy he can be. possibly more so than Brainy used to be.
Thunder did a great job keeping Domain distracted. But of course, he returns his attention to Cosmic Boy and making him pay. He's really studied Rokk and knows how to get under his skin.

Good one Mon! using the rocks to deflect the blast.
Yes! the team to the rescue!
Great action and then Domain adapting! scary. an application I never thought about for his realm.

the Time Trapper is involved and brought Domain here? wow great reveal. He gave Domain even more power! I wasn't sure that was possible. his tech seemed pretty unlimited.

So that was the Time Trapper's ultimate plan? That's why he needed XS and Kinetix? That makes so much sense that the only way for this Time Trapper to survive is for this universe to survive.

Damn and Cosmic Boy is back in the past looking for Inferno and Kon-el. I'm super curious to what their part in all of this is.

What is Mon going to do that can protect Shauvghn more?
Their moment definitely tugged at my heartstrings and i hope this isn't any kind of foreshadowing for her.

Can't wait for more.

hi Omni, thanks for reading and reviewing! I always value your thoughts

glad you like Shvaughn's role here. I made her an honorary Legionnaire because of how much she has contributed to the team before, and she will definitely continue to play a great role. Her maturity goes well with Mon too, I think.

The Trapper is a major force of nature, and it (he? she? it is better IMO) would have laid plans in place to keep its universe alive. Implanting visions in XS' head was its first step

Domain's power is so much like creating pocket universes, I thought linking him to the Trapper would be a good idea.

And Rond will continue to be his prickly self as well

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 FORWARD

Colu

Andromeda, Laurel Gand of Daxam; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers
Brainiac 5, Querl Dox of Colu; 12th level intelligence and force field powers
Gates, Ti'julk Mr'asz of Vyrga; opens teleportation disks
Mentalla, Delya Castil of Titan; telepathic control of others' physical functions

********************************************************************************************************************************************************
Hey, sentients! What's the latest on our greatest Legionnaire mind? Brainiac 5 and his squad have been on Colu for three days now! Word on the InterWebs is that they are not having much luck - scratch that, success; many Coluans believe that knowledge of probabilities, allows one to predict the chances of an event occurring, thereby negating "luck". But anyway! Brainiac 5 has been working with the Coluans to draw up protocols for the Thresholds, but they are not having much success!

Is it any wonder, though? Brainy (yes, we know he's NOT called Brainy!) brought the highly political, opinionated Gates; the formerly-xenophobic nun Andromeda, and shy newcomer Mentalla! He wisely left out Robotican Babbage (no love lost between Colu and Robotica!), but why not Gear (whose species is techno-organic); or the intelligent Invisible Kid; or one of those Legionnaires who makes things happen and can help build stuff?

Canny watchers will know that Brainiac 5 has a low-key rivalry with Invisible Kid, and despite his 12th-level intellect he has an ego! So maybe he deliberately chose a team that can't contribute much to science! Time will tell if the Coluans will come up with anything.... but rest assured, your Eye in the Sky will keep watch for you!

- from The Galactic Gossip, 3018 June



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

Orin Fex stifled a laugh as he walked through the halls of the Coluan Capitol. He almost cringed at having to listen to this drivel, but it was important to understand what was happening outside of Colu. And each transmission only reinforced his pride at being a Coluan. How contemptuous these inferior intellects were, engaging in useless - and incorrect - speculation. The first thing that Coluan agents had done was analyze the Legionnaire team sent to meet him, and they had calculated that Brainiac 5 had another objective. Which, most likely, was to subtly influence Colu into accepting Robotica as a fellow United Planets member. Gates' political blathering and Andromeda's history as a former xenophobe-turned-nun, which Brainiac 5 had deftly woven into many a conversation, were proof of that.

Orin Fex was grateful that their intellectual inferiors still held that new United Planets worlds must be approved unanimously by the membership. A testament to unity, they had called it. Except Colu was adamant that Robotica would not join.

Most of Colu, anyway.

At one of the public debate rooms, a half-dozen younger Coluans - about Brainiac 5's age - were debating furiously. On the other side were older Coluans, some of whom were members of the esteemed Coluan group mind.

"We Coluans have high-level intellects which allow us to process data at fast speeds, but we still rely on computers to gather data! Imagine the possibilities of linking with Roboticans to speed up the data flow and increase our processing power!" One of the youngsters was gesticulating furiously.

"And bio-ethical considerations demand we recognize the Roboticans as fellow sentients!" added another.

"If so, why should we not impose limits on the Roboticans?" countered an older Coluan. "Like the Daxamites did!" She pointed at Andromeda.

"My people accepted this measure of our own volition," said the blonde Legionnaire calmly. Though Orin Fex made a note of her facial expression, and a mental reminder to cross-check it with the security sensors programmed to follow her. Such a potentially dangerous being... "We do recognize the need to rebuild trust... I am confident the Roboticans would agree to limiting measures if they were proposed..."

"As a Titanian," Mentalla fingered her Saturn symbol nervously, "I agree."

"But what sort of measures? They should be prohibited from linking with any technology outside of their robotic bodies!" screeched another older Coluan.

"But think of what we could do with them!" snapped another young Coluan. The discussion began looping again, despite the efforts of Andromeda and Mentalla to steer the discussion.

Orin Fex sighed inwardly. Foolish youngsters, without the maturity and wisdom that age brings. The Roboticans could not be trusted...

... and even if they WERE sentient... sentients can be executed for the safety of others.

He put that out of his mind, as he entered the great hall where Brainiac 5 was sitting with the Group Mind.

",,, and if we uplink the Science Police databases to the Threshold, ensuring the Thresholds will not open for convicts..." Lareen Zex posited.

"Databases are centrally linked and updated across all United Planets Worlds every five microseconds, ensuring no such sentient will be missed..." Brainiac 5 nodded.

"We should extend it then, to those detained and under suspicion. Then we avoid the risk of flight..." Palon Flux offered.

"What? But that is a clear violation of the maxim, Innocent until proven guilty!" Gates bristled as he teleported in. Even without his blathering about how much more convenient it was to teleport, every Coluan knew that Vyrgan legs were only meant for crawling on jungle foliage, not on metal flooring. "The loss of liberty is..."

"An acceptable consequence!" Palon Flux shook his head. "Or would you rather have a mass murderer use an unsuspecting Kwai guide to flee the law... or worse, destroy even more lives?"

"This is a discussion of little import," Lareen Zex scoffed. "Personal liberty matters not in the preservation of stability."

None of them paid Orin Fex any mind. There was no need; after all, he accessed the SleepNet records nightly to update on their progress and to provide his input.

But tonight, he would be accessing even more...

He carefully ensured his face would not betray any emotion, and that his pace did not alter as he walked past the group. He was very eager for his plan tonight...

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

Andromeda made sure to keep a relaxed posture, as she chatted with Mentalla over lunch in the gardens. She knew the only reason the older Coluans here tolerated their presence, was the ColuGov directive to foster "healthy emotional ties with otherworlders, as a means of learning, to allow Colu to contribute more to the United Planets." Coluan confidence was present everywhere, yet as Brainy explained - pretty much every Coluan took it for a fact that they were intellectually superior. Any would be surprised at being told they were arrogant, for it was a fact.

But they could be VERY solicitous about it.

"... and as always, if I use a term that you would like more explanation of..." continued the young Coluan in charge of them, Zeeble Mux. Mentalla smiled and nodded. The two blondes sat across from Andromeda.

Andromeda buried the pang of emotions welling up in her. What DID she feel? And why? Yes, Brainy had been paying more attention to Mentalla this mission, while almost ignoring her. But was it... gratitude for saving her life and starting to make her see that other species could be equals to Daxamites?* Was she hurt that Brainy had been ignoring her since her return**? Was it envy... or jealousy?

She sighed. If she had learned one thing from the Sisterhood***, it was that she should understand her own feelings, before expressing them to others. But maybe someone could help her sort through it...

"What do you think, Andromeda?"

Laurel forced herself to pay attention. Zeeble was looking at her. Mentalla stayed calm, but Andromeda sensed a message...

"... About the Coluan fad of eating offworlder cuisines to understand their culture..."

Andromeda sent "thank you" back - with Saturn Girl, she would only have needed to send a feeling of gratitude, but Mentalla's talents were stronger elsewhere. "Well, food can be a window into other cultures, but indeed the best meals I have had were with someone from a different one, where they could share with me some of the significance of the ingredients or cooking methods..."

Laurel chastised herself, confident Mentalla would not know. She needed to focus, but after this she needed to sort things out...

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

An alert pinged in. Orin Fex smiled. Now that he was alone in his quarters, he did not need to exercise such control over his physical expressions.

It was time.

He willed his mind to produce the chemicals that caused sleep...

... and entered the glorious SleepNet. Where Coluans could broadcast and receive ideas. Learning while sleeping. So elegantly efficient and effective.

And after the experiments that that obsolete piece technology Babbage had conducted, ColuGov had progressed in its ability to track activity in the SleepNet...

... so Orin Fex could be alerted when Brainiac 5 was accessing it.

Now was the time.

He followed the signal to Querl Dox's thought-stream. Activating the cloaking option that only the highest echelons of ColuGov were aware of, he began to dive in.

This was the perfect chance. Even pre-pubescent Coluans quickly learn to filter and share their thoughts on the SleepNet, to protect privacy and save from embarrassment.

But it was easiest when one knew who was around. If other minds were cloaked...

Orin Fex used the second piece of technology ColuGov had developed: a data vampire.

He reached Querl Dox's brilliant white thought-stream, the same color as his forcefield. He reached out and touched it...

... and began to soak things up.

Even Orin Fex's sleeping face lit up in a grin.

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

IB's notes:

1) LSH 70, Brainy reproduces a lead serum to cure Andy's lead poisoning.

2) Andromeda suddenly reappears in her original form (after being changed by the Anomaly in LSH 103), with no explanation, in Titans/Legion two-parter (though she also appears on the cover of Legion 33, but not inside, suggesting DNA had planned for her to come back at some point). Personal opinion - a bit ironic, that Andy would appear in her original form, while DNA made massive changes to Live Wire, Kinetix and Sensor...

3) The space nuns she joined (revealed LL* 46) after leaving the Legion (way back in L* 37!)

Yay! A new episode!

I like the Galactic Gossip! Reminds me of the "Legion Groupie" snippets from the LSH Sourcebook from the early 90s (written by T&M, in fact. so it is very 5YL oriented)

Good to see the focus on Laurel. And, as you know, I have strong opinions on DnAs lack of attention to detail around the characters they considered peripheral.

I like the take on the Colu Netrunning - its a concept that I think is fun to explore, as you can kind of define your own reality around the physics of travel and perception, etc.

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

VOLUME 4: MOVING FORWARD

Colu

Andromeda, Laurel Gand of Daxam; enhanced speed, strength, invulnerability, vision powers
Brainiac 5, Querl Dox of Colu; 12th level intelligence and force field powers
Gates, Ti'julk Mr'asz of Vyrga; opens teleportation disks
Mentalla, Delya Castil of Titan; telepathic control of others' physical functions

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

Brainiac 5's eyes fluttered open. Then he smiled.

It had been a good sleep.

He accessed the thought-track he had set to monitor his physiological sleep responses. After satisfying himself that all was done, he broadcast instructions to his teammates.

Then he went back to sleep - real sleep.

He had earned it.

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

Orin Fex woke up. Then he began to sift through the contents he had downloaded from Brainiac 5's mind.

He stifled the hope that welled up in him. He had gathered some surface memories, though he did expect Querl Dox was disciplined enough not to let anything too damaging appear.

A few memories of Legion missions and events. He would analyze every speck, every detail, for something.

Brainiac 5's laboratory on Legion World. No actual list of experiments, though some of the images of devices could be picked apart for clues.

Some rooms and hallways on Legion World. Sadly, mostly public.

A roster of reservists. Perhaps Brainiac 5 had been spending time analyzing which ones would make good full-fledged Legionnaires. Useful.

There was a lot here. And he would pick it apart...

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

Their departure from Colu had been uneventful. Orin Fex and the Group Mind had committed to sending the draft of the Threshold protocols for review to Brainiac 5 in three solar days. Brainiac 5 would review, and forward to the Legion for review. Once approved, together Colu and the Legion would sponsor the draft to the United Planets for final approval.

"Such a long process!" Andromeda had muttered.

"Just getting to this stage is a major step," Gates had explained. "Coluans are masters of theory after all... but now we move to the practical phase. I dislike too much talk, but I have to admit that buy-in is important..."

Brainiac 5 had ignored colleagues, while measuring his reactions.

Everyone had posed for a holo - ColuGov would add this event to their archives, while media all over the United Planets would broadcast this moment.

Then, they had departed.

Brainiac 5 waited until they landed on Legion World.

"Ah, finally, home." Andromeda lit up as she said that word. Home.

"We should debrief," Brainiac 5 noted.

As soon as the four newcomers sat down, Brainiac 5 turned to Mentalla. "If you would please stimulate our neurons..."

Mentalla closed her eyes for a moment. And when she opened them, she, Gates and Andromeda all sat up.

"Wow, that actually worked!" Mentalla laughed. "Stimulating our hippocampi to access our memories...!"

"I almost can't believe it wasn't a dream. It seemed so outlandish!" Gates exclaimed.

Brainiac 5 relived the moment, the better to embed the released memories in his long-term memory.

Orin Fex had been overconfident. He never expected that Babbage's short connection to the SleepNet, so long ago, had also been a defensive data-gathering exercise. After all, if Colu had sent an assassin to destroy the Roboticans - and who had no qualms about almost murdering Brainiac 5 - what else would ColuGov do?*

And so they had prepared an implant that would allow any user of the SleepNet to detect unauthorized attempts to access one's memories. As expected, it had triggered on their last night in Colu.

Brainiac 5 had immediately alerted Mentalla, Gates and Andromeda. Combining their powers, Gates had opened a teleport disk into Colu's atmosphere, which Andromeda had zipped through. Brainiac 5 knew that ColuGov was monitoring Andromeda's general location, and Gates' power signature. It was normal; Gates had made a point of teleporting everywhere, to allow But they would not expect them to use their powers together...

Andromeda had returned with Sensor and Gear, who had been hidden on a hovering Legion cruiser just outside of Colu's space. As soon as they had passed through Gates' disk Gear had linked with the ColuGov security system to remain undetected by Colu's computers and systems (and ensuring they would not record any of the events that followed), while Sensor had kept them hidden from all Coluans' senses.

They had considered having Gear and Sensor hid undetected on Colu itself, but Brainiac 5 did not want to risk it.

Now that they were hidden, they acted quickly. It was simple enough to use Andromeda's vision powers to locate Orin Fex's chambers. Mentalla's range was enough that they did not need to step inside; Gates teleported her to a nearby hallway, and she commanded Orin Fex's sleeping brain to dull and ignore the subtle environmental perceptions that would alert him to potential tampering. This opened the door for Sensor to use her illusion casting to mask Brainiac 5's actions.

Brainiac 5 had, in turn, used Orin Fex's uninvited entry into his own thought-stream... to penetrate Orin Fex's. With Mentalla and Sensor working together, he never even noticed it.

Brainiac 5 had then released memories that had been authorized for release by Legion leadership - memories of publicly available records or common areas in Legion world, with a few more not-readily-accessible records to let Orin Fex think he had discovered enough. In turn, Brainiac 5 had skimmed through Orin Fex's own thoughts of the Legion and Robotica.

After all, the SleepNet was for sharing information.

It had taken no more than seven point two five eight minutes for Brainiac 5 to get what he wanted.

Andromeda had then returned Gear and Sensor to their cruiser, and the two would depart for Legion World.

Mentalla had then altered the physical processes in the hippocampi and neurons. The memories remained, but would be buried until unearthed... which had happened just now.

This would allow the team to act as normal for the rest of their stay, to avoid alerting Orin Fex.

Using data vampires and technology would have been much more difficult to conceal. But accessing someone's sleeping mind after they had opened it up, was much simpler... and they had only needed to conceal themselves from that one individual's mind. Especially when that person had invaded first.

And now they were here.

Sensor and Gear walked in.

"Ah, I've missed these Espionage Squad type missions," Sensor smiled. "Subterfuge and craftiness. And one that involves sleep - finally, my mentalist abilities comes into play even more!"

"Credits to Dreamer for sharing some of her expertise to us, as well!" Mentalla smiled.

"Here, Brainiac," Gear handed over what looked like a small disc. "Babbage and I tested it, and it will allow you to download your perceptions into this, for easier review."

"Thank you all," Brainiac 5 nodded. He was eager to parse through the data, but he had to wait. "I do not expect any of you will be interacting with ColuGov representatives frequently. But I am pleased we made it undetected." Everyone around him nodded.

"Now what comes next?" Andromeda asked.

"I will download the data I gleaned from Orin Fex's mind... and we will see what we can learn. I sincerely do hope they are not planning anything like with Sharn Nux... but we never know. I will keep you apprised of the result." Brainiac 5 stood up, signaling the end of their debrief.

Absorbed in downloading the data, Brainiac 5 scarcely noticed that Andromeda looked at him for a few seconds, before turning to depart.

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

IB's notes:

1) Sharn Nux in the Robotican/COMPUTO storyline. Legion 14.

thanks, GL that was fast!

DNA just inserting Laurel without explanation, and changed back, was always odd for me. I am glad she's back, but how? why? what's going on with her? not just the physical, but the mental/emotional/whatever. (and also still a bit annoyed that Laurel would be changed back, while Kinetix was terrorformed

The Galactic Gossip will definitely be around a lot more Perceptions and all that.

I won't lie, this bit was tough! It's not easy thinking of how uber-intelligent characters (or a whole planet, i.e. Colu!) would act. Let alone thinking of a very realistic way to have them oppose one another and have someone win... The SleepNet and my psych background let me hit upon using that - while the SleepNet is powerful, just being asleep does give one disadvantages...