Legion World Forums LEGION OUTPOST Bits o' Legionnaire Business Postlo3w stories *LATEST UPDATE 13 AUGUST*

Sad new Raz, hope you get it fixed soon and your move goes well.

Hey folks, while I'm sorting out my writing issues I thought y'all might like to see a quick design pic I did of Strut with bonus new costumes for Gravity Kid and Crystal Kid!

Aww, that's to bad to hear Raz about your comp. I hope it all works out!

Love the design for Strut and thank you for providing it!

I'm enjoying the practicality of your Crystal Kid and Gravity Kid dynamic/situation.
I also love Crystal Kid's reaction to Gravity Kid revealing that he takes profem and that he's more worried about his teammate's discomfort.
Yes, the Sub's do team you to be resilient. I really do love your Bobb.

Wow, what an amazing history of the Robotican and Khudian Empires. Love how you used Kid Computo to relay it in a really effective way. I do wonder though if she's been slightly corrupted now that she's been in contact with and how distracted she became. I hope not. I understand her getting defensive as I'm sure she does everything to make sure she doesn't get corrupted. Also, how would that work? does her mind have like a virus detection section now? or maybe her immune system works in the same way it would for biological virus' but on a tech created ones? Sorry, you've got my mind spinning with the possibilities.

this line made me lol.

A secret Robotican world that hid its self away from humanoids makes so much sense.
Of course, the Khund's found them...wow so that's why they are so cybernetically infused!

Love the idea of a Robotican Myth as to what happened to their fallen.
And of course, no society can admit when they've stollen from another but to incorperate like that is pretty harsh sounding.

No Mano!
I'm with the Robitcan's stay far away.
Even though it may be a while, I can't wait for more!

nice designs, raz. hope your writing issues are being sorted out and that everything is OK!

Hey all,

So this must be some kind of record for writers' block, but I still have all my old notes and character arcs etc saved and I am trying to get back into writing again so I thought I might try and resurrect this series...while originally there was only one part left of my last story arc, I'm gonna break it up into a few different posts because after such a long time between drinks I'm a bit rusty and not great at making all this as concise as it normally would be.

BUT for anyone who's been hanging out a year to find out what happened to Tinya and the new recruits, you're in luck!

Bit of an info-dump to catch us all up for people who don't want to have to go back and read the previous four chapters of this story (all the homemade or changed-so-much-they-might-as-well-be-homemade characters mentioned here have more detailed writeups in my companion thread here)

* The Legion's newest elected leader Phantom Girl had just inducted four new recruits (Gravity Kid, Strut, King Canary & Crystal Kid) to the team when the teleporting Khund Veilmist appeared out of nowhere and just as quickly teleported away with Tinya and the four newbies as a bunch of other Khunds attacked the meeting. The "bunch of other Khunds" include a super group called the Demon's Claw who are out to recapture Veilmist by any means necessary for her husband Firefist, and the Demon's Claw have successfully followed....

* ...Deputy leader Nightwind, who's led two cruisers full of Legionnaires out to find Veilmist and her kidnapped Legionnaires. Nightwind's crew didn't find their teammates but they did pick up Veilmist (and her Khund mercenary sidekick Khano) who'd been left for dead in space. Nightwind's crew fought the same horde of robots who'd taken out Phantom Girl's crew before them, and Kid Computo's power gave them some handy exposition; the robots are called Roboticans and it turns out they're an ancient race who may be indirectly responsible for the Khund's obsession with cybernetics. Robotica and the Khund Empire are currently at war, a war started by....

* ...the Fatal Five! Not the classic guys but Karate Kid III, Mano, Mordecai, Karth Arn and Catspaw - they've taken over Robotica and plan to use their new robot empire to walk all over the Khunds, the UP, and anyone else who stands in their way. But first of all, they're gonna publicly execute Phantom Girl and the surviving newbies, which leads us nicely to...

ROBOTICA PRIME
Execution Arenas 1-5

ROLL CALL
Crystal Kid aka Bobb Cohan: crystal construct creation
Gravity Kid aka Tel Vole: gravity manipulation
Phantom Girl aka Tinya Wazzo: leader, intangibility
Strut: electrochemical perceptions, insectoid physiology

Five worlds full of robotic life were almost wholly united in one task for one of the few times in their civilisation?s history as they watched eight strangers to this solar system emerge beneath an unforgiving sun on the surface of Robotica Prime.

Until recently Robotica had never heard of the Legion of Superheroes or the Fatal Five, but the latter group had made their mark on this peaceful machine society with the most violent act Robotica had suffered in centuries. The murderous Mano had disintegrated what had once been the sixth world in this system, callously wiping out an entire planet full of artificially intelligent lifeforms with one press of his destructive hand. The Fatal Five had used that act to cow Robotica into their service and when four Legionnaires had fallen into the villains? laps, the Fatal Five?s leader Karth Arn made certain that every single Robotican was well aware of the Legion of Superheroes? legendary exploits. That way, when four of his team slaughtered these Legionnaires today, any hope of rebellion among the four Robotican worlds would surely be crushed.

Each of the four Legionnaires stood upon their own arena against a counterpart from the Fatal Five; Strut and Mordecai, Crystal Kid and Mano, Phantom Girl and Karate Kid, and finally Gravity Kid and Catspaw. The arenas themselves were flat white discs some forty feet in diameter; enough room for the combatants to manoeuvre, but not enough room for any one fighter to endlessly avoid their opponent.

The final member of the Fatal Five and the only one who himself was an artificial intelligence, Karth Arn was just now completing his address to Robotica from a hovering platform which made its winding way around the crackling forcefields which domed each arena. ?...Thousands of Roboticans are present physically, though I know there are billions more who are watching today?s executions from afar,? he spoke. ?Make no mistake though, as entertaining as today?s events no doubt will be, they also function as a cautionary tale for any Robotican citizens who take it upon themselves to oppose their new masters. And without further ado, let the games begin!? Karth Arn?s speech was more for the benefit of the organics below him than the robots to whom it was addressed. He knew that the Roboticans would respond to cold data more than bluster, but it would inspire his teammates and unnerve the Legionnaires. The translucent forcefields, till now a pale amber, all changed frequency slightly so that the arenas were bathed in a crimson light. The manacles which had bound each Legionnaire fell away, and they faced their bloodthirsty opponents with mixed reactions.

**********

The Mantodean insectoid named Strut watched as three pairs of metallic restraints fell from his six limbs and clattered upon the ground. He felt more out of his element here than was usual even for him; artificial intelligence was something he had precious little experience with. More than that, he?d spent countless hours training his electrochemical senses to read the mammals which seemed to populate most of the universe beyond his homeworld but this particular mammal perplexed him.

Mordecai was huge, male, immensely strong, and full of rage; Strut had expected this, but his biochemical signature also matched someone suffering from deep depression and that couldn?t possibly be right. As the behemoth charged Strut, the neophyte Legionnaire began to make some quip but Mordecai?s inarticulate bellow drowned him out. Mordecai?s movements weren?t particularly elegant, but he was much faster than his size would indicate; two fists slammed into the arena where Strut had been standing a second earlier, the entire construct shaking with the impact. Strut clambered between the man-monster?s legs with ease, standing up again a dozen feet behind his foe. Strut expected his quick thinking to confuse his opponent, but Mordecai instantly spun around and stared him down.

?Congratulations, darling!? Strut called out with exaggerated sweetness, ?I?d honestly thought you weren?t smart enough to figure that little move out!? In return, Mordecai opened his mouth wide and roared in fury.

Let?s just hope I?m smart enough to figure out how to survive him, Strut thought as Mordecai made another charge?

**********

?Scared, kid?? Mano sneered at his own opponent as he swaggered toward Crystal Kid. ?You should be.?

?Are you kidding?? Bobb smirked in return. He still ached from his mistreatment the night before, but damned if he?d show this creep that. ?I might have only just joined the Legion of Superheroes but I know all about you, Mano. That hand of yours can destroy anything it touches, so all I have to do is make sure you never get the chance to touch me.?

Crystal Kid concentrated, and the power that was his namesake came to life. Bobb Cohan had never been the most academically gifted student in the Legion Academy, but the Fatal Five were the Legion of Superheroes? mightiest enemies and Mano was a founding member. From the Academy?s files, Crystal Kid knew Mano?s capabilities almost as well as if they?d actually fought. Bobb knew there was no point creating crystal walls or constructs, Mano would just disintegrate them. Instead, Crystal Kid turned his power on Mano himself. To the villain?s surprise, Mano?s whole body froze in mid-step. His destructive palm reached out uselessly toward Bobb, forever crystal.

Or so Bobb thought.

Content that he?d dealt with his foe, Crystal Kid turned to look at the forcefield surrounding the arena?.he knew from experience that he couldn?t convert energy fields to crystal, but maybe changing the arena itself would make a difference..? He was so preoccupied thinking about his options that it took him a moment to notice the slight cracking sound behind him. Not wanting to accept what he knew it must mean, Crystal Kid turned slowly toward the foe he?d just crystallized. Hairline cracks extended from Mano?s outstretched palm, stretching across his whole body. An ultraviolet glow that made Bobb wince was emanating from that palm and growing brighter as it refracted through the now fractured crystal, and finally the crystalline Mano exploded dramatically outwards. Fortunately the vast majority of crystal was converted back into Mano?s own biomass as his power destroyed Bobb?s, but some flying shards still left rips and tears in Crystal Kid?s costume and one marked a thin gash across his cheek. Bobb cried out in shock as he reflexively laid a hand upon his injured face.

?Cute power, kid.? Mano came closer, unfazed by his brief transformation. ?But I still drew first blood. Now let?s see if you?re any tougher than your dinky crystal!?

**********

Phantom Girl?s manacles had been purely for show, Karate Kid and she both knew that she could have phased out of them any time she?d wanted. Robotica had cobbled together technology to prevent her passing through structures, and Tinya had no doubt that they?d used that to trap her here in this arena. There was no way they had time to miniaturise that technology in order to make her restraints anything more than ugly bangles though. Tinya had gone along with the charade and allowed herself to be led out here with seeming docility, but the instant she realised that all four Legionnaires were out here together she?d been waiting for her chance to act.

When she heard a subtle click come from her restraints she knew they were about to disengage. She phased through them an instant before they opened of their own accord, grabbed them out of the air and flung them straight at Karate Kid?s head. He was taken by surprise, but he recovered from that surprise quickly enough to smash them into scrap metal with a well-placed kick. ?Did you honestly expect that to hurt me?? the younger boy smiled coldly.

?Not really,? Phantom Girl replied casually, ?I just wanted to see how well you stack up to the real Karate Kids.?

His smile faded immediately, but it was the only sign he showed that Tinya had gotten to him. With consummate professionalism, he regarded Phantom Girl while slowly circling her. He feinted once or twice before moving lightning fast with a strike which would have collapsed her windpipe had it connected. Instead, his fierce jab passed harmlessly through the intangible girl while her still solid elbow cracked across the side of his head. ?I have to say,? Tinya continued, ?I?m not impressed so far.?

The teen martial artist was barely fazed by the blow, though Tinya knew it would have taken most normal men out. He might not be able to hurt me, she thought to herself, But he?s not going to make this easy. She passed straight through him, spinning on her heel as she did. In a second she was standing behind him, and she tried for a kidney punch.

Karate Kid grabbed her fist without even turning. Tinya gasped in shock, and he pivoted to face her so abruptly that if she hadn?t phased out of his grip he would have surely broken her wrist. He still twisted it painfully, and Tinya shifted to full intangibility to breathe it out while her arm hung limply at her side.

?Perhaps you will find this more impressive.? Karate Kid narrowed his gaze and stared through her with predatory black eyes. He moved slowly and with deliberation as he took on a different fighting stance, and then both hands came together to thrust at Phantom Girl?s solar plexus. She hadn?t even bothered trying to evade him, confident in her power?s ability to protect her now that she was fully immaterial...so she was completely unprepared for what felt like a horse kicking her in the gut.

Phantom Girl flew backwards with a choking yelp, coming to a rest on the arena floor. As much as it pained her to do so, she lifted her head up and gave Karate Kid a panicked look. ?How...how did you..?? Tinya Wazzo rasped.

?Even when you use your vaunted power, some part of you exists upon this plane,? Karate Kid explained calmly. ?If this were not true, how could I see you? I simply needed to study you in different states of intangibility to gauge how best to meet your chi with mine.? He returned to the same stance once more, his murderous gaze passing over her prone form. ?Yours will not be a swift end, Phantom Girl. The damage I can visit upon you is dependent on how fully you exist on my dimensional plane. But make no mistake, I will end you.?

With agonising effort, Phantom Girl pushed herself up to a seated position. If this was what a fraction of Karate Kid?s strength felt like, she never wanted to face his full might. ?That?s not gonna happen,? she uttered. ?You wanna know why..?? Her answer was a side kick to the jaw, and Tinya spat blood as she splayed across the floor once more.

?Let me humor you,? Karate Kid bounced back into place. ?What possible reason could you have to think that you will leave here alive this day, woman??

Tinya knew that had she been solid, that blow would have taken her jaw clean off. She needed to do this now, while doing anything at all was still an option. ?It?s not gonna happen...? she groaned, ?Because the Legion of Superheroes are a team...and the Legion of Superheroes look out for each other??

Karate Kid visibly relaxed, allowing himself the indulgence of a wide grin at Phantom Girl?s statement. ?And who exactly is it that?s looking out for you, hmmm?? He approached her and crouched down so that he could look her in the eye. ?All of your friends will soon be equally dead as you, Phantom Girl.?

This was the opening Tinya had been waiting for. She had needed to get him this close so that even his reflexes and fighting skill wouldn?t be enough to evade what was coming next, because she knew they?d only have one chance at this. She didn?t flinch once as she matched his glare, but she stopped answering his taunts; this next part needed concentration.

?What is that noise?? Karate Kid raised one eyebrow. ?Like some ethereal song...what are you doing, woman??

The song soon became a shrill cry and that very quickly became something not far away at all. Before Karate Kid could mount any kind of defence a small golden bird with black-tipped wings came into view as though it had literally flown straight out of Phantom Girl?s chest. The last of the Legion?s newest recruits let loose with an ear-piercing sonic cry, and Karate Kid was unconscious before he even hit the ground as King Canary made it known to one and all that he was still very much alive.

?Call me a mascot...? the little bird grumbled. ?That?ll show you who?s a sprockin? mascot!? He flew in a wide circle and came back to face Phantom Girl as she found her way to her feet. ?Thanks for lettin? me outta there, boss lady. I get why you tucked me away in the Phantom Zone back when those robot jerks ambushed us, but I don?t mind tellin? ya I was startin? ta go a little nuts in there. What?s our next move??

?Forcefield...? Tinya winced. ?We need to disable this forcefield before we can do anything else, and I?ll bet you however many creds you like that the apparatus is right below us.?

?That delicate liddle humming you probably can?t hear says you?re right,? King Canary replied. ?Hang tight, this oughtta be easy.?

Phantom Girl took a moment to catch her breath and steady herself while King Canary darted about the arena looking for the greatest source of hypersonic vibrations below them. Back when they?d first been ambushed by the Roboticans and it had become apparent this was a fight that she and the four new recruits were going to lose, Tinya had remembered Jo telling her about 89?s subterfuge recently on Talok III and realised she could use that same tactic herself.

The Bgltzr heroine had taken a great risk sequestering King Canary away in the Phantom Zone, a risk she could only take because he had so little mass to displace. The brave little bird was an almost wholly untested quality and the Phantom Zone could be a mind-bending place. She?d hoped to be able to release him far sooner, but it had taken this long for the remaining four Legionnaires to finally be brought together in one place. Now that King Canary was free however, he was proving that the Legion had been right to induct him. Already he?d discovered the best frequency to take out the fragile machinery beneath their feet without actually damaging the arena itself. While he screamed at a pitch which put Tinya?s teeth on edge, something else came to her. ?King C!? she yelled. ?If you can hear me, activate the emergency beacon on your flight harness! None of us have our flight rings on us!?

The unearthly sound stopped as the crowned golden bird fluttered back to Phantom Girl?s side. ?You got it, boss lady. If ya don?t mind me askin? though, how do we fight a whole planet??

?It?s not just one planet,? Phantom Girl replied, ?It?s five.? Her eyes were drawn to the forcefield around them as the results of King Canary?s assault finally bore fruit and the energy dome flickered and vanished. ?And we?re not going to fight them. Free Gravity Kid, he can help you with Crystal Kid and Strut. Then I want you all to converge on me. We?re getting out of here, Legionnaire.?

?Not that I got anything against that idea,? the avian prince?s sonic mastery allowed his voice to carry to Phantom Girl even as he left her arena and approached Gravity Kid?s, ?But are you sure ya got the juice to pull that off? Ya told me it was hard enough to send me to the Phantom Zone on my own!?

?...Just go, King Canary,? Phantom Girl coughed. ?That?s an order.?

?You?re the boss!? Without another word of dissent, he dipped and darted away.

**********

One of the criticisms passed on to Gravity Kid when he?d been a student at the Legion Academy was that he had a tendency toward overconfidence. His teachers had warned him over and over that there was always somebody tougher or smarter or more powerful out there, and Tel really had tried to take that lesson on as best he could. Coming out here today though and seeing that his opponent was Catspaw...he couldn?t help but feel that his victory here was a foregone conclusion. Sure, Catspaw was fast and strong, and her claws could rip him to pieces if she got close enough. With his control of gravity though, there was no reason he needed to let her get anywhere near him.

At least that had been his initial assessment. Now, six whole seconds into this mess, he was starting to wonder if maybe his Academy teachers had been right.

April Dumaka wasn?t just fast, she moved like predatory lightning. In the time it had taken Tel?s manacles to fall to the ground and for him to raise an arm toward his foe, Catspaw had almost cleared the length of the arena in one powerful leap straight at him. He?d given a startled cry and his power had flung her back across the arena, but she?d been close enough to gutting him that some of her fur lay moulted on the floor at his feet. Since then, they?d been playing an almost literal game of cat and mouse.

For all her savagery, Catspaw wasn?t stupid. She could easily jump from one end of this battleground to the other, but she knew now the disadvantage she faced in mid-leap where her uncanny agility could only help her so much. Now she made her way closer to Gravity Kid with smaller bounds, sprinting this way and that. When she sensed that he was about to attack, she could dodge with much more success when she had both feet on the ground. Catspaw preferred toying with her prey to outright slaying them anyway, and she knew that her opponent would run out of steam long before she would.

As Gravity Kid tried and failed to hold Catspaw in place one more time, he swore under his breath. He couldn?t help but feel that if either Star Boy or Light Lad were here, they could use their respective powers to saturate the entire dome and then it wouldn?t matter how fast and nimble that cat girl was. Tel?s power, while more versatile in application, was far more limited in the amount of area or mass that it could affect. Even if he weren?t beaten up and suffering from promasc withdrawal, he couldn?t actually use his power on anything much larger than Catspaw without conscious focus...and if he paused long enough to give himself that focus, Catspaw would gut him where he stood.

Finally, something went Tel?s way; the air was filled with a shrill screeching sound, and it threw the hypersensitive Catspaw off her game for the briefest moment. She staggered in position long enough for Gravity Kid to take advantage, and soon April Dumaka floated harmlessly fifteen feet in the air. When the forcefield surrounding them flickered and faded, Gravity Kid saw the source of the sound zip overhead.

?King Canary!? Tel exclaimed in genuine shock. ?You?re alive?! I mean, you?re alive!! That?s fantastic! But how--?

?No time for that, kid!? King Canary interrupted. ?We gotta use the element o? surprise while we got it! If you got Mizz Furball here under control, help break Crystal Kid free and converge back on Phantom Girl!?

?You?ve got it!? Gravity Kid shot back, his confidence surging once more. ?You see, Catspaw?? he taunted his fuming enemy, ?None of you stood a chance once the Legion worked togeth--aargh!? Gravity Kid suddenly doubled over, waves of agony coursing across the battlefield of hormones that Tel Vole?s body was slowly becoming. His power over Catspaw waned, and the second she landed on the arena floor she was already bolting straight for him.

King Canary saw this, and he clucked with annoyance as he diverted his flight path to rend a tear in the floor before Catspaw with a well-placed sonic assault.

?Little bird want to become Catspaw?s first course?? April Dumaka?s grin bared razor sharp fangs. ?Catspaw can live with that -- what..?? Catspaw and King Canary both possessed senses far keener than any other organic being here, and the two of them now turned their attention skyward to a whistling sound too distant for anybody else to hear. The far away twinkle of an emerald light however soon zoomed close enough that heroes and villains alike knew what it meant.

...The Legion of Superheroes had come to save their own.

**********

whoohoo! what an amazing installment, raz. Glad you decided to write again.

Love the 1-on-1 fights that let us see a bit more what each can do.

Love the creative ways you made Karate Kid vs. Tinya and Gravity Kid vs. Catspaw much more even matches (and a tad un-even, KK vs. Tinya, when you think about it)

Highlighting Gravity Kid's over -confidence while also pointing out what most (if not all) readers would think - that Catspaw would be no match for him - was brilliant,

as was King Canary hiding in the Phantom Zone.

and of course, the cavalry appears. Can't wait to see the next installment!

Nice to have you back writing for us again Raz, this was an unexpected surprise!

Lots of nice touches, from Karth Arn's twisted ego on full disply when he made the announcement, to KK3's logic at how to get to Phanom Girl, Strut is always a delight and of course Bbob's overconfidence against mano - like being turned to crystal will ever stop one of the original Fatal Five! Gravity Kid against Catspaw does seem one sided but you made it far scarier than expected. The big treat was the return of King Canary and a brilliant explanation for his disappearance earlier on. Go King Canary!

And now the cavalry are here I have a feeling things may not go as smoothly as Tinya expects...

Great stuff, thoroughly enoyable read leaving me wanting more, more and much more!

ROLL CALL
Chlorophyll Kid aka Ral Benem: chlorokinesis
Cosmic Boy aka Rokk Krinn: magnetism
Crystal Kid aka Bobb Cohan: crystal construct creation
Diamond Damsel aka Iris Jacobs: living diamond
Elastic Lad aka Jams-Ols 5: super-elongation
Gravity Kid aka Tel Vole: gravity manipulation
Kid Computo aka Danielle Foccart: cyberempathy
King Canary aka K'rk T'wiiu III: sonic generation
Light Lad aka Darvan Locke: gravity negation
Lightning Lass aka Ayla Ranzz: electricity generation and manipulation
Mon-El aka Lar Gand: Daxamite physiology
Neon II aka Zoe Saugin: infused with Green Lantern energy
Nightwind aka Berta Skye Haris: deputy leader, wind control
Phantom Girl aka Tinya Wazzo: leader, intangibility
Polar Boy aka Brek Bannin: cryokinesis
Shadow Lass aka Tasmia Mallor: darkness generation
Star Boy aka Thom Kallor: celestial mass-transference
Stone Boy aka Dag Wentim: ability to transmute to living stone
Strut: electrochemical perceptions, insectoid physiology
Supergirl II aka Laurel Kent: invulnerability
Timber Wolf aka Brin Londo: super-strength and super-agility
Ultra Boy aka Jo Nah: ultra-energy which can be directed into any one of strength, speed, flight, invulnerability, flash vision, penetra-vision at a time[/i]

Sheathed in an emerald forcefield, a Legion cruiser hovered above Robotica Prime?s hastily erected execution arenas. The forcefield?s creator Neon accompanied the ship at portside, her own body glowing with green light from within. Mon-El flanked the ship?s starboard side, his deep blue cape spread out above and behind him as he descended. Ultra Boy had been flying in just below the ship?s undercarriage, but as soon as he sighted Phantom Girl below he broke ranks without a second thought.

?Tinya!? Jo Nah raced to her side as fast as his flight ring would carry him. ?Sprock, I was so worried about you!? He grabbed the now very tangible Phantom Girl in both arms and held her tight, kissing her passionately.

?Ow, Jo -- ow! Honey, stop!? She turned intangible once more and backed away right through his clutching arms.

For the first time, Jo realised that she looked as though she?d been through a wringer. ?Tinya? What happened? Did they hurt you? I?ll--?

?It?s okay,? she switched her power off and kissed him on the lips lightly. ?You weren?t gonna know...but Jo, we have to get out of here.? She looked around at the oddly passive Roboticans surrounding them. ?I don?t know why Karth Arn hasn?t sent a platoon of robots after any of us yet, but we can?t count on that lasting forever. We have to regroup while we still can.?

?It?s okay,? Ultra Boy gave her a reassuring smile. ?Kid Computo?s taken care of it for us...as far as anyone else on this planet?s concerned, we?re not here. Well, obviously she can?t fool Mano and his pals but it doesn?t look like they?re gonna be a problem for much longer.? Jo and Tinya looked across to see that Legionnaires had begun pouring out of their shuttle and were even now dividing up to help Strut, Gravity Kid, King Canary and Crystal Kid with their opponents.

?My hero.? Tinya finally let herself relax, but then something above and beyond her lover caught her eye. ?Wait...where?s Mon going??

Ultra Boy turned around to see Mon-El flying back up and away from the rest of the Legion. It soon became apparent exactly what he was flying towards; a decrepit but unmistakably Khund vessel was diving straight at them all and it opened fire seemingly randomly as the Daxamite drew closer. Mon-El?s superspeed and invulnerability meant that he could easily intercept every disruptor blast before it could damage his friends or anybody else on Robotica, but the sudden burst of activity was clearly too much for Kid Computo to have accounted for. It was clear to all that she?d lost control of the artificial lifeforms around them when Karth Arn?s voice suddenly rang through the open space with a harried kill order. Only slightly more than half the Roboticans present listened to their new dictator, but they were more than enough. Within two seconds, the scene was one of potential mayhem.

Nightwind had just left the Legion cruiser when the Khund vessel had appeared. As the sky filled with robots of different shapes and sizes, she approached Neon. ?I don?t know who these new idiots are and I know they?re not going to be a match for Mon-El, but he can?t trash their weapons and keep this weird robot planet from killing all of us at the same time. Can you expand your forcefield to include their ship as well as the rest of us? Just give me a sec to buy us some space.?

?How are you going to do that?? Zoe blinked. ?I mean no offence but there must be hundreds of those things, Nightwind!? Indeed, the sky was already almost completely blotted away.

?Yeah well?.we?re not in space anymore,? Berta Skye Haris muttered, ?And I?ve been itching to do something useful since we left Mars.? She floated up only a few feet above Neon, and cast both arms wide. The shiny black straps attached to her costume caught the wind and flicked up like the plumage of some great bird, and everyone soon felt a fierce motion run through the air around them. The abrupt updraft didn?t really gain momentum until it cleared both Mon-El and the Khund ship, but once it had done that it swiftly became a tide of force. It battered robots back, broke their more delicate parts and cracked veneers. In no time, most of the attacking Robotican force had been driven back far enough that Zoe Saugin could easily create a hardlight barrier between them and everyone else.

?Good work, you girls.? Cosmic Boy appeared near Zoe and Berta. ?Some of them got through though...Neon, can you make your barrier permeable just over here for a moment?? He gestured at a portion of the emerald dome which remained relatively untargeted by the Roboticans outside, and somewhere between twenty to thirty robots within the dome were propelled there by magnetic force.

?I?m not Phantom Girl,? Neon shot back. ?I can either phase through stuff or not phase through stuff, I can?t do that fancy half-half thing she does...but let?s try this instead.? The dome?s interior grew an ancient vault door, its central lock spun wildly and the door flung itself open just in time for Cosmic Boy?s cargo to hurtle through to the other side. As soon as they?d cleared the hardlight dome, the door slammed close once more. Neon looked toward Cosmic Boy and Nightwind to playfully brag, but the two of them had already flown off to where they were next needed.

?Oof,? Zoe?s cheeks puffed out. ?Tough crowd!?

**********

With Catspaw?s attention turned to King Canary, Gravity Kid had decided to make himself useful elsewhere as soon as he?d felt recovered from his earlier poorly timed agony. Using his powers to crumple the inner workings of the forcefield surrounding Strut and Mordecai had been much easier however than doing anything to Mordecai directly.

?He?s too strong!? Tel trembled, trying to ignore the constant stabs of pain from his own treacherous body while he struggled to tear away the killer grip with which Mordecai had finally managed to hold Strut. The inarticulate monster held Strut aloft like some sick party cracker waiting to be torn in two, and it was all Gravity Kid could do to keep him frozen in place. He knew he?d only last another second or two though, and was immensely relieved when a bolt of lightning left a charred black tear in the floor at Mordecai?s feet.

?Let him go!? Ayla Ranzz?s voice rang out sharply. She couldn?t attack Mordecai directly without her power conducting through to Strut as well, but she was hoping this creature was mindless enough that he wouldn?t know that. ?Or the next one goes straight through that stupid tattoo on your chest and out the other side!?

A low rumble built in Mordecai?s throat but trailed off as soon as he laid eyes on Lightning Lass. Slowly, against all expectations, he dumped Strut like a discarded doll and stepped toward Ayla.

?Back off!? Lightning Lass?s fists arced with pink electricity. ?I won?t warn you again, creep!?

?Lightning Lass?? Strut asked, giving himself a moment to recuperate before he stood up again. ?Darling, I know this sounds utterly outrageous but if I?m not mistaken?I think this big oaf is smitten with you!?

?What?!? Ayla took a step away from Mordecai. The giant monster?s head bowed and his knuckles almost dragged on the ground as he followed Ayla like a lovesick puppy. ?You need some more practice with that electrochemical whatever, Strut...there?s no way this thing has a crush on me.?

?Actually, Lightning Lass,? Tellus joined the conversation as he descended from above, ?I can confirm, Mordecai?s mind is a morass to navigate but his infatuation with you is clear. I believe no further violence will be necessary here.?

Mordecai released a long gurgling sound which Ayla realised was the closest he could come to purring in ecstasy. She massaged her temples and shook her head slowly. ?What do you know, I can do worse than Timber Wolf...?

**********

PS if anybody knows how to copy and paste WITHOUT all my apostrophes turning into question marks, I'm all ears....I thought for ages that it was something wrong with the way my browser works, but I've come to the conclusion that it just changes when I paste in here regardless of what browser I use :\

LOL! great installment, raz. Loved you showing how powerful Nightwind is, and Zoe's throwaway line about Tinya half-phasing was also a nice touch. And Computo's cloaking of the team... go the stealth route
first on a rescue mission, that's smart.

Hah! Mordecai being smitten by Ayla, nice throwback to the SW6 series!

can't help with the apostrophe thing, sadly. I now try to draft my writing in a private PM to avoid that, but...

Thanks IB! I have been hanging out since this story started to let Nightwind actually use her power at some point lol

....and I have been trying to find an excuse to throw in that Mordecai/Ayla scene since I first decided to use Mordecai a million years ago

It had been an easy enough matter for Mon-El to continue shielding everyone from the Khund ship?s disruptor fire with his invulnerable body while he slagged the ship?s weapons with his heat vision, but it left him momentarily distracted...so when Firefist?s weapons made the ship?s bridge suddenly explode outwards and Echo?s power caused the sound of the explosion to reverberate inside Mon-El?s head a thousand times louder, the Daxamite reeled. The damaged ship fell out of the sky, but flight packs saw most of the Demon?s Claw and the other Khunds who formed their vessel?s crew to safety. While Mon-El shook his head violently from side to side to regain his bearings, Bloodclaw pummelled straight into him and drove him into the surface of the artificial world.

The ship itself was intercepted by two more Legionnaires; Diamond Damsel and Stone Boy had both had the same idea, and they almost collided mid-air as each raced to keep the vessel from crushing their more vulnerable teammates.

?Sorry, Diamond Damsel!? Stone Boy gallantly backed off. ?I didn?t mean to steal your thunder.?

?Don?t apologise,? the taller woman retorted. ?This thing?s massive, I could use the help!?

The two ignored Khund weapons fire as they held the ship aloft together and looked for somewhere to set it down. A stray shot hit something much more volatile though, and the Khund ship was rocked by another explosion. While Stone Boy and Diamond Damsel were both sent careening backwards, neither of them were injured. A stray panel from the ship?s hull slammed into Neon however, and just like that the hardlight dome was gone.

An instant later, they were swarmed by robots.

?There?s too many of them!? Nightwind screamed, taxing her power to its limits as she struggled to keep the Robotican populace back with more than gale force winds now that Neon?s forcefield had collapsed.

?Let me take the lead, Nightwind!? Cosmic Boy joined her, using his own magnetic powers to much greater effect against the oncoming horde. ?Most of them are made primarily of metal, concentrate on the plastic ones so they don?t get past me!?

?Even if I just target the ones who aren?t affected by your power, there are like a thousand of them!? Nightwind shot back. ?We need a miracle, Cosmic Boy! W-wait!? Berta saw her breath suddenly emerge as a white cloud. ?Wh-why?s it so sprockin? c-cold all of a sudden??

?That?d be me.? Polar Boy appeared next, his arms stretched out before him. ?Sorry for the discomfort, but it?ll be worth it if I can make it cold enough to freeze their circuits up!?

On the ground, Chlorophyll Kid noticed some of the Khund warriors who?d arrived here with the Demon?s Claw had a clear shot at the conveniently distracted Polar Boy, Nightwind and Cosmic Boy. He threw a handful of seeds at the Khunds, ensnaring them in thick vines; his power was so enhanced now that he could even bind their trigger fingers without any risk of a misfire. Chlor knew that he should be anxious about the overwhelming odds before them, but in truth he was excited to be able to let loose with his newfound power. As he sent massive round tree trunks battering their way through waves of Roboticans to the sky above, he decided he just might see how far letting loose could take him this day?

**********

Elsewhere in the midst of all this chaos, Catspaw was still trying to catch King Canary. Ironically, the sudden influx of robots trying to kill him worked in the small bird?s favour as he was small enough to weave between them all quite effectively. April Dumaka however was nothing if not persistent.

?Hey!? A teenage girl?s voice shouted from above. ?Pick on somebody your own size!? Supergirl dived down toward Catspaw, who easily vaulted over her.

Once Catspaw had cleared her would-be assailant, she hissed and raked her claws down Laurel?s back. Catspaw screeched in outrage and pain, her trembling fingers covered in blood from having assaulted Laurel Kent?s indestructible skin. ?Catspaw bleed! Skinny girl pay for that!?

Before she could pounce, yet another Legionnaire charged at her. Timber Wolf was faster and more experienced than Supergirl, and when his heels connected with Catspaw?s chin she went down like a sack of inertron. ?I don?t see how she could kill you,? an uncommonly grim Brin Londo grumbled to Laurel, ?But I wasn?t going to let her try.?

?Um, okay...? Laurel raised an awkward eyebrow. ?Thanks..??

?Congratulations, Brin,? a new voice sounded. ?Now you only need to deal with me.? Karth Arn?s holographic form flickered into view and reached a finger out toward Timber Wolf. The villain?s immaterial hand fractured as it brushed against Brin Londo?s chest, and Brin himself was none the worse for wear.

Without consciously processing the information, Brin heard the robots on his left hand side run silent and he instinctively understood there could only be one reason for that. He turned to Kid Computo with surprising savagery. ?Shut him down!? Brin roared.

?I have--? Kid Computo began, every artificial intelligence in her immediate vicinity standing by in mute subservience.

?He?s too dangerous!? Timber Wolf interrupted. ?Wipe him out, Kid C! Destroy him!?

Danielle Foccart?s jaw dropped. ?Timber Wolf...he?s a living being! I?m not going to let him hurt anybody, but I?m not going to kill him either!?

?He?s a sprocking android!? Timber Wolf protested. ?Sprock, he?s not even that anymore! He?s a cloud of miniature machines!?

?He feels, Timber Wolf!? Kid Computo approached her teammate, her face contorted with anger. ?He feels and he thinks and he?s as alive as any of us, I can sense it! I?m not gonna kill him any more than Tellus would kill one of these Khunds!?

He?d been so preoccupied with Kid Computo that Timber Wolf only now noticed Karth Arn had taken advantage of the dissent to flee the scene. ?Fine,? Brin growled. ?Whatever he does next is on your head though, Foccart.? With that, he leaped up some thirty feet straight up to assist Light Lad with his own robot foes.

?What was that all about?? Laurel asked Kid Computo.

?Sprocked if I know,? Danielle shrugged. ?But you know...it?s made me realise something. I need to find Phantom Girl.? Her flight ring sent her flying into the mass of robots around them, and Laurel turned her attention to the anti-energy cannon which had been tickling her lower back till now.

Nice scene there, throwback to Timber Wolf's origin. Not surprised neither Laurel nor Danielle know about it.

Great action as usual, raz!

Thanks IB, I have been trying to get around the thing with the question marks because writing a whole story length post instead of just copying and pasting it is a pain the ass on this board but I don't think there's any other way around it boo

Flederweb's particular combat enhancements didn't give him any advantage over this horde of robots but he was cunning enough to have evaded their vibro-blades, energy blasts and appendages till now; he'd even managed to trick a few of the Roboticans into attacking one another by using himself as bait. The Demon Mother would not spare him forever though, nor any of the rest of his team. She gifted violence and death upon all of Her children inevitably, and Flederweb was no Khund but he had a feeling the Demon Mother would be generous with Her gifts today.

As he tucked his wings close and executed a corkscrew dive through a volley of laser beams, Flederweb caught his teammate Galarr in his peripheral vision. The Demon's Claw had originally set out to recover Firefist's errant wife, but Flederweb was beginning to realise that Galarr's obsession with these robots had twisted that mission into whatever this mayhem was now. It brought to mind the Khundish children's tale of Warlord A'hab, for A'hab's quest for vengeance had destroyed him too.

Catching an updraft, Flederweb spread his wings once more and glided away from a particularly nasty-looking Robotican covered in whirling blades. Avoiding one foe however brought him right into the path of another; some kind of particle beam burned a hole in his right wing three inches in diameter and Flederweb blacked out briefly from the pain. When he regained his senses, he was hurtling straight at the bladed robot, and he had neither the strength nor the time to find an escape.

Instead of brutal death, Flederweb found himself looped in some kind of purple rubbery substance. With sinking heart, he realised exactly what this meant just before he heard the oppressively cheerful voice.

"Gosh, I sure am glad I caught you in time!" Elastic Lad exclaimed, the teen coming face to face with Flederweb on a neck which extended several feet. "I know that we're supposed to be fighting each other but I couldn't just let you get chopped up like that, what kind of superhero would I be? Oh, I'm awfully sorry - I know that's a biased question, I mean if our positions were reversed I bet you'd watch me die because Khundish culture doesn't share the same values as we do and gee I sure hope you don't think I'm trying to claim some kind of superiority but you have to admit it works out better for you that I was there to help, right? Anyway, maybe it's just something you could think about when we get out of here!"

Flederweb released a long defeated sigh and tried to let the pain of his ruptured wing override that boy's maddening drone.

...The Demon Mother must be feeling particularly sadistic today.

**********

"What are you Khunds even doing here?" Shadow Lass confronted the woman knows as Scorn. "I thought we took care of you back on Mars!"

"That's not quite how I recall it," Scorn retorted as her blood dagger swiped out fruitlessly at Tasmia. The Talokkian warrior's power was already coming into play, tendrils of inky black working their way around the two women. "The way I remember things you didn't stand a chance against me until your Daxamite lover intervened on your behalf, Shadow Champion."

"Is that why you're here?" Shadow Lass drew her cape about her and took a step back, allowing the darkness to consume her completely. "Are you so eager to finish the job you started that you'll allow yourself to be slaughtered by different enemies just to kill me?"

"You overstate your own importance," Scorn responded. Darkness was everywhere now, and in the middle of all this chaos it was more difficult to isolate which of the blurs of motion were her prey. "We have come for Veilmist, slaying you is a bonus."

"Are you serious?" Tasmia Mallor's heel struck the back of Scorn's knee and the Khundish sorceror almost collapsed. "Veilmist is under our protection, Scorn - you must be insane to believe we'd bring her planetside with us to confront the Fatal Five!"

Scorn spun around without a word, her dagger striking true this time....or so she thought until she heard the grating sound of metal upon metal. The Robotican she'd inadvertantly assaulted swung a club-like extremity at her and Scorn was sent flying.

From her vantage point above where Shadow Lass had quickly fled after goading Scorn into action, she surveyed the battle scene; a few dozen feet away, Mon-El was just finishing up with Bloodclaw now. "Mon," she spoke at normal volume, trusting his super-hearing to pick her up. "That nasty Khund witch is unconscious, I'm leaving her in a bubble of shadow here. Can you please find somewhere safe to evacuate the foolish woman when you have a chance? It looks like one of our new recruits could use my help."

**********

Crystal Kid wasn't panicking yet, but he was getting awfully close to it. He and Mano had fallen into an uneasy detente where Bobb would erect a barrier, Mano would disintegrate it while Bobb gained some distance, then as soon as Mano started getting closer Bobb would need to slow down to put up another barrier. It was buying him time, but for how long? Bobb Cohan's power was finite; Mano's wasn't. To make things even more difficult, Bobb now had a wave of Robiticans to deal with. The neophyte Legionnaire's attention was divided across too many battles and it was only a matter of time before he slipped up fatally. He'd promised himself he wasn't going to cry for help like some child, but he honestly didn't see any other way he was going to get of this.

Firefist meanwhile was fighting Roboticans only a few meters away, and he shot one out of the sky that smashed into the ground right at Crystal Kid's feet. Bobb gave a startled yelp and stumbled backwards, falling over his own feet.

"This was fun at first," Mano's voice sounded. "But fun's done. Time to end this, kid." Bobb looked up in mute shock as Mano came closer. That hand would be on him in seconds, and Bobb wondered if it being torn apart at an atomic level hurt or if he'd just wink out of existence. He very much hoped it was the latter.

The plasteel bubble around Mano's head suddenly turned pitch black. "Hey!" the villain bellowed. "Who turned out the lights?!" He forgot about Crystal Kid, reaching out blindly for whomever must be behind this new assault.

"...Unbelievable." Shadow Lass descended from above, her cape draped gracefully in the crook of her left arm. "All these years we've been fighting one another and that idiot still doesn't recognise my power." She extended her other arm toward Crystal Kid, who remained sitting wide-eyed on the ground at Mano's feet. "Well, don't just sit there!" Tasmia chastised her new teammate. "Come on, let's get out of here before he--"

"Shadow Lass!" Mano roared, recognising her voice and finally putting two and two together. "I should have known it was you! Screw it, I'll disintegrate this whole damn arena if I need to!" He reached down toward the ground but then felt a sudden lurching motion - suddenly Mano was spinning around like a pinwheel, and he couldn't tell which way was up. "What the sprock?! Let me go! Let me go, damn it!!"

"He's awfully dangerous," Light Lad joined Shady and Bobb while he kept Mano suspended in mid-air. "But only if we let him touch anything, right?"

"He's not that dangerous." Shadow Lass rolled her eyes, giving Mano's foot a gentle shove to keep him spinning. While Mano yelled impotently, Tasmia gave an unusually impish giggle. "Ask Ayla to tell you about the time she beat him up with a glorified handbag later..."

**********

haha! I love these scenes, raz. So much character packed into them. Nice mix of levity (heh! pun absolutely intended) and danger. Tasmia being all imperious (but taking time to make sure Scorn would be OK) was a treat, as was Flederweb's suffering at Elastic Lad's prattling.

Thanks IB

Writing the last couple of confrontations between Elastic Lad and Flederweb kinda makes me want to do a buddy comedy with them now lol

Roboticans parted a way for Kid Computo through the battle taking place all around her, and any Khunds who noticed her presence found themselves suddenly unable to move cyborg limbs or use their weapons against her. Four of the Fatal Five could still have proven a problem for her, but Danielle was relieved to see that some of her more physically capable teammates held the supervillains' attention. She almost allowed herself a wry smile; on her first outing as a Legionnaire, Danielle had been helpless with terror over a collapsing building and now here she was darting through a battlefield as though she were just flying down the street for some kono juice. Danielle's smile died before it was born when she came across the person she'd been looking for, the Legion's newly elected leader.

Phantom Girl crouched protectively over an unmoving Matter-Eater Lad. Tenzil's ever-present sunglasses lay broken by his side, and both he and Tinya were covered in bruises and cuts. A few Roboticans littered the ground around them. Some were immobile thanks to Bismollian jaws, and there were others whom Danielle sensed instantly were offline even though there was no visible sign of damage. She put this down to Phantom Girl's power bypassing the robots' defences to attack them internally, but it seemed that Tinya had pushed that tactic about as far as she could. Eight Roboticans advanced on the helpless pair now, ready to end them.

"Get away from them!" Kid Computo cried sharply. Phantom Girl and Matter-Eater Lad's assailants complied immediately, turning away from the heroes to direct their energies elsewhere. Danielle landed by Tinya's side. "Is Matter-Eater Lad..?"

"Tenzil will be fine," Tinya gave a weak smile. "He just needs the multilab like probably half of us here. Thanks for the save though...I was about to try phasing him to safety, and honestly it was a long shot at best."

"Phantom Girl, there's something I have to tell you." Kid Computo's brow furrowed with concern as Ultra Boy's flash vision incinerated a dozen Roboticans high above them. "The Roboticans...they're alive. They're sentient. We can't keep treating them like they're defence droids or drones or whatever."

"They're intent on killing all of us, Danielle." Tinya's tone was compassionate, but firm. "We can't let the Fatal Five have a solar system full of killer robots at their disposal. We just can't."

"Have the Legion ever fought the Khunds like this?" Danielle persisted. "The Gil'Dishpan are giant sprocking tube worms but we still respect their right to live!"

Phantom Girl took a deep breath and examined Kid Computo's face carefully before speaking. "...Are you absolutely sure about this, Danielle?"

"They think, they feel, they've gone thousands of years living peacefully without us," the young teen answered earnestly. "I'm telling you, they're as alive as you or me."

Phantom Girl looked down at Tenzil, then surveyed the chaos around her. She saw Roboticans plummet from the sky thanks to Star Boy's power, watched them shot to pieces by Firefist and his Khund allies. Then she looked back at Kid Computo waiting for her response. "Alright," Tinya decided. "How many of them can you control? If we just have the Fatal Five and the Khunds to focus on, I think we can just beat them then back out of here and leave the Roboticans to their own devices."

"I...I can't control any of them outside my immediate area," Danielle admitted. "Maybe with that booster Brainy made me, but even then I wouldn't be able to do a whole planet."

Tinya pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed in frustration. She was hurt and exhausted and wanted nothing more than a sonic shower and some quality time with her man...but she was also leader of the Legion of Superheroes. "Okay," she finally said out loud. "Here's what we're gonna do..."

**********

The citizens of Robotica fought for one of two reasons; they had all seen the violence that the Fatal Five and the Khunds were capable of, and they were either scared or incensed with rage having experienced that violence on their prime world for the first time. They experienced a new first now, the weary cracked voice of a young organic from a world they'd never heard of carrying across their audio receptors.

"Greetings, citizens of Robotica," the voice spoke. "My name is Tinya Wazzo, though I'm known as Phantom Girl. I am speaking to you with the assistance of my teammate and friend, Danielle Foccart. She is known as Kid Computo, and together we are members of the Legion of Superheroes. The Legion of Superheroes have pledged our lives to helping innocent sentients wherever we encounter them, and we...we have not fulfilled that pledge to the best of our abilities today. I know that we have hurt you, and for that I give my most solemn apologies. Kid Computo has shared with me your history with biological lifeforms, and I know now that we've caused you nothing but pain despite your best efforts to avoid us.

We're not all the same though. The monsters who destroyed one of your worlds and conquered the others are the Fatal Five, longtime enemies of ours. The Khunds you have known as enemies for countless centuries do not share our values. We can protect you from these people today, we have defeated both on multiple occasions. We can't do that if we have to protect ourselves from you at the same time though. We don't ask for much, Robotica - just that you allow us the opportunity to show our good intentions. We ask that you refrain from attacking any of the strangers whom the Fatal Five brought to your world against our will or any of the strangers you find here today wearing a flight ring, the schematics of which I've asked Danielle to send to you all now. Give us the chance to bring our own kind to justice, and we'll give you every opportunity we can to live a life which is free of interference from those who would destroy you or use you. I've asked Danielle to broadcast this message as widely as she can, and I ask you now in turn to broadcast this message as widely as you can. I want to bring peace to your worlds, Robotica. It's a goal that I know everyone in the Legion of Superheroes shares."

Danielle's flight ring broadcast Tinya's plea not only to the Roboticans, but also to their fellow Legionnaires. Trusting Phantom Girl's instincts, every Legionnaire fighting the Roboticans stopped fighting and shifted their focus to purely defensive tactics.

The Roboticans seemed to consider Phantom Girl's words for a second or two, and then they acted...

**********

I love it!!! An even better way of bringing in the "Roboticans are sentients" bit than the Reboot did. Huzzah! And credits to Tinya for thinking of a plan so quickly, and to Danielle for acting so fast. Glad to see Tenzil doing so much damage before going down, too.

Raz, hi there.

These are great, I love how you keep us aware of the incredible chaos erupting around the team while giving individuals their turn in the spotlight - well done!

The Jo/Tinya co-dependency continues - their relationship would annoy me in real life but it's still always good to see them together and how they react if the other has had any trouble.

Berta showing off was definitely fun. Nice to see her cut losose a bit, she doesn't often get the chance.

Zoe - "a tough crowd" - hah! Love her personality here.

Aw bless Mordecai, he's a puppy really isn't he? A big, destructive golem puppy...

DD and Stone Boy to the rescue! Dag's politeness was sweet.

The sheer volume of Roboticans attacking the team is outrageous! That they aren't running away (as I certainly would!) shows the strength of their character. Ral saving Polar Boy, etc and wondering about cutting loose was great too.

Laurel hurting Catspaw just by being to tough to scratch gave me a laugh, and Brin springing into action is always good to read. I always imagine he'd be one of the team that would try to get to the heart of any fight just for the fun of it. His reaction to Karth Arn was spot on, though snapping as Danielle wouldn't kill the android wasn't terribly gallant - perfect for his character actually. I really like your take on Danielle btw, very competent and smarter than she probably gives herself credit for.

Elastic Lad and Flederweb are great together, I laughed out loud at ...The Demon Mother must be feeling particularly sadistic today - a buddy road-movie with these two would be incredible! And, the Khundish children's tale of Warlord A'hab must be one of these stories that proves that convergent evolution happens in stories as well as physical characteristics.

Shady and Scorn was also a fun little fight - the catty disregard they have for each other was entertaining. And Shady getting Mon El to clean up fter her was pretty accurate. As the Planetary Champion she can be an entitled princess at times.

Poor Bbob, Manos abilities are the antithesis of his so it's no wonder that it wasn't going well. Shady's attitude was again spot on - "Ask Ayla to tell you about the time she beat him up with a glorified handbag later..." Hahaha

Danielle once more comes to the rescue - very clever of her to get Tinya to send that message out. Fingers crossed it leads to a happy-ish ending!

Thoroughly enjoyed this Raz, can't wait for more, more and more!

Thanks y'all, hopefully this should all be wrapped up by the weekend! I didn't pick the easiest story to drop for a year, what with having to remember where I left off with the Legion, Fatal Five, Khunds and Robotica and try and give them all get a bit of focus

I think once everyone gets back home I will have a couple one-off stories just to show us where everyone's at and then not to give too much away, but wedding bells might be ringing in the near future!

Phantom Girl tensed as she saw one of the Roboticans extend some kind of antenna array toward her. A low thrum emitted from it, and she could feel the vibration even after turning intangible.

"Infrasonics!" King Canary appeared abruptly, his tiny golden form darting forward from somewhere within the mass of combatants. "Don't worry, boss lady! I'll--"

"No!" Danielle Foccart intercepted her feathered comrade. "Just...just give them a second. Trust me!"

Danielle's faith was rewarded as another of the Roboticans gripped its fellow's appendage. The interloper was more humanoid in design, resembling one of the robot menaces of ancient Earth's early science fiction moving pictures. The two Roboticans shared some silent communication, and a moment later Phantom Girl's would-be assailant lowered its weapon.

Tinya released a sigh of relief and glanced at Kid Computo. "Thanks, Kid C."

"It wasn't me," Danielle beamed at the newcomer. "Thank this guy; your designation is B4BB4G3, right? Don't worry, you won't regret it."

**********

The Robotican named B4BB4G3 was not the only one of their race to heed Phantom Girl's words.

Friendly Roboticans were initially in the minority, but more quickly joined their ranks as they saw for themselves that the Legion were true to their word. Without the threat of countless hordes of robots along with their other threats, the Legion soon restored order to the robot world.

With the lightning speed of computer analysis, the Roboticans decided that the only member of their race who'd thus far engaged in peaceful conversation with the organics should act as Robotica's spokesbeing. B4BB4G3 approached Phantom Girl and Kid Computo with deliberate caution; though the bronze bipedal robot had been the first to give the Legion a chance, B4BB4G3 still wasn't entirely certain how best to engage with the strangers. After taking a moment to think about it, B4BB4G3 looked down at the two young women and emitted a discordant high-pitched squealing noise.

Kid Computo gave a good-natured laugh. "Here, let me help you with that." Moments later, she'd accessed the Interlac dictionary stored on her omnicom and imprinted it in B4BB4G3's own memory.

"Gratitude," the Robotican acknowledged the gesture; the shrill bark of their voice didn't match their domineering frame at all. "Our worlds have gratitude for all you have done, Legion of Superheroes. We offer our apologies for the poor treatment some of your units have suffered in previous interactions. We are not familiar with organic lifeforms but in those interactions we have had previously we have encountered violence and destructive tendencies foreign to our society. We had not the tools to find our own freedom, though that will change after the behaviours we have perceived from your group."

"You don't need to apologise," Phantom Girl smiled wearily. "Though we do appreciate it. The Fatal Five are monsters, we understand that they didn't give you a choice in the matter and we'll do our best to ensure they never bother your worlds again." Tinya gave a quick glance toward Mano, Mordecai, Karate Kid and Catspaw floating helplessly thanks to Light Lad's power and mouthed Karth Arn's name silently at Kid Computo.

Before Danielle could respond, B4BB4G3 spoke up again. "It will not be necessary. The Robotican system is not the safe haven for us that it has been since pre-memory. Our enemies both ancient and new know where our worlds are now, and we cannot presume on the Legion of Superheroes' ability to protect us when your own territory is so far from ours. Additionally, it is time perhaps for us to cease hiding from organic life and to begin learning to live amongst you. By the end of this planetary rotation we will have left this system behind to find our place in the wider universe."

"You're going to just...abandon your homeworlds?" Phantom Girl's brow furrowed. "You don't need to do that."

"They are just worlds," B4BB4G3 retorted. Though the Robotican's voice was grating, Tinya believed he was trying to be reassuring. "Our home is wherever we are."

Mocking laughter resounded from nearby, and everyone turned their attention to the Khund warlord Galarr. He was on his knees, unable to support his own weight thanks to Star Boy's power. Standing watch over him, Thom was visibly annoyed. "What's so funny?" the bearded hero asked.

"They are not just worlds," Galarr answered with malicious glee. "They are Khund worlds now. Once the robot infestation has cleared this system and you children return to your United Planets, the Khunds will claim this territory for our own as should have happened millenia ago!"

Comprehension dawned on Firefist's face and he struggled against Diamond Damsel and Stone Boy's combined grips. "This was your plan all along, wasn't it?" the Khund spat at his comrade. "This whole debacle....you never cared about reuniting me with my wife, you let her flee to the Legion of Superheroes! To bring them here to fight your battle for you! You cowardly--"

"Mind your tongue lest you lose it!" Galarr roared back. "Do not forget that I am your superior, Firefist! We can deal with your dishonourable accusation in the Challenge Courts if you so wish, but Veilmist is one woman! What is one woman compared to the prize we have won for the Khund Empire today?"

"The prize you've won?" Supergirl raised an amused eyebrow. "What makes you think we're just gonna leave you here to play coloniser, you big batjerk?"

Star Boy sighed in defeat. "...Because we don't have a choice, Laurel."

"What are you talking about?" the indestructible teen shot back. "Of course we've got a choice! Phantom Girl--"

"No, Laurel..." Phantom Girl's face dropped as she realised the same thing Star Boy had. "...Thom's right. This isn't UP territory. If Robotica asks us for help, we'll provide it but we can't enforce our own will here."

"Phantom Girl." B4BB4G3's voice startled her, and Tinya looked up into their unmoving face. "They are just worlds. The Legion of Superheroes have liberated our people and that is the real victory."

"Of course you're right," Tinya agreed half-heartedly. She glanced across at Kid Computo, but Danielle's face only confirmed Tinya's fears. These Roboticans were too naive to understand what they were giving up to the Khunds, but it had to be Robotica's decision. "With your permission, we'll hang around to make sure your departure is uneventful, and then...Legionnaires, let's go home."

**********

On the dark side of a gas giant in the outer Robotican system, Veilmist and Khano sat in mutual silence on opposite sides of a large round table. They both looked up as Night Girl entered the passenger compartment. "I've got news," Lydda announced as she leaned against a console.

"Well?" Khano sneered. "Out with it, woman!"

"Don't forget you're on board our ship," Lydda cautioned him. "Show a little respect, friend. Cosmic Boy just called; the Legion have defeated the Fatal Five...and the Demon's Claw."

"My husband was on that world?" Veilmist queried. "But...how? Why??"

"It doesn't matter," Lydda responded. She took a seat next to Veilmist. "But you're free now, Veilmist. He won't be hunting you anymore."

"Free," Khano venemously repeated. "What do you think she is free to do, Legionnaire? I helped her flee because she paid me well, but do not think this story has a happy ending. What future can there be for an errant wife?"

Night Girl rolled her eyes and moved her chair slightly so she didn't have to look at him. "Veilmist, listen to me. I know our stories are far from the same, but I also know a little something about living your life for a man's approval. The whole reason I went to Earth in the first place was because I had a ridiculous infatuation with Cosmic Boy. In time that grew to become love but it wasn't love at first, I was just too stupid to know the difference. We were together for years and I forgot how to even have dreams of my own because I was so devoted to his. Then one day he dumped me and I felt like my whole identity had been taken away because my whole identity was so wrapped up in being Rokk Krinn's girlfriend."

"Why are you telling me this?" Veilmist interrupted. "You are his wife now, yes? You have taken your rightful place beneath him once more?"

"That's just the point," Lydda continued. "Being on my own did me a galaxy of good because I had to find out who I was, I had to find out what my dreams were...and when we got back together, our relationship was stronger than it had ever been precisely because I'd learned how to be my own person. My rightful place isn't beneath Rokk, Veilmist. It's beside him. As his equal."

"Equal?!" Khano bellowed. "I do not know what nonsense you're taught in the United Planets, but a Khund woman's place is in service to the man she belongs to!"

"He is right," Veilmist bowed her head meekly. While her head didn't move, Veilmist's dark almond eyes slowly looked up to see the smug satisfaction on Khano's face and the simmering frustration on Night Girl's. Night Girl, who could tear this ship apart with her bare hands if she so wished, whose husband was not even mildly intimidated by her great strength. Veilmist thought about the other Legion females; the Somahturian they trusted to pilot this ship, the phantom they'd made their leader. She raised her head and fixed Khano with a defiant glare. "He is right...but perhaps he should not be."

Without another word she vanished, and the faint scent of lavender floated in her place. "No!" Khano pounded his fists on the table. "Where has she gone? Where has she gone?!"

"If I had to guess," Night Girl smirked down at him as she stood up, "I'd say she's gone to join the rest of the 31st century."

She pushed both her chair and Veilmist's closer to the table, and left the Khund mercenary to fume alone.

**********

hahahaha! beautiful, beautiful!

Babbage, nice shout out!

ok, i like that this victory wasn't an exact victory. but i can see it from the Roboticans' POV. they don't care about these planets. and what would it matter to them if it were a tactical loss for the UP?

beautiful scene with Veilmist and Lydda. Beautiful. Emancipation - you go, Veilmist!

That was a neat end to that arc Raz.

Love B4BB4G3, would be great to see it pop up again. I wonder where the Roboticans will go next? Perhaps that's a story for another day.

So, the Khunds kind of won the day there. With a new system to colonize or plunder I imagine they'll be feeling quite smug. Wonder if the team will do anything about that...

The Lydda/Veilmist scene was cute, hopefully everyone's favourite teleporting Khund Minx will show up soon.

Great stuff, looking forward to more, more, more.

I would be amused if the Roboticans plan on 'stealing the cutlery' on the way out the door, and leave the planet utterly depleted of resources and of no value whatsoever to the Khunds... "Why yes, we've organized all of the useful metals in the core of this world into a ship and will be taking it with us, leaving behind the inert crust to crumble in on itself and become just another asteroid field of rocks and dust in space. Why would we leave behind perfectly good resources?"

And the Khund come back. "Uh, there was a planet here. I swear..."