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#2

"Alternate Realities"

by David Marshall

 

Legion Plaza, Metropolis, Earth

Algora Rath finally made it! Legion Headquarters!

The crowd gathered outside Metropolis' newly-minted landmark was everything she dreamed it would be. Sentients of nearly every species in the galaxy were represented. Some possessed powers like the Legionnaires themselves. Others were ordinary beings like Algora, who traveled to Earth because they believed in the Legion's ideals.

The crowd seemed excited about something but Algora wasn't sure what the buzz was about. Putting aside her shyness she approached a young Broggian. His scales were a dark yellow color which meant he was under age as well. She tapped him on the shoulder. "Hi! I'm Algora Rath and I'm new here. Why is everyone so excited?"

"You got here just in time!" the Broggian replied. "Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, and Saturn Girl are holding a press conference in a few minutes regarding their recent battle with the Fatal Five!"

"All three of them?" Algora replied. "Oh wow! My first day on Earth and I'll see three Legionnaires in person!"

"You're lucky," said another young man. "I traveled here from Corvan IV and I didn't see a real live Legionnaire for weeks. Then it was just Colossal Boy doing some repairs on the roof."

"Micro Lad!" cried the Broggian. "He's Micro Lad! Why can't anyone get his name right?"

"Micro Lad. Colossal Boy. You can call him Leviathan for all I care. Anyone who can grow to fifty feet high is cool in my book!"

"He doesn't grow," another girl explained. Algora wasn't sure what world she came from but her orange skin and long eyelash-antenna were certainly eye-catching. "He's a giant who shrinks to six feet."

"Here they come!" someone shouted.

The argument was quickly forgotten as all attention focused on the main entrance to Legion headquarters. The metal doors slid open and the three founding members stepped onto Legion Plaza. They first greeted the waiting hordes of Legionnaires in celebrity fashion then took their places on the hovering media platform suspended beneath the Legion flag. Algora was disappointed that she wasn't close enough to the founders to shake their hands.

The media types waiting behind a roped off area were then allowed to approach the Legionnaires. Algora moved to get a closer look but her line of sight was partially blocked by a floating holo-camera and the sprocking media running to and fro. Still she had an unobstructed view of Cosmic Boy and in the end that was all that mattered. He was as gorgeous in person as the holo-mags made him out to be.

A giant visi-screen powered on and floated above the media platform allowing everyone a clear view of the proceedings.

The throng of reporters regurgitated their questions at light speed. Cosmic Boy was the group's leader and answered them in rapid fire order. Algora could imagine him going into politics himself one day and changing the system. Many of the questions were worded in such a way to make the Legion look bad, but Cosmic Boy turned them around masterfully and showed his group and their movement in a positive light.

Finally Lightning Lad spoke. His voice wasn't as strong and powerful as Cosmic Boy's even with the media platform amplifying his every word. "I want to give the Legionnaires gathered on the plaza a chance to ask questions as well."

Hands sprung up throughout the crowd. Algora added hers to the forest of flesh clamoring for the Legion's attention.

Lightning Lad pointed to a short, chubby kid wearing an "I Love Shadow Lass" t-shirt.

"What is your favorite comic?" the kid asked.

"Newbie," the Broggian hissed quietly. "And he calls himself a fan?"

"Obviously a newbie!" Algora huffed as she lowered her hand. That was her question too.

"I've always been a Showcase fan," Lightning Lad replied. "You don't really know what makes a character tick until you read his intro story. My collection can be viewed on the InfoNet."

Oohs and Ahs swept through the crowd.

"I've always preferred the Teen Titans," said Cosmic Boy. "Ayla used to tell me I look like Robin but I don't see it."

A strange thing happened. An inaudible voice spoke in Algora's head. She couldn't actually hear it but it was as plain as any other voice on the Plaza. "I love Superman's Girlfriend, Lois Lane, but I'm a real nut for the Justice League of America."

Algora couldn't believe it! Saturn Girl's voice was in her head! It was only when the others cheered that she realized they heard it too. It was her first contact with someone from Titan. No one could ever accuse her of a virgin mind again.

"What's everyone cheering for?" asked a reporter.

"Don't tell them. It will be our secret," said Saturn Girl. "Legionnaires only."

Then it happened. At first it was as if all the air on the Plaza and the sky above rushed to one spot. Even the Founders looked puzzled. Lightning Lad pointed skyward toward the phenomena. Ripples appeared in the sky in three places like someone skipping a stone across a pond. The rippling rings glowed brightly for a brief moment before exploding outward with a loud boom. Invaders poured from the anomaly firing their weapons.

"Everyone clear the Plaza!" Lightning Lad yelled. No one would have heard him if not for the media platform.

The reporters immediately turned their attention to the breaking story unfolding before them. At least until duty gave way to self-preservation. Then they too ran.

"Those with powers grab someone!" Cosmic Boy yelled over the fray.

Those Legionnaires on the Plaza with powers grabbed those not genetically gifted in such a way and rushed them to safety. Algora waited for rescue but realized she would have to save herself. She had no powers but she still knew how to run.

The attackers were dressed in purple and gold armor. Each warrior wielded fantastic weapons and used them without prejudice. A reporter who ran alongside Algora disintegrated as they fled. The smell of burning flesh helped her panicked legs to find another gear.

Algora looked back. A warrior was on her tail and lowering his staff. Surely life couldn't end in such a manner - fleeing like prey before a predator.

"Not today!" shouted Cosmic Boy. He crushed the warrior's staff with his magnetism and pointed to the bunkers at the edge of the plaza. "Run while I have him distracted!"

Algora didn't have to be told twice. She raced away from the scene, but some macabre curiosity forced her to peek over her shoulder again. Other Legionnaires rushed from the team's headquarters and joined the fray- Karate Kid, Timber Wolf, Element Lad, Shadow Lass, Light Lass and Star Boy.

The Legion was heavily outnumbered but made a great showing for themselves. Whoever the strange warriors were, they picked the wrong place to start an invasion!

Someone pulled Algora into one of the plasticrete bunkers installed after Terra Firma wrecked Legion headquarters. She nearly tripped going down the steps but the person drug her so quickly she didn't fall until she reached solid ground. The bunker was nothing more than a glorified basement and offered little in the way of comfort. The soft, eerie glow of a single tract of emergency lighting lit the shadows. She huddled with a dozen or so frightened beings and listened to the battle raging above.

"For Lord Mordru!" one of the warriors shouted.

"Mordru?" whispered one of those huddled with her. "Isn't he the despot the United Planets visited a few weeks ago? Said he was going to conquer the UP?"

"I don't know," someone else replied. "I don't keep up with politics but I've heard that name."

An explosion shook the bunker.

"What the sprock was that?" someone cried.

"I'll see," said Algora. She raced to the heavy doors that sealed the entrance. Each was equipped with a small view port. She inched one open and peered out.

"What are you doing?" someone asked as the light from above poured into the bunker.

"Watching," Algora replied. She'd never witnessed her heroes in person.

"Close the window before they see us," said another.

"Don't listen to him," someone else replied. "What's happening?"

Algora inventoried the battlefield for a proper place to begin. "Element Lad converted a suit of armor to gas. They're even uglier inside those helmets. Lightning Lad just shot down a hover platform. What a fireworks show! Timber Wolf and Karate Kid seem to be competing. I guess they're trying to see who can take out the most. The info-net says they do that sometimes. Maybe we should ..."

Another explosion rocked the bunker and everything went black. For a brief moment Algora couldn't hear either. It was like total non-existence. Then she saw a light or more accurately the presence of a light. "What's going on? Who turned out the lights?"

"What do you mean turned out the lights?" someone replied as her hearing returned. "The bunker's shattered! We're sitting ducks here in broad daylight! Run!"

Broad daylight? That was impossible! Algora couldn't see a thing. Others knocked her to the ground racing past her to the surface. She felt her way up the steps on her hands and knees. At last she felt the firmness of the ground. She tried not to panic over her loss of eyesight but it was difficult with the sounds of imminent danger all around her. Her chest exploded with tremendous pain and she slumped to the ground. What was happening to her?

"Algora, this is Saturn Girl! You must listen to me. The bunker was destroyed. You've been blinded and shot by an energy weapon. It's just a glancing blow, but you need to stay down and make them believe you're already dead. Can you do that for me?"

"You know my name?" Algora asked.

"I scanned your mind," Saturn Girl replied. "Or more accurately the frontal lobe of your brain, the area responsible for self-awareness in most bipedal species. I apologize for the intrusion, but it was the only way to reach you in time. I promise someone will rescue you as soon as possible. Remain calm. Timber Wolf?"

"I'm on it, Saturn Girl! Warn Karate Kid that he'd better not cheat and count the sprockers he takes out while I'm gone!"

A Lonely Void Outside Reality

It was that same recurring dream Cosmic Boy experienced since childhood. He needed no flight ring to soar carefree through the skies. It was as natural as breathing. He played like a gull on the smooth currents of air - swooping and diving and climbing again. Then someone turned off the currents and he rushed toward the unforgiving Braalian terrascape. No matter how hard he fought, the currents refused to hold him aloft. He always jerked awake before splattering. So why couldn't he awaken this time?

"Where are we?" Kid Quantum demanded. "Brainy?"

Brainiac Five shrugged. "I .. I'm not sure."

"Not good enough," the Legion's fiery leader replied. "Weird science is your forte. Find an explanation."

"Holding hands with a couple dozen of my closest friends while falling through a void hardly qualifies as optimal lab conditions for science, weird or otherwise. I can only conjecture."

"Then conjecture,"Kid Quantum ordered.

"We were tossed outside the space-time continuum when the Persuader's Atomic Axe exploded," Brainiac Five answered.

"No offense, Brainy," said Ultra Boy. "But even I could have told her that."

"Anyone else?" Kid Quantum asked. "I'm open to suggestions."

"It won't stop us from falling, but maybe this will help us stay together." Chameleon transformed himself into an Andarean Space Squid and entangled his teammates within his tentacles. His transformation was slow and deliberate. He couldn't risk losing anyone.

"Thanks Cham," said Kid Quantum. "Ideas anyone?"

Again everyone turned to Brainiac Five. "Even when we were lost in Kwai space, I had something to work with."

"We're all the resources we have this time," Kid Quantum shot back. "It has to be good enough."

"It wasn't good enough for Shikari," Wildfire answered.

"I know you're upset, Drake but we'll find her," said Kid Quantum. "I promise."

"Maybe we could get a signal through to Superboy and the Titans?"Saturn Girl asked.

Brainiac Five shook his head. "I doubt it. When the Atomic Axe blew, it released enough energy to fuel Earth's powersphere for an eon. The Titans are likely experiencing a reality-bending trip of their own or dead."

"And who knows where all those Fatal Fives will end up?" Cosmic Boy added.

"In hell," Timber Wolf hissed. "If there's justice left in this universe."

"I can't take this," said LeViathan. "How long can our sanity last just falling through empty space? Not to mention our physical beings? We're bound to get hungry or thirsty or something."

She was right. Cosmic Boy thought the same thing when they first began their descent. Even M'Onel's Daxamite physiology could only last so long. Perhaps his time spent in the Phantom Zone could prove useful. It wouldn't hurt to ask.

"M'Onel's answer may panic the others," said Saturn Girl telepathically. "Allow me. M'Onel, this is Saturn Girl. You are linked telepathically with myself, Cosmic Boy, and Kid Quantum. Is it possible we are lost in the Phantom Zone or something similar?"

"No," M'Onel replied. "This is nothing like the Phantom Zone."

"I see something!" yelled Umbra..

Cosmic Boy felt hopeful for the first time since their surroundings faded away and the Legion found itself smack dab in the middle of nothing. Perhaps it was Shikari rushing to tell them she found a pathway home. Whatever Umbra saw eluded him. He strained to see. "Where?"

Umbra pointed into the void. "There! A place we can land!"

"Umbra's right. I see it!" said Ultra Boy. "M'Onel?"

"I've got it too, Jo. It definitely appears solid," M'Onel replied. "But I can't make out the distance in this lack of environment. There's no horizon or sight lines available for orientation."

"Given that those of us who do not possess some manner of enhanced vision cannot see it, it is reasonable to assume it isn't close," said Brainiac Five.

Cosmic Boy was disappointed the object wasn't Shikari but at least it offered the Legion a refuge in the void and it beat the monotony of falling forever.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance," said Gates. "I could teleport ahead and..."

"No," Kid Quantum answered. "Stick with us, Gates. We don't know the nature of physics in this place. You could be lost forever if you 'port. Code Legion Starcruiser everyone!"

Still wrapped in Chameleon's tentacles, the Legionnaires used their flight rings to assemble themselves into formation. Once the formation was fully assembled it looked vaguely like a starcruiser, albeit one with an Andarean Space Squid attached to its hull.

"Here's hoping this works like Brainy promised..." said Kid Quantum. "On my command. Power rings now!"

The Legionnaires activated their power rings simultaneously and the group moved forward as if they were one body propelled by a lone flight ring. In a sense they were. The flight rings linked to form a network that acted as a single engine. It seemed to take forever but the team finally reached orbit around a planetoid hanging in the middle of the void.

"What's this doing here?" Live Wire asked. "It doesn't make sense."

"No, it doesn't," Brainiac Five added. "But then again neither does being tossed outside reality. We should investigate."

The Legion made its way to the planetoid's surface and Cosmic Boy was surprised at how hospitable the environment was for supporting life. The ground was solid and the air possessed an atmosphere that was surprisingly tolerable, if a little thin. The temperature was rather cool much like spelunking in the caves of Braal but far from harsh. Things could have been much worse.

"Look!" cried Dreamer. She pointed skyward.

Stars illuminated the velvet backdrop of space like twinkling gems in a jeweler's case vying for the eye of a young man in love. Cosmic Boy didn't recognize the constellations but they shone as brilliant as the Milky Way when viewed from the remote regions of Earth.

"Brainy?" Kid Quantum asked.

"A physical impossibility," the Coluan replied. "This planetoid was the only visible matter we've encountered in the void. No stars exist beyond its atmosphere."

"Then what are they doing there?" Kinetix asked.

"Perhaps they are an illusion," Braniac Five replied.

Sensor slithered to Brainy's side. "No, my friend. I can see through any illusion and what we see is most decidedly real."

"We can ponder the mystery later," said Kid Quantum. "It's the least of our worries. We need necessities - food, shelter, and water. Look around but don't wonder far."

The Legionnaires foraged the immediate area and found nothing of value.

"Now what?" XS asked. "It's desolate."

"Pure speculation," Brainiac Five replied. "This area may be barren but that doesn't mean the entire planetoid is a wasteland. This environment represents any number of possibilities. There could even be thriving ecosystems located in underground chambers."

"I don't want false hope. What are the odds?" Umbra asked.

"Ra's al Ghul has better odds of winning another term as President of the United Planets," Invisible Kid answered before the Coluan could reply.

The news didn't sit well.

"We need shelter," said Karate Kid. "I learned on Steeple how quickly weather patterns can become volatile. This thin atmosphere doesn't bode well. Cool nights and hot days make for violent storms in the interim. There's also the possibility of hostile natives or even predators. We can't stay in the open."

"Agreed," said Brainiac Five. "We need to organize a search party to locate shelter and ascertain whether or not this world has a source of drinkable water. In the meantime we can huddle together for safety."

"Perhaps I can be of assistance," Gear volunteered. The Linsnarian youth's body sprouted an assortment of organic gadgets that formed a makeshift tent. "I can provide temporary shelter until the search parties return."

The shelter wasn't large but the Legionnaires huddled beneath it.

"Great job, Gear" said Kid Quantum. "Ultra Boy, M'Onel, XS, and Wildfire will conduct a five mile sweep, assuming the planetoid is that large. If you find anything important report back immediately."

"The rest of us could help," said Umbra. "We could cover more ground."

"Those four can search more ground in an hour than the rest of us can in days," Kid Quantum replied. "We remain here. I want us separated as little as possible. Everyone else make yourselves as comfortable as you can. If either of them doesn't report back in an hour, we go looking. Otherwise it looks like we're here awhile."

Inside Mordru's Gem

The Time Trapper waded through the sands of time pooled at his feet and smiled beneath his hood. He reached through the microscopic opening in the gem and touched the new reality once more. The opening was infinitesimal, impossibly so, and thus escaped the notice of an arrogant godling like Mordru.

At first the Time Trapper feared the worst. Had a force greater than the Dark Lord risen to power? Mordru proved a formidable foe over the eons. Was there a new force neither of them were aware of? Who had that much power?

Rather than recoil in fear the Time Trapper took advantage of the opportunity when the crack first appeared. If Mordru was blissfully unaware of his influence then perhaps the wild card was also. Not that it mattered. There was work to be done. Mordru created another reality that lacked the Time Trapper's balance and there was no Glorith around this time to piece it back together into whatever patchwork Vidar's frail mind could conceive. But universes have a way of righting themselves and, as the Time Trapper discovered when he first touched the new reality, this one was no exception. The youths were in place- Ranzz, Krinn, and Ardeen. So there was hope, but no source of inspiration and no Brande, Durlan or otherwise, to pull them together.

The Time Trapper could envision a million sources of inspiration but had to be careful. All the pieces had to be in place before Mordru caught on. The new inspiration required cunning, something that could fly under the Dark Lord's radar.

Reaching back into the epochs of time, the Time Trapper seeded the new reality with the tales of great heroes from the most ancient of days through the great age of superheroes. Like most great tales, someone wrote them down and they found their way into the hands of children. Serialized fiction would serve as his touchstones to the new reality as well as inspire a new Legion! It was scandalously delicious!

At last the Time Trapper located what he sought. It was still there, his haven pocketed away in the stream of time. If he could reach the safety of its harbors even Mordru couldn't touch him there. He could regroup and perhaps parry Mordru's latest thrust. He still had a surprise or two up his own sleeve. He hoped they would be enough.

Legion Headquarters, Metropolis Earth

Algora was still unable to see when she awakened. Or at least she thought she was awake. "Am I dead?"

"Hardly," a stoic voice replied. "Lie still. The backup generators are taxed already without your gravi-bed compensating for your shifting weight."

"Who are you?" Algora asked.

"Brainiac Five. You're in the Legion infirmary."

Algora couldn't believe she was inside the Legion headquarters and speaking to a real live Legionnaire! "Saturn Girl said I was blinded in the battle?"

"That is correct," Brainiac Five replied.

"Is my loss permanent?" Algora asked, unsure whether she wanted to know the truth. Brainiac Five didn't answer. He was tinkering with some kind of device. Given the Coluan's genius it was probably something that could save her sight.

Then she remembered his alleged coldness. What if the device wasn't related to finding a cure for her blindness at all? Had he lost interest in her and moved on to another project? She read that he often flitted from one project to another, often taking months or years before returning to less interesting pursuits. With their extended life spans, Coluans had such a luxury. Algora couldn't afford to be just another entry in his scientific journals.

At last the tinkering ceased and Brainiac Five spoke. "As Terrans would say, I cut my teeth on neurobiology."

"Really? None of the holovids I've seen said anything about you mastering that particular field. When was this?" Algora considered herself a huge Legion fan. How could she have overlooked such information?

"You misunderstand," Brainiac Five explained. "I mastered neurobiology as an infant, literally while cutting my teeth."

"Oh." Algora replied, feeling silly. "Did we win?"

Brainiac Five adjusted the biogauze covering her eyes. "To say we won would be a generous summary of the battle but the invaders were repelled for now."

"Where did they come from?" Algora asked.

"Ms. Rath, perhaps it would be better if you left the questions to..."

"I lost my eyesight in that battle!" Algora yelled. "I refuse to be left in the dark twice!"

"Your loss is temporary," Brainiac Five answered. "But since you insist on hearing the details of the battle I will humor you. The invaders claimed to represent Mordru's Empire, but I find it highly unlikely worlds mired in Dark Age technology could mount such an attack."

"They say Mordru is a sorcerer," said Angora. "He threatened to conqueror the United Planets."

"With what?" Brainiac Five replied. "Sticks, stones, and superstition? It doesn't matter. The invaders were repelled."

"I thought the UP was offering his empire admission? Why would he turn his magic against us?"

Brainiac Five's footsteps grew faint then Algora heard the swishing of a door. She sighed. "Fine! Walk away! No wonder the holo-vids say a rock can hold a more interesting conversation!"

"Two things you don't discuss with Brainiac Five - politics and magic."

Algora nearly flipped the antigrav bed. "Who's there?"

"Lyle Norg. Sorry about the invisibility but it's the only way I could examine you without Brainiac Five knowing I was here."

"You startled me," Algora answered. "How did we defeat them?"

"Star Boy and Light Lass collapsed the portal with their gravity powers and cut off their troop supply line. But they'll return if what I've read of Mordru is true."

"After the Legion saved the day and kicked their butts back to Avalon or wherever they came from?"Algora laughed. "I doubt we'll see them again."

"That was only the scouting party," Lyle answered. "I just hope we survive the coming war."

"The Legion?"

"No," Lyle replied. "The universe."

The Mysterious Planetoid in the Void

Kid Quantum wondered away from the shelter as the Legion's powerhouses left to search the small world.

Cosmic Boy cut short a conversation with Sensor and Karate Kid and excused himself to check on his girlfriend. He knew what she was doing. He was Legion leader once too. He placed a hand on her soft shoulder. "Just because you're leader doesn't mean you have to stay outside the shelter and brood. It's a little cramped but you can sit on my lap, pretty lady."

Kid Quantum placed her hand on his and squeezed. "Damn you for being so sweet. I know what you're doing and it won't work."

"Sure it will," said Rokk. "Come back to the shelter."

I can't do this, Rokk."

"Of course you can," Cosmic Boy replied. "You're doing a great job so far."

Kid Quantum shook her head and turned to face him. "You don't understand. I mean being lost again. Do you have any idea how depressed we were out there in Kwai space? I talked to Trommium Crystals to keep my sanity! I saw the toll it took on Imra just keeping less than a dozen people from killing each other. I've never told anyone this but there were times I hated Monstress for trying to cheer me up. Dear sweet Candi, Rokk! I loved her like a sister! Even now I try not to think about those feelings because I can't bear the guilt."

Cosmic Boy hugged her close and kissed her forehead. "I'm here for you."

"Promise?"

"I promise," Cosmic Boy answered.

Kid Quantum broke their hug. "I'm resigning as leader, Rokk. Saturn Girl is more experienced with this situation. She..."

"... doesn't have enough support to lead us through this. Each administration faces its trials. This is yours. For me they were the Chu conspiracy and the White Triangle."

"But I thought the Fatal Five Hundred was my White Triangle," Kid Quantum answered. "And now this."

"Turn around, honey," said Cosmic Boy. He spun Kid Quantum around and wrapped his arms around her. "Look at them. They aren't falling apart. And do you know why?"

"Because they're Legionnaires." Kid Quantum answered.

"That's right," Cosmic Boy replied. "Legionnaires who trust your experience with this very situation to lead them. If you back out now it will do more damage than you can imagine. They elected you. Not Saturn Girl. Not Lyle. Not me. They wanted you. Lead them."

A tiny smile appeared at the corner's of Kid Quantum's lips before she fell into Cosmic Boy's embrace once more."You're amazing and so damn cute when you get on a roll like that."

"They're your responsibility and you're mine," Cosmic Boy answered.

Kid Quantum gave him a peck on the cheek. "That's sweet, but I'm not your responsibility."

"Maybe you should be."

His girlfriend broke the embrace and looked at him as if he grew an extra head.. "Rokk?"

A lump formed in Cosmic Boy's throat. It was now or never. "Maybe it's a bad time to ask but when we get home, I was thinking maybe..."

"Yes?" Kid Quantum asked. "Go on."

Cosmic Boy's heart pounded so hard within his chest he was afraid his teammates would think natives were beating drums in the distance. "Jo and Tinya have the right idea! Jazmin Cullen, will you marry me?"

"Rokk!" Kid Quantum answered. She leaped into his arms. "Yes, gods yes!"

"You two know you're costing me credits, right?" Star Boy called to them as he and Dreamer walked toward them holding hands. "I bet Nura we'd be the first to break the place in!"

"And I told him to never wager against a Naltorian," Nura added with a playful smile.

Kid Quantum laughed. "Should we tell them, love? Judging by Nura's smile I think she already knows anyway."

Cosmic Boy planted a playful kiss on his fiancee's neck. "Absolutely! What better way to show we haven't lost hope ourselves?"

M'Onel's voice came through the Legion flight rings and interrupted the announcement. "I found something."

"Shelter?" Kid Quantum asked. She broke free of Cosmic Boy's hug and quickly asserted a tone of voice that let everyone know she was still in charge.

"Let's just say we're not alone," M'Onel replied.