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#4

"Legions of the Damned"

by David Marshall

 

A Planetoid in the Void

"What the sprock is going on here?" Spark asked.

When M'Onel told everyone they were not alone, he meant it. Everywhere Spark looked other Legions besides her own filled the planetoid's barren landscape - hundreds of them. Some wore easily recognizable costumes. Others opted for either plain clothes or matching uniforms. Some were older - much older than her own group. Others were so young it was unfathomable to think of them gallivanting across the universe to face whatever threats came their way.

"Which of you is Cosmic Boy?" asked a man who resembled Cos but looked much older. His hair was thinning but still retained most of its dark sheen.

Rokk stepped forward. "I'm Cosmic Boy."

The man held out his hand. "Rokk Krinn. We may have met before. Some of us retain memories of battling the Time Trapper in the void and others do not."

Rokk looked suspicious but offered his hand in return. "What's happening?"

"You experienced the fade, correct?" the older Rokk asked.

"The fade?"

A goofy looking kid stepped forward. He looked like he belonged in entertainment media from the days before the ancients invented video devices that projected color. The name Cosmic Boy was written across the front of his uniform. He couldn't possibly be serious. Could he? Why would anyone splash their name across the front of their uniform? In case he forgot who he was? "It's what we call it here on Legion World - the fade. Some reality-altering event transpires that requires your team to sacrifice itself and rather than dying, your team finds itself floating in the great nothing. Am I close?"

Spark stepped close enough to whisper into her Cosmic Boy's ear. "Be careful Rokk. We don't know these people."

"Sound carries well out here," said a young man dressed in a uniform much like Garth's before he returned from Kwai space as Element Lad. His arm was also metal like her brother's was at one time. "You know us, Ayla."

"I know you well enough to know you're not my brother, Nass-head!" Ayla snapped.

A girl with a strawberry bouffant hair-do stepped in front of the other Garth. "You may represent me in your world, but you insult my brother again and there'll be one less Light Lass on this planetoid!"

"Gossamer!" yelled another girl in a nearly identical outfit.

"I'm Light Lass!" replied the girl defending her brother's honor.

"Ladies!" said the older Rokk. "Remember that you're Legionnaires and behave accordingly."

"I don't take orders from you!" Spark shot back. "Kid Quantum is our leader!"

"Not here, she isn't," said the older Rokk.

"Hold on one minute!" said Spark's own Rokk Krinn. "Jazmin is our leader and it's not open for discussion! I don't care what kind of rules you've established here. Our Legion has a constitution and according to our by-laws..."

"And you think our Legions didn't have constitutions?" asked a young man clad in a green and yellow uniform. Even at his normal height and sporting an outdated haircut it was spooky seeing Gim Allon alive again.

"They're right, Rokk," said Kid Quantum. "I understand and you should too if you keep your heart out of the equation for a moment. This place is a gathering spot for various incarnations of our group in different realities. Centralized leadership is essential to avoid chaos. It's a wise move. Legion Constitutions be damned."

"And who is in charge?" Rokk asked.

"The Council of Krinn," replied a scantily clad Saturn Girl.

Spark couldn't believe her eyes. This Saturn Girl was older, perhaps in her mid-twenties and whatever reality she came from, she was much less modest than the Iron Butt Imra of her own Legion. Clad in a pink bikini held together at the midriff by a ringed Saturn charm, it was a wonder she didn't die from exposure on the cool world.

"The Council of what?" Rokk asked.

"The Cosmic Boys of each Legion," said one of the Wildfires. "One of the Sun Boys started the Council of Krinn name as a joke. It caught on and has stuck ever since."

"Sun Boy?" Spark asked. "Who the sprock is that?"

"Drake sometimes forgets that dopplegangers don't always exist in each universe," said a man Spark didn't recognize. He was a muscular and looked to be of African-Terran descent. "You can call me Troy or Tyroc, whichever you prefer. I don't exist in all the Legions. Most have a Sun Boy though or you may call him Dirk Morgna."

"The only Dirk Morgna we know isn't a Legionnaire," LeViathan answered. "He manages a professional Magno-Ball team."

"The Lodestones," Spark's Cosmic Boy added. "My brother plays for them."

A red-haired boy stepped out of the crowd. He wore an orange and yellow costume with a blazing sun on the chest. "Some of us Sun Boys go by Inferno too."

"Inferno?," Rokk asked. "We had an Inferno, although she was never truly a Legionnaire. She was a member of the Workforce who was trapped in the twentieth century for awhile with some Legionnaires."

"She was too a Legionnaire," Saturn Girl corrected. Inferno's status with the team was never truly ironed out and was a standing point of contention between the two founders. "She chose to remain in the twentieth century."

"As fascinating as this game may be to play," said Spark's own Brainiac Five, "Why are we here?"

"I'll field that one," another Brainiac Five answered. He was older, but not as old as the elder Krinn. Spark guessed he probably belonged to the Half-Naked Saturn Girl's Legion. "As difficult as it will be for you to wrap your mind around the concept, Querl... we don't know."

"Impossible," Brainiac Five argued. "There has to be a pattern or some clue..." "None," said the older Coluan. "We've postulated that the Time Trapper is responsible, but we're not certain. There is no evidence, only past experience."

"So what now?" asked Spark.

A woman who looked to be an older version of Spark's own self grabbed another woman's hand. The other woman resembled LeViathan, but a hideous scar on her left eye bore witness that she'd seen a much harder life than her own Legion's Imskian. The other Ayla kissed her Violet's hand. "You treasure the time with those you love and wait, sweetheart. Time is the only thing there doesn't seem to be a shortage of on Legion World."

 

Legion Plaza

Outside Legion plaza, the Legionnaires fought valiantly against Darkseid's minions. Even those who weren't full-fledged Legionnaires but still possessed useful powers struggled alongside those on the team proper. It was the second time in as many weeks Mordru's forces attacked Legion Plaza. Lightning Lad wanted to know why.

The despot last attacked during a news conference. The surprise strike was beaten back, but served its purpose. Lightning Lad knew all too well about such tactics. Khundia employed the same strategy. Several worlds in the Winathian system fell in a similar manner. An advance fleet arrived to ascertain the fighting strength of a victim world and retreated after inflicting significant damage. In the aftermath the questions that remained were as brutal as the attack. Was another attack imminent? If so, when? Had they witnessed the enemy at full strength or were they toying with them?

Even a team as seasoned as the Legion wasn't immune to the post-Blitzkrieg trauma. Lightning Lad caught himself stealing glances at perfectly calm skies and wondering if hell would break loose any moment. The size of away teams were noticeably smaller with the team sticking close to its compound rather than risk being taken unaware once more. The young woman who lost her sight in the initial volley was moved downtown to facilities far less equipped than the Legion's own. Dox swore it was for the best. She would receive around the clock care, something he wasn't able to administer. The truth? The last thing the Legion needed in the event of another attack was evacuees.

In the ensuing days the Legion brass, which included the founders, Brainiac Five, and select members of the United Planets, sat through numerous brainstorming sessions and discussed the issue at length. But all the planning in the world couldn't prepare one for the reality of battle.

It was never pleasant to watch one's friends and colleagues face death. It was their job, a duty they swore to perform to the ultimate sacrifice. Dream Girl proved it was more than flowery language tucked away in the Legion Oath. Looking around the battlefield, Lightning Lad couldn't help but wonder who was next - if not the current battle then perhaps the following one.

Timber Wolf was sworn in officially a few days prior. He hung around headquarters enough that he seemed like a Legionnaire anyway, but it was good to have him on the team. He swung his fists and his feet wildly as befit his name. He was far less graceful than Karate Kid or Shadow Lass, but what he lacked in beauty, he made up for in sheer savagery.

An attacker caught one of Triplicate Girl's bodies while she moved the non-powered Legionnaires on the Plaza to safety. Her other two selves fought bravely against their attacker but their resistance proved futile.

Lightning Lad raced to them. "Lu get the others to safety! I'll handle this!"

The girls stepped away from their other self and Lightning Lad unleashed a concentrated burst of electricity that caught the attacker square in the back. It wasn't enough to hurt him or Triplicate Girl either, but did exactly what Lightning Lad hoped it would do. It freed Triplicate Girl and turned the attacker's attention to him. The second burst of electrical power was far less tame. The attacker's cry lasted milliseconds before he succumbed to the fury of the electrical surge.

Lightning Lad looked for someone else to assist. Everyone seemed to hold their own well, especially the girl who called herself Shikari. Before the battle alarm sounded some of the others had only moments to piece together her story. She insisted she was a Legionnaire from not just another world but another dimension or reality. Such intricacies were best left for Dox to sort out. Either way she was separated from her team while they fought alongside the Teen Titans. The Teen Titans! Lightning Lad couldn't imagine a world where one could actually stand beside such comic book legends.

Whatever the unexpected visitor's origins, her spirit was indeed that of a Legionnaire. She refused to shy away from battle. When her claws and deadly combat style weren't keeping Mordru's troops busy, she drew their fire and their frustration as she easily eluded the deadly blasts from their weapons. Whatever Legion she belonged to, she was a credit to her team.

Another fleet of troops poured out of the opening in the sky riding battle skiffs. Ultra Boy was the first to meet them. He took to the skies via his Flight Ring and used his invulnerability to make himself a living missile. He tore through a skiff easily, leaving its rider to fall to the ground below.

Lightning Lad wasn't about to let Jo have all the fun. He turned his attention to the skiff riders as well. They were joined by Micro Lad who shot up to his usual fifty foot height and crushed the skiffs in his bare hands. Between the three of them they were making quick work of the fleet.

A skiff rider buzzed Micro Lad's head. He swatted at it like one would a fly. The rider abandoned his craft at the last moment and landed in the giant's hair. He retrieved a battle staff of some kind from his uniform and raised it high in the air before planting it in Gim's skull. The enormous Legionnaire was seized by muscle spasms.

"Gonna black out," Micro Lad yelled.

"Gim, go small," Lightning Lad replied. "Do you understand?"

Micro Lad opened his mouth to reply but the spasms rocked his body even more violently. His head jerked so wildly Lightning Lad wondered how Mordru's minion hung on.

"Gim buddy, you've got to shrink or you'll take out someone on the ground," Ultra Boy yelled.

Life appeared in Micro Lad's eyes once more. "Can't concentrate. Someone help me before I hurt..."

The giant stumbled and at last fell.

"Timber!" Ultra Boy yelled.

As he fell Micro Lad shrunk. By the time he hit the ground he was only about twelve feet in height.

"What the sprock?" Ultra Boy asked.

Saturn Girl's familiar voice answered. "I was able to isolate the part of Gim's brain responsible for triggering his change and forced him to shrink. He's going to need medical attention. He was injected with some type of nerve agent."

Lightning Lad turned to Ultra Boy. "By the way, yelling timber wasn't funny."

Ultra Boy shot him a menacing look. "It wasn't intended to be."

The two Legionnaires turned their attention back to the melee. The tide of the battle was turning and not in the Legion's favor. The hordes of Avalon grew quickly in number. Sheer numbers were overwhelming the Legion.

Then he appeared.

Mordru!

 

Legion World

"It has to be the Time Trapper," said Brainiac Five. "It's the only possibility that makes sense."

The Legion's resident genius huddled with the other Brainiac Fives. He wondered whether any of them were ever lost in Kwai space or if they even knew what the Kwai were.

"What are the connections between our groups besides the fact we all fight under the same banner?"

A young Querl Dox in scientist robes stepped forward. "The connections tend to occur randomly. Some groups claim members others never had. Many of these heroes weren't represented in my Legion from the 1940's."

"The 1940's?" Brainiac replied. "We assumed your Legion was merely the Time Trapper's machinations. You and I should be one and the same. Our Legion escaped the Trapper's anomaly the moment we contained the atomic bomb and we were restored to ourselves. How is it that you're here?"

"The explosion was our fade," the other Brainiac explained. "The appearance of alternate Legions and Legions that seem to hail from divergent points in the same time line lead us to the same conclusion. The Time Trapper is behind all of this but the randomness is maddening."

"What was your Legion doing when you experienced the fade?" asked a very old version of Brainiac Five's own self.

"We were battling the Fatal Five Hundred along with the Teen Titans from the twentieth century. One of the Persuader's atomic axes blew and....."

"The Fatal Five Hundred?" asked yet another Brainiac Five. This one was a bit older than Querl himself but not nearly as old as the eldest.

Brainiac Five nodded. "The Persuader used the Atomic Axe to tear reality and bring duplicates of the Fatal Five from a hundred realities into our own. Thanks to Superboy's dual membership in both the Titans and the Legion we were able to...."

"Did you say Superboy?" a Brainiac Five asked.

"Yes, I did," Brainiac Five answered. "Why?"

"Superboy only exists in precious few of our realities," the eldest Brainiac replied. "In those in which he exists, he served as the team's inspiration."

Brainiac Five shook his head. "Not our group. He was an immature, pompous ass most of the time. Our Legion was together for a few years before he joined. However, Superman of the twentieth century was an inspiration for the group."

Some of the other Legionnaires gathered around the Coluans. The mention of Superboy caught everyone's attention.

"The Brainacs have postulated that the death of our Superboy may have been the divergent event in our timeline," one of the Cosmic Boys explained. "Some of us retain full knowledge of the Boy of Steel and remember his death. Others served with him but never watched him die."

"Those who witnessed his death share many of the same memories as those of us who did not," added the bikini-clad Saturn Girl. "We Saturn Girls have scanned everyone's mind but those in your group. Our scans support the theory the Brainiacs put forth. Some of us seem to be the same person plucked from different points in the same time line. Others do not."

"My Legion, for example," explained the eldest Rokk Krinn. "We never had a Superboy for inspiration. Valor was our inspiration. Yet we retain some of those memories as well. Again this supports the theory. We seem to have emerged after the death of Superboy."

"How do you kill a Kryptonian?" Apparition asked.

"C'est impossible!" explained a young man of African-Terran heritage. "My teammates know me as Invisible Kid."

"Jacques?" said Brainiac Five's own Invisible Kid who arrived with him earlier. "You devil! What are you doing in the Legion? In our world you're still working undercover for Earthgov."

Invisible Kid shook his head. "I'm afraid you have me confused with someone else, mon ami. I was not a hero nor did I desire this life until le diable known as Computo possessed my younger sister Danielle. That is when I ingested the invisibility serum created by my predecessor and took his name."

"So you took my place in your reality?" Invisible Kid asked. "Why did I quit the Legion?"

Jacques looked to his own Cosmic Boy who nodded. "You were killed, mon ami, at the hand of Validus years before I joined."

Invisible Kid looked surprised. "I see."

"I am sorry," said Jacques. "But the question was how does one kill a Kryptonian? Non? I didn't know Superboy as well as some of my teammates but I knew him well enough to know you couldn't take his life from him. He gave it to save his pocket world."

"What do you mean?" XS asked.

"I was there," Jacques explained. "Following the events of the Great Crisis, we learned that our Legion never traveled through time and visited Superboy. The Time Trapper diverted us from the time stream to a pocket universe he created which was the home of Superboy. Somehow that Earth's history was interwoven with our own and with little historical records to reference the era in detail we mistakenly assumed we broke the Time Barrier. I'm sure either of the Brainiac Fives can explain much better."

"You're doing well, Jacques," said one of the Brainiacs. "I'm the fool who didn't see it."

"You are tres dificil on yourself, mon ami," Jacques replied. "The Anti-Matter energies of the Great Crisis did not spare the pocket universe. The Time Trapper possessed a device designed to spare Superboy's world, if he would cooperate and destroy us. Superboy refused and smashed the device in the ensuing battle between himself and the Time Trapper. The Pocket Earth began to succumb to the Anti-Matter cloud. I can still see that floating red death in the skies when I close my eyes."

A large being who appeared to be constructed of solid rock stepped forward. "It haunts all those who witnessed it, Invisible Kid. But was the death of Superboy not the real tragedy?"

"Of course it was Blok," Invisible Kid answered. "Superboy damaged the machine's containment vessel and there was nothing to channel its energies to ward off the anti-matter. He flew over our heads so fast my eyes could see nothing more than a red and blue blur. His scream was pitiful when he inserted himself as the conduit for the energies. Mon-El and Ultra Boy rushed to his aid but he batted them away. The device transported the Pocket Earth to a safe dimension but at the cost of Superboy's own life. He was dying by the moment."

"We tried to rush him back to our headquarters in our own time, but he was afraid the Time Trapper would interfere. He sealed us inside and used the last of his will and strength to transport us safely through time," said Mon-El. "I held him in my arms when he breathed the last. He was a brother to me."

"Our Superboy proved his mettle as well," said Cosmic Boy. "I gave him a rough time, but I think he'll make a legend one day. He seemed so proud to wear the suit."

"Why isn't he with you?" asked the young man who identified himself earlier as Inferno.

"He's with the Teen Titans in the twentieth century," Cosmic Boy answered. "At least that's where we hope he ended up. Wherever he is, I'm confident that he'll show everyone what a true hero is."

"If he's anything like our Superboy, he'll show them all why he's the greatest," said one of the Wildfires.

 

The Time Stream

Superboy Prime rushed through the Time Stream and was awed by its wonders. He wasn't aware of its existence until the Speedsters forced him into the eternity of the Speed Force and banished him to a world bathed in red sunlight to keep his Kryptonian powers in check. For their part it was a terrible mistake, a temporary solution to a permanent problem. He found a way back.

It took some time to fashion a suit of armor based on the Anti-Monitor's original design that could feed raw energy into his being. Eventually he was strong enough to escape, but his time in exile proved fruitful for other reasons as well. He discovered that he was able to access the Speed Force himself and use it to break into the Time Stream itself. Once in the stream of time he could pick and choose destinations. He used his newly acquired knowledge to return to Earth about a week after his banishment by the Flashes, although in reality a few years passed in his own time.

It was fitting that the Time Stream that lead to his banishment also served as his Fortress of Solitude. There was certainly no one on the so-called Earth One powerful enough to find him. He would have to thank the Flashes one day.

Earth One! What a pretentious name! It was more like Earth Evil Twin Clone. And what was it with the heroes of that world? How did they become so twisted they allowed the multiverse to stay dead and dare call themselves heroes? Many of them were blissfully ignorant that they didn't belong on the combined Earth they fought so hard to defend. Their true homes and lives no longer existed. If they were anything more than fools they would have joined the crusade to restore the multiverse!

Despite his convictions Superboy wasn't proud of his recent actions. It was tempting to blame his downfall on Alexander Luthor but manipulation or not, he would give anything to bring back the Teen Titans he killed. The guilt gnawed at him continuously. Heroes don't kill. Do they?

What was a hero really? What separated one being with powers beyond those God intended for man to possess from another? The so-called heroes of the remaining Earth considered him a villain, a super-powered freak, out of his mind with power. He convinced himself that he did not care. Why should he? After all they were the true villains. Right? They were the ones who allowed his beloved Earth Prime to remain a ghost while their dark orb sullied the solar system!

But deep down all he wanted to do was to be Superboy and looked up to as the greatest hero in the universe. He spent years watching Earth-One's heroes from the Paradise dimension. He dreamed of leading the bright pantheon of heroes into battle once they came to their senses, but they would never rally behind him now. Nor would they ever trust him. No one would. If only the people of Earth One would accept him as they did the impostor Superman, his righteous rage would subside.

He dropped his head and sighed. The Teen Titans he murdered would hardly call his rage righteous. Their voices haunted his dreams at night. Where did such anger come from? How did he become so far removed from his own ideals that he could kill? Granted he was never Superboy long enough on Earth Prime to really explore his own heroic ideal, but he certainly was raised to know basic right from wrong. Even during the original Crisis, his heart was untainted by rage. So why was he so full of it now? It seemed Earth One warped everything it touched.

Superboy's exploration of the Time Stream came to an abrupt halt with an odd discovery. Around the thirtieth century time frayed into a convoluted mess of what he could only describe as pockets. It was as if one could pick and choose from these pockets in time. What was so special about the thirtieth century?

It was worth investigating.

Some pockets were sealed. Others were open to anyone who could access the time stream. The open routes didn't hold as much interest for him as the sealed ones though. Someone didn't want him to know what was behind the seals. That alone was reason enough to start with the sealed pockets.

Remembering his time in the Paradise Dimension with Luthor, Superman, and Lois, Superboy struck one of the sealed paths with his fists. It didn't budge. But that was impossible! Again he struck the sealed pathway, harder this time.

Once more his blow proved futile. Again and again he hammered the stubborn barrier yet it refused to yield to his blows. But it still felt good to hit something with all his might without worrying about worlds living and dying with each blow. Whatever was behind the barrier was definitely safe- even from him.

"This is for Earth Prime!" Superboy yelled into the void of the Time Stream. Another mighty blow fell against the barrier.

"And this is for my parents!"

"This one is for Laurie!"

"This is for my Krypton, wherever it was!"

Each blow reverberated in the expanse and would have proven maddening for a mortal man, but not for a Boy of Steel.

"And this is for... for..." Superboy stayed his hand. His chest heaved as he thought of another reason to strike the barrier.

The Boy of Steel dropped to his knees. Tears filled his eyes as he began to wail. How did he make such a mess of things?

He crawled to the barrier a broken spirit and did little more than knock as if expecting a butler to show up and welcome him. When he spoke between sobs, his voice was little more than a whisper. "For truth, justice, and the American Way."

 

Legion Plaza

Mordru descended from the sky in an orb of light. He was dressed in brilliant purple robes and seemed to float majestically toward the ground. Despite the battle raging beneath him, he appeared confident, as if he lowered himself into a bath to relax.

"We've got incoming!" Cosmic Boy shouted. "Ultra Boy! Karate Kid! You're with me!"

Karate Kid joined with Ultra Boy and followed Cosmic Boy's lead. The trio rushed skyward to meet Mordru.

"Give me one good shot at him!" Ultra Boy demanded.

"You will stand down unless instructed otherwise," said Cosmic Boy. "Maybe Mordru will listen to reason."

Karate Kid admired Cosmic Boy's calm demeanor. Nothing seemed to rattle his faith in those he commanded. An old Earth proverb said that some men were born to lead. Rokk Krinn was one of them.

Mordru wasn't as impressed. He laughed when he saw the three Legionnaires rushing toward him. "So this is the best the Time Trapper can do in this universe?"

"Lord Mordru! You and your forces are trespassing on United Planets soil! You will call off your attack immediately!" Cosmic Boy demanded.

"And why would I do that, child?" Mordru mocked. "Or your Legion will make me pay? I've defeated your group many times in various realities. Many of them were far more formidable than this pathetic assemblage."

Karate Kid wasn't sure whether to be appalled by Mordru's lack of concern for an attack on his person or whether to fearfully respect him. He decided to go with the latter. Anyone who could lower himself into such a furious battle with so little concern had to possess immense power or else he was simply insane. Or worse - both.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Cosmic Boy answered. "But any further action against Earth will be deemed an act of war. Do you understand? Is that what our member worlds need? Surely a peaceful solution can be reached to end this altercation without further bloodshed."

"An act of war?" Mordru appeared delighted by the idea. "You truly don't understand. Do you? Perhaps it is time to reveal who it is you so idly threaten!"

Mordru shot up in size and stature. In a matter of moments he grew so large even Micro Lad at full height could be crushed beneath the heel of his boot. "I am not one of your pathetic politicians, child! I am Mordru the Merciless - the Dark Lord of Avalon! All hail your conqueror!"

The sorcerer's eyes glowed bright red.

"Cos! Look out!" said Ultra Boy. He pushed Cosmic Boy out of the way and took the brunt of Mordru's assault.

Karate Kid admired his bravery but winced when he heard Jo's skin fry. But that was impossible! Nothing could harm Jo in his invulnerable state! Could it?

Ultra Boy's scream could be heard over the din of the battle.

The last thing Karate Kid remembered about the battle was Mordru batting Cosmic Boy toward him so quickly he couldn't move out of the way .The heroes slammed into one another so hard that it knocked one of Karate Kid's teeth loose. Even when they hit the ground it didn't hurt nearly as bad as when they hit one another.

Karate Kid raised up his head and watched the battle unfold. The combined might of Mordru and his forces overcame the Legion. First it was Sun Boy who fell and then Star Boy and Element Lad. Karate Kid fought to maintain consciousness in hopes that he could rejoin the battle. He tried to stand but it was no use. The world went topsy-turvy and he fell on his back. Then everything went black.