Hello friends! This is the first chapter of my Alternate Universe story that actually revolves around Tinya. WARNING: If you don't know the Legionnaires' real names, you are going to have serious issues while reading this fic. DON'T BE DETERRED! You can really probably figure out who they are from reading. So read, review and enjoy!
Duh, I don't own the Legion of Superheroes, durr dur durr.
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FLAMES FADE

CHAPTER ONE:

TIMELINER

"You can't tell me that you won't be happy if it's a boy."

Phoenix, Apparition, Shrinking Violet, Triad and Tesla were sitting in the main lounge, chattering over Imra's swollen belly.

"Of course I'll be happy! I just want a girl a little bit more." She retorted, gently rubbing her stomach. Phoenix was looking so bright, like she was about to explode from happiness.

"Oh, Imra—" Suddenly the air seemed to waver. Bright colors swirled around until they settled on darker hues. A heavy column pinned Apparition to the ground as she unconsciously phased through it, not processing what was happening.

"Tinya, come on! We need to get out of here!"

Apparition looked up, and started back in shock.

Everything was different.

The Legion Tower was in shambles, looking like it was in the middle of a battlefield. The windows of the main room, intact and looking over a shimmering city moments before, were shattered and dirty, giving view to a barren, war-torn city below.

Timber Wolf was holding his hand out, crouched on a fallen pipe. She looked up at him and gasped—a large scar slashed down his face, leaving his right cheek bare of fur. His right eye was milky and blind, and his Legion Suit had been replaced by something that looked like an assassin's uniform. When had everything changed? It was perfect a moment before…

"Tinya, hurry! Reep and Hart are waiting in the cruiser. We thought you were dead too."

The way he said 'too' scared her to death, and she grabbed onto his hand. She noticed that her own clothes looked similar to his, and her right middle finger felt naked without a flight ring.

"Timber Wolf, what happened here?" She gasped, shock making her reel. He gave her an odd look, as if he wasn't sure what she meant.
"Tinya…I haven't been called Timber Wolf since the Legion disbanded, remember?"

She stopped stock still, eyes wide.

"Disbanded? What are you talking about?! The Legion is as strong as ever!"

He gave her another odd look and leaped down to a cruiser that was humming softly in a murky shadow. New Metropolis was looking more like New Gotham, and the inky shadows were barely a different shade than the rest of the street.

She looked into the car and felt her heart give a little wrench—Nemesis. Chameleon. They were the same—but so very different. Cham had one of his antennas missing, and his usually grinning face was serious and sad. Nemesis looked pretty much the same, but when she looked into his eyes she saw the haunted, empty sadness. They were all so sad…

"Hurry, Tinya, we've only got a few minutes before the search-droids come around." Hart said, and his voice was distant and rough.
She sat down in the cruiser, trying to process what was happening. She was confused, but the others acted like this was the way things had always been.

The cruiser pulled up to an inconspicuous brown building, and they bustled out, hurrying into the shadows of the hideout. Tinya entered the room and felt her heart give another wrench. So many scarred, so many missing…

"Tinya! I'm so glad you're safe!" Live Wire—no, Garth—wrapped her in a hug, much closer and more relieved than she would have thought. Then he pulled away and kissed her forehead, and she started in shock. She looked at Garth and then back at Brin, head reeling. She and Garth? How? When? She and Brin! He and Imra…

Imra.

"Garth, where's Imra?" She asked, and his face tightened.

"Tinya…she died years ago when Imperiac Six attacked, remember? How could you forget that?"

She felt like the floor was spinning, and she searched wildly for the other members missing.

"Chuck? Salu? Nura? Thom? Lyle? Jo? Val! Dirk! Rokk! Jan! Imra!" She was sobbing now, and Garth put an arm around her. She held onto him desperately, tears rolling down her cheeks as she denied the world she was in.

"This isn't how it's supposed to be! Imra isn't dead! She can't be!" She sobbed, and Garth looked stricken.

"And Phoenix—Phoenix! Where are Phoenix and Tesla and Niana?"

"Tinya…I think you hit your head back there. Why don't you lie down?" She allowed Garth to pull her away, watching through blurry eyes as her world crumbled.

Tinya opened her eyes, blinking away the residue left by tears.

"Oh good, you are awake."

She sat up and saw a glowing purple eye in the shadows, watching her.

"I have a few questions for you, Tinya."

Then Brainiac Five stepped out of the shadows, and her heart broke. He was human in this world—or at least mostly. His left arm was robotic from the shoulder down, and the right side of his face had been replaced by metal and steel. He limped heavily on his right leg, and a scar slashed his left cheek.

"Brainy…"

Tinya flung her arms around him, tears flowing anew. "You aren't supposed to be this way. I know you aren't." She whispered, and he frowned.
"Tinya, you are acting as if you are surprised by my appearance. I have been this way since the last stand. You were there—surely you remember."

He gestured at her face, and she whirled to a mirror. She hadn't seen this alternate version of herself, and when she caught sight of her reflection, she choked. Her hair was short and choppy, and her face had several new scars. But her eyes were the same, shocked and wide and horrified at this strange and terrible place.

"No! This isn't how it's supposed to be! Chuck and Luornu are married, Imra is pregnant, Phoenix is here and Niana is fighting with everyone!"

He stiffened, and she turned back to him. "Where is she, Brainy? Where is Niana?"

He clenched his human fist, face tightening.

"Niana Dox was executed by Imperiac Six three years ago. I've never told anyone about her. How do you know?"

She sat down on the bed, head in her hands. She was shaking, and the shock of so much loss hitting her all at once made her weak.

"She's a member of the Legion. She and Victor are so close to realizing their feelings for each other. She's alive, I saw her yesterday…"

Then she grabbed a small hologram that was still in her pocket—it was the only proof she had that this other world existed. Why it hadn't been affected by the change, she couldn't begin to guess, but she discovered that it held all the memories she needed.

"Look at this, Brainy. This is the way things are supposed to be—the way they are."

A hologram of thirteen year old Niana and the newest Legionnaire Victor Mancha laughing as they bent together over some new project, Triad and Bouncy walking down the aisle, Brin and herself sitting in front of some amusement park (she'd forgotten about that...) Imra's smiling face as she showed off her swelling stomach, Garth's arm around her shoulder as he grinned with pride and excitement…
Phoenix and Brainy, laughing and smiling, holding hands as they walked down the hall.

She saw his eyes linger on their faces, his brow furrowing.

"You see, Brainy? This is the way it's supposed to be. Do you recognize her?"

He looked like he wanted to remember, but shook his head.

"That's Brogyn. Your Brogyn. She's saved our lives several times, and she killed Imperiac!"

Then she froze, realization creeping over her. That was the only thing missing here. Could one person have influenced the world this much?

"Tinya…We don't use our Legion names anymore. We stopped that a long time ago. My name is Querl." He frowned deeply. "And I do not even know some of the people you are referring to. Who are Brogyn and Lyle and Victor?" Tinya stared at him, the shock twisting in her head.

"Lyle is Invisible Kid. He joined a couple years ago, and he's almost as smart as you are, but way more of a smart aleck. He's one of your best friends! Victor is a cyborg, a hero from the past that you and Niana brought back to life! Brogyn...Brainy, Brogyn is your girlfriend! She loves you to death!" Tinya snapped, making the Coluan jump back. "You and her have been together for years! How do you not know who she is?!"

She was breathing heavily as she sat down, holding her head in her hands. She had to be dreaming. That was it. This was just a nightmare, and none of this was real, and Niana and Imra and everyone else were all alive.

"OW!" She jumped as Querl pinched her. "What was that for?!"

"You were going into shock. Physical pain overrides mental compulsions." Querl sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Tinya, I don't know if I believe you right now or not. Give me time to reason this through before you go rushing off into action." He looked at her somewhat pleadingly. Tinya felt pained, but slowly nodded. A moment later, an alarm went off.
"We have an emergency in quadrant 3. We need to get to the briefing."

Tinya rushed into the room behind Querl, stopping in shock. The Spartan room was devoid of anything other than the most important equipment; most off it look like it was held together by spot-welds and duct tape. She slowly walked over to the flat table screen, trying to adjust. Garth pulled up a file over the table.

"Several resistance fighters were discovered by Brainiac's forces in New Gotham three days ago. He is having them brought to Metropolis for energy leeching. Our job is to make sure he doesn't get his dirty hands on them." They immediately started leaving the room, Tinya staying near Brainy. "What's energy leeching?"

"Brainiac discovered a method to convert the energy of organic life forms to electrical energy to power his machines, leaving only organic bodies behind. The energy is used, the bodies disposed of, and more people killed." Querl replied flatly, the pain evident in his voice. Tinya's jaw dropped. "That's barbaric!" Brainy looked back over at her, pain in his eyes. "I know. He no longer possesses the capabilities to digitalize worlds, so now he settles for destroying them and crushing resistance, using the energy for his own gain."

Tinya stared at him, flabbergasted. "But...but that's horrible! How can this have happened?"

"Tinya." She turned to see her Brin standing there, his yellow eyes dark. "Querl told me that you apparently come from an alternate universe. Yes we know it sucks. But a long time ago, when the Legion disbanded, we all decided it was better to fight a losing war then to let our lives end willingly." Brin's voice was gruff and dark. Tinya swallowed and made herself speak.

"You can't be losing. It can't be that bad..."

"It is." Tinya spun to see a dark woman dressed all in black, a long scar marring her lovely face, her face serious and hard. Her hair was purple and orange, and her eyes were a shadowed violet. The phantom couldn't help it--her jaw dropped in shock. She felt as if she had been punched in the stomach, leaving a breathless pain.

"The best we've been able to do is save a few hundred humanoids--maybe more, maybe less. All we can do is hold off a direct confrontation." The Cargggite frowned a little at Tinya's expression. Tinya herself was almost in tears.

"Luornu...you aren't supposed to be like this." She felt tears welling up in her eyes before she swallowed hard and forced them down. Even so, pain wracked her heart. Triad was the kindest, sweetest, funniest, most lighthearted girl on the team. She never gave up. She never admitted a situation to being useless. She always held herself up in front of the others. She and Bouncy...they had been the first two legionnaires to figure out their feelings for crying out loud! But Bouncy was gone. And she was...different.

She had lost that happy, bubbly part of herself.

Suddenly the woman in her thoughts frowned, clutching her head and clenching her jaw. Reep carefully held her up as she swayed until she was able to stand on her feet again. "I'm fine. I'm fine."

Querl set a hand on her shoulder. "Bad?" He asked softly. Luornu nodded, her face expressionless. Tinya turned to Brin for an answer.

"One of her selves was captured by Brainiac a few years ago. From time to time he attempts to use that part of her to find out his plans. So far, she's never cracked." Tinya's heart cried out. It had been one thing for White to have been killed in the 41st century. But being tortured and not being able to reconvene with her other selves...it was an awful thought!

"Come on." The woman said coolly. "We have people to save."

The transport cruiser flew straight through rows and columns of cubes that made up the beginning of Brainiac's empire. The members of Resistance base Alpha--a.k.a., the former legionnaires--crouched on top of the building-sized cubes, cloaking technology making them invisible to the naked eye and most scanners.

"Q, you picking anything up?" Brin said softly, and Querl shook his head, robotic eye scanning the polluted air around them. Tinya was crouching behind Luornu, whose brow was still furrowed in pain.

"There."

Reep was sitting on the side of the building in the form of a raptor, sharp hawk eyes picking out the shuttle that would pass below them in only moments. He melted back to Durlan form and nodded at the others.

"In and out, rescue all resistance members, leave no others standing." Brin said with a frightening snarl, and he bulged and grew suddenly. With a battle cry that struck fear into even Tinya's heart, Resistance Alpha charged, leaping off the building and onto the transport, knocking it off balance and sending it careening to the earth. The robotic guards lifted their cannons, only to be ruthlessly attacked. Garth shredded them with bolts of lightning, sending hunks of metal flying with a fierce shout of rage. Luornu split into her two selves and smashed the sprock out of those robots, eyes hard and colder than Tinya had ever seen them. Tinya herself phased through them and pulled out wiring and circuitry, used to doing that at least. When the last of the guards had been obliterated, Orange and Purple got to work opening the cargo hold, while Brin ripped open the driver's door and pulled out a cybertronic creature. Tinya stiffened--it was alive and had free will, but it worked for Imperiac!

"We've got 15 live ones." Luornu called from the back as the other members of the Alpha Resistance squad. Brin held up the terrified driver. "And another one for the brigs. Maybe we can get something useful out of him."

Something useful out of him...Tinya held down the contents of her stomach as her brain processed the implications.

Torture. They would torture the meachanoid to get the information they wanted. There was no doubt in her mind of what the older, harder versions of her friends would do. She looked at the bot Brin was holding, her eyes suddenly widening.

"GET DOWN!" She cried, grabbing Luornu and Querl and yanking them back. Brin obeyed at her extreme reaction, a few seconds before it exploded. Garth and Brin looked down at the remains distastefully.

"He's getting smarter." Garth muttered, turning back to the members of the squad. "Alright, Luornu, Reep, Hart, get these people to a safe point. Q, you and I will stay here and try to get some information out of the recorders in the engine. Brin, Tinya, keep a subtle eye on the group when they go to the safe point, make sure they all get there without calling attention to yourself. MOVE IT!"

Tinya easily jumped from the rooftop to the other one, her older body used to the movement without a flight ring. Apparently she did this a lot here. Brin was next to her, moving quickly and silently, despite his blind eye. The refugees ran below them, speedy but cautious. She landed lightly, and he dropped behind her, not a sound coming from his combat booted feet. His brow was furrowed, and he kept flicking his head to the right, as if something was trying to sneak up on his blind side. She looked at him again and felt her heart cry out for him.

Before she knew what she was doing, she flung herself into his arms. She felt him stiffen, and she realized too late that in this world, things were different.

"Tinya, what are you doing?" He asked softly, his breath right in her ear. She normally felt so safe in those strong arms, but they refused to wrap around her. She jerked back, face flushing.

"Um...I...I'm sorry, Brin. I keep forgetting that things are different here." Her eyes filled, and she sobbed into her hands. "My heart is still in my world!" She said, and he gently touched her shoulder.

"What do you mean, Tinya? How are things different?"

She threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his long dark hair that fell over his shoulder. "I love you, Brin. I know things are supposed to be different here, but Garth...it doesn't feel right. I know that this isn't how it's supposed to be." She whispered, tears falling into his tangled locks. She let go of him, but he held onto her arm tightly. Urgently.

"Is that true?"

His voice was almost desperate, as if the idea of being loved was too much for him. His bright yellow eye was staring intensely into hers, and his clouded grey eye followed without seeing.

Then she stepped forward and kissed him hard, willing him to believe--or maybe to remember. He didn't appear to know how to react, so when he pulled her closer, it surprised him as much as it did her. When he released her, he was looking slightly bewildered, and more like the Brin she knew and loved.

Her Brin.

"Tinya...I don't know how you can fix things, or if it's even possible. But I want to help you. Your world sounds...better."

Her eyes filled again, and she stroked his scarred right cheek.

"It is, Brin. It's so much better."

Tinya and Brin slipped in the back door, watching warily the security bots that patrolled the streets. She turned around and was engulfed by a pair of strong arms, but not the pair she was used to feeling.

"Tinya, I still think you should stay here more. I worry about you." He said softly, stroking her hair. She felt uncomfortable, but there was a tiny, faraway tingle of peace--the Tinya of this world really loved him the way she loved Brin.

"Yes, Garth, she will be staying from now on. But...perhaps you should take some time to explain to her more about her alternate self. She has the same body as our Tinya, but her mind is from another world. Keep this in mind, Garth."

He stuck his tongue out at Querl's retreating back, holding her closer. She wasn't sure he completely believed that she wasn't all there. He motioned for her to follow, and led her to a room down the hall. She slid the doors open manually--they had to conserve as much energy as possible--and found herself in a small room. There was one large bed with simple blankets and, in the corner, the beginnings of a cradle.

A cradle.

"I really don't think you should be out with the rest of us leaping off rooftops and going in and out of Phantom so often. You could hurt yourself or the baby."

Tinya felt the world dropping out from beneath her feet as her hands flew to her stomach, flat and innocent looking. "B-baby?" She stammered, hands beginning to tremble. Garth frowned, taking her shaking hands in his.

"Tinya, are you alright? You act like you forgot." He looked conflicted for a moment before tilting her face up to look at him.

"Are you really from...you know, a different world?"

She was still trembling, the almost imperceptible bulge of her stomach seeming to pulse beneath her hand. Pregnant? Her? This could change everything...

No. It wouldn't. She had to fix things, no matter what the sacrifices or the price.

"Yeah. I actually am, believe it or not." She said shakily. He sat down on the edge of the bed, patting the space beside him. She sat down, trying to swallow the huge, rock hard lump that had formed in her throat.

"Tell me about your life. What's it like there?"

She swallowed again, the lump softening. "It's..." The woman paused, sudden thought rising up in her mind before she bashed it down. "It's better Garth. It's so, so much better."

"Tell me about it." She looked up at him in surprise, his electric eyes soft and sad. Tinya gave a sad smile. "Well...there aren't any megalomaniacs in charge. My mom retired from being the President a few years ago. The Legion is still alive and thriving." She paused for a moment, thinking. Garth cleared his throat. "What about...us?" Tinya gave him a look before comprehension caught on. "Us? Um..." She looked down. "There isn't an us. We're friends but...no." Garth nodded, looking down again. "Imra is alive though. We were just talking about whether the baby would look more like her or you when I got...readjusted." The Winathian looked up in shock. "Imra... alive and...Pregnant?"

"Yeah." She looked up and met his eyes, giving him a gentle smile. "You've been married to her for 3 years." She chuckled leaning back on the bed and pulling her legs up close to her. "You would always beat the crap out of Invisible Kid anytime he brought up your honeymoon."

"Who's Invisi...never mind. What about you?" She looked up, surprised. "Me?"

"Yes, you. Of course I'm curious what happens to you--you've been my...well...girlfriend for years, and I'm curious about you in your world." Tinya blushed a little, playing with her choppy hair. "Well...I'm engaged..." She muttered. Garth's eyebrow shot up. "To whom?"

"Um...Brin?" She said, hiding a smile. Garth's eyes went wide and a tiny smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Well that's...unexpected." He laughed as the woman shot him a look. "Sorry, I don't think I've ever seen our leader be anything close to romantic." Tinya rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you wouldn't expect Querl to be like that either."

Now the man made a really disbelieving sound. "Now you're pulling my leg. Our Querl? Even remotely interested in anyone?"

Tinya gave another sad smile. "You don't know her. Phoenix and Tesla are from the past..." She trailed off thinking. "Sprock, that's it!" She exclaimed, jumping up and pacing. "Brainy met Phoenix in the past on accident after the first Brainiac incident. After that, she melted his armor when he kidnapped Brainy again and helped us stop the anti-Legion from getting too powerful!" Tinya was grinning with glee, stopping for a moment.

"Wow. I never would have guessed that she had that big of a role in our past." She clapped her hands together, grinning. "So all we have to do is use the warp key, go back, and make younger Brainy and Brogyn meet!"

"Yeah, slight problem with your plan Princess." Tinya stared at Garth in shock as he lifted his hands in defense. "Sorry, but I'm going to pretend I have a remote clue about what you're talking about and tell you my take on it." The smile faded as he went serious. "Hate to break it to you, but...ah...the reason Brainiac 1.0 got so powerful so fast was because..."

Tinya pinched the bridge of her nose. "Don't tell me. He stole the warp key."

"Yes. And Querl doesn't have the materials he needs to make a new one." Tinya sighed and smacked her forehead, sitting down hard on the bed again, falling back into despair, her arms wrapped around her stomach. Garth grinned as she stood. "Maybe not..."

"Yes, you're logic seems sound." Querl said mildly as he sat as his bench, not even looking up as he rewelded a spark transmitter. Tinya tapped her finger on the desk. Brin and Garth both stood there, listening to her plan as everyone else got their rest.

"You're not listening to me Brainy. And yes, I did just call you that." She said coolly as Querl looked back up at her in surprise. "If one or two people changed history that much, what if they can turn the tide again?"

Querl looked up at her slowly, skeptically. "Tinya, I highly doubt that two single human beings can make such a difference in the timestream when it has been altered so greatly at this point."

"Which is why we need their help to get the warp key!" Tinya exclaimed. Querl looked down as she continued talking. "Listen, you need all the extra hands you need! I know where you can get two perfectly good fighters who will be willing to help! All I need is the Time-bubble tech!" She slammed a hand down on the table.

"Sprock it, would you just let me try!"

All three men stared at her before Querl slowly stood. "Alright. You and I will return to the past for a couple of hours to see if we can verify this." He walked back and went to a safe, carefully opening the lock.

"You do realize that the time-bubble tech has been set for exactly 1000 years in the past for several years now and I can no longer adjust the time."

"That's fine as long as we find them." Tinya said grimly as Querl unearthed the time bubble tech and walked back to her. He looked at his two comrades.

"We'll return in a couple hours." He said before typing the coordinates and he and the woman next to him disappeared in a flash of light.

Well, there you have it. I hope none of the SG/LL fans kill me, but it isn't permanent! I promise!
Hope you review, because it makes me super-happy.

In Chapter Two: Two past lovers meet, and a friend is lost? Is the Brogyn of this new world really the same one she left behind? And what happens when Brogyn and Querl can't even stand each other?!