Dark Victory
AN ANIMATED SERIES FIC
My three-day countdown to the season 2 finale of Legion of Superheroes!(In the Eastern US, that is) I'll try to post Chapter 2 tonight or tomorrow and the final third chapter tomorrow or early Saturday before Legion of Superheroes comes on. This is the story about how I think it the season should end, and I want to voice it before the actual ending comes on and probably ruins my entire plan.
Anywho, despite my fantasies, I do not own the Legion or the title of this fic...but that's obvious considering that this is FANfiction and not AUTHORfiction. You guys get the point.
MAJOR SPOILER ALERT! Plot during the last three episodes of the second season.
Each chapter will be about each of the last three episodes. Tootles!
She couldn't help playing with the buttons. It was just too tempting, especially when she was bored and irritated. Twice he had said 'no', but that wasn't an answer that she was willing to except.
"Cos, why can't I-"
"No, Shrinking Violet. For the last time, you will NOT be going on Mission Dream." he cut her off.
She pouted, folding her arms and puffing out her bottom lip. What kind of mission name was 'Mission Dream' anyway? She could tell just by the name that this was Cosmic Boy's idea of a mission name. Even so, she still couldn't understand why everybody, or rather, everybody on Cosmic Boy's good side, was against her going on one stupid mission. It wasn't like she was hurting anything.
"Why not?" she asked shortly.
He didn't answer her, so she decided to bring up the Never-Talk-Abouts of the more proper legionnaires that did not seem to see her as anything more than another legionnaire that they knew nothing about and had no desire to meet.
"Is it because I'm small?"
"Of course not." his tone was tense, the tone that Lightning Lad referred to as the Cos Hit-the-nail-on-the-head(using Superman's 21st century figures of speech)-but-I-don't-want-to-admit-it tone.
Violet swiveled her chair around, trying to act like she didn't mind being banned from a mission. The part of her mind that she hated started to nag her about how Dream Girl got to go on this mission while she was left behind. Finally, she sighed and rose from the chair. As she headed for the door, Cosmic Boy's stern voice interrupted her from his place at the controls, "You will stay inside the ship at all times. If any of us catch you gone, it will be put on your permanent record."
She gave a slight sigh, "I'm going to my quarters, Cos, don't worry."
Good heavens, that man gets so grouchy when there are things out there bent on domination of the universe. Vi didn't feel much like herself right now either. All she could think about was how all her friends were out there fighting for the galaxy and risking their lives while she sat on her backside until they needed her. She had never been the most popular of legionnaires, what with her unusual and mostly useless 'talent' and her overall quirkiness, but she never cared.
Violet chuckled to herself, her classic snort unable to be hidden. She had earned the smartest person in the Legion's respect and friendship, and that was good enough for her. Speaking of which, that was one of the biggest reasons she wanted to go on this mission. Not just because she wanted to go on a mission with a friend, although she did like it better that way, but she knew that her buddy wasn't having the best time. He tried to hide it, but she wasn't the kind to be easily fooled.
She knew for a fact that something was bothering her Coluan friend, even if he wouldn't tell her what it was. As she walked down the hall on her way to her quarters, she couldn't help but stare out the large window down the entire hall that looked out on the galaxy.
"Hey, Vi!"
Shrinking Violet turned around to see Chameleon Boy jogging up behind her with a slightly worried expression on his face. She gave him her typical big smile, "Hey, Cam, what's goin' on?"
He folded his arms behind his head and glared out the window with a strangely familiar pout on his face, "I'm just bummed 'cuz I gotta stick around this old place while our pals are out whacking on Imperiex."
Violet nodded, understanding precisely what Cam was feeling, but she shrugged anyway.
"Well, they must have a good reason for what they're doing, so we'll just have to trust them." she said, mostly to convince herself of it.
She couldn't remember much of anything that happened after that, she found herself zoning out while sitting on her bed in her quarters. Soon, everything would be back to normal. They would all be going out on missions to put the bad guys behind bars and all her friends would be feeling perfectly fine again. It would be only a little longer. She was sure of it.
--
Sometimes those beeping noises just aggravated him to no end. It was like pulsations in his mind, throbs through the endless programming and information streaming through his skull. Right now, he tried to ignore it, despite the inclination he had to walk away to the confines of his quarters.
He knew that Cosmic Boy and the others probably didn't tell Violet, Cam, or Karate Kid about their brief return to the ship, and Saturn Girl probably knew anyway. Phantom Girl probably wouldn't care one way or another, as long as Timber Wolf came back in one piece and still in his right mind. She was off somewhere doing some kind of United Planets business with her mother. Nobody really knew where Bouncing Boy was, or Triplicate--ahem, Duo Damsel for that matter. He didn't know where Superman or Kell-El were either. Here he was, setting up the Dream Recording for Dream Girl.
If he was really up-front honest with himself, he hated the change the Legion was going through. The good old days were all but history. Everybody was drifting apart and it seemed like there was no longer a team, just legionnaires.
Still, people treated him as they always did. They were all cordial and friendly, especially when they needed information, but he knew that even though it had been two whole years and he had grown significantly, they still found him to be boring.
Just earlier that day when they were going over Dream Girl's last dream and talking about strategies, Star Boy and Timber Wolf had been flicking that folded triangular piece of paper to each other, probably some sort of game from the 21st century that Superman taught them.
To be honest, he was disappointed and just a little hurt that after all the Legion had been through, he was still as boring as ever. All the information he felt was crucial, no one else saw as anything more than trivial. Then, when he withheld information, people would get aggravated at them for not telling them everything, even Superman. It was like no matter what he did, nothing he knew was worth anything. If he told them what he knew, they'd get bored. If he didn't, they'd all get angry with him for not telling them.
Well, except one. This had been one of the only people ever to prove him wrong. She'd listen to all the scientific and mechanical mumbo jumbo he had to say and then she'd show him that she already knew everything about it. The only person he ever met that could finish his sentences.
Whoa, what was he saying? All this distraction wasn't healthy at all, especially while trying to prepare Dream Girl's recording table. All this illogicality wasn't helping anything.
When Dream Girl came in, he didn't say anything. She glanced at him, then at the capsule-like vertical table. He finished setting up the panel and waited for her to step inside. With the click of a few buttons the table tilted back until it was completely horizontal. After making a few final adjustments, he left the chamber. He really had to get some rest himself, before more than one distraction would keep him awake all night, and those unfinished inventions on his work table weren't helping anything.
--
Chameleon Boy gave a playfully aggravated growl. Why were they taking so long? They were supposed to be back by now. Cosmic Boy said that as soon as they return, there would be a big meeting about what to do about the situation with the growing threat of Imperiex. Now he was pacing back and forth across the room, Saturn Girl was leaning against a nearby wall, and Phantom Girl was pouting by the doorway, looking as if she was as fed up with waiting as Cam was; and probably thinking about how much of a waste of time this was.
Cam hadn't heard so much as a word about the mission. The Legion was using his dad's ship, the least they could do is tell him what was going on. Suddenly, he heard the ship dock doors open behind him. Phantom Girl jumped up and trotted over, followed by a calmer Saturn Girl. Others that Cam didn't know the names of popped out of the nooks and crannies to welcome the crew back and make sure that everyone was alive and accounted for.
It wasn't long before Cam jogged over as well, although it didn't last too long due to his unimpressive stature. He would have to either keep jumping or transform in order to see his friends over the gathering crowd.
He wasn't entirely sure why everyone was crowding around like this. It wasn't as if they had defeated Imperiex. They hadn't even GOTTEN to the meeting yet. All he knew is that transforming inside the ship was a little uncomfortable and shoving through a crowd of power-wielding legionnaires was even more uncomfortable. As soon as the people went away, he would have time to catch up with his friends.
Brainiac 5 slowly glanced around. None of the legionnaires that came over were coming to see what news they had received. None even seemed inclined to approach him. He couldn't care less about them though. There were a couple certain people he wanted to see come up and greet him with at least a wave and a smile, but he didn't see either of them.
He shrugged. He had to get to his lab and work on some of his inventions anyway. As he took one last glance at the crowd, his memory sparked about the meeting they were supposed to have to discuss the plan of defeating Imperiex. He shook his head. Not like they would really notice if he wasn't there just this once. He really needed to try to take his mind off this whole mess.
With that, he headed down the hall to his lab.
--
"Brainy?"
He was so involved with his current invention that he barely heard the knock. When the voice behind his door inquired for entry, he groaned slightly, his wiring tools still in hand, "Come in."
The figure meekly stepped through the door with a familiar little hop. He could feel the shadow hanging over his shoulder in a matter of seconds.
"You missed the meeting."
Brainiac 5 didn't answer. The guest stooped down beside him to watch him work.
"Sorry, I wasn't-"
"It wasn't your responsibility. It's of no consequence." he interrupted.
Shrinking Violet pouted, "It's not my responsibility as a legionnaire." her expression softened, "But it is my responsibility as your friend."
After a few moments of silence, she sighed, "Brainy? Are you alright?"
He calmly answered, "Everything's in proper order. Nothing is out of place."
"I'm talking about you, Brainy, not your circuitry. Is it...about that-"
His tools dropped from his hands and his head jerked up to give her an unusually cruel glare, "I said nothing's wrong. Why do always think that you have to try to read into things? Do you think you know everything? Do you think you can read minds or tell futures? Who do you think you are? Do you think you're God? Why do you have to waltz in here and bother me all the time? What's the matter with you?" he snapped, his remark laced with sour sarcasm and merciless malice.
Violet could only stand there for a moment, his words taking what seemed like forever to register in her mind. She could feel her eyes starting to burn and her nose getting all tingly. Her shaky voice came weakly as she struggled not to let her voice give out.
"Brainy, I--"
"Shouldn't you be in some kind of frivolous circus freak show? You're nothing but a nuisance here."
Again, completely flabbergasted, Violet couldn't think. It felt like her brain had disintegrated. The only thing she could think about is, well, there were thousands of moments and memories and hopes that flashed through her mind, but she was completely helpless to grasp any of them, except one impulse. Run.
But her heart overwhelmed her impulse. She managed to whisper, "Well, I'll be around if you need me, Brainy, and I hope you will." her voice broke into a slight squeak at the last part.
With that, she somehow managed to calmly and silently walk out of his lab, the doors sliding closed behind her.
It took a few moments to realize what had happened.
He let his head fall heavily to the table with a thud, "What have I done? Vi...I'm so sorry."
The look on her face when he said those things. Those awful, horrible things that he just lashed out as if it was a nasty aftertaste. She was absolutely shocked. At first she smiled as if she thought he was kidding, then her deep violet eyes went wide and her face froze, completely mortified. He could tell just by the dumfounded look on her face that he had hurt her. He had absolutely torn her apart.
His hands rose to claw through his hair with metallic fingers. He felt like screaming. He couldn't control what he was saying anymore. He was losing control. And it was all HIS fault. That cursed part of him that had destroyed Krypton. The part of him that was causing him to go out of his mind. At that moment, so many things were rushing through his mind all at once. He hated himself for what he was doing to his friends. He hated that part of him that was making him go insane. He hated the fact that he knew he couldn't tell anyone about it. He hated the fact that no one could help him. He hated even more that he couldn't help himself. He hated Brainiac.
Next chapter: Dark Victory Part 1
A more in-depth look at what happened during Dark Victory Part 1.
Oi, my brain is so fried I'm not thinking straight. If you guys notice any other stupid stuff I missed/forgot/messed up, do tell me. Most likely I was too frazzled to know what I was thinking. Tootles 'til tomorrow! God bless you guys!