Hey, me again, I own nothing. Hope you guys enjoy this!

Brainy had been gone for a good two years. When he came walking up from the landing bay, Shrinking Violet could hardly contain her excitement. It had been so long. She ran down towards him, and found, to her surprise, Brainy had brought home a friend. Cosmic Boy also cocked an eyebrow. Brainy hadn't said anything about mysterious strangers.

Other than the small scar on his cheek and the civilian clothes, which Brainy wore a trenchcoat over, Brainy looked basically the same. He was even the same size as the day he left. Vi was still shorter than him though, he noted, as she hugged him. The stranger had similar clothing, typical travelers clothes, but he was taller, had black hair, and, most mysteriously, he wore a mask that completely covered his face, leaving only slits for his eyes.

" Hi Brainy! I'm so glad you're back!"

Vi hugged him tighter. She'd missed him in the lab, not to mention as a friend. Brainy smiled at her.

" It's good to see you too. How's everyone doing?"

Vi opened her mouth to tell him everything that had happened in the last two years, but she was interrupted by Cosmic Boy.

" Who's this? "

He looked suspiciously at the newcomer. It was hard to tell what the newcomer was thinking, since he couldn't see his face, but Brainy's expression was quite clear: Don't judge.

" He saved my life while I was on a hostile planet, and has traveled with me ever since. He has superpowers and would like to join the legion."

Brainy didn't add that he had only just taught the newcomer control, or that he didn't know the newcomer's name, or much about him. He just knew he was trustworthy, and he owed him more than his life. He'd taught him a lot.

Cosmic Boy, however, was not content with the fact that Brainy trusted him. He needed to know more. For all he knew, this guy was wanted for murder.

" Do you know his history? Where he's from? His name?"

Cosmic Boy tapped his foot impatiently. Brainy shrugged.

" He calls himself R. And I know him to be trustworthy. "

Cosmic Boy rubbed his forehead in frustration. What on earth had happened to the suspicious and cautious Brainy he'd known?

" Fine! Let's just throw caution to the wind!"

Cosmic Boy threw his hands up in the air dramatically and exited the room. Brainy blinked.

" Well, he's certainly become dramatic."

Vi grinned.

" It's audition season, Brainy."

Brainy smiled.

" Ah, yes, auditions. It's a shame I had to miss it."

Just then, Cosmic Boy popped his head back in.

" Tell your friend to get in here, if he wants a chance to join the Legion!"

Brainy nodded, and he and R walked through the door. Vi followed, hoping to get to talk to Brainy more. Brainy and Vi walked up into the judging area to watch. The others were more concentrated on the mysterious masked guy, so they didn't notice Brainy.

Lightning Lad began the audition.

" All right, here's the drill, you show us your power, we decide if you're any good. Okay?"

R nodded and set to demonstrating his powers. He lifted a hand and surrounded one of the boxes with a dark energy, then lifted it off the ground. He threw it against the wall and broke it.

" Will that do?"

Lightning Lad tallied up the opinions and such of the other judges. He nodded.

" Yep, that'll do. Welcome to the Legion, buddy."

--

Brainy busily settled into his room. He couldn't wait to see the lab ( and fix it, how on earth had they managed without him?) Vi had told him about some of the upgrades they'd put in. She seemed to be hiding something from him, though. He couldn't put his finger on it, but she was definitely hiding something.

He made his way down the hallway, and realized that there were quite a few people he didn't know now. A girl with black hair and blue skin watched him suspiciously as he passed. He also found they'd moved the entrance to the lab, about the space of two doors down.

When he entered, he found the lab bigger than before, and filled with more equipment. He shook his head as he looked at some of the equipment. How had Shrinking Violet survived without him here to keep the legion from getting redundant equipment?

He started to see exactly how useful this piece of redundant equipment could possibly be.

" Hey! What are you doing with that?! That is very delicate equipment...Okay, who are you?"

A kid walked up towards him rapidly, abandoning a project he'd been working on a few moments earlier. Brainy raised an eyebrow.

" I am Brainiac 5. Who might you be?"

The kid's eyes widened slightly in realization. He began to scratch the back of his neck awkardly.

" Oh! Um, I'm Invisible Kid, and I'm the...resident scientist. "

So that's what Vi had been hiding...

The person who guesses who 'R' is descended from gets a gift fic!