After getting positive comments from Chapter 1 I got my writing mood on and couldn't stop until finishing Chapter 2 XP … okay, not really, needed to sleep at night and other problems that made this chapter take more time than what I would have wanted. Thanks for the comments tradess5 and Devilbunny :3
An interesting thing, this chapter came completely unexpected, forcing its way in what was supposed to be chapter 2 *shrugs* Guess Lighting Lad wanted to have some control (Or delay what was going to be chapter 2 .) Oh well, that's one of the things I love about writing, you never know what'll happen (Yep, even if you are the one writing).
Btw, does someone know how Phantom Girl's planet (Bgztl) is pronounced? I'm intrigued about it.
Anyway, let's start with the story.
Beyond Logic
Chapter 2
It had taken Lighting Lad almost an entire night without sleep to develop his plan. He wouldn't fail, particularly because he was getting sick of feeling like in a melodrama between Superman and Brainiac 5. They would, wanting it or not, have their talk.
After taking note of the moments in which those two would be in the same room, mostly with other legionnaires, the Legion's leader had designed a strategy to allow the miracle to happen.
Surprising even himself, he got everything he needed in less than a day. Settling it ready took the other part of his day, but he knew it would be worth it.
After all, how could he fail?
The moment to put his plan on work came during the next morning, breakfast time.
He couldn't believe how lucky he had been; Phantom Girl had been invited, more likely forced, to assist to some kind of meeting with her Mother and some of her friends. Not only that, but the Bgztllian had convinced Timber Wolf and Saturn Girl to go with her too.
And if it came all as he had planned, he wouldn't need to worry about Triplicate Girl and Bouncing Boy.
Everything seemed to have such a high chance of success that he had a hard time hiding a big grin when walking into the kitchen.
Bouncy talked with Luornu as they ate breakfast, with Superman joining occasionally in subjects that were of his interest. Brainy ate in silence and acting as if he didn't hear what they were talking about unless they asked him for something.
Indeed, it looked like any other simple breakfast.
"Hey, Bouncy." After the guy with goggles turned to his nickname, Lighting Lad threw him a rectangular box parcel. "Someone came to drop this for you."
"For me?" Bouncy asked as he inspected the parcel with his name.
"What could it be?" White asked as Triplicate Girl turned into a trio.
"Must be another present from a fan." Purple pointed as she took the parcel in her hands.
Bouncy wondered if they did it on purpose when he tried to get back his parcel and Orange took it to inspect. Superman contained a small laugh as he watched.
"Can we keep it if it's another ball painted like you?" Orange questioned as she shook the box, trying to figure out its content.
"Girls, girls, let the man open it already." Lighting Lad exclaimed as he returned the parcel to his owner.
After opening it, Bouncing Boy stared at the inside of the box, almost like in a trance.
"This… This…" Bouncy slowly took what seemed to be a vhs case from the box before starting to shout at his heart content. "It's the long lost prequel from the crossover betwe-"
"Hold on right there." Lighting Lad raised his hand in front of Bouncy's face to interrupt. "Why don't you go and watch it instead of talking in that strange language of yours."
"And watching this piece of art alone? No way, dude!" Bouncy walked out of the kitchen. "I'll prepare the system, then call you all to watch it with its sequels." He turned with a serious face before crossing the door. "And no one is missing it, gotcha?"
The trips smiled as they rejoined into one. Superman nodded with an awkward smile, denoting his confusion in the subject. Brainy sighed and ate what was left on his plate, knowing it would be impossible to be excused from the movie with Bouncing Boy that excited.
Lighting Lad opened the fridge and looked inside, hiding his grin from the others as he mentally counted down.
"What the heck happened with the vhs player?!" Bouncy ran into the kitchen with an expression that would outshine Edvard Munch's The Scream. "It isn't working, it's like if something toasted the inside of it!" He explained at the look of his companions.
Brainy left his plate in the sink before turning to the guy with goggles. "I can check on it if you allow-"
"C'mon, B5." Lighting Lad interrupted. "I'm sure Bouncing Boy can handle such an old technology. It's not like if it were the first time he needs to repair that ancient thing."
After such simple comment, the kitchen was filled with arguments of Brainy suggesting that Bouncing Boy should stop using such an old technology and get one of those universal players that had existed since decades; at what Bouncing Boy would complain by explaining how special it was to watch those videotapes in what they were formerly played on.
Lighting Lad and Superman stood in neutrals positions as they observed the argument go on.
After several minutes, the trips crossed the kitchen's door with big smiles and different tools in their hands. Apparently Triplicate Girl had sneaked out as the guys argued.
"We have solved most of it." Purple said out loud to allow the guys to hear her voice.
At this, the boys turned to her. Superman and Lighting Lad looked relieved, Bouncy smiled in pure happiness, and Brainy simply sighed at the thought of keep using that old artifact.
"Though we still need help for the last touches." White explained as she pointed to Bouncy with what seemed to be a small wrench.
"You are awesome, Luornu!" Bouncy shouted before rushing to give each of the trips a bear hug, after what the four of them left.
"I'll see if I can help, you two take care of the dishes." Lighting Lad waved off as he closed the door behind him.
Making sure that Bouncy and the trips weren't looking, the Legion's leader produced an irregular discharge against the door's controls. He smiled as he catched up with the others.
--
Superman and Brainiac 5 stared at each other for a brief moment as their leader left.
Brainy was the one to break the eye contact, starting to feel that strange sensation he had been getting so used to experiment.
Superman walked to the sink, wondering for something he felt when looking in the Coluan's eyes.
"I'll wash." The hero form the past said, trying to smile to his friend.
Brainy answered with a silent nod as he walked to help in the drying.
The minutes passed without any of them exchanging words. The unbearable silence continuing until they were done with the chore.
"Brainy… um… can I ask you something?" Superman asked with an obvious nervousness in his voice as they finished placing everything in its place.
"As long as it's something I can answer." Brainiac Five spoke with a tone empty of feelings, something he hated of himself. Even he felt like if he weren't more than a speaking computer when he used it. "Talking about your future life could damage the continuity of space and time."
Superman couldn't take it anymore.
"Why do you keep acting like that?!" The man of steel almost shouted to Brainy. "Lately you act so cold, as if you were some kind of robo-"
Superman stopped before finishing the word, knowing how harmful it could be, but the damage had been done. He could see Brainiac Five shutting his eyes closed, accompanied with an expression that seemed to be of rage.
Brainy could felt it; he was going to lose his control… No! He needed to take hold of himself. "I remember you that I'm part mechanical after all…" He said after fighting his rage back.
"I'm sorry." Superman tried to place his hand on the Coluan's shoulder, but the young boy walked away, in direction to the door.
"You have nothing to apologize about." Brainiac Five wished he could stop using that tone with his friend… could he still call him his friend? "It's technically the truth."
Brainy tried to open the door, but couldn't. Wondering what the matter was, he started to inspect on the controls.
Superman sighed in relief as he saw that Brainy wasn't leaving.
"Brainy… I'm really sorry. I know I have been a stupid." The hero from the past closed his hands into fists, trying to find the courage to continue. "I know it hasn't been that long since I've been here, but… but I think of all of you as my closest friends, especially you." He smiled as the Coluan turned. "You are like my best friend."
Best friend? He was Superman's best friend? Brainy couldn't help but to smile a bit at the words.
"You know what I've been missing these last days? Those moments we would spend together, the ones besides missions I mean. Like when we played puzzle games and that." Without thinking, Superman continued. "I shouldn't have ignored you; it's just that I had such a good time with Alexis that-"
"I know that!" Brainiac Five shouted, interrupting Superman. The smile had vanished. He had been unable to fight his rage back at what the Kryptonian had said. "Alexis is normal after all. She isn't a bothersome android who makes you lose your time with it." He stopped for a moment as he realized he had talked about himself as an 'it'. "She… she was so wonderful that you didn't need me anymore, right?!"
By impulse, Brainiac Five punched against the control panel, somehow making the door open.
--
Lighting Lad had returned to the kitchen's door after making sure that Bouncy and the trips would need more than a while to repair the artifact.
He had arrived just in time to hear Brainy's shouts from the inside.
The Legion's leader remained silent as the door opened and Brainy came out, heading to his lab.
As he looked into the kitchen, he saw a shocked Superman, who was trying to digest all what had been said.
The Winathian walked to the red caped hero. "What happened?" He asked in confusion.
"I think I've only made everything worse than before." Superman answered in a hurtful whisper.
Lighting Lad couldn't believe it. All that time convincing Brainy to have meals with them, all the money spent in that rare videotape, all the work put in toasting part of the vhs player that he knew Bouncing Boy could repair. It all had been for nothing. Gosh! He had even read hundreds of pages just to be able to lock the two boys in that room.
"So what? Are you going to stay here and do nothing?" The Legion's leader took hold of Superman's shoulder. "Go and try to talk with him again!"
"Of course I want to!" The Kryptonian shouted before regaining his usual voice level. "I need to make him understand what I really meant… just not now."
"Why not?" The Winathian asked, giving his best not to smack some sense in that Kryptonian head.
"I think both him and I need time to be alone." Superman concluded.
Before Lighting Lad could add something, Superman used his unique speed to leave his leader standing alone in the kitchen.
Lighting Lad almost punched the door's control in rage, but when he focused his sight on it, he stopped, noticing that someone had done it already… leaving a dark green mark of blood.
