LSH: The Battle For The Universe
By Bruce Wayne
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I'm just borrowing then for a while.
The characters are owned by DC Comics and I'm writing this just for the fun of
it.
CHAPTER 18 - DESTINY'S DECISION
The leader of the Legion of Super-Heroes, Lyle Norg, turned invisible
to do battle with Colossal Boy. With the assistance of his flight ring, he flew
into the air and aimed for Colossal Boy's temple. His unseen feet connected
with Gim's head with a mighty blow that would had smashed down a thick
oak door.
Invisible Kid thought that his eyes were lying. Colossal Boy should
be sprawled flat on the floor from the blow. It must be a delusion that he was
seeing Gim still standing there, only reeling a little and regaining his balance
while rubbing his head a bit. Colossal Boy then began swinging wildly hoping
to connect with his unseen adversary.
Lyle kept hammering away at Colossal Boy hoping repeated blows
might at last do the knockout job. When Gim swung, Invisible Kid cannily
ducked out of the way. Lyle swung again at the giant's middle, Colossal Boy
turned and took the blow on his broad back where it did little harm.
Tensing up every muscle in his body, Invisible Kid went into a
crouch and then drove forward. He slammed his lowered head squarely
into Colossal Boy's middle.
Gim grunted and sat down. Bouncing back, Lyle also sat on the
floor, head whirling. That was all he had done, pushed Colossal Boy over
with his hard plunge. But he was otherwise unhurt and was about to
clamber back on his feet.
Lyle quickly leaped up, his unseen fists within reach of the sitting
giant's face before he could rise. Invisible Kid threw everything he had
into every punch he pounded into Colossal Boy's face, hoping to knock
him out by sheer brain-bruising slugging.
Suddenly, the roof fell in on Invisible Kid. That was what it seemed
like when a giant weapon -- five huge knuckles -- blindly exploded against
his chin.
Lyle's arching body flew backward and landed in a heap against
a steel post. Lyle reappeared and limped -- crawled -- back to Sun Boy,
Ultra Boy and Brainiac 5. All four looked at each other with lips set into
grim lines.
Shrinking Violet came flying down, eyes haunted with horror.
She knew what they had to do next.
"This is it," Invisible Kid said flatly. "All four of us this time --
we have to take him out."
"Please," moaned Violet. "Isn't there some other way? Must
Colossal Boy ..."
Lyle turned hollow eyes on her. "It's either him, and Tazz ... or
all the people on Earth." His voice went gentle. "Sorry, Vi."
As the girl flew away, he watched her for a long, silent moment.
Then he drew himself up, still hurting, and gave the command that only
he could give, and for which he alone was responsible.
"This time, it's kill -- or be killed," Invisible Kid said.
Brainy interrupted, "The Legion constitution says that we can't ..."
"Brainy, if you got a better idea on what to do, I'm open to
suggestions," Lyle shot back.
Brainiac 5 didn't have any other options to offer.
"Okay," Invisible Kid said, "let's go."
Stepping out into the open, Lyle was poised to aim a kick at
Colossal Boy's throat. Sun Boy was prepared to hit Gim with a powerful
heat blast. Ultra Boy was ready to use all his super-strength. Even
Brainiac 5 picked up an piece of metal to use as a club.
And now they noticed that Colossal Boy held a weapon too,
something that looked like a gun with a large barrel.
"I signaled the future," called out Tazz, "for them to send the death-
beam gun, which Colossal Boy will use to mow you down. Prepare for
death, Legionnaires!"
Fate seemed to hold its breath.
But Shrinking Violet was challenging destiny. The tiny girl flew at Tazz
at high speed. Checking constantly in his wrist-monitor, Tazz saw Violet coming
straight toward his face.
"Fool, girl," he cried, "are you trying to attack me?"
He flung a hand up before his eyes protectively. But arriving at bullet
speed, Violet came at him and grew in size as she hit him in the head. The
hypnotic mirror that Tazz wore on a headband clattered to the floor.
The noise seemed to snap Colossal Boy out of a trance. He looked
at the weapon in his hands, bewildered.
"Gim!" screamed Violet, who shrank down to tiny size once again.
She floated around Colossal Boy's head. "Don't obey Tazz any more. Those
four advancing are your friends. You are free of Tazz's control. Throw the
weapon away ... throw it away!"
Colossal Boy hesitated, his half-hypnotized mind still unable to
think straight. With a curse, Tazz snatched up his hypnotic device and
fumblingly tried to aim it at Gim.
The four advancing Legionnaires had stopped, and they looked
on to see what would happen next.
"Gim!" screeched Violet again, desperately. "You are a Legionnaire!"
"Yes," roared Colossal Boy suddenly, twisting the weapon in his
hands into a tangled wreck. Then he turned balefully toward Tazz, who was
just shining the violet-green light in his eyes.
A huge hand swept across the villian's face, knocking him a dozen
feet away. "Now I know who I am, and what you are," bellowed Colossal
Boy.
"Thank the Stars!" sobbed Shrinking Violet, flying over him.
"We're back together, Legionnaires," Gim said.
"Right, big guy," said Sun Boy, getting there first. "Shake."
A moment later, Sun Boy sagged at the knees as a huge paw
grasped his. "Me and my big ideas," Dirk groaned. "Let go, you big ape,
before you crush my superb blast-projection hand."
"But what's this all about?" asked Colossal Boy, puzzled. "The last
I remember I was charging Tazz up in his room and he was shining some
kind of light in my eyes."
Brainiac 5 rapidly filled him in.
Colossal Boy's face turned pale halfway through the account, at the
tragedy that had nearly wrecked their group. Then, in a black fury, he strode
to Tazz and picked him up by the collar, dangling him off the floor.
"You murderous little pipsqueak!" roared Colossal Boy. "Now
you're in my power and I'm going to ..."
Tazz shrieked in terror at what he saw in Colossal Boy's eyes.
But Brainiac 5 called out, "Stop, Colossal Boy. We need Tazz
alive. He was the one who launched the four Earth dooms ..."
The Legionnaires looked at one another, the joy of reunion wiped
out by this stark realization.
"... and he's going to save the Earth now," finished Brainiac 5.
They all stared. "You've flipped, Brainy," said Sun Boy. "He started
four destructive processes that even he couldn't stop now."
"He can't halt them very simply," returned Brainiac 5. "Remember
Tazz is a master of time and knows technology beyond our capabilities.
He used time-teleportation to travel into the past. He used the time-stopping
ray to 'freeze' us once. And ..."
Brainy paused and faced the villian. "Tazz can you turn time back-
ward for Earth ... back to the day before your four dooms began?"
"Yes," nodded Tazz. "And I'll do it if you promise my life is safe
afterward."
"Agreed," came from Invisible Kid immediately. There simply was
no other choice, with the fate of a whole world at stake.
***
"Time," announced Tazz, "will now be reversed for Earth."
They were in Brainiac 5's main lab in the Legion clubhouse, the next
day. Brainiac 5, Invisible Kid, Saturn Girl and Tazz had worked through the
night, putting together a vast machine according to the alien's plans. They
were ready to use it. Tazz depressed the master button. No sound came
from the machine, no sign of anything happening. But on the wall, the
chronometer began going backward.
"Down in Antarctica," said Saturn Girl, "the heat device has gone
dead and ocean waters will recede until the ice cap grows back to its
original state."
"In the South Pacific," Brainiac 5 picked up, "all eruptions are
ceasing and the molton magma is flowing back down as the crust heals
itself of cracks caused by the Vulcan Machine."
Brainy pointed upward.
"Above Earth, the superwind is dying down as the Storm Satellite
vanishes, whisking back to the future where it came from. And the giant
comet, drawn by ultramagnetic attraction, is now being driven back into
space by antimagnetic forces."
Brainiac 5 shrugged. "Don't ask me to explain it in any logical way.
All I can promise you, from Tazz's formulas and chrono-equations, is that
in some odd way that 30th century science cannot yet understand, time is
turning backward and healing Earth of its mortal wounds."
The proof came via the omnicom as news reports said the would-
be disasters had disappeared and nobody knew why.
"Except us," murmurred Light Lass.
"I have carried out my end of the bargain," said Tazz, stepping
toward the door. "In turn, my life is spared ..."
Ferro Lad blocked his way. "Agreed, chum. But you're not going
anywhere -- except back to the 40th century."
"No! ... no ... no!" babbled Tazz frantically, his face reflecting stark
terror. "Back there I was a defeated conqueror, hated and despised. An
exile, a condemned man. They will hunt me down ruthlessly and execute
me ..."
"That's their business," said Invisible Kid shortly, whipping the
cover off a new apparatus. "Since we only have a time-bubble, we brought
along your time-teleportation device from the seadome. Brainiac 5 is setting
the coordinates for the future and now ..."
Tazz was still screaming in protest as a purling ray bathed him, fading
him out of the 30th century and whisking him to the 40th.
"The worst punishment he could have," said Phantom Girl, "was
to be sent back to the defeat, disgrace, and death he tried to escape from.
Tazz the Invader won't have a second chance to try to conquer time and
change history."
"Oh, well, another job done," drawled Sun Boy, patting back a false
yawn. "I'm glad I saved the world ... with the help of you other Legionnaires,
of course."
"Knowing how modest you are," said Shrinking Violet, "I won't
tell your adoring public that you did it practically single-handedly, or you'd
be mobbed by screaming girls."
Invisible Kid smiled. All was back to normal.
"Okay," he barked, and added, "Let's celebrate."
-- Finis --
By Bruce Wayne
Disclaimer: I don't own these characters, I'm just borrowing then for a while.
The characters are owned by DC Comics and I'm writing this just for the fun of
it.
CHAPTER 18 - DESTINY'S DECISION
The leader of the Legion of Super-Heroes, Lyle Norg, turned invisible
to do battle with Colossal Boy. With the assistance of his flight ring, he flew
into the air and aimed for Colossal Boy's temple. His unseen feet connected
with Gim's head with a mighty blow that would had smashed down a thick
oak door.
Invisible Kid thought that his eyes were lying. Colossal Boy should
be sprawled flat on the floor from the blow. It must be a delusion that he was
seeing Gim still standing there, only reeling a little and regaining his balance
while rubbing his head a bit. Colossal Boy then began swinging wildly hoping
to connect with his unseen adversary.
Lyle kept hammering away at Colossal Boy hoping repeated blows
might at last do the knockout job. When Gim swung, Invisible Kid cannily
ducked out of the way. Lyle swung again at the giant's middle, Colossal Boy
turned and took the blow on his broad back where it did little harm.
Tensing up every muscle in his body, Invisible Kid went into a
crouch and then drove forward. He slammed his lowered head squarely
into Colossal Boy's middle.
Gim grunted and sat down. Bouncing back, Lyle also sat on the
floor, head whirling. That was all he had done, pushed Colossal Boy over
with his hard plunge. But he was otherwise unhurt and was about to
clamber back on his feet.
Lyle quickly leaped up, his unseen fists within reach of the sitting
giant's face before he could rise. Invisible Kid threw everything he had
into every punch he pounded into Colossal Boy's face, hoping to knock
him out by sheer brain-bruising slugging.
Suddenly, the roof fell in on Invisible Kid. That was what it seemed
like when a giant weapon -- five huge knuckles -- blindly exploded against
his chin.
Lyle's arching body flew backward and landed in a heap against
a steel post. Lyle reappeared and limped -- crawled -- back to Sun Boy,
Ultra Boy and Brainiac 5. All four looked at each other with lips set into
grim lines.
Shrinking Violet came flying down, eyes haunted with horror.
She knew what they had to do next.
"This is it," Invisible Kid said flatly. "All four of us this time --
we have to take him out."
"Please," moaned Violet. "Isn't there some other way? Must
Colossal Boy ..."
Lyle turned hollow eyes on her. "It's either him, and Tazz ... or
all the people on Earth." His voice went gentle. "Sorry, Vi."
As the girl flew away, he watched her for a long, silent moment.
Then he drew himself up, still hurting, and gave the command that only
he could give, and for which he alone was responsible.
"This time, it's kill -- or be killed," Invisible Kid said.
Brainy interrupted, "The Legion constitution says that we can't ..."
"Brainy, if you got a better idea on what to do, I'm open to
suggestions," Lyle shot back.
Brainiac 5 didn't have any other options to offer.
"Okay," Invisible Kid said, "let's go."
Stepping out into the open, Lyle was poised to aim a kick at
Colossal Boy's throat. Sun Boy was prepared to hit Gim with a powerful
heat blast. Ultra Boy was ready to use all his super-strength. Even
Brainiac 5 picked up an piece of metal to use as a club.
And now they noticed that Colossal Boy held a weapon too,
something that looked like a gun with a large barrel.
"I signaled the future," called out Tazz, "for them to send the death-
beam gun, which Colossal Boy will use to mow you down. Prepare for
death, Legionnaires!"
Fate seemed to hold its breath.
But Shrinking Violet was challenging destiny. The tiny girl flew at Tazz
at high speed. Checking constantly in his wrist-monitor, Tazz saw Violet coming
straight toward his face.
"Fool, girl," he cried, "are you trying to attack me?"
He flung a hand up before his eyes protectively. But arriving at bullet
speed, Violet came at him and grew in size as she hit him in the head. The
hypnotic mirror that Tazz wore on a headband clattered to the floor.
The noise seemed to snap Colossal Boy out of a trance. He looked
at the weapon in his hands, bewildered.
"Gim!" screamed Violet, who shrank down to tiny size once again.
She floated around Colossal Boy's head. "Don't obey Tazz any more. Those
four advancing are your friends. You are free of Tazz's control. Throw the
weapon away ... throw it away!"
Colossal Boy hesitated, his half-hypnotized mind still unable to
think straight. With a curse, Tazz snatched up his hypnotic device and
fumblingly tried to aim it at Gim.
The four advancing Legionnaires had stopped, and they looked
on to see what would happen next.
"Gim!" screeched Violet again, desperately. "You are a Legionnaire!"
"Yes," roared Colossal Boy suddenly, twisting the weapon in his
hands into a tangled wreck. Then he turned balefully toward Tazz, who was
just shining the violet-green light in his eyes.
A huge hand swept across the villian's face, knocking him a dozen
feet away. "Now I know who I am, and what you are," bellowed Colossal
Boy.
"Thank the Stars!" sobbed Shrinking Violet, flying over him.
"We're back together, Legionnaires," Gim said.
"Right, big guy," said Sun Boy, getting there first. "Shake."
A moment later, Sun Boy sagged at the knees as a huge paw
grasped his. "Me and my big ideas," Dirk groaned. "Let go, you big ape,
before you crush my superb blast-projection hand."
"But what's this all about?" asked Colossal Boy, puzzled. "The last
I remember I was charging Tazz up in his room and he was shining some
kind of light in my eyes."
Brainiac 5 rapidly filled him in.
Colossal Boy's face turned pale halfway through the account, at the
tragedy that had nearly wrecked their group. Then, in a black fury, he strode
to Tazz and picked him up by the collar, dangling him off the floor.
"You murderous little pipsqueak!" roared Colossal Boy. "Now
you're in my power and I'm going to ..."
Tazz shrieked in terror at what he saw in Colossal Boy's eyes.
But Brainiac 5 called out, "Stop, Colossal Boy. We need Tazz
alive. He was the one who launched the four Earth dooms ..."
The Legionnaires looked at one another, the joy of reunion wiped
out by this stark realization.
"... and he's going to save the Earth now," finished Brainiac 5.
They all stared. "You've flipped, Brainy," said Sun Boy. "He started
four destructive processes that even he couldn't stop now."
"He can't halt them very simply," returned Brainiac 5. "Remember
Tazz is a master of time and knows technology beyond our capabilities.
He used time-teleportation to travel into the past. He used the time-stopping
ray to 'freeze' us once. And ..."
Brainy paused and faced the villian. "Tazz can you turn time back-
ward for Earth ... back to the day before your four dooms began?"
"Yes," nodded Tazz. "And I'll do it if you promise my life is safe
afterward."
"Agreed," came from Invisible Kid immediately. There simply was
no other choice, with the fate of a whole world at stake.
***
"Time," announced Tazz, "will now be reversed for Earth."
They were in Brainiac 5's main lab in the Legion clubhouse, the next
day. Brainiac 5, Invisible Kid, Saturn Girl and Tazz had worked through the
night, putting together a vast machine according to the alien's plans. They
were ready to use it. Tazz depressed the master button. No sound came
from the machine, no sign of anything happening. But on the wall, the
chronometer began going backward.
"Down in Antarctica," said Saturn Girl, "the heat device has gone
dead and ocean waters will recede until the ice cap grows back to its
original state."
"In the South Pacific," Brainiac 5 picked up, "all eruptions are
ceasing and the molton magma is flowing back down as the crust heals
itself of cracks caused by the Vulcan Machine."
Brainy pointed upward.
"Above Earth, the superwind is dying down as the Storm Satellite
vanishes, whisking back to the future where it came from. And the giant
comet, drawn by ultramagnetic attraction, is now being driven back into
space by antimagnetic forces."
Brainiac 5 shrugged. "Don't ask me to explain it in any logical way.
All I can promise you, from Tazz's formulas and chrono-equations, is that
in some odd way that 30th century science cannot yet understand, time is
turning backward and healing Earth of its mortal wounds."
The proof came via the omnicom as news reports said the would-
be disasters had disappeared and nobody knew why.
"Except us," murmurred Light Lass.
"I have carried out my end of the bargain," said Tazz, stepping
toward the door. "In turn, my life is spared ..."
Ferro Lad blocked his way. "Agreed, chum. But you're not going
anywhere -- except back to the 40th century."
"No! ... no ... no!" babbled Tazz frantically, his face reflecting stark
terror. "Back there I was a defeated conqueror, hated and despised. An
exile, a condemned man. They will hunt me down ruthlessly and execute
me ..."
"That's their business," said Invisible Kid shortly, whipping the
cover off a new apparatus. "Since we only have a time-bubble, we brought
along your time-teleportation device from the seadome. Brainiac 5 is setting
the coordinates for the future and now ..."
Tazz was still screaming in protest as a purling ray bathed him, fading
him out of the 30th century and whisking him to the 40th.
"The worst punishment he could have," said Phantom Girl, "was
to be sent back to the defeat, disgrace, and death he tried to escape from.
Tazz the Invader won't have a second chance to try to conquer time and
change history."
"Oh, well, another job done," drawled Sun Boy, patting back a false
yawn. "I'm glad I saved the world ... with the help of you other Legionnaires,
of course."
"Knowing how modest you are," said Shrinking Violet, "I won't
tell your adoring public that you did it practically single-handedly, or you'd
be mobbed by screaming girls."
Invisible Kid smiled. All was back to normal.
"Okay," he barked, and added, "Let's celebrate."
-- Finis --