Chapter 4! Don't worry; the next chapter will answer all your questions! Or most of them anyway…

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Epiphany

"Anything yet?" asked Superman.

"Nothing yet. And would you stop asking? We're all worried. But we can't just say some magic words and 'POOF' they're here." Lightning Lad said. "You really need to calm down. I thought a 'man-of steel' would have 'nerves-of steel' as well."

"As much as I hate to admit it, he's right." Saturn Girl sighed.

"Hey!" Lightning Lad said.

Saturn Girl paid no attention to him. "I just checked with all of the other team members, but Brainy and Phantom Girl are nowhere to be found."

"So what are we going to do?" Superman cried. "We can't just sit here and do nothing when our friends might be in danger!"

"Superman you need to calm down. They'll be alright." Saturn Girl put her hands on his shoulders. "They can take care of themselves."

"She's right." Lightning Lad replied. He turned back to the computer screen and continued to type.

Superman started to open his mouth again but Saturn Girl entered his thoughts. 'Stop Superman. We may not act like it but we are worried as well.'

'He sure doesn't seem like it.' Superman thought bitterly.

Saturn Girl sighed. 'Lightning Lad has never been good with showing his feelings. But trust me; he's worried, maybe even more than you.' Superman looked at her in surprise. 'You see when he was young if you showed your feelings at all you'd be labeled as a weirdo and become an outcast from the community. So he learned to always keep acting like everything was cool or just a small annoyance.'

'I didn't know.' Superman thought.

'No one does. I just know because the first time I met him he was thinking about it so strongly I got wind of it without meaning too.'

Superman looked over a Lightning Lad. For the first time he saw a bit deeper. Lightning Lad hated computers but he had been using one for the past two days to find out where their friends went. "I'm sorry guys." He said speaking aloud. "I just get so worried…"

"We know." Lightning Lad said. "You're always so dramat- hey guys! I found something!"

"What?" Saturn Girl and Superman came over to the computer. "What did you find?" they asked at the same time.

"I think I know how top get to wherever they went and how to get them back." Lightning Lad answered.

"Let's go then." Superman suggested.

"It's not that simple." Lightning Lad retorted. "We have to find out how to rewire the main core of that field disrupter. Or else we might never come back."

"She didn't rewire that thing did she?" Saturn Girl asked.

"No but she some sort of magic pull on it. So she didn't have to. But I don't think any of us can figure out how to do whatever she did." Lighting Lad said.

"Let me look." Saturn Girl took the field disrupter from the shelf it had been sitting on and looked it over. "Pull up the page you found it on."

Lightning Lad did. "Maybe you can make sense of this." He said. "I can't make heads or tails of it."

"Well maybe I can figure it out." Saturn Girl looked at the field disrupter. "Let's see…" She opened the back to expose the internal wiring. She started to fiddle with the wires.

Superman peered over her shoulder. "Hey!" he said, "I think I've seen one of these before. Let me try." He took it out of her hands and bent the wires this way and that.

Lightning Lad stared at him. "How do you know how to rewire it?"

"Back at home I was in charge of electronics and general maintenance and plus this is just like a science project I've done." Superman replied as he continued to mess with the wires. "That should do it." He slipped the back on and held the field disrupter out to Saturn Girl. She didn't move. "I don't know how to really work it." He admitted.

"Now that's something I can do." Lightning Lad said. He grabbed the field disrupter, flipped it around and shocked it. The disrupter rose into the air.

"Did it work?" asked Superman. The disrupter changed to a yellow-green color and pulsed.

"That's your answer." Lightning Lad said. Directly under the disrupter air swirled together to see a large room and in it was their missing friends.

No one moved. "Do we go in?" asked Lightning Lad.

"Do we have a choice?" Superman replied.

"Look!" Saturn Girl pointed at the swirling air. Brainy and Phantom Girl were listening to the girl who had knocked them in. They couldn't hear them but Saturn Girl was getting a bad feeling about the conversation. "We need to get in there! I've got a really bad feeling."

"Well let's go then!" Superman replied. They all flew into the circle but were pushed back out. "What happened?"

"What were those words she yelled? Maybe we need to say them." Lightning Lad asked.

"Sand-in-tree. Or something like that." Superman said.

"Maybe we have to be touching." Saturn Girl offered.

"Huh?" Superman and Lightning Lad said together.

"Well that's what happened when that girl knocked them in." she replied.

"I'm game. I'll try anything." Superman said.

They grabbed hands. Saturn Girl yelled, "Snantri! Snantri!" and they fled through.

Unfortunately for them, the hole had gotten slightly smaller and they fell into the room. Rather ungracefully. In fact they landed on top of the friends they were trying to save. Phantom Girl saw them in just enough time to switch to phantom mode. But Brainy was not so lucky and ended up on the bottom of a doggy pile.

"Ow." Lightning Lad rubbed his head.

"Get off!" Brainy gasped.

"Sorry." Superman apologized.

Trish walked up to them. "Well, looks like your friends decided to come and get you." She declared. "Welcome to the DAWIPA headquarters for the 27th dimension." She helped Saturn Girl up.

"Yes. Now leave." Yoom commanded. Yoom was buzzing angrily around Lightning Lad's head.

"Yoom be nice." Gantor said, smiling. "She doesn't like guests."

"Yes I do!" Yoom retorted. "But now we have five here. A bit much don't ya' think?"

"Well they are thirds." Speed spoke. Everyone turned and looked at her. She shrugged. "Well they are."

"What are you talking about?" Superman asked. "Who are these people?" he asked, turning to Brainy.

"Yeah. And where the heck are we?" Lightning Lad demanded.

"It's ok guys." Phantom Girl stepped out in front of them. "This is Trish, Yoom, Gantor, Speed, and," she blushed. "Tor." The liger behind her let out a soft growl, "Oh, and Joe." The liger licked her. "Ewww."

"Are you guys alright?" Saturn Girl asked turning to Brainy.

"Yeah we're fine." Phantom Girl replied. "You guys shouldn't have been so worried. We can take care of ourselves."

Superman glanced at the floor. Trish understood immediately what must have gone on. She saw that same action to all the new ensigns who still weren't as comfortable as they could be. "Well, I guess it's time for you two to go home. Safe journey! Maybe we'll meet again! Work hard so your dimension will get dimensioned!"

"Wait! You were going to tell us where you and Tor came from." Phantom Girl said.

"Well, you don't really need to know." Trish said. "So goodbye!"

"But, you said–" Phantom Girl started. She stopped. That sounded whiny, so she spoke again, "Besides you already started."

"Listen, you don't need to know." Trish glanced at Brainy.

"He hasn't remembered anything has he?" Tor asked. Trish shook her head. "Then why don't we tell them? Then everyone will be happy."

"Tor, you know why." Trish shied away from his outstretched hand and hugged herself as if she was trying to shield herself from cold. "He doesn't remember. And if he hasn't remembered by now he doesn't want to. Memories always come back no matter how forcefully they are removed. Besides," she lowered her voice, "why remind Alex of everything he has lost. You can't miss the flowers' scent if you never smelled it."

"Who's this Alex?" Saturn Girl asked. She tried to pry into Trish's thoughts. She usually didn't do that but this sounded like it was important. Trish stared back into her eyes and forced Saturn Girl's mind back with a strong blast from her own.

"You won't find out by mind probing." Yoom smirked. "I've been trying that for years."

"Trish, we should tell him. Alex has a right to know." Tor said.

"But he's not Alex." Trish retorted. "Alex is gone. Long gone. And I have been way to naive, believing he might want to come back after all these years!" Tears welled up in her eyes but she fought to keep them contained. Tor started to say something but she spoke first. "Would you Tor? Would you? Alex has been replaced. Don't you see that? Now a new life has replaced it. And that life mist live on its own memories and course. Not on the memories from a past that's all but gone. I've accepted it Tor. And you should, no, have to as well."

Brainy stepped forward. "Why don't you just tell us? Maybe we can find this Alex."

"Sorry to break up the moment guys but we have a situation in Market Square." Speed called. She was sitting at a computer. "The Megs are back."

"Still? How many times do we have to beat them before they will leave us alone?" Trish eagerly changed the subject. "Well come on we have a job to do."

Brainy looked at her. "When we get back you will tell us." He said sharply.

"Fine." Trish said reluctantly.

All of them came out of the building. You could see the smoke rising from a street off to the left. Tor smiled evilly. "Let's go have some fun!" but underneath his bright cool exterior you could tell he was worried about Trish. Lightning Lad could tell at least. He flew up and just ran with him. Not saying anything. But they didn't need to.

Yoom led the way and soon they could see the aftermath of whatever had gone through. Gantor sniffed the air and walked over to a fallen roof. He bent down and picked it up. Two dogs and a child crawled out. "Thank you Mister Giant!" the child called and quickly ran away with the dogs.

"Well this will take awhile to clean up." Speed remarked.

"Yeah but let's treat the underlying problem first." Yoom called. Everyone from DAWIPA burst out laughing.

"Huh?" Lightning Lad said. He hated to be left out of jokes.

"Well, the Megs did this and they came from the 1st dimension. Which is underneath all of the dimensions. So they are literally an 'underlying problem'." Speed answered. She came up and walked next to Lightning Lad. 'He's cute.' She thought. 'But not too bright.'

They kept moving: the Legion members, minus Lightning Lad, flying overhead and the DAWIPA team with Lightning Lad running along the ground. After a few minutes there was a sudden loud rumbling.

"Here they come!" Trish yelled. "Yoom! You're on!"

"Right-O!" Yoom flew towards the rumbling. Suddenly three very large and ugly tan-yellow bull-looking creatures with large clubs came out of the ground. Saturn Girl saw Yoom fly into the left one's right ear.

"What is she doing?" Saturn Girl asked.

"And what are those things?" cried Lightning Lad.

"Those, my friends, are the Megs. When they came to the other dimensions they were horribly disfigured. And they seem to think it is somehow our fault. So they want all dimensioned dimensions to collapse. Which spells out big trouble for the DAWIPA." Speed said.

"Dimensioned dimensions?" Saturn Girl inquired.

"Dimensions who can have their inhabitants cross from one dimension to another on their own. Without help from and enchanted field disrupter." Speed answered

"Incoming!" Gantor yelled.

They all jumped in different directions as a giant rock was hurled at where they had just been. Gantor ran back to the rock. "Joe! Type A Format!" Joe pounced on the rock and wrapped his tongue around it. Gantor heaved the huge rock up and threw it at the Megs.

The tallest of the three caught the bolder. Then it let out a yowl of pain. Joe had changed. The tongue had spikes on it and Joe himself was now bigger than Gantor. Joe retracted his tongue and launched himself at the Meg's eyes. He licked the eyes and started to bite and claw all over.

As this was happening Yoom zoomed out of the Meg's ear and came back covered in the Meg's yellow earwax. "Yuck." Yoom said.

The other two left their screaming companion and ran towards Gantor, clubs raised. "Twenty-three!" Tor shouted. The other DAWIPA members jumped up and clapped their hand together. They stayed suspended in midair about twelve or so feet above the ground.

Balls of energy formed on each pair of hands: Green for Speed, Yellow for Gantor, Purple for Yoom, and Teal for Trish. Tor was still on the ground and reached back to his scythe with his now red glowing hands. He lifted it out of its straps and pointed it to the sky where his friends were. They in turn pointed their hands at the scythe. The scythe pulsed once and all the colors transferred to it.

Tor yelled and swung the scythe. "Onsi wor trachee!" (On-see wore trah-chee!) The Megs screamed as the blasts of light coming from the scythe raked over them. Tor stayed in the same position of aftershock from the swing

"What did that mean?" Lightning Lad asked. The rest of the Legion was absorbed in the beauty of the attack but Lightning Lad was just confused. They weren't helping because it looked like the DAWIPA team had handled pretty well.

Speed floated over to them. "That meant 'Go back to your own dimension.' In Trish's and Tor's language."

Phantom Girl looked over at Brainy. "Brainy, did you understand that?"

He nodded slowly. Speed's smile widened. "It's magic."

Brainy snapped out of his blank stare. "Look!" he pointed up to Trish. She was having some sort of spasm in midair. Her head was so far back it was on her back. Her eyes were rolled back into her head and large teal feathery wings had burst from her back.

The other DAWIPA members were floating back to the ground. But they didn't know what to do. Tor had recovered from the scythe swing and looked up at Trish is horror. "Purity! Alex where are you when we need you?"

Brainy didn't know why and later he didn't even remember how he knew what to do, but he flew up to with one thought in his head, 'I have to help Trish.'

Her wings lashed out and flapped desperately. They were covered in blood. Trish's body jerked around. She wasn't making a sound but the Meg's screams made up for it. Suddenly he mouth opened and she let out a terrible scream.

"Ahh!" everyone covered their ears. It was a horrible sound. Like fingernails being dragged across a blackboard combined with a wail of unending pain.

Brainy winced but still flew up to her. He dodged the thrashing wings. Brainy clapped his hands together and slammed them into Trish's back. He then opened them and rolled his knuckles up and out to the wings. He quickly dropped his hands as Trish started to fall. Brainy caught her and brought her back down to Tor. "Help her." He pleaded.

Tor took Trish's unconscious form in his arms. He stared at Brainiac 5 for a couple moments and then bent down with Trish.

Besides the two bloody teal wings now hanging limply from her back she looked all right. Tor placed her on the ground and started tracing things in the air. But before he could finish the two Meg's yelled out and started coming straight toward them.

"We got this!" Lightning Lad called down. He gestured to the others but before they could even start to fly over to fight the Megs Yoom floated up.

Yoom's eyes flashed a deep purple and she yelled in a commanding voice, "You beasts are to return to your own dimension. By the new thoughts in you minds do as I command!"

The Megs slowed down and started to backtrack, looking dazed. The third one being attacked by Joe finally keeled over. Joe returned to normal and trotted back over looked as happy as a dog that had caught a Frisbee.

But everyone was too busy looking at Trish and Tor who was still tracing in the air. They all stayed strangely quiet as if waiting for a miracle. Tor whispered some indistinguishable words and stopped drawing. Trish opened her eyes and coughed. "Note to self," she said in a horse voice, "no more using magic after dimensioning."

Tor smiled at her. "You I-Dot." He said. She grabbed the hand he offered and stood up. He wings arched up behind her. The teal feathers spotted with blood.

"That was really quick thinking Brainy! How did you know what to do?" Superman asked.

"I have absolutely no idea." He replied, shrugging.

"That proves it!" Tor said. "You're Alex! Whether you remember or not! And since he is we have to tell him!"

"Well, let's deal with this thing first." Yoom said and pointed to the unconscious Meg.

"Oops. Must have missed that one." Tor said with a sinister grin. He pointed the scythe with one hand at it. "Onsi wor trachee! Melca tic!" (On-see wore trah-chee! Mell-ca tick!)

"I got the first part but that was the last part?" Phantom Girl asked.

Tor smiled. "It's better if you don't know."

"And don't have the guts to say it." Speed said. She was standing very close to Lightning Lad and was holding his hand. She looked very happy. He, on the other hand, looked embarrassed.

"Let's get back to headquarters." Gantor suggested.

Tor let Trish lean on his shoulder as they trudged back. "We'll tell you." Tor said when Brainy looked at him. Trish nodded.

After a few minutes later Trish flapped her wings and shook off the drying blood. She then flew up and started flying next to Brainy. Tor sprouted his own wings and shook off the drying blood. Brown and leathery like a demon's they were the exact opposite of Trish's teal angel-like feathery wings.

He flew up and took the other side of Brainy. "Trish and I will try to answer all of the questions you might have. I swear on m honor as an Eastlandian."

"I'm not the one who wants to know. And what's an Eastlandian?" Brainy retorted. 'But you're curious.' His thoughts replied.

"You'll find out." Tor winked at him.

Brainy had a reply to this as well but Trish wasn't even listening. 'I have to tell him… But how do I say these things?' she wondered. Trish looked up and saw that Phantom Girl was filling in the rest of the Legion on what had happened and that Tor and Brainy were in a full-fledged conversation.

Each person was absorbed in their own thoughts and conversations until they got back to the scaly-tower and the promised story of Tor and Trish and the mysterious Alex was told.

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Chapter four! Whew! That took me a bit. I hope you liked it! The next chapter is going to be fun! And incredibly long… well I better get started! Hang in there! I'm typing as fast as I can!