Ah, school is looming ever closer. _ And I have yet to finish my summer assignments for AP US History and AP English. Junior year's gonna suck. =P I took a break from the neverending torment that is The Grapes of Wrath to write out this chapter, since I haven't posted in a while. I don't know why I didn't post sooner, I had the chapter all written out in my notebook and everything... I think something in me just refuses to update until the last possible moment... *nervous laugh*
So uh, enjoy! =D
Disclaimer: I SO OWN IT! ....Kidding.
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I sleep fretfully that night, tossing and turning and tangling the bedsheets, unable to relax and empty my mind. My dreams come and go, a myriad of confused sounds and colors, and always that fork in the road, more pronounced and urgent than ever.
I am most unwilling to get out of bed come morning. The small trickle of sunlight that peeks through the curtains in my room falls upon my cheek in playful warmth, and for a while I simply lay there while the last traces of sleep leave my reluctant mind. In the end, I force myself to rise and go through my morning routine, knowing that Kid Quantum and her team are back from their mission with an arsenal of damaged machinery that I must fix.
As it is only a little past seven in the morning, I sincerely hope a certain headband-bearing ex-spy is not awake yet. I have a feeling I will be avoiding him today at all costs.
After showering and changing into my clothes as slowly as possible so as to delay my departure, I head to the doors. I come to a halt when I see a neat, cream-colored envelope lying face-down on the floor at the entrance, jammed half-way under the automatic doors. I bend down and take the envelope curiously in my hand, then flip it over, where it says "Brainiac 5" in loopy, italicized font. I break the seal on the envelope, a golden Legion symbol, as I walk, and retrieve the expensive-looking parchment from within.
"You have been cordially invited to the wedding of Garth Ranzz and Imra Ardeen, which will be held at precisely 4 p.m. on the twelfth of June, outside the front of Legion headquarters."
I stare at the invitation, wondering why they bothered to use actual paper instead of sending invitations out to everyone's handhelds. I tuck the letter back into its container and put it in my pocket.
"Morning, Brainy!"
I stop, frozen, in my tracks, and meet the source of the voice in a sort of dreadful anticipation; I have unknowingly walked into the kitchen whilst reading the letter, lost in my own thoughts as usual, and now a clueless-looking Lyle Norg is holding out a cup of coffee to me like a peace offering. I stare at the mug, watching the steam curl gracefully into the air from the black coffee; I can smell the rich aroma from where I stand. I glance at Lyle, at his expectant, chocolate eyes and hesitantly smiling lips... and turn on my heel and begin to leave before I vomit.
"Hey, wait up!" Lyle calls, catching up to me. "What gives, Brainy? Do I have coffee breath or something?"
I know he is only making an innocent joke, but the irony of the question is not past me and my discomfort only increases. I do not reply but keep walking, not really having any direction or purpose, while Lyle trails me like an annoying, spandexed shadow.
"Come on, talk to me, please," he pleads behind me, exasperated.
I stop suddenly and he stumbles behind me, trying not to run into me. With the upmost reluctance, I turn to him, keeping my expression blank. His face is that of an abandoned puppy, his lower lip jutting out in a pitiful pout and his eyes large and wimpering. I am ashamed to admit I feel guilt welling up inside me.
"Did I do something wrong...?" he asks desperately, adding to the guilt.
I purse my lips for a moment before deciding I should reply or forever be consumed by my own conscience.
"Do you... remember anything happening last night, after you went to the lab?" I ask slowly, choosing my words carefully. Judging from his behavior, I think I already know the answer to this question, but the words are out before I can alter them.
Lyle's brows knit together as he lowers his gaze, apparently trying to remember. I hope it is an unsuccessful attempt.
"Um," he mutters, peering up at me through thick, dark lashes. "I worked a bit on a malfunctioning Legion belt... then I think I fell asleep, and..."
My heart leaps into my throat as he trails off, nearly choking me; I swallow inconspicuously and try to ignore the pounding in my ears.
"And then I woke up, and there was this plate of cookies next to me," Lyle finishes, frowning in confusion, crossing his arms over his chest.
"...Anything else?" I ask warily.
Lyle stares at me with a blank expression.
"...There was also a mug of hot chocolate?" he says this as though it is a question awaiting my approval. "Well, it was more like chocolate milk by the time I woke up..."
I bite my lower lip and avert my gaze, all at once unable to look at him.
"Oh! Did you bring those things in for me?" he asks in bewilderment.
I suppress a shiver and jerk my head once in confirmation, still avoiding looking at him. His arms uncross themselves and fall limply to his sides.
"Sorry, I know I'm kind of a heavy sleeper," he apologizes bashfully, successfully misenterpreting the cause of my distress.
Well, at least I know one comforting fact: Lyle does not remember what he did (I refuse to even think of the "k" word), and as far as I am aware, nobody else knows, either, and it is highly unlikely I will ever willingly tell anyone. Now if only I can make myself forget, that would truly make everything better. Unfortunately, as I am no longer part android, I cannot erase data from my brain so easily. Maybe I can pay someone to hit me over the head with a lead pipe so I can let amnesia do the work for me.
"It's fine," I say quickly, eager to put the conversation behind me. I walk past him back the way I came, aiming to retrieve that cup of coffee. I am slowly becoming a caffeine addict because of this idiot.
Lyle falls into step beside me, a frustratingly contemplative look on his face; I wish he would just let it go. For that matter, I wish he would not walk so close- I am so painfully aware of his presence it is as though there is nothing else around me. Just his image winking cheekily at me from every direction.
"Well, if it's fine," Lyle says, a note of disbelief audible in his voice. "Then why will you still not look at me?"
"Do you want conflict, Lyle? Is that it?" I retort, side-stepping the question.
He gasps in sudden realization and stops, spinning me around by the shoulders and forcing me to face him.
"Did I do anything while I was asleep?" he asks me gravely.
"No," I say a bit too quickly, staring at a spot over his left shoulder. "Why would you say that?"
His face falls. "I did, didn't I?"
I flick his hands away and continue on my way to the kitchen. The pounding in my ears is back.
"I always do weird stuff in my sleep around other people. I bit a friend once, gave him a scar, and then I nearly set fire to Jacques's lab coat once," he rambles, wringing his hands. I do not mention that his actions were more on the affectionate side than these examples. "Come on, what did I do? Whatever it was, I'm sorry, I was asleep, you know...?"
He continues on and on like this while I rub my temples in an attempt to keep a pulsating headache at bay. I have never seen Lyle in such a nervous, stuttering state; I am so used to the confident, charismatic Invisible Kid, always laughing and joking. It is when I am finished with my coffee that I have finally had enough.
"Lyle," I say sternly, turning and looking him straight in the eye despite my cartweeling stomach. "Shut. Up."
He ceases to talk, but continues to stare at me with those wide, apologetic eyes, and I sigh loudly.
"You did not do anything," I lie through my teeth. "I am just in a bad mood today, so please keep out of my way until tomorrow, okay?"
Lyle blinks once, then his face brightens once more, as though a morose cloud blocking the sun shifted aside with the wind. The playful confidence is back in the pools of brown and uplifted corners of his lips.
"You got it! You won't see even one glimpse of me for the entire day, I promise!"
With that, he vanishes from sight, though I can still feel his presence until he leaves the room. I shake my head and place my empty cup into the dishwasher before heading to the lab.
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True to his word, Lyle keeps his distance from me for the rest of the day (although I sometimes see a flash of black and white when I turn a corner before I am alone, which makes me think he is trying exceptionally hard to keep his promise), which allows me to have time to regain control over myself. I go about my business, concentrating on every insignificant task set before me, and at the end of the day, I get so much work done I find myself ahead of my schedule. By the next morning, I am once again tolerant of Lyle's presence, and in fact feel silly for overreacting the way I did.
This does not prevent me from having a bit of fun when he tentatively enters the lab a few minutes after nine. I meet his eyes briefly before continueing to polish my Legion belt. He cautiously edges closer to the table, not taking his eyes off me, as if I am an unpredictable, wild animal. It is almost insulting... but mostly just entertaining.
"So, um," he begins, rocking back and forth on his feet. "Good morning..."
"Morning," I reply simply, straining not to laugh at his nervous expression.
He looks at me as if awaiting for further instructions, and when I do not say anything else, he slowly picks up a tool and begins to take apart his own belt. His every movement is slow and deliberate, like I am a bomb waiting to be set off. It is very difficult to resist rolling my eyes.
"Uh, so..." he begins again, clearing his throat. "Um, is it okay if I... you know..." he trails off, leaving the sentence hanging heavily in the air.
I keep my expression neutral as I put down my belt and calmly raise my eyes to his.
"Yes, Lyle," I answer the unfinished question, finally granting him a small smile. "You can stay. I am fine now."
He exhales dramatically in relief.
"Good! It killed me having to dodge you all day yesterday!" he exclaims, confirming my suspicions about his antics the other day. His tone implies that asking him not to see me for more than two hours is equivalent to being deprived of oxygen. I am not sure whether I am flattered, disturbed, or nauseated at this.
With not much work left to be done, I retire to the living room early, Lyle humming happily beside me. Apparently, he has decided to stick to my side all day to compensate for the lack of attention yesterday. Joy.
I sit in my egg-shaped chair and browse computer scans on a holographic screen lazily while Lyle watches from the side, the most bemused expression on his face. Strangely, I am no longer as bothered as I used to be at his constant presence; the cacophonious rise and fall of his voice as he recalls an encounter with a stressed Cosmic Boy has become such a regular part of my daily routine I am surprised to find I actually draw comfort from it.
Hours later, Lyle has retreated to a chair and is scanning the daily news while I check for any system problems in Computo. More people have also flooded into the spacious room. Phantom Girl is browsing the gossip column of the news projected in front of her; Bouncing Boy and Triplicate Girl are immersed in a video game on the sofa, their fingers flying over the controls while their eyes are trained, unblinking, on the screen as they race; Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl are looking overwhelmed at a table as they bend over a large, black-bound wedding planner. They keep pointing and shaking their heads, looking rather jumpy and ready to scream; Cosmic Boy and Kid Quantum are pointing to a simulated map of the solar system and nodding to each other, most likely planning strategic battle maneuvers.
Suddenly, an alarm screeches through the building, making everyone except me, Cosmic Boy, and Invisible Kid jump. Everyone is instantly at my side as I quickly type into the keyboard without looking. The large assortment of screens before me light up with information and footage. Timber Wolf, Chameleon, Dream Girl, and Shrinking Violet are quick to join the group. I pay no attention to them, as I am staring at the screens, feeling sick to my stomach.
"There has been a break-in at..." I begin, then stop short, the words stuck in my throat. Knowing all eyes are on me, I force myself to continue. "At the Superman Museum. The culprits' ship has been spotted flying northeast, close to where Phobos is located."
"What could anyone want from the Superman Museum?" Lyle asks beside me. My fists clench on the arms of my chair.
"One way to find out," Phantom Girl says.
"Right," Cosmic Boy says, taking command. "Brainiac 5, Invisible Kid, Phantom Girl, Timber Wolf, Shrinking Violet- go to the museum and investigate. Bouncing Boy, Triplicate Girl, Chameleon, Dream Girl, Saturn Girl- prepare the Legion ship for departure. Kid Quantum, Lightning Lad, and I will prepare a battle plan. Let's go, Legionnaires!"
Timber Wolf, Phantom Girl, Shrinking Violet, Invisible Kid, and I fly out the door at the command. Once we are outside, we fly above the city, the wind whipping our hair back and roaring in our ears. Too soon for my liking, we arrive at the Superman Museum, the giant, golden collosus of the iconic hero greeting us at the entrance. I avoid looking at it and fly through the large hole in the ceiling of the building, my heart pulsing rapidly in my chest. We land on the mound of rubble and ceiling that is covering the floor of the museum and look around.
Timber Wolf immediately begins to sniff at the air and walls of the room, his nose twitching and eyes narrowed. Shrinking Violet reduces in size and crawls through gaps in the debris, doubling the efficientness of the search. I move from under the hole and into the shade, where Superman's blue, red, and yellow uniform lies tattered and ruined in its broken case, which is on its side on the floor; the shards of broken glass reflect my confused and tormented eyes back at me.
I cannot explain the sudden surge of emotion that has been encompassing me ever since I discovered the museum had been broken into. I do not know exactly what that emotion is, but it is not pleasant, and is more close to pain than anything else. It grips my chest and throat tightly, suffocating me, making my heart pound painfully against my ribcage like a mallet. For a moment I feel like I have been frozen in place, and am unable to move as I stare down at the sad remains of the red S, enclosed by an upside down, yellow pentagon. Then, I flex my fingers experimentally and wet my lips, and take several slow, rhythmic breaths.
I turn my back to the costume and spot Lyle, who is talking to an old, balding man in a custodial uniform. I drift closer to listen, purposefully focusing on the task at hand.
"And are you sure nothing was taken?" Invisible Kid asks the janitor, and to the untrained ear he sounds business-like and unconcerned, but I detect the subtle puzzled and troubled tones beneath the surface.
"Yes," the man replies tightly, holding his head high and looking as though Lyle has insulted him. "Absolutely nothing was stolen. They just came in, ransacked the place, and left. Goddamned hooligans..."
Lyle sees me and seems to notice my grave appearance, for he sends me a concerned look before turning back to the janitor.
"Thank you for your cooperance," he says in a friendly manner, and the janitor purses his lips importantly in response.
Lyle and I move back to the center of the room, where sunlight floods over the mound of plaster and concrete. Phantom Girl phases through a wall and lands next to Timber Wolf, and Shrinking Violet grows back to her original size to join them. Lyle seems like he is bursting to interrogate me, but one dark look from me silences him (though I am willing to bet it won't last long).
"Did I hear that right?" Brin asks in his growl of a voice. "Nothing was taken from the museum?"
Invisible Kid and I nod in grim confirmation, and everyone exchanges uneasy looks. Phantom Girl is the first to ask the question that is on everyone's mind.
"Well then, what was the point of breaking in if not to take anything?"
"Maybe they didn't find what they were looking for?" Shrinking Violet suggests, glancing from face to face.
"Or maybe," I say, having already calculated every possibility in my head. "They did not come to steal, but to send a message."
"What would they want to say by destroying the Superman Museum?" Lyle inquires, and all eyes shift to me questioningly.
"Isn't that obvious?" Even as I speak, a feeling of cold dread washes over me like ice water. "It's a warning."
"The Legion was created based on Superman's morals and achievements," Shrinking Violet pipes up. "If they destroy the museum, it's like they're saying the Legion's next... right?"
I nod numbly. "That, or it's a calling card. They might want to confront Superman, and destroying his museum is the first in line for many more targets unless we get him here."
"Okay, time out," Phantom Girl says firmly, holding both hands up palm-out. "First of all, who is 'they'? Who are we dealing with here? The Fatal Five? Drax? The Legion of Super Villains? If this is some hoax played by that magic-finger-guy, we don't have to call Superman."
Timber Wolf is shaking his head before she finishes.
"The scent is not familiar," he says, his yellow, beastly eyes hard and contemplative. "This is someone we've never dealt with before."
"Are they powerful?" Invisible Kid asks, casting a thoughtful look at the cloudless sky.
"Don't know," comes the short reply.
"So... should we call him?" Shrinking Violet asks apprehensively.
"Well, let's not get carried away here," Phantom Girl intervenes, her hands poised on her waist. "We don't know who this person- or people- are. Maybe it's best to just wait it out, see what we're up against."
"This is not our decision to make," I say in a calm voice. "It is Cosmic Boy's- he is the leader."
When I do not receive any negative reactions, I bring my ring to my mouth and contact Cosmic Boy. While the others gather silently around me, I brief him on what we have discovered.
"Any luck finding our mysterious friend?" I ask when I finish.
"None," Rokk sighs. "Their trail's gone completely cold."
"Yeah," Lightning Lad cuts in. "We've been up here flying in circles. We might as well be looking for... what was that expression Clark used? 'A pin in a barrel of wheat'?"
"'Needle in a haystack'," I correct, the painful tightness back at the mention of Clark Kent.
"Yeah, well, whatever you call it, we lost them," Garth says bitterly.
As conflicted as I am with the idea, I know it has to be mentioned.
"Should we call Superman?"
There is a pause as Cosmic Boy thinks this through; Invisible Kid, Shrinking Violet, Timber Wolf, and Phantom Girl shift on their feet, awaiting their orders. Lyle's arm brushes against my shoulder, and the warmth slightly calms my nerves.
"Well, let's not call him yet," he finally concludes, sounding very tired. "With Garth and Imra's wedding coming up, there's really no reason to- he'll be there anyway."
This news momentarily shocks me, but then I realize it makes complete sense; there has never been a Legion wedding before, and so it is to be quite the grand occasion. It is only natural that every Legionnaire, even the honorary ones, are to be invited, and Superman, himself being the inspiration for the Legion, must surely be invited as well. A smile works its way to my lips.
"If nothing big happens before then, we'll just tell him about it when he's here," Cosmic Boy continues, a note of finality in his voice. "Let's head home, Legionnaires."
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Aahh, sorry if there are mistakes! I didn't check it after I typed it out cuz I was sooo tiiiireeeddd. __ Is anyone else psyched to see Gamer?? I'm SO pumped for that movie! It doesn't help that my friend is making a Legion/Gamer crossover trailer, either.
Guess who's gonna be in the next chaaaapteeeerr? =D Haha FINALLY yeah?
Review please! I LOVE ZEM REVIEWS!