Chapter 17
The Legionnaires heard and saw hardly anything of Brainiac, the Fatal Five, or the LSV for a whole month, and if they did, it was only the last two, and only fleetingly. There were, however, plenty of sightings and skirmishes with Brainiac's robotic accomplices, who appeared everywhere, distracting the Legion and keeping them from continuing to investigate into Brainiac's whereabouts as thoroughly as they would like. Bouncing Boy's team never even got to make their way to Neptune, and nor did anyone else, as they were too busy fighting off throngs of robots. Cosmic Boy, of course, was extremely peeved.
"He's deliberately sidetracking us", he kept saying. "He's having his stupid robo-guards wreak havoc everywhere, so we have to put it right, and we can't concentrate on finding him!"
Cosmic Boy wasn't the only one who was annoyed. Dawnstar was finding it harder and harder to track anything related to Brainiac 1.0.
"He's shielding them", she said in frustration after trying and failing once more to pick up a trail of Brainiac 1.0, his robots, or any member of the Fatal Five or LSV. "It doesn't help that his robots are designed to project pretty much the same aura he has."
Lightning Lad and Kell-el were also getting tired of fighting robots. It didn't help that they knew that the robots were merely diversions while Brainiac carried out his plan elsewhere with the Fatal Five and LSV. But they didn't have any choice. Lightning Lad was also trying to deal with what he'd admitted to Kell-el – he did love Saturn Girl, and while he'd suspected it all along, he hadn't known for sure till Kell-el had prodded him for it. He tried to put the conversation out of his mind – Brainiac 1.0 was the bigger issue at the moment.
Brainy and Shrinking Violet were working hard to produce devices that would help, but at every turn, Brainiac 1.0 anticipated their every move, self-destructing robots that had been planted with tracers, creating so many false trails it was impossible for a tracking device to pick up the real one, and refusing to fall for any bait the Legionnaires could come up with.
Phantom Girl and Invisible Kid were also not making any headway in the prophecies. Anytime they came to a paragraph they thought might be important, they lost it, for some strange reason never being able to read it. Dream Girl explained that this may be because the higher power that had dictated the prophecies was preventing them from knowing more than was necessary.
"This 'higher power' must have a really obscure idea of what's necessary, then", Phantom Girl grumbled.
All in all, it was not a good month for the Legion. No matter how hard they tried, they simply could not make much progress in their quest for Brainiac 1.0.
"He's hiding himself too well", said Superman during one of their universal communications, in which every Legionnaire was present digitally.
Karate Kid, however, had a more philosophical approach. "The time is just not right. Eventually, everything will fall into place."
"I hope so, Kid", said Chameleon Boy. "I really hope so."
The silver metal glistened as he ran his robotic finger over it. Brainiac 1.0 smiled in satisfaction. "You have done well", he said to the Fatal Five and Legion of Supervillains, who were standing nearby.
"Master", said Mano, "If I may ask, what exactly will this do?"
"This, Mano, is what will enable me to implement the third and final phase of my plan", replied Brainiac. "This machine, which I call Doomsday, will occupy the team of Legionnaires that will come here. It will distract them and keep them busy here while we march on Legion HQ. By the time they overcome it, it will be too late."
"Sounds like a brilliant weapon." Wave chuckled evilly.
"Indeed." Brainiac looked at his subordinates. "Now this is what I wish you to do…"
Another month passed, during which Brainiac's robots suddenly and suspiciously ceased to appear, and the Fatal Five and LSV came back into action, replacing the robots as troublemakers-in-chief, and causing far more damage all over the galaxy than the former did.
"I don't like this", said Timber Wolf as he and the rest of XS' team had to rush to fend off yet another LSV attack on Saturn. "Something feels off."
"Well, we don't have a choice", XS told him. "We can't do anything but fight them."
However, while the rest of the Legion concentrated on battling the Fatal Five and the LSV, Bouncing Boy and his group were making their way toward Neptune with Dawnstar and Brainy, under Cosmic Boy's orders.
"We'll handle the Fatal Five and the LSV", Cosmic Boy told them. "You have to find out what's going on over there." Cosmic Boy also pulled Phantom Girl and Invisible Kid off studying prophecies and added them to his team.
Between attacks, the Legionnaires did get to rest a bit, though it wasn't much. During one of these rare breaks, Lightning Lad and the rest of the Legionnaires at Headquarters held a very serious discussion.
"There's obviously something much bigger going on here", reasoned Stone Boy. "These attacks by the Fatal Five and the LSV aren't random."
"Yes, but what else can we do except fight them off whenever they appear?" asked Colossal Boy wearily. "We can't anticipate what Brainiac's going to do, but he can anticipate us."
"We're very vulnerable", said Dream Girl. "But there seems to be no fixed pattern to these attacks, so we can't predict when or where the next one's going to occur. I'm not even having any dreams."
"Whatever the case, we can't do anything much until Bouncing Boy reaches Neptune", said Infectious Lass. "Let's all hope he reaches there soon."
"He should get there the day after tomorrow", Porcupine Pete said. "I've been keeping track, and if he's been going at the same speed since he left, he should reach Neptune around that time."
Lightning Lad looked sideways at Porcupine Pete. Over the months that they had worked together, he had gained a new respect for the Legion of Substitute Heroes. They all seemed to have grown up and become more responsible. Of course, they were also quite silly sometimes. Double-Header's frequent dialogues between his two heads were so absurd they would make anyone wonder how he had managed to bring down Validus by himself just two days earlier.
Then he shifted his gaze to Saturn Girl, sitting across the room from him. She had spoken increasingly little of late, contemplating all the matters at hand in silence. Lightning Lad felt a pang as he saw her looking solemn and forlorn. Beneath that, his friend had huge amounts of strength, courage, and determination, and it showed on her face. He wished there was something he could do, but there was nothing. Once again he found himself hoping desperately that she would not die in the major battle with Brainiac 1.0, a prospect that seemed to be looming ever more quickly.
Then Saturn Girl spoke.
"All we can do is wait", she said. "But it won't be long now." She looked out the window. "Soon, this will all be over, and none of us can tell what will await us once it is."
Triplicate Girl stared out the cruiser at the large blue planet. Relief and anxious anticipation tensed in her slim body in equal amounts. "Bouncing Boy!" she called. "We're here!"
The plump, bouncing teen came over to her. "Brainy! Dawnstar!" he called. "Which way?"
"Left", came the distant reply from somewhere to the right of the bridge.
Bouncing Boy piloted the cruiser stealthily and carefully toward the side of Neptune. To his surprise, as well as everyone else's, the large metal construction hangar was right in plain sight, without any cloaking or shielding devices Brainy could discern.
"I don't like this", Element Lad muttered under his breath.
"Be careful, everyone", Bouncing Boy warned. "We don't know what might hap-aaahh!"
His cry was mingled with those of the other Legionnaires as the cruiser rocked violently to the side.
"Brainy!" yelled Star Boy. "What's happening?"
Brainy, who was holding tightly onto the metal counter below the main computer in an attempt to steady himself, shouted back, "I believe whatever is in the construction hangar is a type of machine which was programmed to emit gravitational waves in positive and negative poles once anything of a certain molecular structure entered its range."
"English, Brainy!" exclaimed Tyroc, scrabbling at the floor as the cruiser tilted sharply toward its other side, nearly achieving a full 90 degree angle.
"There is a machine in there that is activating gravity fields in different directions with increasing force!" Brainy bellowed.
"'With increasing force…?" repeated Ultra Boy. "Brainy, what do you mean by that?"
The ship bucked again, sending all the Legionnaires tumbling across the wall.
"It means", said Brainy, "that eventually the machine will generate enough gravity to create a black hole that will pull us all in."
"What!" gasped Dawnstar and all three of Triplicate Girl's bodies, who had split to better steady themselves.
"Brainy, can you override it?" Bouncing Boy asked frantically.
"I can try." Brainy slowly and laboriously made his way to the computer. It took several attempts, as he kept sliding backward whenever the cruiser tipped and dipped with, as Brainy had predicted, ever increasing forcefulness.
Finally, though, he managed to grab on to the keyboard. Typing in several codes, nothing happened. Thinking quickly, Brainy tried to remember the password to the stealth and cloaking devices that had shielded the first construction hangar, back in the asteroid belt – no easy feat, considering that the cruiser kept rocking to and fro, bumping his head and body against the ceiling. He knew it was a long shot, but they had no other choice. Judging by the way the gravity kept increasing every time, they had only seconds before a black hole formed. Holding his breath, Brainy punched in the password and waited.
The effect was almost instantaneous. The ship stopped shaking from side to side and became still, floating peacefully in space once more.
The Legionnaires inside gasped and panted, rubbing their bruised anatomies. For a moment, they couldn't believe they had finally stopped; then they cheered.
"Good job, Brainy", Element Lad said in relief.
Suddenly the computer flashed, revealing an agitated Lightning Lad.
"All Legionnaires, return to Earth immediately! Brainiac 1.0 is attacking! Repeat, Brainiac 1.0 has arrived!"
The screen blanked, leaving eight tense and fearful Legionnaires.
"It was a trap", said Bouncing Boy, summing up the horrifying conclusion they had all reached.
A/N: Yes sir, we are now approaching the Big Fight! Brainiac 1.0 is just putting the finishing touches on his grand master plan. Thanks for reviewing to Lillywhitecherub, TheEclipse, and Devilbunny, as well as The Violet Rose, who, again, was prevented by her computer from reviewing properly. And thanks for all the congratulations on my new sister from my faithful readers.
Disclaimer: Absolutely not.