- 4 -
"Please all calm down," said R. J. Brande, quieting the hubbub that had resulted from the unveiling of Star Lass. "Continue, lad."
"Thank you, your honour," said Invisible Kid. "So, Thom, why did you pass your powers to Zynthia?"
"Well, not all of them. I still have the gravity-increasing power I've had since birth. My parents were astronomers and I was born in an orbital observatory. The first time I used my powers as a child I destroyed the observatory. I spent the rest of my childhood after that being tested by doctors on Xanthu until running away at the age of 16. The spacecraft I fled in passed through the tail of a comet, and it was this that gave me pretty much the same powers as Superboy."
"No ordinary comet, then."
"No. Later examination of astronomical recordings showed it appearing out of nowhere not long before I encountered it and vanishing again not long after. Our scientists theorised it was a transient visitor from another universe with very different properties to our own, but that's only a guess. While my new powers were impressive they were also unstable and would occasionally fail. Usually only for a few seconds, but it was worrying. We learned why when someone - let's call him V for now - probed them and discovered that thanks to my gravity power my body was slowly rejecting them. V said that what he called their 'energy matrix' could be transferred to someone else, where it would be stable, or I could wait until my body entirely rejected the powers, at which point they would be lost forever. After that the choice was obvious. V transferred them to Zyn and for the past week I've been training her in their use."
"No more questions, your honour."
"Cosmic Boy?"
"Thank you. Well, Thom, who is this mysterious V?"
"Someone currently seeking permission to come to Earth and who will appear here as a witness if and when that permission is granted, at which point his identity will be revealed, obviously."
"Can his honour confirm this?"
"I can," said Brande.
"Then we come to the question of evidence. You and Zynthia have alleged that Saturn Girl and Super-Sister are co-conspirators but as yet you've offered no evidence that a crime has been committed. Where is that evidence?"
"We handed it over to Brainiac-5, who confirmed its authenticity, hence this trial."
"Then the defence is finished with this witness and would like to call Brainiac-5 to the stand."
Zynthia smiled. This was it, this was where they would catch her cousin out in her lies.
"Brainiac-5," said Cosmic Boy, after he took the stand, "you were the most recent of us to visit Super-Sister in the 20th century, were you not?"
"That is my understanding."
"Can you describe the circumstances behind that visit?"
"I can. Kryptonians have an unusual genome that is both very pliable and so susceptible to mutagenic transformation - as seen most often in the way red kryptonite affects them - while at the same time being incredibly resilient. It always reasserts itself, usually within 24 to 48 hours. However in the case of the mysterious ring used to force her current gender on Super-Sister this didn't happen. She has since suffered another exposure to red kryptonite, one with trivial effects, fortunately. However, when these wore off she reverted to Super-Sister, not Superboy, indicating that the ring somehow 'reset' her base genetic form."
"I understand, but what does this have to do with visiting Super-Sister?"
"On learning from Saturn Girl that Super-Sister had been transformed against her will I managed to incorporate a trace amount of green kryptonite into the genome of the bacteria responsible for Grandin Gender Reversal Disease. Ordinarily, Super-Sister would be as immune to its effects as she is to every other disease, but this was enough to make her as vulnerable to the gender switch as anyone else would be. The effect would wear off after 24 hours and then she would be immune so it could be used but once. Having created the modified sample the only ethical thing to do was to give it to her to use as she saw fit, which I did."
"So you accept Saturn Girl's testimony that Super-Sister is not a separate person but Superboy transformed?"
"I do."
"Despite what appears to be evidence to the contrary?"
"Yes."
"Thank you. No further questions."
"Invisible Kid?"
"Thank you, your honour. Why do you believe Saturn Girl's version of events, Brainy?"
"Because I know her to be an honest, honourable person. She would not lie."
"How do you reconcile that belief with the recording we have which the accused, the prosecution, and I have all seen, a recording whose veracity you yourself have tested, declaring it a real record of a events and not a forgery?"
"I cannot. I know only that it must be in some manner I'm not able to ascertain."
"Then I think it's finally time to show it to the members of the jury."
A screen appeared in the air and began playing a scene from the past.
"A Smallville coffee shop, back in the 20th century," announced Invisible Kid. "No sound, of course, but the events speak for themselves."
Everyone watched as Clark Kent joined Lana Lang in the coffee shop. They exchanged a few words, the pretty young teen gathered up her shopping, and the pair then stepped out into the street. As they did so a familiar blue and red figure dropped from the sky and landed in the road a few yards in front of them. Clark grabbed Lana's arm.
"Super-Sister," said Invisible Kid, for the benefit of those who hadn't yet met her, "with Superboy in his Clark Kent identity. How can that be when we've been told by the defendant that Super-Sister is Superboy?"
Lana Lang appeared genuinely delighted to see the other girl. Words were exchanged between the trio and, based on the way Clark Kent's top lip curled into a sneer at one point, there appeared to be some suppressed tension between him and Super-Sister. Then his eyes snapped upwards. Hovering in the sky overhead was masked figure in a dark costume, holding a strange-looking gun.
Clark Kent stared at her in amazement, seeming non-plussed, and in that moment Super-Sister pounced, tearing Lana Lang from his grasp and leaping away from him. In that same instant, the hovering girl fired her gun at him, engulfing him in purple flame. When the flame faded, all that was left of Clark was a small pile of ash, his glasses, and the charred remains of his clothing. Lana screamed, breaking free of Super-Sister and falling to her knees amid the remains.
"And that," said Invisible Kid, addressing the shocked jurors, "is how Superboy died, and Super-Sister's part in it. Then came the cover-up."
The scene shifted to a press conference with Superboy climbing the steps of the small podium that had been set up, then looking out at the expectant faces of the crowd from behind a small forest of microphones.
"This is the speech Superboy gave when leaving Earth for good," said Invisible Kid, "one of the few good recordings that survive from that time, so we've laid in that audio. You may be wondering how he could be here when we just saw him die; well keep watching."
"Ladies and Gentleman," began Superboy, "I'll keep this brief because today is not about me but about my friend, Clark Kent. I'm here representing both my sister and myself while she's out in space pursuing his killer. I'm grateful for the chance to say a proper goodbye to this world, though saddened by the circumstances that brought me back here. I love this world of yours, this wonderful Earth that provided a home and a haven to an orphan refugee from a dead planet when he needed it most. I grew up here, and I will always be grateful for that. For reasons I cannot go into, this will be the last time you'll ever see me. When I depart this time, I will never be able to return. I leave you in the capable hands of my twin sibling, Super-Sister, and I hope you will take her to your hearts as you did me. And now, I must go. Thank you all."
With that, and before the assembled press had time to ask any questions, Superboy launched himself into the air, a blue-and-red streak that shot straight up from the podium, cameras desperately tracking his path until he was out of sight.
The scene then switched to the Kent house, and to a bedroom in which Superboy was greeting someone. There was a gasp from the jurors when they recognised her.
"Kara Zor-El," said Invisible Kid, "better known to us as Supergirl."
Walking up behind Superboy, Kara got her nails under what was now revealed to be artificial skin at the base of his neck, then peeled off the whole head piece with the short hair woven into it. Underneath, Superboy's own hair was held tight to his head by a nylon mesh. Whipping this off, he shook out Super-Sister's familiar long locks. He and Kara conversed for a minute or so, and then it happened. It was subtle at first - an almost imperceptible softening of the jawline, a slight narrowing of the back and shoulders, a gradual widening of the hips - but it quickly gathered pace, as the form of Superboy morphed into that of Super-Sister. He, now she, held a slender-fingered hand up to her pretty face and sighed.
"And that's where the recording ends," said Invisible Kid. "It's clear that Super-Sister used Brainy's gift to fool everyone into thinking she was her brother just long enough to sell the cover-up, one she, Supergirl, and Saturn Girl are all part of."
"If I could interrupt," said R. J. Brande, "I've received word that V has finally been cleared to visit Earth and has just arrived here at Legion HQ, so he can now take part in these proceedings."
And with that V entered the chamber, to be greeted with scowls from some of the jurors.
V was a Green Lantern.
- 5 -
"Can you at least tell me what this is about?" asked Claire when, what felt like only seconds later, they materialized at Legion HQ in the 30th century. It had been a surprisingly turbulent few seconds, as if something was churning up the time stream.
"I'm sorry but I'm not allowed to," said Lightning Lad. "You'll learn the charges when you appear at the trial."
"Trial? What trial?"
"Imra's trial, now sit with me outside the courtroom and wait to be called."
"You surely can't believe she's guilty of anything criminal?"
"I don't, but serious accusations have been made and must be addressed by a court of inquiry."
The door at the head of the corridor opened and a pointy-eared figure in a familiar uniform approached, giving them a curious glance, before heading directly into the courtroom.
"That was a Green Lantern!" said Claire. She had only recently met Abin Sur, who back in her time was the Green Lantern of the space sector that encompassed Earth.
"I've encountered this one before," said Garth, grim faced, "not long before we first travelled back to the 20th century to meet you. His name is Vidar."
"From your tone I'm guessing the encounter wasn't a happy one."
"No, it was not. It began when we received an emergency alert that the Time Institute building was burning. Saturn Girl, Cosmic Boy, Triplicate Girl, Colossal Boy and I immediately flew over there, giving our new flight belts a good work out in the process. Colossal Boy used his power to grow large enough to lift the roof off giving us immediate access. As it turned out this was an overreaction as the fire was relatively minor. We apologised and the director of the Institute, an insectoid, introduced himself and explained what had happened.
"K-k-k-Circadia Senius, Chronarch of the Institute, k-k-klik- at your service. A simple scientist seeking k-k-klik- a view of what is long past. And that k-k-caused this chaos!"
"I don't get it," Cos replied, "I thought the institute was building experimental time travel devices and time viewers. What went wrong? Did some of the circuits short out?"
"K-k-circuits! k-k-klik- nor circuits! We have built well -k-k-conceivably *too* well! Our time viewer was ready for the ultimate k-k-klik- test... tuned to k-k-call up the beginning of the universe itself! We saw it... a massive hand k-k-cradling our galaxy... and so we went further.. and k-k-klik- then it happened! A bolt... K-k-klik- like lightning from nowhere... shattering our work! k-k-klik- as though we were not permitted to see more!"
Claire listened to this in stunned silence.
"So how does a Green Lantern fit into this?"
"I'm getting to that. We repaired the time viewer, Circadia Senius attempted to view the beginning of the universe, and once again a bolt out of nowhere shattered the device. Only this time there was more. An image of one of the Guardians of Oa appeared before us. 'You presume too much, Earth-dwellers,' he said, 'far too much. The secrets you seek are denied to you...forever!' And with that the Time Institute was wrenched from its foundations and pulled into space. Three Green Lanterns, servants of the Oans, were responsible - a Xudaran, a Durlan, and Vidar. We fought, and eventually the Guardian transported us all to Oa, their homeworld, where it was explained to us that one of their ancestors, a man named Krona, had once sought the secret we did and in doing so had released evil into the universe."
"Really?" said Claire.
"Yes, it sounded suspect to me, too. Anyway, we agreed that it should be off-limits, whereupon they returned us to Earth and restored the Time Institute. However, Earthgov was not at all happy with the Guardians' high-handedness and Green Lanterns were banned from Earth from that point on."
It was quite a story, but Claire had something else on her mind. She was about to speak when Brainiac-5 dashed past, heading for his laboratory.
"I wonder where Brainy's off to in such a hurry?" said Lightning Lad.
He returned barely ten seconds later, carrying a case, and re-entered the courtroom.
"You trust Imra, Garth," said Claire, regaining his attention, "and I've given you no reason not to trust me, so if I give you my word I won't try to escape could you remove these restraints, please?"
Lightning Lad pondered her request for a moment, then sighed.
"You're right, Claire," he said. "This trial is a farce. If we're not careful it's going to turn us against each other. And if we don't have trust between us what do we have?"
Claire gave a sigh of relief when he removed the belt and the cuffs. All her powers returned, including her super-hearing, and...
"No!" she shouted, leaping to her feet. "They mustn't!"
And with that she flew at the courtroom doors, smashing through them.
- 6 -
Vidar was on the stand.
"After we restored and repaired the Time Institute, the Legionnaires had intended to conduct a test flight of their first time bubble, but at the last minute decided not to. I could not get the idea of seeing the beginning of the universe out of my mind. The secret of time travel may have been lost to you for almost a thousand years but a Green Lantern ring gives the wearer to that ability, albeit with certain restrictions which, not surprisingly, include the beginning of the universe. So I decided to research in the Corps archives to see if anyone else had created a time viewer, which they had. A thousand years ago. To my surprise that person was Super-Sister, and after she promised never to make another the device had been dismantled by Abin Sur, one of my illustrious predecessors and a Corps legend. Travelling back to 20th century Smallville, I had my ring reassemble the viewer, and returned to our century with it. Unfortunately it would not view events as far back as the beginning of the universe. In fact it would not view events any further back than the death of Superboy, so it was no good to me. However, I'd learned that Zynthia Ardeen was being wrongly blamed by her cousin for transforming Superboy into Super-Sister. As a Green Lantern it was my duty to put this right, so since we are now banned from Earth I took the viewer to Xanthu were I showed the death of Superboy and the subsequent cover-up to Zynthia and her boyfriend. While there I also diagnosed the problem Thom Kallor was having with his powers and had my ring transfer these to her. After which they travelled to Earth with recordings made using the time viewer. All the rest you know. Well, almost all."
"What do you mean, 'almost'?" asked Invisible Kid.
"You'll understand if you have Brainiac-5 slow down the moment of Superboy's death as much as he can."
At a nod from R. J. Brande the recording was replayed and the relevant section vastly slowed down. That's when they saw it. Zynthia gasped. Nanoseconds before the death ray hit, Superboy vanished, leaving only his civilian clothing behind to get incinerated.
"Superboy wasn't killed. He was cast into the phantom zone," said Vidar, "that hellish, twilight place where Krypton imprisoned its criminals. And there's a very good chance he's watching these proceedings from there now."
"Wait, what?" said Triplicate Girl from the jury box, giving voice to the shock that could be seen on the faces of the whole jury.
R. J. Brande turned to Brainiac-5.
"I know you have a phantom zone projector in your lab that you've been working on," he said. "I think you'd better get it, lad."
Zynthia's heart soared. Was it possible? Was she about to find herself in the same room as the boy of her dreams?
Brainiac-5 returned a couple of minutes later, lifting the phantom zone viewer out of its case and setting it up. He turned it on and a purple mist appeared before them. In it floated a colourless, ghostly, and insubstantial figure they all recognised.
"Superboy!" gasped Zynthia. He glanced at her, then returned his attention to Brainiac-5.
"I've been unjustly imprisoned in this awful place for a thousand years," he said, his voice emanating from the modified projector. "Can you get me out of here?"
"Of course," replied Brainiac-5, "just give me a moment to... ah, there we go!"
And then he was in the room with them, solid once more and clad in that world famous red and blue costume.
"Superboy!" said Zynthia, rushing over to him.
His savage back-hand slap sent her flying across the room and bursting through the outer wall, twin heat beams from his eyes simultaneously lancing through the phantom zone projector.
"Super-Bully, not Superboy," he sneered. "And I've got a thousand years of anger I need to unleash!"