Luornu Durgo ran a hand through her still damp hair, separating the strands with her fingers as she pulled back, smoothing the short dark mane and finally tying the excess into a tail. She had thought about cutting it, but she just could not bring herself to do the dirty deed. It might be the death of her in the end, but she would not hack away at her hair for any disguise.
She strolled into the adjoining chamber, feeling the chill of the cool floor even through the thermal stockings she wore, part of the wardrobe that Andrew had presented when they had finally gotten to one of the many safe houses that he had bragged about. There was no internal heat, no thermal units and little in the way of ventilation beyond the tiny duct situated over the food processor. The regulated temperatures of the Earth Gov. Weather Control were not a factor here, and Luornu suspected that the tiny cubicle was probably freezing throughout the winter cycle and hot and close throughout the summer term. Now it was simply chilly and dusty- no Maintenance Bots either with one lone glow globe lighting all.
Luornu Durgo, the Triplicate Girl strolled casually into the main section of the partitioned cubicle and smiled at the boy Andrew as he looked up at her. She could see his eyes go wide through the square slits of the mask that he always wore, despite the fact that for the moment at least they were safe and enjoying a bit of down time. He was a good boy- man- young man- Luornu suspected that he was just a bit younger than she by a few years as the Earthers told time. On Cargg he would be married and a father by now, but here on Earth he was still considered a Tweenie; that group lost between education and the work force.
He was good, and more importantly knew what he was about. He had gotten the two of them out of the abandoned sewers and through the streets of Metropolis with little problem, leading them both to this safe house that his 'Legion of Super Rebels' had set up. It was little more than three tiny rooms, each smaller than the next, though functional. It was arranged within the central core of one of the old government aid project buildings and did not even have a window to speak of as reconstruction had divided the quarters into a smaller unit to accommodate the surge of destitute after Earth's last credit crash. There was a main room, barely three meters on a side, a smaller room adjacent for storage, and a stall for cleaning with an ancient water-tap shower and toilet. It was roughing it compared to normal Earth standards, but Luornu had suffered worse and she was hardly in a position to complain.
She watched him as she sat on one of the few actual pieces of furniture in the cubicle. There were two hard-backed chairs not so different than the one that she had been tied to not so long ago. There was a small, low table as well, three rolled mats for sleeping piled up in one corner and a small refrigeration unit for food. Ferro lad was using that unit as a worktable as he deftly applied a sonic laser to a small device that looked vaguely like a perimeter alarm. He was cute as he tried not to look at her, watching as she rubbed antiseptic oil over her legs and thighs then slipping into her boots. She teased him a bit, extending her legs and twirling her foot as she worked the black boots up her calves, smiling as she caught his eye and almost giggling as he quickly looked away. He was cute…
He had been the one to suggest the change of clothes actually, pointing out that her own uniform was little more than tattered rags after her ordeals, adding that there was probably no one in the major UP worlds that would not recognize the lavender costume of Duo Damsel, or Triplicate Girl. He had shown her the clothes stored in the cubicle, and Luornu had dug through the boxes looking for something both fashionable and functional. She had settled on a form-fitting top and matching leggings that left little to the imagination. Her under garments had adjusted as she had donned the new clothes, her generic molecular body suit dissolving properly, rolling up in the proper places to leave her legs and arms bare and exposing her midriff. In all actuality it was an exercise suit cast in gray, trimmed in red and accentuating her attributes; breasts, legs and trim stomach. She covered it all with a long hooded black coat that she wrapped about herself to keep warm in the chilly cubicle.
"What are you working on?" she asked, smiling as he fumbled with the sonic laser, obviously flustered.
"Just a warning device," he said, holding up the small digital display that he had been looking at. "I'm adjusting it to detect people of Bgztl, as well as mass smaller than one centimeter, which should take into account most vermin, but not an Imskian."
"You think they're that close?" she asked, crossing her long legs and leaning forward to read the display that he was holding up for her benefit.
"Better safe than sorry I figure. I haven't stayed free this long by underestimating your friends." Luornu nodded in understanding, glancing about the room once again. This time she saw the Mental Dampener, designed to thwart even the best Titanian, meaning Saturn Girl. She imagined that the walls had been coated with lead paint, outlawed for years by the Earth Gov. because it was toxic, but no doubt available to outlaws. That was how it worked as she recalled.
She marveled at the boy as he worked, amazed that he seemed so deft at what he was doing. He was smart, and quick-witted as well, versatile to say the least. Couple that with his ability to shift his body to some form of organic iron…
"Andrew?" Luornu waited until the boy looked up from his work, focusing his attention on her again. "Why were you rejected?"
Andrew Nolan blinked, then shrugged, "From the Legion you mean? I wasn't actually." He shrugged again. "Just bad timing on my part really."
"What do you mean?"
Ferro Lad set aside the sonic laser and held up the small device he had been working on. He tugged at some bit on the side, then thumped it on the edge of the refrigeration unit, his eyes lighting up as it started to hum. He set that aside as well and leaned back against the wall-
"To twist an old saying, the shit hit the fan right as I was stepping up to the plate. I never really even got a chance to strut my stuff. It sucks…" he shrugged, "What ya gonna do?"
"Tell me." Luornu watched as Ferro Lad gave her a good long look, his eyes lingering on her long legs for a moment before he sighed. He tried to hide it-
"There were four of us…"
Part Four: "The Glow Globe Dialogues!"
Saturn Girl walked the length of the Grand Hall of the Presidential Palace, head held high and with determination. Her swift and steady stride did not falter, her look of grim annoyance did not reflect the feelings that were rushing through her, the fear, building to terror with every step. She could not show weakness, could not show the slightest crack in her icy façade as she strode down the long, carpeted stretch of hallway leading to the great gilded doors far, far away at the other end. She felt condemned, walking that last kilometer to the Vapor Chambers.
It was chilled in the hall, a cool breeze whistling from the internal air, brushing at her hair. President Oranx liked it cold, reminiscent of whatever planet he originated from before his arrival to Earth. That was privileged knowledge of course, his origins, known only to a select few of his highest underlings, perhaps his queen. Imra Ardeen could see the sparkling lights of Metropolis as she made her way down the hall, flickering images coming through the thin-slitted windows that stretched from floor to several meters high in the arched ceiling. It was Night Cycle outside, and within the palace there were few people about, most of the daily drudge workers home for sleep. She had seen the cleaning men, a few pages and aides running about on errands and Presidential Security of course. They were always there, always on duty.
The former Science Police Guardians snapped to attention as she passed, looking smart in their blues and blacks, their faces covered by gleaming helmets with smoky visors that acted as any number of defense against various forms of mental attack. Too, their uniforms were stylized riot gear; polymer armor designed to fend against laser bursts and blaster bolts. Each carried a plasma rifle, a devastating weapon that would disintegrate any being short of a Daxamite, designed to focus a myriad of energies known lethal to any number of races in the known United Planets. They were two dozen strong, spaced out along the hallway all the way to the gilded doors, but were not the last line of defense by any means. They stood to attention as she passed, but still she could feel their eyes on her, following her every step. Stray thoughts caught her 'ear' as well, despite the mental shielding of their helmets. Legion slut… Imra Ardeen the Ice Queen… Bitch… Imra ignored them, walking on. She had been called worse, and these women were nothing to her. Nothing…
Imra Ardeen unclenched her fists smiling as she glanced up, nearing the end of her long walk. There was one last guardian standing before the huge golden doors leading to the Presidential Suite. Dev-Em was the last known Kryptonian- male she had to add- except of course for those still exiled in the Phantom Zone. He was a handsome one to be sure with his broad shoulders and wavy brown hair, and one of the most powerful beings in the known galaxy. He had all the powers of Supergirl, and then some as with age came wisdom- at least in most cases. Where Kal-El had been a dull-witted boy, naïve and trusting, Dev-Em was most definitely a man. Still, like all the others he snapped to attention as readily as the Science Police had at Saturn Girl's approach, his collar sparkling as it directed his thoughts in the proper directions. He knew his betters-
"Saturn Girl to see President Oranx, boy," she said coolly, looking the man up and down. He was trembling slightly, as they all did- fighting the Behavior Collar to the last. Saturn Girl bit her lip to keep from laughing aloud, her own fear momentarily forgotten. "I have an appointment."
"The President is expecting you, ma'am." His voice quivered as he bowed slightly then turned to the doors, his muscles flexing as he heaved, straining against the Mass-inducers built within. It was a perfect lock, depending of course on Dev-Em himself as there were few like him that could actually budge the mass-laden doors let alone open them. Anyone who might get this far, attempting to attack the President or his inner circle would need to get past Dev-Em yet still need him to open the doors, or at least someone in league with a Kryptonian's strength. Of course, the President would be trapped within his suite as well if Dev-Em was incapacitated. Imra figured that Oranx had another way out though. He would be a fool not to, and he was anything but a fool.
Dev-Em held the door with little effort showing as she passed through the high, gilded arch, padding along the rich red carpet towards the thrones and dais at the far end of the vast chamber. The Presidential Suite was huge, wide as well as long with high vaulted ceilings and the same slit windows that lined the outer corridor. The floors were shining marbled tile and high, stout stone columns stretched to the shadowed ceiling more for show than support, lining the pathway to the raised dais. The pennants and flags, the colors of hundreds of worlds lined the walls, all of those planets that had joined the federation and were still in good standing. It was an impressive colorful show of solidarity, but Imra noted a few blank spots along the walls where flags had recently been removed, representing those worlds that did not agree with the newest President's policies. There was a spiraling holographic globe of the solar system flickering several meters above the floor as well, turning slowly and showing the nine original planets and their satellites as well as War World and Planet X far beyond the orbit of Pluto. It was a fantastic display, an image of great detail that always took Imra's attention whenever she sought audience with the President, and she found it hard not to become lost in the imagery, forgetting her own troubles.
Imra Ardeen tried to focus as she strode towards the dais and the seat of power. It was hard not to look at Oranx, he was just so… manly. He was older, but distinguished, dressed fashionably in a stylized suit and cloak. His head was shaved smooth, his ears slightly pointed, and his eyes were dark and piercing, smoldering with some inner fire. Imra licked her lips as she approached, nervous as a preteen on her first date as she stared longingly at the most powerful man in the United Planets. It was only right of course that he should be the President. Despite his natural attraction he was also far more intelligent and commanding than any man she had ever met. More so even than her eld mentors back on Titan, the men that had taught her her own skills.
"Imra Ardeen…" he started, an almost mocking amusement lacing his deep, breathy tone, "my Saturn Girl, most exalted leader of my Legion of Super Heroines. It is almost always a pleasure." President Oranx smiled, glancing to his right, "Isn't that correct my queen?"
"Of course my love…"
Saturn Girl could hear the icy venom hidden in the soft voice of the woman. She looked up and saw the silver-haired Queen of the United Planets staring back, looking her up and down with amusement, a smirk curling her lips. She was beautiful of course, a fitting concubine- wife for the single most powerful man in the galaxy. She was only a princess on her homeworld of Orando, but as Oranx's chosen, Projectra was far superior to her father, or any head of state.
Behind the thrones Imra saw the final occupant of the room, standing ever at the ready, ever near. Val Armor had applied for Legion membership along with Projectra, and the two rebels Nemesis Kid and Ferro Lad. Of the four, his powers had been the most impressive as they were little more than his own skills honed to perfection. The Karate Kid was a master of many forms of combat, excelling in unarmed, hand-to-hand battle, which was what in the end had earned him his place. Seemingly normal, he had fought Supergirl to a draw in his initiation test. Most impressive, and no wonder that Oranx chose the boy as his personal body guard-
"I have heard many rumors of late, dear Imra, many stories," Oranx continued, drawing Saturn Girl's attention back to him. "Not all of them pleasing, I might add. Perhaps you would care to enlighten me on just what is rumor and what is truth, hmm?"
Saturn Girl swallowed, licking her lips. She felt the fear rising within her again as she wondered what exactly the President had heard, and more importantly, who had told him?
"We've captured a band of rebels," she started, hoping that news might appease him, "Night Girl and her crew; Chlorophyll Kid, Polar Boy and the Nemesis Kid. We-"
"Most impressive…" he said, cutting her off. The monocle he wore over his right eye sparkled in the dim light of the chamber as he settled back in his high throne, crossing his legs. He smiled, "and what of the iron boy, and this queer duplicate I've been hearing so much about? Did you catch them as well?"
"We almost had them as well," she began, gnawing on her lip and trying not to tremble. Oranx was just so imposing, so… "Ferro Lad had an atomic bomb, a left over from the last world war. If not for Supergirl-"
Oranx waved her explanations away, impatience wrinkling his pleasing features. He leaned forward, scowling at the Titanian, "Yes, yes, if not for Supergirl… Why did the Kryptonian not capture this Triplicate Girl when she first appeared?"
"We were shocked," Imra began, "confused by-"
"How was she able to beat most of your mighty Legion assembled?"
"She-"
"Where were the vaunted mental powers of Saturn Girl that you are so proud of?"
"I-"
Imra's mind was awhirl as she tried to think of answers to the President's questions. She could not understand why it was so hard to think, why her knees seemed to turn to gel as she stood almost mesmerized by her leader, her lord…
"I do not appreciate failure," he said coldly, stroking the odd eye-shaped pendant hanging about his neck, "I do however reward it accordingly." He motioned to his queen and Projectra smiled evilly, eyeing Saturn Girl with interest.
Saturn Girl heard the whisper of movement drifting down from the shadows far above. Almost against her will her gaze slid upwards, her eyes widening in horror as the shadows seemed to swirl and separate, odd, billowing shapes flowing towards her. The Mind Flayers had been horrific, vampire-like creatures back in the barbaric days of early Titan. Monsters that had come from the gaseous environs of Saturn, flowing on the solar winds and following the siren call of the 'mind speak' of Titan's first peoples they had struck like a plague of Earthly locusts, sweeping across the face of Saturn's largest moon. Thousands had died in those days of living terror, their minds swept clean, all form of thought leeched from their very being leaving an empty, mindless husk behind to wither and die. It had only been by the will and strength of the first Mentors that had unified the people in order to wipe out the creatures before the people were wiped out themselves. Over the centuries still the threat of the Mind Flayers lingered in the darkest recesses of memory, never knowing when another swarm might migrate from Saturn where they yet exist. They were a terror to dread, a nightmare to threaten children with-
Saturn Girl screamed as the creatures dropped from the shadows, their long, snake-like tendrils writhing as they drew near seeking her out. Near panic, Imra lashed out with her mental energies, a bolt of pure thought that would have torched a normal mind, but her base instinct only seemed to fuel the monsters, spurring them on. She heard the soft coo of their trilling as they sensed food. Their gelatinous bodies pulsed and sparkled, feeding on her stark terror as tentacles caressed her skin. She felt the soft touch, the secretion of their calming oils, the tender bite of thousands of almost microscopic teeth as they latched onto her body, her very soul. Imra gasped as they swarmed about her, the pleasure of their touch both calming and exciting, almost erotic. Why was she so afraid? This was…
Saturn Girl screamed again, staggering and falling to her hands and knees as the creatures abruptly vanished. She was sweating like a Denuvian slime-devil, and her heart was hammering in her breast, threatening to explode. She was shaking, weak and trembling as her stomach finally rebelled, forcing her to retch. She heard Projectra's laugh…
"A satisfying chastisement, husband?" she asked, her hand caressing Oranx's playfully. The queen was flushed and obviously excited to see Saturn Girl humbled before them, but Oranx simply smiled-
"Most satisfying my love." The President stood, stepping down from his raised throne and right up to where the mental maid knelt, holding her stomach as she rocked on her knees. He waited, and finally Saturn Girl looked up, shivering again at the dark cloud that seemed to cover his once-handsome face-
"You shall not disappoint me again, Imra Ardeen. The uprising on Rimbor and the tragic destruction of Rokyn cost me thousands in super-powered followers. You and your lackeys will capture the Twa and the metal boy as well. You will bring them here to me, or you and yours will take their place. Am I understood?"
Saturn Girl nodded, staring at the floor as Projectra stepped up beside Oranx. She was seething, and wanted nothing more than to mentally rad the ex-Legionnaire, fry the bitch-
"Am- I- understood?"
Imra gagged, feeling her stomach churn once again. Through gritted teeth she moaned out a response, what Oranx wanted to hear, "Yes, lord…"
"Very good."
Imra heard Projectra chuckle as Oranx led his queen away, the soles of their boots clacking softly on the shining marble-
"My queen and I are retiring now, boy," Oranx said to his bodyguard, "see our guest out, then join us- quickly."
Saturn Girl looked up through teary eyes to watch the swirling capes of the President and his queen recede into the dim shadows of the chamber. There was the slightest flash of light and even their silhouettes vanished, leaving her alone, still on her knees on the floor.
"Can I help you up?"
Imra looked up to see the Karate Kid standing before her. He was trying to smile, forcing it as he held out his hand to her. Imra felt the suppressed anger within boiling to the surface at this new humiliation-
"Pain!" she snapped, smiling wickedly to see the boy wince and stagger. He whined in apparent agony as he fell to the floor beside her, his legs collapsing beneath him, his arms jerking violently as she stimulated the pain centers of his brain. She seethed, watching as he convulsed, making every fiber of his being burn in agony. He was strong-willed she had to admit, and it took some time before he actually started to scream, then to beg. They all did eventually though…
Saturn Girl stood on shaking legs, actually using the prostrate body of Val Armor to push herself to her feet. She took long, deep breaths wiping her mouth as she stared down at the sobbing boy lying at her feet in the filthy puddle of waste that they had both created. She almost felt sorry for him having to be the target of her frustration. Almost…
"Clean up that mess!" she commanded, sliding the toecap of her filth-splattered white boot under the boy's face. She waited as the Karate Kid moaned then set about the task she had given. She was in no rush, gathering her strength and focusing her thoughts once again now that the fear had passed.
She needed to find the rebels. She needed to get revenge on the Twa and Ferro Lad for putting her through this humiliation. She wanted revenge against Projectra as well, but that would come later. One day the Princess of Orando would be groveling before her just like the Karate Kid was today-
Imra smirked to hear the boy gag and gave him a light kick to spur him on, imagining that it was Projectra there on her knees, at her feet.
One day…
"We were all accepted," Ferro Lad said, getting up again and moving to the small thermal pad situated atop the refrigeration unit. He removed two small canisters from one of his packs and set them on the pad. It immediately started to glow as he dropped pellets in each and Luornu sighed to smell the aroma of Caf. Her stomach rumbled as he approached with the steaming containers, and she hoped he had something to eat as well.
"Careful, it's hot," he said, handing her the canister and taking his seat again. Luornu drank, rolling her eyes in ecstasy. It was instant, but heavenly just the same. She smiled in thanks, and her smile grew to see a nutrient bar in the palm of his hand. He was too sweet-
"Me, Nem, and two others, the Karate Kid and Princess Projectra," he continued, raising his mask just a bit to sip from his own mug. Luornu stared curiously at the strange green tint of his skin, the mottled flesh that she could see, glancing away in embarrassment as she met his eyes. Ferro Lad shrugged-
"We were accepted right off, barely tested. I just turned to my iron form and was in. Jeckie, the princess whipped up an illusion to prove herself and Nem and Val both fought Supergirl to a stand still. The girls all seemed duly impressed and we were voted in unanimously."
"Where were the boys?"
"You mean the ones you didn't kill?"
Luornu looked up in shock to hear Ferro Lad's voice cold and on edge. He was suddenly glaring at her, and for just a moment she thought he might hit her, but just as quickly the moment passed. His eyes softened and he seemed to sag, pulling his mask back down into place.
"Sorry," he said, and she could hear by the timbre of his voice that he meant it, "you just look so much like her- Duo Damsel I mean." He sighed, "The boys were off in space on missions, and had been for months. I read in the logs that they were in the farthest reaches of the galaxy; Tulva, Vengar, Femnaz-"
"Femnaz?" Luornu gasped, her memory churning. That was the planet where all of this had seemed to start. It was on that world where the Legion girls had originally been 'altered' in their ways of thinking and made to hate men through exposure to the Glow Jewel of Queen Azura.
"Yeah," Ferro Lad nodded noting his guest's look of confusion, "seems Mon-El and Ultra Boy tried to save Femnaz' moon from destruction but failed. The men of Femnaz had been exiled there and few were saved in the devastation. The planet itself was almost destroyed and is only now coming out of a 'nuclear winter' caused by the moon's destruction with the help of the UP. After that they were sent off to other planets, all the way to the Fringes. About the time I joined we got word that they stopped an invasion by some warrior race called the Khunds. At some point they battled a creature nicknamed 'the Moby Dick of Space'. Lightning Lad lost his arm in that adventure, but still they were all forced to stay in space.
"The girls of course handled things closer to home. Before I joined they battled a group of adults calling itself the Legion of Super Villains and beat them easily. They fought something called a Bizarro, some twisted version of Supergirl that created her own Legion of strange, backward clones. The girls went to Rokyn to help the UP stop a rebellion of sorts but the inhabitants there- all descendants of Krypton's Kandor- were killed by Kryptonite radiation exposure. They beat back some creep called the Time Trapper, and actually killed another calling himself Starfinger. It didn't take a genius to notice that the Legion code against killing had been tossed out the window."
"I remember all of that," Luornu said, her head spinning, "but differently. No one died. Rokyn wasn't decimated and Mon and Jo saved the moon of Femnaz. It's impossible, like some weird, twisted dream."
"More like a nightmare," Ferro Lad agreed. "What exactly do you remember? Maybe we can make heads or tails from where your memory fuzzes out."
Luornu Durgo thought for a moment, sipping at her Caf and trying to piece together the puzzled jumble of her own memories compared to what Andrew had just told her. She remembered all he said- except for that bit about the Khunds- but all differently-
"The last thing I recall is our battle with Brainiac 5's robot, Computo. There're images, shadowy flickers in my mind but nothing I can focus on between that and waking up yesterday in my bed in the clubhouse."
"Computo," Ferro Lad nodded, "Brainiac 5's final experiment, and his greatest folly. I remember that. Computo came active after Brainiac disappeared, tried to take over the world and almost succeeded. My brother, Doug, actually got captured by one of its drones as did quite a few of… the girls…"
"What?" Luornu stared at her new friend, seeing the hesitancy in his eyes just before he turned away. "Tell me-"
"That's when you… " He paused as though trying to form the right words. "That's when you died!"
Officer Shvaughn Erin stared at the readout as it scrolled down the digital display of her hand PC unit. It had not taken much effort to track down the whereabouts of Ferro Lad- Andrew Nolan, citizen of Metropolis and wanted ex-Legionnaire. It had been even easier to find his freak brother and torture the whereabouts out of him.
Maker she loved her job…
"Unit 2… What about the roof?" she asked, speaking lightly into her communicator and watching the various Vid feeds filtering through the wet screen displays within her helmet. She had requested four units for the assault and capture, two score Special Crime Unit officers; more than enough to take out a crippled Carggite and a Mutie freak, Legionnaires or not.
"Perimeter secure, Chief!" Erin smiled to hear Gigi's voice. Her friend the rookie, so eager to please.
"Roger that, officer Cusimano. Let's keep it tight, girls."
"Yessir!" Gigi snapped back with a giggle. That girl needed a bit of special interrogation herself.
Shvaughn Erin raised her viewers to her eyes and scanned the old government building nestled in the heart of Metropolis' Suicide Slum. The area had always been trouble, all the way back to the Twentieth Century and Supergirl's time. It was a haven for the less desirables; drug addicts and criminals all, those dregs of society that just would not contribute. Officer Erin looked forward to the day when President Oranx' proposals became law and she would be allowed to purge the slum of all the riff raff. For now however she was content to focus her energies on the building in question.
It was one of the government projects, old and forgotten and subdivided over and over again. She scanned the structure, looking for that one cubicle within that prelims had said was a residence of the Nolan boy. She found it soon enough; an inner apartment lined with lead paint. She could not see within of course, but still the inner cubicle stood out like a sore thumb swathed in old white bandages. It had been a larger apartment at one time, but some greedy land baron had chopped the place up. The boy Ferro Lad now owned the inner cube, a small box with no windows and only one door. A death trap to be sure…
Officer Erin lowered the scanner and smiled. True, there were no windows, but there was internal air, an exhaust vent situated above the food processor. A well-placed nerve gas pellet would take out the rebels easily enough, and if a few of the other building inhabitants got caught in the draft, well, that was acceptable risk.
Her superiors of course had wanted to involve the Legion of Super Bitches. Shvaughn had laughed, remembering how well they had done earlier that day. She didn't need no 'stinking Legionnaires' to spoil her collar.
"Unit One… Commence deployment!"
Shvaughn Erin smiled at the sharp reply, knowing that Unit one was in position and firing a nerve gas pellet into the ventilation system of the project building. It would only be a few minutes before the rebels succumbed, hopefully falling unconscious before it became serious, giving the task force time to assault and capture before they died. Officer Erin was not concerned however. Her plan was perfect, and dead or alive meant just that.
If they died, they died…
"It was broadcast all over the UP," Ferro Lad continued, "all Live Net. Among the thousands that died when Computo tried to take over the world was Triplicate Girl." Luornu gasped, almost dropping her mug but Ferro Lad waved her off. "Turned out to be one of your forms. Apparently you had triplicated-"
"I remember," Luornu whispered, her eyes tearing, a sob in her throat. "My sister… I remember the pain we all shared from the disintegration… then…"
Luornu Durgo broke down and cried, remembering the agony of one of her other selves dying as though a piece had been ripped from her heart. Ferro Lad reached out as though to embrace her then hesitated, thinking better of it.
"But you survived. At least Duo Damsel did, as a twins instead of triplets. It wasn't too long after that that President Garrand died and Oranx was appointed to position. It was weird, but no one seemed to question when the UP Constitution was ignored and the Inner Council was disbanded in favor of one supreme ruler. No one expected some of the things that Oranx proposed, but a few of us fought back when some of them became law; the Order of Ruling Class for one, the outlawing of all male holdings on Earth-"
"Wh- what?"
"President Oranx basically passed laws that made all men on Earth second class citizens. I'm no law-bot, so I have no idea what he did to make his ideas law, but now no man can own property or have an actual job without permission of their guardian woman, whether wife, sister, mother…" Ferro Lad shrugged. "Those odd-balls like me with no female relatives became wards of the new state. Women now hold all positions of power in the UP- at least on Earth, and except for the Presidency, but Oranx is trying to get his laws passed throughout the solar system and the galaxy as well. When that happens…" Ferro Lad shrugged again.
"I- It seems impossible…" Luornu leaned back, her mind reeling as she tried to understand. Why was it so hard to think? "What about the Legion? What happened?"
"About the time that Oranx came to power, the girls stepped up and proclaimed that boys were banned from the LSH. They went so far as to parade the allegedly missing Legionnaires out in the plaza- at least what was left of them. They had killed them all, except for Chameleon Boy who was trapped as a phantom by some chemical that Supergirl invented. Superboy had died of radiation poisoning. Element Lad died of exposure and starvation atop Mt Washington. You and Shrinking Violet had doomed Cosmic Boy, Brainiac 5 and Invisible Kid by shrinking them down and keeping them in a wooden matchbox until they died a battered and starved death themselves. Only Starboy survived that onslaught because Dream Girl wanted him.
"Me and Nem got kicked out right after that as it hadn't quite gotten to the point it is now. Val and Jeckie got promoted to presidential staff for some reason. Jeckie's Oranx' wife now, and Val is the official bodyguard to the President. There was a galaxy spanning catastrophe after that when the Sun Eater came to call. It was this huge sentient cloud that seemed to be devouring stars as it swept through the universe, and of course destroying every civilization in its path. The girls all got together to stop it, actually banding together a group of known villains to add to their ranks. There were five of them- the Fatal Five they ended up calling themselves- but even they weren't enough. In the end it took the sacrifice of one of Lydda's group of Subs- Stone Boy. Popular word is that he sacrificed himself to deliver a bomb into the heart of the Sun Eater. The underground says that Saturn Girl forced him to his stone form while holding the bomb and Supergirl tossed him into the creature. Regardless, he's dead and the Sun Eater got stopped-"
Andrew Nolan looked at Luornu Durgo with some concern. She seemed pale, her eyes drooping as though she might pass out as she swayed in her chair. She was sweating-
"Luornu?" he asked, standing, stepping to her and immediately felt the dizziness as it washed over him. He heard the hissing sound coming from the internal air-
"Frak!" he cursed, trying to think, to focus. There was a sound of crystal shattering, ice cracking as he willed his body to the form of organic iron. As Ferro Lad in his glory, Andrew Nolan did not eat or sleep, nor did he breathe. He heard the sounds of heavily booted feet out in the hall. They were coming.
He scooped up the dreary, semi-conscious form of Triplicate Girl, cradling her in his arms as he spun about the tiny cubicle. There was only one door, and he could see on the Vid that the hallway beyond was packed with Science Police.
They were trapped…
To be continued…
Story © Curt Fernlund 2004
HTML © Tim Hartin 2004