Future Perfect Chapter Three

Chapter Three
Fall Out

<Supergirl>
Brainiac 5 didn’t come out of his room for three days, partially I think he was sick and partially because he was morning the loss of his people.  To be honest, I couldn’t blame him for not wanting to come out.  That mission didn’t go very well at all.  It sucked for my first mission as short of a part of the Legion of Superheroes.  I didn’t feel like coming out of my room for a good long while, but eventually I did brave it.  
“The Coluians are being taken to a colony that is orbiting Jupiter,” Imra said to me as I joined her for breakfast.  “We managed to save nine hundred of them, and the others who were out in space are joining them in the colony.”
“At least we managed to save that many,” I said, picking at my food.  “But you have to agree with me, that was a sucky way for a first mission to go.”  
“Don’t be so hard on yourself, that wasn’t the first mission we attended for you.  I think Brainy wanted you to come along on the mission because you are a heavy hitter.”
“Speaking of heavy hitting, I think what you guys need is a night on the town.”
She blinked at me, looking surprised for a moment.  “What do you mean?”
“After a mission like that, don’t you think that you need to spend some time just being teenagers?  Besides, I still need that tour around New Metropolis that you promised I’d get.”
“I don’t really know.  We haven’t done something like that in ages.”
“I know, and don’t you think it would be a good idea?  No costumes, you can wear the flight rings, and we’ll have to go to an amusement park and hang out.  What do you think of that?”
She thought about if for a few moments before the sight of Garth attempting to power up a toy of Vi’s with his lighting distracted us both.  It spun once around in a circle before it exploded into a ball of fire.  Vi laughed, and Garth looked embarrassed.  Finally Imra turned to me and said, “If I could manage to convince Cosmic Boy to let us go, and if I can get Brainy out of his room yes.  It does sound like a great idea.”
“Oh, let me worry about Brainiac 5,” I said, smiling.  “He’s been feeling bad ever since Colu, but if I can get him out I can cheer him up.”
So we both stood up and went our separate ways, Imra no doubt going to find Cosmic Boy, and me heading for the lab.  I had learned enough by studying the map of the building that Brainiac 5’s room was inside the Lab itself.  Figured that he liked to keep his work close to him, it was only natural.  When I knocked on the door though, I got no reply.
“Uh, Brainy, could you come out?  I want to talk.”
There was still no reply, so I opened the door to the lab and walked inside.  It was dark inside and a little creepy.  There were tubes and glass containers filled with strange liquids all around, and papers with too complicated words on it.  As I pushed deeper into the darkness I found Brainy asleep against one of the desk, a pen still in his hands.  I walked over to him carefully.
He looked so peaceful and maybe a little innocent.  I almost didn’t want to disturb him.  But as I reached a hand to touch his shoulder I noticed just what he had written on the paper.
‘No hope.  No future.  The end of your time is nigh.’
“Brainy, wake up.”
He blinked and sat up, rubbing his eye as he did.  When he looked over at me, he looked a little surprised.  “Kara?  What are you doing here?”
It was the first time he had ever said my first name, and I felt an unexpected flutter in my chest.  I smiled at him though and said, “About time you woke up.  You’ve been in your lab for days and I think it is about time you get out into the world again.”
He looked a little abashed, looking up at me for a moment before he turned to look at the  wall.  “Well, I don’t really know if I want to.”  He looked at his paper and crumpled it in his hands.  “Things are…”
When he didn’t continue I finished for him.  “Things are easier to escape in here, aren’t they?”  To my surprise, he nodded.  “Well, you need to come out, I know that much for sure.  Its not healthy to keep yourself in isolation.”
“I prefer it this way.”
Instead of replying, I walked over to the closes door and opened it. Brainiac 5’s room was simply designed. Not too much color or decorations at all.  Finding the closet, I opened it up and found that he did have some normal clothes in there.  It wasn’t all superhero uniforms.  Grabbing a t-shirt with a warm gold color and a pair of blue jeans I threw them at him.  He caught them in mid-air looking confused.
“Your going out today, and that’s what your going to wear.”
“And if I say no?”
“You really don’t have a choice in the matter,” I said, walking pass him and patting him on the shoulder.  “But if your not out in fifteen minutes dressed in something ‘normal’, then I’ll send Brin in for you.”
I closed the door and made my way to my own room.  Maybe I had something some what normal in there, maybe.  But anyway, today should be fun.

<Brainiac 5>
Staring at the shirt with perhaps fear, and maybe just hesitation, I took it back to the closet.  She could have had enough sense to know that I wouldn’t like to wear a t-shirt.  Pulling a darker blue long-sleeve shirt out of the closet, I presided to get dressed.  Besides, did I really want Brin in my room?  Not really.
The last few days had went by in blurs really.  I had spent the time trying to see if there was any other way to have spared by people, but I couldn’t.  The Time Trapper had trapped me pretty good.  With the deaths of my people and entire planet on my mind, I wasn’t able to work on much.  And as I walked out of the Lab, I knew that no work would get done today.
“Good to see that your still alive,” Saturn Girl said, smiling at me.  She was wearing a simple white shirt with lose sleeves and a long pink skirt.  Her hair was held up in two pony tails.  “I was starting to get a little worried.”
“There was no reason to worry.  I am fine.”
“Well, its good to know.  The others are getting ready.  I think Tinya might take the longest out of anyone.”
“She is a girl,” Garth said, smiling at me with some joke hidden in his eyes.  Saturn Girl jabbed him in the gut, and he tried to look apologetic. That was when Supergirl and Tinya both came out of a wall behind them.  For a moment I was at a lost for words.
Supergirl was wearing a form fitting red tank top with gold trim, and a jean skirt that just touched the top of her knees.  Long, lace up boots went up her legs, but defined them well.  Also she had her hair up in a bun, one thick strand of hair fall across her face.  To admit it now, she looked beautiful.  She put her hands on her hips in a heroic pose and grinned.
“So, where is Rokk?”
“Our proud leader is still getting ready,” Garth said, still smiling.  “Oh, it will take him a while to get his hair done, the pretty boy.”
“I heard that,” came Rokk’s voice from one of the restrooms.  I tried not to laugh, and instead walked over to one of the windows.  New Metropolis stretched out before, flying cars doing their normal courses to and from work, filling the city with a sense of normalness.  Then the whole fact that I had let my people die came back to my mind, and I had to use all of my focus not to slam my fist through the window.  It would have broke my fist before it broke the window.  
Supergirl joined me, grabbing one of my arms and dragging me away from the window.  Her face was soft and warm, and once again I was without words.  “Be a little bit more sociable, Brainy.  I still need to get to know you so we can work better as a team.  So talk, and hang out with us today.  Its time to break you out of that shell.”
It reminded me so much of the old her, from before the Crisis, that I had to look away.  I did nod though and I felt her smile in return.  As soon as Cosmic Boy came out of the restroom, we headed out of the tower.
“So where to first,” Kara asked, peering around the courtyard.
“What do you want to do first,” Garth asked and she turned thoughtful.  After a few moments though she grinned and took flight.
“Lets fly over the city, get a birds eye view of what the city has to offer.  Come on!”

<Supergirl>

We took off into the air, flying above the traffic but not over the tallest buildings.  The city spread out below me and glinted up at me, looking nothing like the city that I remembered.  Instead of steel and glass, it was glass and something like crystal infused with metal buildings below.  It gave the city a feeling of freshness and importance’s.
I looked at the others as we flew, and couldn’t help smiling.  Cosmic Boy, Phantom Girl, Lighting Lad, Saturn Girl, Triplicate Girl and Brainy all decided to come.  The others decided to hold down the fort, just incase if something happened while we were gone.  They were all dressed like normal kids, for this time anyway.  I had to borrow clothes from Phantom Girl, but she did have great taste.  
I dove under a walkway, spinning around in the air as I did.  It was really freeing not to be alienated, not to be hated.  The people below me didn’t look at me like I didn’t belong, but in admiration.  The same looks the Legion  were getting.  A sign of the times I guess.  But it just felt so good that I almost forgot that I didn’t belong in this time.  Almost.
When I looked down again a large domed building was glinting up at me.  It almost looked like it was made of  polished sandstone, and the ‘S’ crest was on it.  Naturally my curiosity was perked.  
“What is that below us?”
“The Superman Museum,” Cosmic boy, flying over to my side.  “It was the first thing Garth, Imra and I saw when we reached Earth.  That’s why the Legion formed.”
“My ‘Cuz really is something, isn’t he?”
I meant a honest tone, but it came out sarcastic.  Oops.  I flew a little lower to hide my shame.  Yes, I owed Kal-El a lot.  I did love him.  It was just… I couldn’t escape him.  Do you think its easy living in his shadow?  The thought of what the museum had in it made me… interested.
“Lets go there first,” I said to Saturn Girl, and she looked at Brainy.  Oh yeah, I didn’t want to know too much about my future or paradoxes could ensue.  He nodded though.
“There is nothing in there that could damage the time line.  All accurate records were lost during the Final Crisis.”  He smiled slightly.  “Everything in there is things you already know.”
“Then come on,” I said, diving down towards the building.  We landed on the front steps and made out way up.  In front of the main entrances was a statue of Kal-El in one of his heroic poses.  I shook my head and made my way inside.
The first thing I saw when I entered was a letter in a fancy case.  Kal had written it himself, to Lois.  It had  to do about Brainiac and how torn up he was about Pa’s death.  Oh, that day.  I remembered it all too well.  Kal blamed himself for his death and it tore him up inside.  I turned away though and tried not to focus on dark thoughts.
I saw the sign to my wing of the museum and went there.  The first thing I saw was my pod, the one that took me here.  I touched its hall before I turned and saw Brainy beside me.  His expression was thoughtful yet, happy in a way.  The smile made him look cute, so I didn’t mind at all.
“You should smile more,” I said, and he looked at me confusedly.  “It looks good on you.”
He tried to hid his embarrassment, but couldn’t.  Grinning, I moved deeper into the wing.  There were posters of me, pieces of memorabilia, and art pieces of me everywhere.  Some were of good times, others reminded me of some of my regrettable adventures.  One though I didn’t recognize.
It was a painting of me, and a pretty good one at that.  The only thing was, I never remembered looking like that.  My hair was done in a bushy style, curls of my hair fell around my face but were kept out of my eyes with a headband.  My suit was more modest in the picture, completely covering my mid-drift and the skirt barely reaching my knees.
“When did this happen?”
I saw something in my minds eye, a vision or a memory of something I forgot.  I was flying with Brainy, one arm around him and the other around another man I didn’t recognize.  I was so happy just to be close to Brainy again that… nothing else mattered.  I blinked and the vision was gone.
“What was that?”

<Brainiac 5>
Kara looked a little strange for a moment, after looking at one of the paintings on the wall.  She refused to saw what it was about but she didn’t have to.  I had a good idea what it was.  Old memories of her life before the Crisis were starting to come back to her.  They would serve her well in the days to come.
I turned towards of picture of Kara with her arms around Kal and I shook my head.  They had a very complicated relationship.  One I didn’t envy.  As Kara left the museum though, I followed her.

• 
  “Your lordship, the armies are preparing for mobilization.  What is your first target?”
  “Earth’s Sun.  The Legion has a secret weapon they want to use against me, but I’ll make her powerless before me.”
  “Yes, Lord Imperix.