LL Chapter Four

Chapter Four:

Revolution

Earth, 31st century

Saturn Girl

The news from Braal was grim. The riots that had broken out four days ago had lead to the death of the current president of Braal, and had left the world in a state of anarchy. Cosmic Boy tried to contact his brother only to have the Daily Planet find out what was going on with Pol before he did. When Cos told me the news about his brother I couldn't believe it.

His brother was the current leader of the Braal Liberation Front.

It had been his idea to lead the attack against the president of Braal and have him killed. It had been his idea to form the group in the first place, in order to take Braal back from the corrupt politicians that were draining the planet dry, as he put it. What ever had happened to the calm, stable boy I had known before? He had vanished inside of a radical, calling for change.

"I'm worried about Pol," Cos said, his arms crossed. He had been quiet for almost a week now, since returning from Orlando and hearing the news. I had never seen his mind so dark though. It rippled with ill-will. "Something has gotten to him. He never really liked the government but he was never this out spoken. I have to go to Braal."

"We'll go with you," Lighting Lad said, standing up. I took his hand in mine and nodded at Cos .

"Yes, Cos, you shouldn't face this alone."

"Guys, I appreciate the offer, but you need to stay here. The Khund have been pressing forward again and I need someone here to rally the Legion if they attack."

"But-"

No butts," he growled, looking more determined then ever. I had a strange feeling that things were going to change because of this. The state of the universe was changing and far too fast. I didn't want him to leave, but I knew he wasn't going to have it. "You two will stay here and I will go to Braal. I'll keep in contact."

He left in the meeting room, I was still holding onto Lighting Lad's hand. My sense of foreboding hadn't faded in the thinnest. I wanted it to leave me alone, to be replaced with a positive emotion. It was slow to coming. Slowly Dream Girl walked into the room, her own face grim. She wasn't in her uniform today but a simple white dress, her silver hair up in a pony tail.

"Rokk left, didn't he?"

"Yes."

She looked at Lighting Lad, and shook her head. "You should have tried harder to keep him here," she told us. She moved to the other side of the room to the pictures of the Legionnaires symbols that lined the walls. She touched Supergirl's symbol with trembling hands before she turned to us again.

"We must beware the darkness inside our own hearts and one of our most loyal members in the weeks to come."

"What do you mean," Lighting Lad asked, standing back up. Normally Dream Girl was clearer than she was being now but she just seemed unwilling to answer us at the moment. She left the room with out saying another word.

"What was that all about," Garth muttered, shaking his head. The worry in my mind had only grown. Crossing my arms, I turned towards the symbols myself. One of them was missing I noticed, it was Brainiac Five's symbol. My worried continued to grow.

Paradox 7, the 31st century

Andromeda

There was something so nice in reuniting with old friends. Maybe it as in all the times that we had shared together or maybe it was in all the fun we had together in the past. Maybe though it could have been in the way that we thought everyone had died in the destruction of our Universe.

What ever it was though, I couldn't help but be saddened by the fact we haven't found everyone. I doubt we ever would. I had to keep negative thoughts out of my mind though, and focus on the good.

We arrived back at HQ just as everyone was waking up. I had gotten up early for a flight around the area, just a little patrol, and I was glad I did. When I got them inside Garth, Imra and Rokk were already up, talking to each other in low voices trying not to wake Querl up. When they saw who I had brought along though their faces broke into smiles and they ran over.

"Zoey! And who is…"

"Gates," Zoey said, smiling at him. The holo-image he had set up faded and the Gates that we all knew well reappeared. His bird like face broke into a smile.

"Grief it's great to see you all but where is Brainiac Five?" Gate's eyes flashed brightly.

"He's still resting," Rokk said, "Imra put him into a deep sleep because he couldn't get to sleep himself. He was exhausted from what she told me."

Imra was holding onto both Zoey's hand and Gates, but she was looking closely at the red haired girl. Actually she was more like a woman now, having lost all that innocents in her eyes. "How did you get back into your normal form?"

"I have no idea really. All I remember is a strange energy and a warmth and then… nothing. I woke up on I think it was Earth but I really don't remember. The last year has been a blur."

"It was the same for me. When I was nearly killed by the Science Police over a misunderstanding, I found someone willing to help me. That is where I got the holo-projector. It's from the illusionist on Orlando apparently."

There was a sound from upstairs and I saw Querl coming down the stairs. For a moment he paused, half way up, and just stared at his old teammates. Then he finished his walk down and smiled at them. The smile showed more emotion then his mannerisms did at this point.

"You survived, you're here. This is amazing. How could it be that any more of us survived do you think?"

He sounded like the old Brainy when he said that, his eyes flashing brightly. Zoey was staring up at him a little baffled. Then again the last time she saw him he had been shorter than her and apparently younger. She reached over and touched his hair. "Wow Brainy, you have changed."

"I could say the same about you," he said in good humor. "Your Terra form is gone but maybe that explains why you survived. You might have used the last of your energy as a Terra form to save yourself. Self preservation."

"We should leave those thoughts for now and figure out what we are doing, now that everyone is starting to get together again."

Saturn Girl always had it together, and I was very glad she was here. Cosmic Boy had turned away, staring at the pictures of the lost Legionaries. I noticed he was looking at one in particular; Kid Quantum. I wanted to tell him that everything would be fine that he could see her again, but I couldn't be sure so I kept my mouth shut. He looked away from the wall and back over to us.

"I say we get back to work, doing what we do best. Saving the world. Earth belongs to this universe's Legion, not to us. Paradox 7 is our home now and we must protect it."

"Back to work then," Querl said, and made his way to the mess hall.

Braal, 31st Century

Cosmic Boy

Braal would never be the same after what Imperix did to it. The economy had slipped into the greatest depression in centuries, leaving thousands without jobs, without food, without anything they needed in order to survive. The rebuilding was going on far too slow, and now everyone was suffering for it. Even my own brother was suffering for it.

Braal had never been that economically stable. For a long time the only thing my homeworld was known for was Mangoball and for being poor. The world was wild from a young age, and really wasn't meant to support life in the first place. My people came and stripped what little resources existed in soil, but even after that we stayed and the world never really recovered. Even before Imperix attacked things were never good here.

I felt like an idiot.

The shuttle came to a stop right outside the capital, where the Braalian Liberation Front, the B.L.F. met me with charged plasma guns and tanks. If I had wanted to take them down I couldn't have, not on my own, and I suddenly realized that it might have been a better idea to have Garth and Imra come along. Too late for that.

"Welcome back to Braal brother," came a voice from deep in the crowd and as the people parted to get out of his way I saw my brother come up. He had changed greatly from when I had last seen him He looked almost royal, with a strange hint of either madness or purpose in his eyes. Maybe it was a little bit of both. He wore the colors of the B.L.F., purple uniforms with a silver stud place carefully on a band on his right arm. It looked a little 20th century to me, almost Nazi like.

"Pol, what is going on here? Why did you kill the president?"

"The president was important to the U.P.; we needed to show them that we are willing to do anything in order to make changes happen. Braal is now under the control of those who should control it, her people. But you didn't just come back to Braal for that did you?"

"I wanted to see if my brother was alright." That I meant, full heartedly. My brother and I use to be really close, even more so when I joined the Legion. He used to look up to me as a hero, idolize me. But then a few years back we began to float apart until we didn't talk to each other anymore. I got so caught up in leading the Legion that I couldn't keep up with him. One of many things I regretted.

"I'm more then alright, Rokk. I found my direction. When you left me here on Braal for the Legion, I was lost inside. I didn't know what I was going to do so I pushed you away from me. But now I realize that was a bad idea. I needed you Rokk, Braal needs you. Join us Rokk and together we will bring normalcy back to Braal."

"I won't join your Liberation Front, I am with the Legion. Always will be."

Pol smiled at that, his eyes shining almost red in the fading light. The sun was going down and as it did I become aware that something was wrong with him. Something was horribly wrong with Pol. He reached his arm out, as the shadows hit him and for a moment I saw… I can't really describe it. Pure power maybe, with darkness floating around it, and his hand began to glow.

"You better run for it Rokk, before I decide to blow your fucking head right off."

His voice changed for a moment, becoming deeper and more monstrous. In those few seconds before he fired I did run, taking off with help of my flight ring towards the ship. He managed to hit me in the back right before I entered the ship, knocking me into the control panel. I hit the engines and got off the blasted world. What the hell happened?

I rested my hand on the monitor, taking several deep breaths. I realized now that without my knowing it, my brother had been pulled away from me. He had been manipulated and before he knew it he had fallen in with this group. Andinhad become their leader.

I had lost him.