I've been reminded that someone actually wanted to see this
story. Since it involves two continuities that may not be familiar to
all readers, this intro is designed to give a quick briefing.
SAINT SEIYA
In this manga/anime series from Kuramada(?), the Greek gods are
real, being powerful energy beings that periodically incarnate themselves
in human bodies. Each god has "Saints", superpowered warriors in magical
armor (called "Cloth") that serve them.
The series deals with the late 20th Century reincarnation of
Athena, and the struggles of her five most faithful warriors to protect
her and restore her birthright in the face of opposition from other gods
and their Saints.
Seiya-youngest of the Bronze Boys (technically, the heroes are
low-ranking "Bronze" Saints) but the one who becomes their leader. He
wears the Pegasus Cloth, and his special ability is "Pegasus Ryuuseiken"
which is similar to Ranma's Amaguriken, except it is normally done while
running.
Shiryuu-A Chinese boy, and the most technically skilled of the
lot. He wears the Dragon (Draco) Cloth, which has a nearly-impenetrable
shield. His special ability is (I forget the Japanese) the "Dragon
Tear", a punch or kick so powerful it can make waterfalls flow uphill.
Hyouga-Half Russian, thus the blond hair. Has a real obsession
with his dead mother. Wears the Cygnus Cloth, and has powers over ice
and cold.
Shun-The most innocent of the bunch. His Andromeda Cloth has
magical chains that respond to his will (and sometimes act on their own.)
His Cloth actually limits his power; without it he can summon the Nebula
Storm, which in theory draws power from the entire Andromeda Nebula.
Somewhat effeminate in appearance.
Ikki-Shun's big brother, and very protective. Has a nasty
attitude due to a really lousy childhood. His Phoenix Cloth gives him
powers of fire, illusion and death.
Saori Kiddo-Heir to the Graude Foundation, and secretly the
incarnation of the goddess Athena. Gets kidnapped/threatened a lot more
than you'd figure for a semi-divine being.
LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES
From DC Comics, this band of teenaged superheroes protect the
30th Century from all manner of threats. There have been a number of
versions of the Legion over the years; this story uses the short-lived
SW6 Batch version.
In this particular timeline, Earth has been destroyed, and the
survivors live in domed cities in a artificial satellite (of the Sun)
called New Earth. (See "Cities in Flight")
Andromeda-Laurel Gand of Daxam. Powers: Basically the same as
Superman, but is affected by lead rather than Kryptonite. Romantically
involved with Brainiac Five.
Brainiac Five-Querl Dox of Colu. Powers: Super-intelligence.
Romantically involved with Andromeda.
Ultra Boy-Jo Nah of Rimbor. Powers: Like Andromeda's but only
one at a time. Romantically involved with Apparition.
Dragonmage-Xao Jin of ?. Powers: Mage whose spells manifest
with draconic special effects. No romantic involvement yet.
Live Wire-Garth Ranzz of Winath. Powers: Generates lightning.
Romantically involved with Saturn Girl.
Inferno-Dirk Morgna of Earth. Powers: Projects heat and light,
ala the sun. Romantically involved with any good-looking girl who'll
give him the time of day.
Apparition-Tinya Wazzo of Bgztl. Powers: Can become intangible.
Romantically involved with Ultra Boy.
Catspaw-Avril(April?) of ?. Powers: Feline-like abilities. No
romantic involvement yet.
Matter-Eater Lad-Tenzil Kem of Bismoll. Powers: Eats matter.
No romantic involvement yet.
Computo-Danielle Foccart of Earth. Powers: Communicates with
and controls computers. No romantic involvement yet.
There. Everything else should be explained in the story...
SKJAM!
Yes, this is the fic Phoenix Ikki was getting revenge for...
PROLOGUE
Five weary warriors stood at the top of Mount Olympus, the
staircase behind them cratered and scarred by their recent battles.
Before them stood a magnificent stone temple, and standing in front of
the gates, a regal figure in robes of purple.
"Zeus! Your Saints have fallen, the world will never submit to
you! Release Athena now, and we'll be merciful!" shouted Seiya, hoping
his voice had more courage than he felt.
"Release my daughter, she who sprang full-formed from my brow? I
think not. Too long have the humans forgotten it is we gods who rule
them. Too long has Athena sided with foolish mortals, prating about
`free will' and `the necessity of choice.' The world will again be mine,
and all those who defy me will perish."
So saying, the mad god turned, and began entering the temple
gates. As one, the Saints charged him. Zeus lazily waved his hand and
intoned "Reality Rift."
A darkness forced itself into Euclidean space, and the Saints
were sucked into it. The anomaly closed itself, and Zeus laughed in that
way only megalomaniacs can.
"And tomorrow, the world."
EDGE OF TOMORROW
by Scott K. Jamison
(Kuramada/DC Comics disclaimer)
Chapter One: Arrivals
Laurel was cruising the Milky Way, Querl carried in her arms.
Despite the utter blackness and cold of space, he was warm against her
skin. Skin? She looked down, and found they were both naked, his green
hue contrasting with her pink.
"Brainy, you little devil." She shifted him to a more, um,
comfortable position and--
The alarm sounded and Laurel snapped awake. "Always at the best
part," she grumbled.
Despite dressing at superspeed, she was the last to arrive at the
lab where the alarm signal had originated. Apparently, it had been sent
by her teammate (and romantic interest) Brainiac Five.
"Are you all right, Andromeda? You look a bit flushed," said the
Coluan genius concernedly.
"I'm fine. What's up?"
"My instruments detected a rift in the space-time continuum a few
minutes ago."
"Not another one!" complained Live Wire. The red-headed boy, one
of the Legion's founders, had seen more than his share of space-time
problems.
"This one seems to have originated outside the universe we know,
and manifested in the Athens citydome. Apparently, several entities came
through it, and we are already receiving reports of destructive
behavior."
"So you want us to go in and stop them?" asked Apparition.
"If possible. If not, getting information that will lead to us
stopping them later is an acceptable alternative. Dragonmage and Ultra
Boy are already en route, as they happened to be `next door' in the Hong
Kong dome. I'd like the rest of you to search in pairs, as the invading
entities have seemingly already split up.
"Apparition, you'll be with Catspaw."
The black-haired girl in white nodded. Her felinoid partner gave
a thumbs-up. "Can do, brain-boy!"
"Live Wire, I trust you and Inferno can work together?"
"Sure! I've learned my lesson."
"I don't have a problem with it."
Andromeda wasn't so sure. Those two were the biggest hotheads in
the Legion. Garth had calmed down a bit since his last fight with Saturn
Girl, but still, he had that temper... And Dirk was always as firey as
his codename.
"Well, big gal, it looks like you're with me," grinned
Matter-Eater Lad, smug behind his sunglasses.
"Oh,no! Uh, Brainy, doesn't someone have to stay and watch the
monitors?"
"Computo is on top of it. And I'll need to stay at the lab to
track this anomaly."
The muscular blonde rolled her eyes. Tenzil flashed a toothy
smile. "Relax. When M-E Lad is with you, crime is just a quick snack!
What could possibly go wrong?"
Despite the climate controls in Metropolis Dome, Laurel could
swear she heard thunder.
* * *
Ultra Boy had put his energy into superspeed, and let his flight
ring carry him and Dragonmage along. Jo had really enjoyed the Chinese
New Year's celebration, but he would have preferred Tinya's company.
"Any sign of our intruders?"
"None yet," replied the oriental wizard.
A building near them suddenly crumbled to the ground. Ultra Boy
quickly scanned it with ultra-vision (causing a sudden reduction in their
airspeed) and was relieved to see it had had no one inside.
"You think that's a clue?"
"I would suppose so."
They flew on, and soon found a plaza with the remains of a
fountain in the center. Standing in the surging water was a man,
apparently human. He had waist-length black hair, and was wearing a blue
and silver suit of armor with a stylized dragon'shead helmet. Xao Jin
noted he was glowing in the mystic energy spectrum.
"He's just standing there."
"Let's investigate, but be careful. If that building is any
indication, we don't want to set him off." Dragonmage nodded agreement.
They set down softly. The stranger had his eyes closed, as
though meditating.
"Um, excuse me, I'm Dragonmage and this is Ultra Boy, of the
Legion of Super-heroes. May I ask your name?"
"I am Athena Bronze Saint Dragon Shiryuu, and I will be your
death, demons!" Shiryuu's eyes snapped open, and Xao Jin saw they were
glowing bright red. This was usually a bad sign.
"A few dozen super-speed punches should sort this guy out,"
predicted Ultra Boy, and proceeded to shift to superspeed.
He was understandably amazed when the Dragon Saint not only
caught all the punches on his shielded left arm, but barely seemed to
notice them. Shiryuu's mouth had a corner turned up.
"That didn't work for Seiya, and it certainly won't work for you.
DRAGON TEAR!" The Bronze Saint's leg kicked up, and Ultra Boy was sent
sailing out of sight.
I sure hope he turned on his invulnerability in time, thought
Dragonmage. Okay, he's a water dragon, let's see if we can freeze him.
Xao Jin began to weave his spell, and an ice dragon leapt from his hands
to engulf Shiryuu.
The ice block covered all of the Dragon Saint save his right arm,
which suddenly began to glow.
"Behold the Capricorn technique! EXCALIBUR SWORD!" The arm
moved, and sliced Shiryuu free like a knife through butter.
Dragonmage gulped, and shot a quick fire dragon at his opponent,
who lazily blocked it with his shield. He thought again, I really hope
Jo turned on his invulnerability....
TO BE CONTINUED
SKJAM!
EDGE OF TOMORROW
by Scott K. Jamison
(Kuramada/DC disclaimer)
Chapter Two: Fire, Ice and Lightning
Inferno and Live Wire flew down a commercial street in Athens
Dome. There was no sign of the intruders they'd been sent to search for.
"Man, I have got to do something to get back in Imra's good
graces," griped Live Wire. Ever since their reawakening, his new-found
"jerk" personality had been putting a strain on his relationship with
Saturn Girl. He remembered being calm and considerate before, but
somehow it all seemed a bit unreal to him.
"Relax, Garth. Hey, bet time. If we meet one of the intruders,
the one to collar him gets front row moopsball tickets from the other."
Inferno and Live Wire hung together a lot more these days. Previously,
Dirk had considered his teammate a stick-in-the-mud, but now he was fun.
"You're on!" They flew past a store selling holos of the
Legionnaires. Licensed products went a good ways towards paying for
damages caused by some of the fights Legionnaires got into.
"Say, Dirk...is snow normal for Athens this time of year?"
Inferno now noticed the flakes drifting from the sky. "Not
really, it's a fairly warm climate. And there wasn't any snow two blocks
back." Though their costumes protected them from the cold, the
visibility of the Legionnaires' breath told them the temperature had
definitely dropped.
They headed for the heaviest concentration of snow.
Soon the boys found a figure at the center of the unusual weather
effects. A boy about their age, clad in armor of silver and white. His
blond hair was partially covered with a headpiece that resembled a swan.
The only thing about him not in "cool" colors were his glowing red eyes.
"You talk to him, Inferno," suggested Live Wire. "I have an
idea." The lightning-wielding redhead flew off.
"Yo! Ice-guy! Whatcha doing?" asked Inferno. He wasn't
particularly worried. His ability to project light and heat made him
equivalent to a man-sized sun.
"I am Athena Bronze Saint Cygnus Hyouga. Announce yourself,
demon, and then you shall perish." The boy danced a bit, adopting a pose
reminiscent of a bird in flight. Dirk thought it looked silly.
"Hey, I'm no demon. My name's Inferno, of the Legion of
Super-Heroes. Now are you gonna come peacefully, or do I have to make
things hot for you?"
"Diamond Dust!" shouted the Swan Saint as he brought his hands
forward. A burst of incredible cold came into existence, and Inferno
felt it even through his costume. Ice crystals began to form in his
hair.
Dirk grinned as he increased his body temperature. The ice
steamed off. He'd expected this kind of attack.
"Okay, you can dish it out, but can you take it?" He launched
his own attack of scorching flame.
It flowed over a sphere around Hyouga created by his Cosmo. "I
have endured the flames of Hades, foolish demon. You are strong, but you
will fall."
Hyouga danced some more as Inferno turned up the heat, then
shouted again. "Aurora Execution!"
This blast was even colder than the last, and with a stronger
physical component. Dirk found himself slammed against a wall, and held
there by ever increasing bonds of ice.
"This is impossible! Even Polar Boy can't put out this kind of
cold!"
"Put down by a little snow, Inferno? Maybe I'm more of a match
for our friend." Live Wire was back, striking a cocky pose. There was
something just a bit odd about it, but Dirk was too busy melting himself
free to worry about it.
"Another demon! You too will fall."
"I don't think so. I'm immune to cold, and your mother dresses
you funny."
Hyouga began to glow, and the image of a swan appeared around
him. "No one insults my mother and LIVES!! AURORA EXECUTION!" Once
again his powerful attack erupted outwards.
It passed harmlessly through Live Wire, causing him to flicker a
bit. Then lightning struck from a perpendicular angle to the blast, and
traveled up it to Cygnus' arms. His hair stood on end, and he jerked for
a bit, then fell, smoking.
"Cold-induced superconductivity. Always wanted to try that. You
okay, Dirk?" said the real Garth as he stepped out of the alleyway.
"Yeah, though all this cold damp is really messing up my hair.
How'd you do that?"
"Went back and borrowed a holo of myself from that store. I got
lucky and he didn't notice my lips weren't matching what I was saying."
Garth turned up the volume on the holo, which was actually saying, "Don't
be a fool! Stay in school!"
"Smart, Live Wire." Too smart, thought Inferno. Garth might
bear watching...
They picked up their prize and reported in.
TO BE CONTINUED....
SKJAM!
"And with these moves I learned watching pro-wrestling, in the place of
the sky, I'll punish you!" Heroine of Fuushigi Yuugi, in the first
episode...
Seiya purists are probably going to hate me for this chapter....
EDGE OF TOMORROW
by Scott K. Jamison
(Kuramada/DC Comics disclaimer)
Chapter Three: Gee, This Seems Familiar
Apparition and Catspaw walked through the marbled hall, their
feet making less noise than their heartbeats, or so it seemed to them.
"So pretty! But Catspaw thought Parthenon was ruin, all
tumble-down rocks."
"It was. The original structure finally succumbed to the ravages
of pollution in the early 21st Century. This is actually the third
version of the Parthenon to stand on this spot. It's one of Earth's most
important historical buildings, like Ndfn Plaza back home."
They continued to explore. According to witnesses they'd found,
one of the anomalous beings they were looking for had been spotted
lurking in this area.
Suddenly, Catspaw's ears perked up.
"What is it, April?"
"Shh...Catspaw goes hunting." The feline girl faded into the
shadows. Tinya held her position and waited.
Moments dragged. Then there was a sudden yowl, and Catspaw and
someone else came rolling into view.
The other person appeared to be about the same size, wearing a
red and silver armored costume. His helmet looked like some sort of
animal head, and he was bleeding from several scratches evidently
inflicted by Catspaw.
There was a glow around him, and Catspaw was abruptly thrown off.
The young man stood and posed aggressively.
"Now, demon, you will face the full fury of Athena Bronze Saint
Pegasus Seiya!" A winged horse seemed to come into sight around him.
Seiya? Apparition's Japanese lessons came back to her. Why did
a pegasus named "comet" seem so familiar?
The boy rushed Catspaw, shouting "Pegasus Meteor Punch!" As he
ran past the feline Legionnaire, Seiya's fist flashed dozens of times.
Only her superhuman agility kept more than three from hitting her, and
even so, she was thrown across the hall.
"Mrrorwwrrr!!"
Tinya fretted a bit. Her power wasn't exactly combat-intensive,
and from what she'd just seen, the Pegasus Saint was a more skilled
fighter than Catspaw, who relied heavily on instinct. Still she had to
try to hold him here until reinforcements arrived.
"Another demon! Pegasus Meteor Punch!" Seiya ran at the girl
from Bgztl. His attack passed harmlessly through her intangible form,
though she felt...something...when he hit her.
Catspaw shook her head as she stood up, almost surprised to find
herself still in one piece. "Catspaw try again!"
"I'll rip your heart out, demon!" declared Seiya, grabbing for
the rib cage...and encountering something much softer.
His red eyes faded to brown. "Y-you're a g-girl!" He seemed to
freeze up. Whereupon Apparition beaned him with a heavy marble bust.
She was surprised when the Bronze Boy immediately collapsed.
"Is he all right?"
"Sure! Armor boy have nice thick helmet, see?"
Apparition sighed and reported in.
SKJAM!
More soon!
This is the chapter you've been waiting for....
EDGE OF TOMORROW
by Scott K. Jamison
(DC Comics/Kuramada disclaimer)
Chapter Four: Double Nebula
"...and so the bartender says to the penguin, he says--"
"Shut up."
"No, he says--"
"Shut up, or I'll drop you here."
This was not a particularly dangerous threat, as Matter-Eater Lad
could fly using his own flight ring, but Andromeda could fly a whole lot
faster, and it wasn't often Tenzil was carried by an Amazonian blonde.
He shut up.
"Hmm...no sign of intruders yet. Let's try a different search."
Laurel focused on her super-hearing. While technically it was on all the
time, the Daxamite girl had learned how to filter it out to function in
normal society. Normal early morning sounds...wait, there was something
in that direction.
A tinkling sound, like thousands of tiny bells. Yes. Definitely
out of place. Andromeda veered towards the noise.
"Hey, I think I left my liver back there!" griped Tenzil
semi-jokingly.
Shortly, they were passing over an ancient ampitheater. In the
center of the hollow stood a slim teenager in pink armor. She (?) had
long green hair, and chains attached to the wrists of the armor. The
chains seemed impossibly long, weaving all over the floor of the
ampitheater. And they were moving, sliding over each other like metallic
serpents. They were making the bell-like noise she'd picked up before.
Still, the youth was standing still, and not doing anything
threatening. Andromeda decided she'd try the diplomatic approach for
once. She landed Tenzil and herself well outside the perimeter of the
chains.
"Um...excuse me. We're from the Legion of Super-Heroes, and we'd
like to help you if we can..."
"Help...me...?" replied the boy. Yes, definitely a boy, despite
the delicate features. The glowing red eyes were a bit of a turn-off
though.
"Yes. This is Matter-Eater Lad, and I'm Andromeda, and--"
"ANDROMEDA!? You really thought that trick would work, Lymnades?
I am secure in my identity now, trickster. I am Athena Bronze Saint
Andromeda Shun, and I will not be confused by imposters!"
"But--" Laurel's protest was cut off as the chains suddenly came
to full life and attacked. They whipped around her like one of Grimbor's
creations and began squeezing.
Tenzil fully expected Andromeda to burst free immediately, but
instead she struggled futilely against the chains. Red-sun radiation,
then, or magic. Either way, this was not good. Fortunately, he was the
one Legionnaire truly equipped to deal with the problem.
Matter-Eater Lad leapt to the attack in his own inimitable
fashion, teeth first. He chewed at Laurel's bonds, savoring the tangy
tingle of magic in a metal he didn't recognize. It was almost as if the
chains were alive. In a sense they were, and they reacted as though in
pain, thrashing about and pounding Tenzil into the pavement.
"I think I'll have a bit of a lie down now..." he quipped,
refusing to go down quietly.
Laurel was able to break free of her confinement, and attacked
the Andromeda Saint at superhuman speed, ripping off his Cloth.
"I--hate--magic!" She was about to deliver the knockout blow
when he suddenly exploded with energy.
"Foolish demon! My armor contains my power! Nebula Storm!!" A
powerful burst of stellar energy roared at Laurel, tossing her backwards.
"That's not going to stop me!" she shouted defiantly, and flew
back at the green-haired boy. He summoned his storm again.
Andromeda was pushed back momentarily, but found her feet and
stopped. Then she slowly, painfully began to move forward.
"I-impossible! Nebula Storm!" The fury of his attack doubled.
Laurel felt particles of energy scratching her invulnerable skin, tearing
tiny holes in her indestructible costume. She did not let it deter her,
but pushed ahead.
Finally, she was close enough, and swung her fist mightily
against the flow. She was almost surprised when the blow connected and
Shun was knocked cold.
With the Nebula Storm suddenly gone, Laurel staggered slightly.
"Whooh, that *hurt*..." She was about to turn and check on her teammate
when the ground before her burst into flame.
"I am Athena Bronze Saint Phoenix Ikki. You have harmed my
brother. Prepare to suffer the consequences."
A figure strode forth from the flame, a brutal looking young man
in blue-black clothing and silver armor decorated with slightly
ridiculous-seeming feathered "tails".
"Look, your brother attacked *me*. You want to talk about
consequences..."
He ran at her, and lightly brushed her forehead with his fingers.
"Phoenix Hell Fist," he calmly said.
Andromeda started to laugh. That was an *attack*? Then the
world went black.
When her vision cleared, Laurel was lying down, a cloth on her
face. She sat up, and saw that she was in Brainy's lab. The Coluan
genius was there, along with Catspaw. They looked rather sad.
"Andromeda dead now?" asked the feline Legionnaire.
"I'm afraid so. She always was overconfident. Well, nothing to
be done about it now."
"No, Brainy, I'm okay! See, I'm right here!" But Querl didn't
seem to notice, and there was a body on the examining table. A body that
looked a lot like her.
"You know, April, I've been meaning to study your mutations more
closely. Is it true your estrus cycle has been enhanced?"
The cat girl glomped him. "Yes, Brain Boy right. In fact,
Catspaw feeling really hot right now!"
Brainiac Five got a goofy-looking grin on his face. "Then I
think advanced examination is a high priority. Your quarters or mine?"
They began to exit the room.
"NO, BRAINY! DON'T LEAVE MEEEEE!!!!"
Unfortunately for Ikki, he had failed to grasp just how dangerous
it was to stand in front of a girl with Daxamite lung power when she was
living out her worst nightmare. Both he and she collapsed.
Matter-Eater Lad struggled to his feet. He looked at the scene
in front of him and shuddered. The Legion's repair fund would really be
strained paying for every piece of glass in a two kilometer radius. He
decided that as the last person standing, he had technically won the
fight. He'd have to gloat about that.
Just as soon as his ears stopped ringing...
TO BE CONTINUED!
SKJAM!
EDGE OF TOMORROW
by Scott K. Jamison
(DC/Kurumada disclaimer)
Chapter Five: Full Circle
Super-strength. Invulnerability. Super-speed. Invulnerability.
Super-speed. Flash vision. Invulnerability. Super-strength.
Invulnerability.
Ultra Boy switched his powers with the speed of long practice.
He hadn't faced an opponent this skilled in hand to hand combat since Val
died, and even then those had only been friendly sparring sessions. This
opponent was fighting to kill.
Jo had been able to rip off much of his opponent's armor, and the
boy named Dragon Shiryuu was bleeding profusely from a smashed nose. But
he'd paid the price with an eye swollen shut and ribs he was pretty sure
were broken. Only his invulnerability had kept him alive this long.
He steeled himself for the next go-round. Super-Speed.
Invulnerability. Super-Strength. I--
"NO, BRAINY, DON'T LEAVE MEEEE!!!"
"Laurel?" asked Ultra Boy, distracted momentarily by his
teammate's scream. A distraction his opponent took instant advantage of.
Dragonmage winced as the Rimborian hero once again sailed over
the horizon. Fortunately, Shiryuu didn't seem interested in attacking
him again just yet. Jin had nearly exhausted himself tossing his most
potent attacks at the Dragon Saint, only to have them bounce off the
Dragon Cloth's shield.
Wait a moment. Exhausted. Dragonmage's inner store of mana was
immense, and his major problem was controlling the energies. But now
that very little energy was left, he could concentrate on finesse. He
began to whisper an incantation.
Shortly, a small mana-dragon left his hand and merged with the
Dragon Saint's shadow, and thence to his aura. There it began its work,
infiltrating into every part of Shiryuu and casting out what was not
natural to him, finishing with itself.
A darkness seemed to seep out of the Chinese Saint, and his eyes
faded from bright red to black. He looked about, confused.
"By the Ancestors! There are no demons here... What...have I
*done*?"
"I don't think that's so much the question...as why?"
* * *
"So, let me get this straight. You guys work for the Greek
goddess Athena, fighting mostly other Greek gods and their minions?"
"Well, plus some Norse mythos people and Lucifer. Most of the
gods seem to have gone a little wonky over the eons. And you folks come
from entire worlds where everybody has superpowers?"
"Some of us. Others had accidents or built their own powers."
Shiryuu and Dragonmage continued comparing notes in one corner of
the Legion's main meeting room while the other Saints and Legionnaires
chatted in scattered groups.
Hyouga noticed a picture of one of the absent members, a young
woman in pink.
"Who is that beautiful girl?"
"Saturn Girl, and she's *my* girlfriend, so don't get any funny
ideas!" snapped Live Wire.
Shun intervened. "Please don't be cross, sir. Cygnus just has a
thing for blondes."
Ikki walked up to Inferno. "HEY YOU! DO YOU HAVE FLAME POWERS?"
"Ow! I'm not deaf, you know."
"CAN'T HEAR YOU! JUST NOD IF YOU PRODUCE HEAT!"
Dirk nodded.
"GREAT! LAY THEM ON ME! BLAST ME GOOD!"
"Huh?"
"JUST DO IT!"
Inferno launched a small burst of solar flame at the Phoenix
Saint.
"IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO, WUSSY BOY?"
Irked, Inferno turned up the heat considerably. To his surprise,
Ikki soaked it into his body like water into a sponge. Gradually, he
lifted off the ground, his aura forming into the namesake bird.
"AH! MU--much better," said Ikki in a more normal tone of voice.
"You know, that was almost impressive."
Seiya found himself cornered by the Legion's resident cat-person.
"Catspaw all girl! Sei-ya come up to bedroom, I show for sure!"
The Pegasus Saint sweated. He really hadn't much experience with
girls, and Catspaw's forwardness made him very nervous. On the other
hand, the last time he'd failed to reciprocate a girl's feelings, she'd
tried to kill him. Repeatedly. What to do?
Apparition and Ultra Boy snuggled. The latter was looking much
better, as he'd kicked his energy into ultra-healing.
"Excuse me, Ultra Boy, wasn't it?" It was the Dragon Saint.
"Yes."
"You have one of the most powerful cosmo I have ever sensed. But
you use it in too limited a fashion. You must work to bring out its full
potential."
Jo frowned. He was already one of the most powerful
Legionnaires. Could it possibly be true he'd been holding back from
himself?
Seiya had managed to get loose from Catspaw when Matter-Eater Lad
distracted her. He looked at the wrecked Cloth of his companions and
groaned.
"Geez, we gotta fix this stuff again?"
"I am afraid so, Seiya," replied Shiryuu, walking up to the pile.
He took a sharp piece of broken Cloth and was about to slice his palm
open when Jo's hand stopped him.
"What the nass do you think you're doing?"
"I can repair the Cloth, but a sacrifice is necessary."
"Oh, if it's only a little blood you need, I can help. After
all, I helped wreck it."
"Jo! Be careful!"
"Don't worry, Tinya. I heal fast, remember?"
With Ultra Boy's blood spattering on the Cloth, Shiryuu began to
concentrate. His cosmo flared outward, touching each set of armor. The
living metal began to shudder, then fused back into the suits he knew so
well.
"Wow." was the general consensus.
"If I might have your attention for a moment, please,"
interjected Brainiac Five. "I have finally managed to track down the
exact location of the time/space rift our guests arrived via. (Not so
tight, Laurel.) The bad news is that it will close within the next
twelve minutes, give or take .00045 seconds." He shifted uncomfortably.
His Daxamite girlfriend had been unusually clingy since she returned from
the mission. "If you want to go home, I suggest you leave now."
"Let's go!"
* * *
They arrived in the park where the rift was and saw that it was
about the size of a man's head.
"Don't think we can fit through that."
"I calculate the rate of shrinkage to be such that no practical
use can be made of the rift within 23.8 seconds from...mark."
"I'm recharged," said Dragonmage. "Let me see if I can make it a
bit wider." He chanted, and a dragon formed, pulling at the edges of the
rift with its claws. It stopped the shrinkage.
"I'm not as rested...as I thought. Never tried to hold the
fabric of reality...back before."
"Maybe we can help," suggested Seiya. His armor suddenly took on
a golden hue, and he touched Dragonmage's shoulder. Energy began to flow
between them. The other Saints followed suit. The dragon grew bigger,
and so did the rift. It was now big enough for a small child.
"Wow!" said Live Wire. "Why didn't you guys do that before?"
Shiryuu gave a tight smile. "Whatever was clouding our
perceptions also kept us from fully accessing the macrocosmo, and thus
our true power levels."
"It's still not enough!" shouted Shun.
"Hey, bird-man, want a little heat?" asked Inferno.
"Pile it on, fire-boy," Ikki commanded.
Inferno let loose with his solar powers, Ikki converting them to
cosmo to feed into Dragonmage. The other Legionnaires got the idea, and
those with energy powers added them to the battery. Dragonmage sank to
his knees and began to smoke as the power running through him increased
exponentially. The rift widened.
"It's time!" shouted Querl. "Any longer, and we risk a complete
reality inversion in this localized substratum!" No one else understood
what he meant, but when Brainy sounded worried, that meant it was bad.
One by one, the Saints jumped into the rift. Hyouga was the
last, and turned for one last look at the future.
"Thanks." And he was gone.
Dragonmage collapsed, and the rift closed as if it had never
been.
"Whooo! That was fun," remarked Tenzil. "Now what are we going
to do for the rest of the day?"
"You can replace me on monitor duty," came Computo's voice over
the communicator, "like you were supposed to do an hour ago."
Everyone laughed.
* * *
Epilogue One
Zeus laughed as he passed his hands over a globe.
"So! Half the world's leaders refuse to recognize me as their
god. Very well. Half the world shall be destroyed by my power. It will
save administrative headaches later."
"I admit this is cliche, but you shan't get away with it."
"And who will stop me, my dear daughter Athena? Your Saints have
been swept away, you are helpless inside my prison, the other gods will
bow before me or share your fate. Nothing can stop me now! HAHAHAHA!"
"Are we nothing, Shiryuu?"
"I wouldn't say so, Hyouga."
Zeus whirled to see the pesky mortals he'd banished standing in
his throne room. They looked angry.
"I-impossible!"
"I wish I had a hundred yen for every time I've heard that."
Seiya cocked his fist. "Now, where were we?"
"About to kick divine butt," sneered Ikki.
The battle was joined.
* * *
Epilogue Two
Glorith waved her hand and the Hypnogem returned to the safety
deposit box it would eventually be recovered from. That had been a
pleasant morning's diversion. She would have to thank Zeus for sending
such useful pawns in her direction. If he survived his well-deserved
beating, that was.
The Queen of Time considered what to try next. "I know, let's
change the outcome of World War Three again. That's always good for a
laugh..."
THE END
So, whadja think?
SKJAM!
majks@cyberx.com
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