Imra licked at her Ice Cream cone and looked in the shop window at the little Santa’s Village.
“I never thought I’d actually see this stuff. Outside of a museum of course.”
“It certaintly is different actually being here.” She said looking at the back of Garths strawberry blonde head as he leaned over to look in the window. She licked her ice cream again.
“I don’t remember this stuff being so good.” she commented looking at her Ice Cream cone.
“Hmm…” Garth stood up and turned to look at her.
“Maybe it’s the company.” He put his arm around her waist and guided her towards the next window.
The two were window shopping at the large Metropolis Mall. Outside the first blanket of snow was falling. Instead of berating them Brainy had more than happy to have them leave. As they’d left the cave Imra picked up Brainy’s thankful thoughts that they were gone, out of the way of the being with 12th level intelligence.
Imra turned at the sound of children’s laughter. A large play area for children was to their right, in It a set of twins ran around with each other, separate from the larger group of children. She stood watching them for awhile.
“Cute, don’t you think?” Garth asked following her gaze.
“They are, aren’t they?” She could sense his interest in them and smiled. He’d been a twin himself and as much as he wouldn’t admit it he missed his sister Ayla.
“He’s always liked children anyway...maybe someday..”
She received no reply from Garth and she could feel his mind wandering to other things. Feeling his arm slip from her waist she turned and looked where he was looking.
A large window full of bathing suits, with large metal words on the wall above.
“Swimsuits Unlimited.”
“Oh no Garth..No.” She said sensing his comment before it came.
“It’s your color, baby.” he said tapping the window.
Imra looked up at the mannequin sporting a bright pink bikini ensemble, the top and the bottom met at the stomach, connected by a large metal ring.
She gasped at the suggestion.
“Never Garth. It’s not practical.”
***Maybe not for crime fighting, I can think of other things though…***
She glared at him.
“I’ve talked you into things before…” Garth put his arms around her waist and leaned in.
“They didn’t have me walking around in a bathing suit. Do I look like Shadow Lass to you?”
“Better.” He said.
Imra pulled away and recovered her Ice Cream cone which was tilted in her hand.
“Regardless, my Ice Cream is melting. This place has no easy way of cleaning anything.”
Garth smiled and the continued walking. Imra finished her Ice Cream cone and watched as Garth oohed and awed over the computers, amazed that he could touch them without setting off any museum security.
She was walking over to stand next to him when she felt it.
“Garth...that man over there... He’d going to rob that store.” Imra mentally pointed to a tall large man near a music store.
Garth looked up and her and stood up straight, looking in the direction Imra was showing him
“Grife, shoulda worn my Legion outfit. Come on.” He said as they walked towards the man.
***I’ll follow him in and take care of him after he makes his move.***
***Garth...*** she stopped as he seemingly cut her off, following the man into the store. She stood outside of it and waited, watching the movements.
***NOW!*** She called to Garth as she felt the man go for his gun. Before it was totally drawn Garth had flicked a small amount of electricity at him causing him to go down in pain. She smiled as she watched Garth in motion. The electricity was contained and he kept it close to prevent ruining any of the stores merchandise. Still it flicked around him like yellow flames.
Minutes later they were both flying through the cold air. Anonymous law enforcers, as they had been the past three weeks.
***I see why everyone leaves Metropolis away. The Big S is hard to compare to.*** Garth said, thinking ruefully about the last several times they’d been slighted by the press and the public.
***We aren’t supposed to be acclaimed. We’re just supposed to help people.***
***Still the Owner didn’t have to beam me with a bat.*** He rubbed the back of his head. Imra reached out an tried to dull the pain a little.
***I tried to warn you.*** She said smugly, following his lead and landing next to him on a pier. The frigid ocean air whipped at their faces and Imra snuggled down into her heavy jacket.
Leaning against the rail the two teenagers looked out over the bay, speaking to each other telepathically because of the cold. There was silence for a while as Garth put his arm around her waist and they leaned against each other. Imra could feel his thoughts. Everyone of them about him and her, or about home.
*** You can’t be serious*** She said shocked
***Huh?*** He asked surprised coming out of his thoughts.
*** You don’t want to go home.***
***I want to go home as much as you. But…everything is so much more simpler here. There is no U.P. to worry about, or politics. People can live without fear of planetary war***
*** There is war here.***
***Nation against nation maybe. But not planet against planet. The technology is a little base, but it’s still peaceful.*** He said staring out over the cold water.
Imra shook her head.
***We have duties in the future. We can’t shirk them. People rely on us Garth. We’re the founding members of the Legion. While that might not seem to be a big deal because there are so many Legionnaires, it is. They look up to us. Brande relies on us to keep it going.***
***I know baby. I know.*** He held her closer before shifting gears.
***What about a quick flight to Gotham? The City of the legendary ‘Batman’*** He looked at her hopefully.
Imra looked at Garth skeptically.
***Brainy…***
***It’s not even close yet. Or he’d be screaming in our head.*** Garth took Imra’s hands and rose into the air. Imra followed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`
Imra looked around the room she’d been staying in. All the clothes they’d borrowed from the Teen Titans lay in neat folded piles in the main part of the cave ready for pick up. They’d already sent a communication to the Titans telling them they were leaving. Bart had raced over and hugged them all good-bye. Imra felt sorrowful about leaving him. It was almost as if their good-bye’s had been prolonged because of them being stranded.
She touched a chair.
Hopefully this was the last time she’d see this place.
“Hopefully.”
She closed her eyes only to open them a second later. She felt it again. And this time it was no phantom. As quick as she’d felt it was gone. It felt like dying throes. One last push to stay alive.
“But why if it’s already dead?”
“Hurry UP! What the sprock is taking so long? IMRA!”
Even without telepathy Imra could hear Brainy’s call from the other side of the cave
*** I’m coming!*** She ran down the hallways into the lab.
Garth stood staring at the Time platform and Brainy was busy moving around making the last final tweaks.
Garth turned
“There you are, Brainy’s about to blow a gasket.”
“I...” She could feel her face pale as she scanned the room. Brainy looked up sharply.
“Imra? Why are you scanning us?”
Garth stepped towards her and put his hands on her shoulders rubbing them gently.
“What’s the matter?”
She looked up into his blue eyes.
“His beautiful blue eyes”
“Everything” She closed her eyes and allowed pink energy to glow from her before allowing it to push Garth away. She flung him to the other side of the room where he hit the wall with a dull thud and fell to the ground.
“What the sprock..” Brainy raised his shields and ran for Garth.
“Imra! What are you doing?” he asked checking Garths pulse as she walked towards them.
“You aren’t real.”
Garth got up off the ground, electricity flying around him freely.
“Snap out of it baby. Nothing’s happening. Everything’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. You aren’t real. You aren’t Garth and I want you OUT of my HEAD!”
Pink energy burst from her enveloping Brainy and Garth and the room shook. Energy flowed down the walls revealing cracks that opened onto a black eternity. She ignored the sounds of their screams, knowing full well they weren’t real.
“If this is all a dream. Where am I really?”
Suddenly the forms of Garth and Brainy burst into a thousand light pieces before turning into a fine sand and swirling into themselves, turning black.
Suddenly the whole room burst into a million white fragments and she felt herself fall through stars. Herfellow Legionnaires face’s flashing around her. Violet, Kyle, Cos and a few faces she didn’t recognize.
It felt like she was falling for eternity before she reached out and grabbed a wall. The stars disappeared in a flash and she stood in darkness.
I can feel you. She said into the darkness. She stood straight and determined. Her mental voice steely and hard.
Can you now? came the voice of the unity.
I don’t know why you did it. But I don’t like it when people mess with my mind. Especially when they make it personal.
Everything is personal.
Only if you make it...and I’m going to make it. Energy burst from her and she grabbed hold of the darkness, prying it open. She strained.
You’ll never get free. You think I made that up? You did.
If it’s mine then I can destroy it. I can leave. She felt tears come to her eyes. Sensations seemed to flow into her.
You
She let her energy form into pink tendrils and ease at the crack.
can’t
She strained, using all of her will power.
stop
The gap was enlarging, she let the energy spread and pry it open.
me
The Darkness gave way, flying open on both sides allowing light to stream in. The small amount of sensations she’d felt earlier intensified as her energy burst through.
She opened her eyes meeting darkness. Not mental darkness. No this time it was real. A heavy weight was on her and she stirred slightly before her eyes focused.
Allowing her to see a face over her, a face contorted in an unnatural smile. The feeling of death was all around her. She opened her mouth in a wordless scream, energy lighting her surroundings. The pink energy revealed faces covered in smiling death faces surrounded her.
“They’re all dead...Bludhaven…”
Her mind registered she was covered in dead bodies.
“Why?” Her last rational thought before her survival mechanism kicked in.
Her energy burst from her like a flood. Pain, sorrow and fear flooded from her in ways she’d never felt before, causing the bodies to explode away from her. Her clothes torn and dirty with dried blood, her face bruised and sore, energy flickering around her.
She was on her feet in an instant already feeling the presence of malice in her vicinity.
“Zoom.”
