Legion of Super-Heroes - Catching up

Previously on Legion of Super-Heroes

The group accident killed Time Trapper. This takes place immediately following that...

The New Empire

The Emperor’s Champion, The Quatro, is in the arena. His opponent is the very last Stone Golem in the galaxy. Quatro sees movements inside the Imperial box. Either the Emperor or one of his wives is inside the box. The golem says, “We don’t need to fight. We don’t need to listen to the emperor.” Quatro’s axe can’t seem to hit the golem, so he grapples the guy. The stone golem doesn’t resist. Jed, Quatro’s fighting partner, runs into the arena. Jed tries to stab the golem but misses. Quatro kills block with an upper cut. Quatro throws some of the rubble to the crowds who fight over it. He looks up at the Imperial box. There is a robed woman in red and blue with a light blue veil over her face. It is traditional for the first wives to hide their faces. She is wearing the sigil of a curled snake. She holds out a flower toward Quatro. He bows and kneels. She praises him and hands him the flower. It is a beautiful red rose with tinges of blue along the tips of the petals. It looks like there is something hidden among the petals. When he looks at it later it says, “I’ll see you tonight.” This is the third wife.

We appear at the office of the observers where newly minted John Snell is familiarizing himself with some cases. He’s the third eye. A woman clad in blue and red robes with a sigil of a snake arrives with an elvish woman. He has no doubt that this is the third wife, who has never encountered before. “We owe you thanks and congratulations for rooting out the traitor.” Snell is responsible for catching Focult,( Invisible Kid). Before he was found to be treacherous, he was fulfilling a duty for the third wife. She was hoping he left files behind for her. He finds the files. One is filed: Glorith and the other Katrina Veldar. She was involved with Focult and involved in his treachery. Katrina is the wife of Director Veldar who is the head of the peace council. John offers to research the director, but she says it’s unnecessary because the director is loyal to the emperor. Both files glow as magical and are set with a wizard lock of some sort that are keyed to specific individual to be open. He studies her; she has magic of the protective variety on her. Her broach is also magical. The elvish woman has a faint glamor on her. It is there to provide proof against mind reading. As she leaves, she refers to the elven woman as Allesandra.

Ian’s father instructs him to go on a little mission that he is going on. He tells him that since he’s being trained for a better role in the council of magics, he wants Ian to come and observe as he confiscates a forbidden artifact that an unauthorized item is in the possession of somebody. Ian’s father is wearing his best robes and all of his best jewelry. Ian dresses appropriately and wears the Wayne family crest. They head to the greater noble neighborhood. House Spiffiny is one of the lesser houses that has designs upon being a greater house. The patriarch of the family recently died in a very tragic accident involving a sword and a tub. The eldest and only son, Lester, has taken over the house. Everybody puts up with them but pays them little mind. The previous patriarch came into possession of a rare artifact that is far too dangerous for somebody as unskilled in the ways of magic as them. They are there to take the magical device. Ian is to watch and do nothing.

An attractive wench escorts them into the house. In the sitting room there is one item that stands out among all the others: it’s a huge tapestry. It shows a battle, two forces opposing one another. The one on the right is imperial forces, and the enemy side are all clad in variation of the same green uniform. Floating over the head of the green army are small figures with blue skin and red robes. This is a representation of the battle of the green in which the emperor’s forces overwhelmed plant Io. Most notably, at the head of the charge of the emperor forces is a very attractive woman with a darker skin tone than the others. She has greenish glow about her (like Dynasty). A pimply faced kid comes out. He greets Ian’s father with too much familiarity. He congratulates them on the marriage into the McCulley family. He vocalizes interest in the youngest daughter. Ian tries to keep his face still, but his eyebrow twitches a little bit. The kid draws attention to the tapestry. The tapestry is woven with the robe of the guardians of the universe. There’s even threads of the lantern corp. Ian’s father vocalizes that he is there for the hourglass. He stammers, “What hourglass?” Its possession is outlawed by the emperor, and he has been sent by the council of magic to confiscate it. Ian’s father sighs, fiddles with his ring, lifts his fingers, and incinerates the tapestry and the wench. Lester beats at the flaming tapestry, but it’s futile. Father says, “The hourglass that is in the safe that is located behind what used to be your family’s tapestry.” He asks for the hourglass again and threatens to burn down the load bearing wall. Lester twirls the combination on the safe; it’s the equivalent of 1,2,3, 4. He grabs a teak box that looks classy. He stumbles back to Thomas and offers it. Thomas snaps the lock on the box and rested inside is a golden hourglass about the size of a drinking glass. Thomas looks at it and closes the box. Once inside the carriage, Thomas asks Ian what lessons he has learned. Ian shares his insights and his father appears pleased. Another forbidden artifact has come to light and Thomas has convinced the council to send Ian.

Ollie is spending his day, as he does every day, in the imperial gardens. He is tending to a very rare flower that will be worn by the new fifth wife. It will be ready just in peak condition right before the wedding next month. The third wife approaches Ollie with her handmaiden. She sends away her handmaiden. The flower is from Ollie’s home world. She asks him to tell her about his world. He does. It was one of the first worlds to bend its knees to the emperor. Saplings were given as gifts to the emperor. Ollie is one of those saplings. He shares about the Serpant or Mother-in-law plant. The emperor’s mother is long gone, so the third wife has never had to deal with her. She asks Ollie if there are any medicinal plants and shares, “My handmaiden Allessandra has confessed to having troubles with her memories lately. Might you have medicinal plants that might enhance the memory in some way?” Ollie gives her some suggestions. He crafts a poultice in moments. It should be spread over the forehead when one wakes in the morning. She lifts her veil, leans over, and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

Maria is in the council of magic. Master Antonio Stefanagi (can’t spell) walks in. She recognizes him as her master. The council of magic has been tasked with working with the other councils to ensure a smooth celebration and a joyous one. He nudges her. She says it’s only rumor. Antonio has placed a wager that it will be her. Maria thinks it will be the Wayne girl because she is pliable. He wants her to be the liaison with Director Valdar in the council of peace to spread the message of peace. General Laro had to put down a rebellion by the heroes of the planet and the lightning clan of … The door to the chamber opens and Kyle (Dynasty’s brother) walks inside. He’s dressed in simple robes. Someone is here to see his sister. Kyle whispers in his ear. It’s the third wife. Maria greets the third wife. At the third wife’s request, Kyle takes the handmaiden elsewhere. The third wife has heard rumors that Maria will be the fifth wife. She acknowledges Maria’s beauty and asks about Maria’s study. Maria lists some of her powers and skills, including not having to breath. The third wife jokes that this particular skill will be helpful as fifth wife. She asks Maria to answer honestly if she wants to be the fifth wife. Maria bluffs that she will be honored to do whatever the emperor wants of her. Maria asks the third wife if she’s interested in history. The wife asks what period Maria is interested in studying. Maria is obviously interested in the reign of the emperor but honestly, she is interested in the emperor’s battle in the 20th century against leagues and society of heroes. The third wife is interested in reading more. Maria will gather scrolls and information for her. The third wife extends an invitation to dine at the palace. Kyle looks disheveled but the handmaiden looks perfectly put together.

Katrina wakes up in a prison cell. She got her memories an hour ago. She is trying to figure out where she made the mistake and what she missed. Based on what she remembers on the last moments in the other timeline, she’s pretty sure that blowing up time trapper and trying to rescue the person from the hourglass, Dynasty did weird magical shit that interfered with the chrono artifact of the hourglass further messing things up. From all of her research and what she had gleaned from herself when she was the embodiment of the time trapper, she knows that the time trapper was instrumental in putting the legion together in the first place. With no time trapper, there is no legion. That has obviously had a cascading effect on everything else. She tries to manifest energy, but it feeds into itself. A masked man, Persuader, walks into the cell to take her. As she passes a cell, she sees Jacque chained to the wall, not looking well. She is dragged into an extravagant room. Sitting on the dais is the emerald empress. Little green stones float around her head. She asks Katrina how long she’s been working with the resistance. Katrina confesses that she has indirectly worked with them for a very little time. The Emerald Empress asks who else is in the resistance. Katrina says she doesn’t know but that the Empress would not believe anything she says. The Empress pulls out a dagger and licks it. She wants to use it on Katrina but can’t leave any marks because Katrina is still the wife of the director of peace. The Empress threatens to hurt Focurt. Katrina admits that she doesn’t want him hurt but she doesn’t have anything to share. The Empress stares up at her stones and admits that Katrina is surprisingly telling the truth. The emperor wishes no more executions until the anniversary of his ascendency at which point there will be a public execution to celebrate his wedding. Despite all her efforts with her eyes and ears, she has no idea who the emperor has chosen. As she continues talking, a hidden side door opens. Another woman walks in. She is wearing a red mask with a big white stripe in the middle of it. She has long flowing blonde hair and is dressed in a simple but stylish red gown. She has need of the prisoner because the emperor has another need for Katrina. The Empress is pissed and embeds her dagger in a pillow. The new woman takes Katrina away. She is respectful and polite. She doesn’t drag her but instead loosely holds the chain. Katrina suspects that this is one of the wives. She says, “The Cherry trees in the garden are beautiful this time of year.” Katrina knows that this is one of Jacque’s resistance expressions.

Ian is back at Wayne manor later that night in the drawing room after dinner. Tjere has been another artifact that needs to be confiscated. It has fallen into the hands of one of the palace guards. The item and the guard have disappeared. It is known as the amulet of Namazone. It is incredibly dangerous and threatens to disrupt his majesty’s peace. It must be reoptained by any measure. Normally for a simple mission, one would send one agent but given the danger of this artifact they want to send him with others who have particular skills that might be helpful. They want to make sure Ian is well protected so they will be sending along the emperor’s champion. The emperor’s profetress indicates that some wild creature might somehow be associated with this palace guard, so they are also going to send one of the gardeners. And of course, one of the eyes from the council of eyes and ears will be accompanying them. One of the hero of the green left behind two children; one is a student at the council of magic. She will be joining. Another will be joining but Ian cannot be told who. It is somebody else who is in the palace right now. Thomas will escort Ian to the palace where he will meet with one of the advisors who has been the one to best interpret the profitress dreams in this situation. She will be able to explain more and introduce him to his fellow travelers. The item is beyond the city walls. It is believed it is somewhere on the Wayne estates; fifty miles beyond the metropolis. He will be on higher ground there. Of them all only the Ramirez needs to be kept safe. Ian asks if the others are aware that they answer to him. Thomas says that it will be made clear.

Quatro has been careful all day. He’s saving himself for that night’s festivities. His trainer eventually shows up to tell him a noble woman is there for him. When Quatro walks in and finds a woman in red robes with a leather mask. It has a red stripe. She has no sort of identifying sign. She assures him that the third wife has no interest in pursuing anything with him. He bluffs that he wasn’t expecting anything. She tells him that the emperor is impressed with him and wants him to complete a mission. She asks him to gather his supplies and magical weapons. He will be debriefed later.

Snell is closing up for the evening when the door opens. A woman in red robes with a red mask with a white stripe down the middle of it walks in. She is there to summon him for the emperor. It involves a mission to retrieve an artifact. A small group will be sent to retrieve it. He offers to gather information for her. She asks that he find out how loyal they are to the emperor. One of them is disloyal but the others is unknown. She can answer further questions once they are all together. If he discovers disloyalty, he is not to take action but to provide it in his report.

Ollie is finishing up the garden when he sees a woman with red robes with a red mask with a white stripe down the middle of it. She tells him that the emperor has need of his services. The emperor thought he had the particular talents needed to retrieve an artifact of importance. He will be escorted to the palace within the half hour. It is especially important that he be prepared to deal with potentially dangerous wildlife.

Maria is visited by the woman in the red robe with the red mask with a white stripe. The master has approved for Maria to go on a mission to retrieve an artifact that has been stolen. Someone will be there within the half hour.

Everyone is escorted to the castle. Katrina is left waiting in the room manacled and chained but the doors have been left unlocked. She looks around the room for something to unlock the manacles. She finds a thin set of tongs with an ice bucket. She manages to use them to unlock the manacles. Electricity courses through her body and the manacles stay locked. There is no guard outside the door. Katrina decides to wait. The robed woman returns twenty minutes later. The rest of the group enters. Katrina recognizes them.