2542/Revelations

Revelations
Date of Scene:	21 September 2017
Location:	Legion Cruiser: Bridge
Synopsis:	Lyle explains what's going on. As best he can. It's awkward.
Cast of Characters:	Mon-El, Triplicate Girl, Invisible Kid, Brainiac 5
Tinyplot:	Mirror, Mirror

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Mon-El has posed:
        It was another day on Earth, in the 21st century.  The sun was setting, and Mon-El again found himself toiling away on the bridge of the Legion Cruiser.  Strangely enough, today had been a regular day, and nothing had happened, minus the invasion activities happening around the globe.  An "Apokalypse", so to speak.
        Mon-El was regarding the sensors and data on the screens in front of him with a very large frown.  Under his breath, at least he thought it was low enough for no one else to hear, Mon-El says, "I want to help.  But how will that affect the future?" Shaking his head, Lar keeps pacing, back and forth, back and forth.

Triplicate Girl has posed:
        "I don't think we can really sit up here and do nothing," says Luornu, 'sneaking' (well, not so much) up on the recently elected leader.  Her hands are clasped behind her one-self, and she adds, quietly, "I agree that perhaps going all-in isn't best.  But.  We can help, still.  We can secure the outer cities, we can offer healing, safety, to the innocents.  Because if the Earth is lost?  We are lost.  And that means our future, too, is lost.  Because if we die here, then we never existed in the future."
        At least, that's how Lu sees it.  Time travel paradox is a wonky, wonky thing.
        She frowns, "We can't—we can't just sit back while people die.  Or are hurt.  Or the Earth is conquered.  That's not who we are."

Invisible Kid has posed:
        Lyle comes running full speed, skidding to a stop just inside the entryway to the bridge.  Not really out of fear of colliding with anyone.  More out of the realization that now he's going to have to explain what just happened, and he's not sure he can.
        He stands there, panting for breath a moment.  He looks shell-shocked, pale, shaken, and just stares at Mon-El a moment, as if he's forgotten how to speak.
        He takes a deep breath.  "Lar."  It comes out hoarsely, only technically not a whisper.  He tries again, louder, but not any more steady.  "Lar.  There's been an incident.  In the lab.  I… he… there… Querl's gone."  The words fall out awkwardly and unwillingly.
        With an effort, he continues: "Possibly de…."  Nope.  Can't say that one.  The monosyllable ends in a little strangled noise.  "Possibly… permanently."

Mon-El has posed:
        Mon-El blinks, not aware that Lu had somehow snuck up on him.  "I must be distracted."  Mon-El turns and smiles towards Lu with warmth.  "Yeah, I know.  Saving others is important, no matter how we do it."  Lar pauses and says, "It doesn't make it easier.  I want to scream down there at full speed and slam into Darkseid with all my strength.  Considering what he did to us in the future… and to my world… I want to prevent that from happening here.  Just like you say."
        "Lyle!"  Mon-El grins as Invisible Kid arrives on the bridge.  "Deep breaths!"  Mon-El chuckles lightly, cheered suddenly.  Then Lyle unloads the accident information.  Blinking, all vestiges of his smile gone, Mon-El says, "What?!?  What happened, Lyle?  What did you two do this time?!"

Triplicate Girl has posed:
        Luornu frowns as well, clearly concerned considering how Lyle is looking.  This, absolutely, is terribly serious.  She nods to Lar's instructions, "Take a few breaths.  And, then, slowly, tells us what's happened, Lyle.  We need facts, before we can do anything," she says, but even as she says it, the two others of herself appear, quiet, and letting 'her', the white-dressed Lu handle things for now.  "Why do you think he is gone?  And what has made you think this is—something permanent?  Slowly, now," she says, gently.  "We're a family.  Through thick and thin."

Invisible Kid has posed:
        Lyle looks genuinely wounded at the suggestion it was their own fault—however well-grounded the assumption.  "There was another Brainiac.  Another Querl, another Brainiac Five, not a Brainiac 6 or Brainiac 7 or—oh boy."  Speaking of complications that aren't going to be easy to explain.  "Except… evil."  That brings a shudder.  "Stargrave, he calls himself.  He… he shot him.  Unknown weapon type.  Left nothing behind but his uniform and this."
        He opens his hand; Querl's flight ring, the one recovered from Booster Gold.  Lyle looks up with the most unconvincing smile ever.  "And that's not even the really weird part yet."

Mon-El has posed:
        "Lu is right.  Take your time.  We're here to help.  I'm sure he's fine.  Probably watching us right now wondering why we are so worried."  Mon-El looks around, half expecting Brainy to pop out of the wall suddenly.  "I am sure he is all right.  Let's figure this out, together."
        "Wait… another Querl?  Impossible."  Mon-El frowns, and crosses his arms across his chest.  "Except evil… Stargrave."  Mon-El's eyes go wide.  "Pulsar Stargrave."  Mon-El doesn't remember where that memory comes from.  Perhaps from his years in the Phantom Zone?
        Mon-El looks down at Invisible Kid's hand, and his frown grows deeper.  "I don't know if I should ask, Lyle.  What is the really weird part?"

Triplicate Girl has posed:
        Two of the Lu's exhale, simultaneously, while the third, the black one narrows her eyes.  Still, it's on the girl that continues to speak.  "You are certain it was a Brainiac?" she asks, quietly, calmly, as she moves to take Lyle's hand.  "Not an imposter?  A shapeshifter, or someone using hard light illusions to simulate?"
        She frowns, asking as she glances to Lar's curious intonation of the name.  She prompts Lyle then, still holding her emotions in check, "What is the really weird part?"

Invisible Kid has posed:
        "Looked and sounded exactly like Querl," Lyle says, with some difficulty.  "But longer hair.  And cold.  And unfortunately, he got away from me."  He looks up and gives Mon-El another unconvincing smile.  "Probably a good thing he did, or you'd be expelling me from the team right now for a… rules violation."
        Lyle slumps into a chair.  "The only reason I got a shot at him was he was distracted.  By another Brainiac.  Not another Querl.  Another iteration.  Brainiac 7, he said.  From the future.  Or a future, anyway.  He… he says he's Querl's son."
        There's a very long pause.
        "And mine, too."

Mon-El has posed:
        Mon-El remains silent for a few moments, his mind reeling from the revelation.  Looking at the Lu's, Lar remains silent for an uncomfortable amount of time, like he was withholding something, or something was bothering him.  It was there, scratching at his memory, something that should come easily with his eidetic memory.  It was a brush of shadow in the depths of his mind.
        Lar hides a smile behind his hand, as Lyle talks about "rules violations".  "I see.  Glad indeed, Lyle.  We need you.  I wouldn't want to have to expel you."  Mon-El nods.  Then it hits him.  "What do you mean, both of you?"

Triplicate Girl has posed:
        The grey Luornu tilts her head at Lyle, and suddenly smiles at him, though, it quickly diminishes due to the severity of that which they're discussing.
        The one in black looks almost amused back at Lar, and says quietly, "Well, there's no rules violations for it," she says, gently prompting.  "Love, afterall is one of the things we promote, isn't it?"
        The girl in the all-white costume remains focused, however.  "So.  Either this Stargrave is lying.  Or, he's telling the truth.  If the former, it's a trick—likely by those who sent us here.  If the latter?  There is further time travel involved.  And this is more complicated, more intricate, than it looks."  Her lips twist, sharply, and she asks then, "Is there any evidence that Querl died?  At all?  Besides the fact he is gone?"

Invisible Kid has posed:
        "I saw him get shot, Lu," Lyle says with a shudder.  "And he just… wasn't.  Like he just forgot to exist and…"  He makes a little waggle of his fingers.  "…and pff.  Gone.  I choose to think it was a transport, or a temporal or multiversal shift.  Because the alternative…."  He trails off again, unable to think it.
        Mon-El's question actually brings Lyle a bit back more to his usual self—but it's something that's right up his scientific street.  "Oh, that would be relatively easy.  Coluans and Terrans are broadly similar biochemically.  I would imagine the hard part was… will be?… arguing over who's donating the X chromosome, and who's donating the Y.  The genetic editing is pretty straightforward."

Brainiac 5 has posed:
        There is a pause, as someone steps onto the bridge.  It's a young man, round-cheeked, with loose blond hair and a carefree quirk to his mouth but Querl's burning green eyes.  He's wearing a black armored bodysuit, with a pair of energy pistols on his hips.  He's wearing a Legion flight ring.  "I might be able to shed a little light on that."
        "Stargrave—or, Pulsar Stargrave, yes—is the Querl Dox from a place called the Anti-Matter Universe, which is… the best way to describe it is it's the place where the bad guys win, and you're them.  He's one of the Inner Circle of the Consortium, which is their version of the Legion.  We've had many confrontations with them in my era, but apparently some version of what happened to the Legion during the Exile Incident also happened to the Consortium.  I think Stargrave may be trying to cheat by taking the Consortium to the future of another universe and returning home from there."
        "It's not a terrible idea, except that the Consortium will pillage, conquer and enslave everyone they come across on the way back home."  He shrugs his shoulders.  "It's what they do."

Mon-El has posed:
        Mon-El frowns, and looks back at "black Lu" and nods, silently.  What she says it certainly true.  It was a fundamental principle, it seems.  Which made all of this more difficult to have to deal with right now.  "I would think he's probably lying.  This can't be… accurate.  And "white" Lu is right.  Time travel is pretty tough right now."
        Mon-El regards Lyle with a thoughtful expression after the Lu's make their points.  "All excellent points, Lu," Mon-El adds, respectfully.  Turning back to Lyle, Lar listens to the description of what happened, and frowns.  Nodding as he thinks, Mon-El remains silent for several seconds, making the calculations in his head after listening to Lyle's descriptions of biochemical analysis, chromosomes and genetics.
        That was when Brainiac 5 steps onto the bridge.  Turning to face him, several emotions play across Lar's face.  "Brainy…."  is all he gets out, as he is unsure whether to be mad or happy he was all right.  Then he realizes.  "Who are you?"

Triplicate Girl has posed:
        "You're a scientist, Lyle.  Think.  Regardless of the pff, there would be some measure of evidence.  An energy singature.  A melted DNA strand.  Something.  There would not be nothing," Lu attempts to reason, quietly.  She might say more.  But then—stranger.  Stranger, on the Legion Cruiser.  Stranger on the Legion Cruiser after Querl has gone missing.  Stranger, with Querl's eyes.
        The other two Lu's move to either side of the blonde-haired man, knowing it's not Brainy, but not reacting further than that.  The black one guesses, "And, let me guess.  You're… related.  And you're here, hunting Stargrave.  And have tracked him here."  The girl in grey looks dubious, and follows up with, "We need Saturn Girl."  A telepath would come in very handy, right now.

Invisible Kid has posed:
        "That was the first thing I did, Lu.  I haven't had time to do a full analysis yet, but if I had to make an educated guess, it's like he just stopped being.  If that makes any sense.  It doesn't much to me yet, but…."  Lyle shrugs.  "Still pending full analysis."
        He twists around at the new voice, and shows his first real, if tentative, smile.  "You definitely have Querl's sense of dramatic timing.  I was just telling them about you."

Brainiac 5 has posed:
        That makes the young man blink.  "Oh.  I'm sorry.  I'm Lyl Dox.  Or L.D.  Signifier, Brainiac 7."  He strides up and extends a hand.  "Head of field ops, Legion Unconventional Operations division.  It's very nice to meet you, Mon-El.  I mean.  I have met you before, but… you know what I mean."  Then he looks over to Luornu, "The problem is, Stargrave is that smart.  He could create a weapon that kills you by simply deleting your ability to exist in four dimensions.  I know, because he has.  He's Brainiac 5 with no conscience and a really sick sense of humor.  There's only one man he actually fears, and that's the Anti-Matter version of Rokk Krinn."
        Then he says, "Oh.  Maybe this would help."  A moment later, he turns a shade of green somewhat lighter than Querl's.  "This is my natural complexion, but I usually adjust the pigment in my skin because when I joined the legion Solarion—Drake Morgna—laughed at me and said I looked like toothpaste being put on the brush."  He looks a little embarrassed.  "Then I decked him.  Brainy-dad was horrified."  He glances up at Lyle.  "You were pretty proud, though."

Mon-El has posed:
        "Now this is a surprise," Mon-El says, trying to use his super senses to pick up anything out of the ordinary.  What they told him was shocking.  "Lyl Dox.  Brainiac 7.  Welcome to the Legion Cruiser."  Mon-El nods, and his frown deepens.  "Yes.  We have met before."  Mon-El thinks that is an accurate statement.  Something told him that anyway.
        Mon-El shivers, even though he feels no cold.  "A Brainiac 5 with no conscience.  Indeed."  Lar shakes his head and says, "Let's get past all of this.  How do we get Brainiac 5 back to us, alive and well?" His eyes look at the Lus, the Invisible Kid, then finally at Brainiac 7.  "What do we need to do?"

Triplicate Girl has posed:
        "First order of business is to find out how, or what, was done to Querl," says the white-dressed Luornu, stepping a bit back from Lyl Dox to look towards Mon-El.  "And, that is going to involve, most likely, tracking down Stargrave.  And, if he's here, well.  We can track him down.  Lyle and I may need to put on our infiltrator hats, Lar."  She looks grim, and looks to her other selves, before looking back to Lyl Dox, curiously.  Trying to pin if she, too, maybe had met him in the future or if it was just the fact he looks a bit too much like Querl.
        "Stargrave, regardless, is part of the answer.  Of that, I'm certain."

Brainiac 5 has posed:
        "I'm afraid that Brainiac 5 is not your priority," L.D.  says.  "If I've guessed correctly, Stargrave is going to open the door to your universe from this side—universal doors always being easier to open from within a universe itself—to let the Consortium through.  Over one hundred strong… and they have their Warworld.  And they'll do their level best to conquer the Earth to strip it for resources while they plan their next step."
        "Your Anti-Matter version," He says, to Luornu, "Is the Infinite Woman, a one woman army, only held back by the fact that your duplicates cannot coordinate themselves well at all.  They're selfish, petty, and fall to infighting quick.  But when there are a thousand of her…."
        "The Consortium are ruthless and powerful, but they have a weakness—to a man, they're evil and selfish.  Each of them is out for themselves and themselves alone."

Invisible Kid has posed:
        "The best idea I have is time travel back to five minutes before Stargrave appears in the lab and set an ambush.  Except of course we don't have any reliable time machine."  Lyle shrugs.  "We may be able to at least track Stargrave's movements.  Lyl says they have implants that we might be able to track, same as we can track our own flight rings."
        He glances out the dome towards the Earth.  "He's probably down there.  We're going to need to monitor things closely; I don't think he's going to lie low for very long."

Mon-El has posed:
        "Sounds like the start of a plan, Lu."  Mon-El nods.  Infiltrator hats indeed.  Looking at Lyle, Mon-El says, "And the second part of the plan is Lyle.  We need to know exactly what happened.  I am sure we have surveillance video of the lab, or wherever this was done.  We can look at that, and move to step three."
        Turning to face Brainiac 7, Mon-El says, "I believe you are wrong.  Our primary concern is our Brainy.  Secondary concern… Warworld?  And Stargrave."  Lar shakes his head.  Infinite Woman.  "It's never easy… just what we need.  Well, Lu is already a "one" woman army."
        Finally, turning to face Lyle.  "Lyle.  That might create a paradox.  Are you sure we can do something like that?  I would be more comfortable with the "tracking" part of the plan as opposed to changing everything.  And you are right.  We don't have a reliable time machine anyway right now.  Right?" His eyes narrow slightly at Lyle, and then peer at Brainiac 7.

Triplicate Girl has posed:
        "There are theories among my people that we could multiply to a greater extent.  But an equal theory that the more we replicate, the further from ourselves we become," the grey dressed Luornu tells Brainiac 7, quietly.
        "I'm in agreement with Lar," says the white-dressed Lu, firmly.  "It's all connected.  Stargrave removed Querl from the equation for a reason.  Likely, because Querl is the only one who can really stop him.  But, we can delay him.  Interfere with his plans.  Track him down, as Lyle suggests, and infiltrate."  She looks to her selves, each of whom nods satisfactorily at her plan.
        Then, she looks back to Lar, and says, humorlessly, "Next time, perhaps do not wish for a way out of avoiding a temporal problem.  I think I'd rather be helping the people there against Darkseid's arrival.  But with them busy with that?  We will need to deal with this.  It seems that matter is settled."
        She exhales, moves to Lyl Dox then.  "Let's get you working with Lyle to update our information so we can begin tracking him.  Does he know you are here?"

Invisible Kid has posed:
        "Oh, no.  We definitely don't have time travel.  And in any case, Brainy was—IS!" Lyle corrects himself, "our temporal engineer, not me.  I'll get the surveillance data; I wasn't there when it started, so I myself don't know exactly what happened."
        Lyle ponders a moment.  "Stargrave said as much himself, Lu—he didn't want to kill Querl but he had to because he said Brainy's the only one who could stop him."
        He glances over to L.D.  "He also said something about theorizing a neighboring universe would have had its version of him trying to get back to his home time too.  I don't think he deliberately targeted our universe.  I think we just happened to be in the way, as it were."  He frowns, and adds, "Infiltration as such is probably out.  He can see me.  I was invisible when I entered the lab.  Doesn't mean we can't sneak around, but getting close is going to be hard."
        He turns to face Mon-El.  "We might want to give the Justice League a head's up they've got another Brainiac on the loose down there.  Heh.  Maybe we should engineer him meeting the first Brainiac.  I can't imagine them seeing each other as anything but a major threat."

Brainiac 5 has posed:
        "I could only get permission to use a round-trip time Time Bubble keyed to my Flight Ring," Brainiac 7 says, sheepishly.  "Brainy-Dad.  He's a worrier."  He reaches into a pouch on his belt and takes out a sphere the size of a big marble.
        "I'm not the expert on temporal studies Brainy-dad is.  I know my temporal science but MY specialty is inter-universal dimensional physics."  His mouth quirks.  "But really, I've always hated labwork.  I like being in the thick of things, and my biggest discoveries have always happened out in the field."
        Then he puts his hands behind his back, and says, "He knows.  I may have gotten a little impulsive trying to take him out fast.  But you have a few days to start looking.  There's another thing about Stargrave… you know how Brainy-dad has that really stoic reserve?  Workaholic, you have to really twist his arm to get him to cut loose and have a good time?"

Mon-El has posed:
        "I can't argue with that Lu.  Sound reasoning."  Mon-El nods and says, "I can monitor the situation from here while you all get your hands into the problem to find solutions.  I'll give the Justice League a heads up Lyle, while you work the problem.  No engineering meeting the first Brainiac."  His words were gentle, but firm.
        Turning to face Brainiac 7, Mon-El nods, and says, "Yes.  We do know him.  However, we need to find him.  Okay everyone.  Enough chit chat!  Let's get to work!"

Triplicate Girl has posed:
        "Not being able to turn invisible hasn't stopped me from infiltration before, Lyle," Luornu reminds Invisible Kid with a fairly friendly tone.  She exhales, some.  Then she looks over to the others, "The Justice League is busy trying to make sure the Earth doesn't get destroyed by Darkseid.  I don't think they're going to have time.  But, we should at least let Kal know," she concedes.
        The girl in black shifts, "Can you give us a write-up on the Anti-Matter universe?  Including pictures of who each of our selves are—and how much alike we look to our counter-selves?" she asks of Brainiac 7.

Invisible Kid has posed:
        Lyle nods to Lu.  "I'm sure we can come up with something.  But it's going to be difficult.  Remember, he's used to dealing with our analogues," Lyle says, settling into the problem and really sounding like himself for the first time since coming onto the bridge.  "Especially me, it sounds like.  You and Vi are probably our best chance.  Come to think of it, Lu, you could probably lose yourself among your counterpart's selves.  Worth keeping in mind if your evil twin… er, triplet… er… oh, you know what I mean.  If she appears here too."
        Lyle half smirks at L.D., opens his mouth, and is about to make a smartaleck remark about how to get Brainy to loosen up when he remembers who he's about to make that remark to.  Instead, he limits himself to, "If you know him well enough, it can be done.  Why?  Does Stargrave have a little something that can be exploited?"

Brainiac 5 has posed:
        "I can do that," Brainiac 7 says, "they're not all necessarily one for one analogues.  Some members of the Consortium are simply different people with similar powers, some of them are… hard to recognize.  Sun Demon, for instance, is more or less a walking pillar of burning plasma, essentially remote controlled.  He's cognizant but in constant agony.  Shadow Demon is—" He shudders, just a little bit, and shakes his head, slowly.  "Some of them I haven't even met.  For instance, I've only come across the handiwork of their version of Invisible Kid after the fact."
        He pauses, and then says, "This one might be a little hard on your stomachs.  He came to this universe trying to fix something Stargrave did to him and he captured a bunch of doctors from Panacea, experts on brain surgery, cutting edge in the field.  Apparently they weren't able to help him."  He taps a console of the arm on his suit, and displays the image.  It is… gruesome, the sort of thing kept off-panel.  "By the time I was able to track their distress beacon and get to them he was long gone.  He's the Consortium's chief saboteur and head of their Intelligence network… he's also their chief interrogator.  They call him 'Wraith'."
        "Superboy once said Stargrave was a total 'Rick Sanchez'.  I have no idea who that is."

Triplicate Girl has posed:
        "You read my mind, Lyle," agreed Luornu.  "And, worse comes to worse?  Perhaps I can pretend to be her.  Win Stargrave's trust."  She pauses there, as Lyl Dox shows the footage and images.  She narrows her eyes, but does not turn her head away.  She only says, "We need to stop him.  Now."

Invisible Kid has posed:
        If Lyle has any reaction to what his other self did, all he shows is a slight paling.  "Wait, if what Stargrave did what he said he did to him, it shouldn't be that difficult to block or undo.  Especially if he's another me.  Nobody knows my biochemistry like I do."
        Meanwhile, Lyle turns to a terminal and starts typing.  "I don't know what a 'Rick Sanchez' is either, but I bet I can find out in less than a min… heh.  Even less than that.  I bet that's it.  Stargrave's a drinker, maybe even an alcoholic.  Yes?"

Brainiac 5 has posed:
        Brainiac 7 nods.  "Yes.  And without the rest of the Consortium watching, he'll take a moment to enjoy himself.  Which is dangerous in and of itself.  But it means there's going to be a couple of days before he really gets started… and we can figure out exactly what he did to Brainiac 5, or try to take him down.  I suggest stopping Stargrave first, but whatever you think is best."

Triplicate Girl has posed:
        "We need to find him," agrees Luornu, "To find Querl.  So.  Finding him, first.  And then, based on what we find, we'll determine our next steps."  And then Luornu is moving off, "I'm going to let the rest of the Legion know what's going on."  She frowns, pausing, "I really hope that Earth will be okay."

Invisible Kid has posed:
        "I'm inclined to agree," Lyle says, "and not for the by-now obvious personal reasons.  Stargrave genuinely feared Brainy's interference.  Going after Stargrave with Brainy makes more sense than going after him on our own.  I mean, I'm a genius, but I'm no Coluan."
        Lyle looks down.  He's too much a scientist to not admit the realities of the situation, as much as he doesn't want to.  "Assuming we can first demonstrate he's still somewhere or somewhen.  Rather than just… not."

Brainiac 5 has posed:
        "Whatever the cruelest option is," Brainiac 7 says, "That's what Stargrave did.  So… what's the cruelest thing he could do to Brainy-dad?"

Triplicate Girl has posed:
        "Let's not think about that," suggests Luornu to both Lyle, and Brainiac 7.  "I'm going to go bring everyone else up to date.  You two, get tracking, and updating our data-base.  We'll make some official plans after that, once we all have a good picture."  She stops by Lyle, to kiss him on the cheek.  "We'll beat this.  We always do."  And then she turns, to Brainiac 7.  "And hopefully we can get you back where you belong, soon enough after this is settled."
        Lu, Lu, and Lu, clearly, are quite hopeful.  They move, all splitting off from each other to go do just that.  Find all of the Legion present, and update them.  Code Red.  Querl's missing.  Action time.

Invisible Kid has posed:
        Lyle blinks at Lu, and touches his cheek, and even manages an actual, if small, smile.  "Please always be an optimist," he says quietly as she leaves.
        He leans back a little, and regards Lyl thoughtfully.  "I don't know for certain.  There are a few things, maybe, but he's also changed a lot in the last few weeks.  What would hurt Querl?  Not being the smartest man in the room.  Being cut off from his work.  Being cut off from me, even."  That last is said a little shyly.  "I think you have a point, though—Stargrave would probably much rather hurt Querl than simply kill him.  Killing him ends the torture.  I know.  That's why I changed my aim when I charged him.  I was going to break his neck," Lyle admits.  "Fortunately I realized at the last minute how much I need to be part of this team."

Brainiac 5 has posed:
        "He does love you, you know," Lyl says, "It'll get complicated, especially because no matter what, he's never going to be able to quit… eh… her."  He rubs the back of his neck.  "It's like… he's got you, who's his… Foil?  His best friend, his partner.  And then… her.  His cygnus, his swan, his muse."  He shakes his head, slowly.  "But he always cares, even when you two are at one another's throats."
        "I think that one of the few things that would get to him would be if he lost your respect.  I think he… felt like you didn't think much of him, at the start.  Some sort of guilt there, anyway.  He doesn't always talk about when you guys were kids in a way that's clear to me."
        "And if Brainy-Dad isn't always clear, your middle name is 'mud'," Brainiac 7 says, with a sigh.  "I learned to quit asking."

Invisible Kid has posed:
        Lyle can't help but laugh softly.  "Obfuscation is an instinct you develop in the spy business.  I learned to live in the moment—the past is just that, and the future can only be estimated, and you're always safest revealing as little as possible."
        The smile broadens a little.  "And I know he does.  But that's the single hardest thing for him to say.  And that's okay.  He's not wired that way, for easy access to and expression of his emotions.  And I'm just not good at it.  I express it by teasing him, and by taking it with a smile when he returns fire.  But it's probably no surprise to you that your dads are both emotionally weird.  As for her… I'm not a woman.  I can't do some things for him that he needs.  And I'm good with that.  I'd rather share his heart than not have any of it."
        The smile slowly fades.  "I wonder… I wonder if it's possible Stargrave put him with Wraith.  Who certainly has no reason to be happy with any iteration of Brainy, his universe or ours.  And who would probably treat him terribly."

Brainiac 5 has posed:
        Brainiac 7 tilts his head slightly throughout the emotional confession, but then he says, "I was his gift to you, you know."
        Then he closes his eyes.  "…It's more than possible, it's almost a certainty.  Like I said, it's always the sickest option with Stargrave.  He didn't kill Brainy… he sent him to the Anti-Matter Universe.  And right into the hands of a warped, twisted, evil version of you."  He draws in a slow breath.  "Suddenly, I feel sick."

Invisible Kid has posed:
        "That makes a nauseating sort of sense," Lyle says.  "Okay, I have an idea.  Let me…."  He drifts off, eyes glazing over, rapidly turning over possibilities.  "…think," he finishes after a moment.
        He looks up, not so much at Lyl, but just in that direction, eyes unfocused.  "Stargrave said he put a chip in Wraith's head so that going invisible caused agonizing pain.  So.  Is it theoretically possible to remotely take control of it, and barter his freedom for Querl's, you think?  If he really is another me, I have a few ideas as to exactly how it has to work.  Because I know how my biology works relative to my invisibility."

Brainiac 5 has posed:
        Lyl shakes his head.  "Knowing Stargrave, he put something in it where disabling the chip also kills Wraith.  It's never simple, and it's never easy.  If you want to find out if Stargrave sent Brainy to the anti-matter universe, you'll need to go there—which is my area of expertise.  Just be careful, the analogues aren't one for one, but the scripts are often flipped, so to speak.  For instance, Ultraman required constant exposure to Kryptonite radiation, or his powers would fail, and he would sicken and die."  He looks up, and then says, "I'm going to go to the lab.  At the very least, Stargrave's arrival will have left a dimensional sub-resonance I can use to calibrate a portal to their universe."

Invisible Kid has posed:
        "And knowing Stargrave," Lyle says with determination, "if he's really a Brainiac himself, then he may be smarter than me, but I'm still cleverer than him.  There's no way he can mess with me—myself or my evil twin—in any way that I can't untangle.  It's an idea, at least."  He grins, broadly.  "Who knows, it might even be a good idea."