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LOS:Broken Gears Chp13

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Chapter 13

It took Brainy a moment to realize he was dreaming. He was walking through the corridors of some sort research building. It was cold and there were human looking scientists walking around him, not noticing he was there. When he noticed their garb was Kryptonian, he knew he was dreaming.

Usually when a person realizes their dreaming they can take control of the dream. That wasn’t the case in this instance. Brainy was guided into a room with a computer that took up a large portion of the wall. There was something familiar about it.

“Spying on me, Brainiac?” asked a familiar voice.

Brainy turned and saw Clark, only not the Clark he knew. The man before him was fully grown, about the age when Superman was most famous. He blinked and realized he had deceived himself. This man wasn’t Clark, it was Jor-El, Clark’s father.

The emblem of Brainiac was on the screen now. It spoke in the mechanical voice Clark would know when he faced the android as Superman. “I was told to download the data the moment you acquired it Jor-El.”

The area around Brainy seemed to blink out of existence before Brainy found himself in some sort of courtroom. The room was filled to the brim with Kryptonians with Jor-El standing on the floor alone and they were yelling.

“Ask Brainiac. Ask Brainiac,” the people cried.

“What say you Brainiac?” asked the Head Judge.

“Though I admire Jor-El’s research it is unfounded. Krypton is not in any danger,” replied the emblem on the screen that did take up an entire wall.

Were these memories from Brainiac?

The scenery blinked again and Brainy found himself in a Kryptonian home. He recognized Jor-El right away, and realized the woman with him must be his wife Laura and the older man with them one of their fathers. Laura’s father if he remembered correctly.

There was a giggling noise and Brainy turned around. Sitting on the ground, playing with a white puppy was the one year old Clark, or rather Kal-El.

Ignoring the discussion among the adults, Brainy sat on the ground next to Kal-El. He watched as Kal-El shook his toy at the puppy, giggling whenever the puppy acted as if he would try to take the toy before jumping back and wagging his tail. There was even a moment where Brainy swore Kal-El was looking directly at him.

The scenery blinked again. Jor-El stood before the Brainiac mainframe.

“You’re downloading? You’re saving yourself?!”

Blink.

“Arrest him.”

Blink.

“Too late. Do you remember what we said we’d do if the worst happened?”

Blink.

“Sending Kal-El to another world is madness!”

Blink.

“Good bye Krypton.”

Brainy blinked himself awake, amazed that he hadn’t screamed from the horror of watching an entire planet destroy itself from the inside. He felt dirty and when he pulled away from Clark he felt even dirtier.

Throwing himself from the bed, Brainy ran out of the room. His head was spinning, stomach bubbling, throat constricting; he needed to sit down somewhere. Somewhere far away from Krypton’s last son.

Wobbling down the stairs to the kitchen, Brainy almost ran away when he saw who was already there.

“I don’t bite, you know,” commented Richie, making something at the stove. “And I promise not to kiss you.”

Slowly edging into the room, Brainy sat at the kitchen table.

Richie finished what he was doing at the stove and pulled out two mugs. Pouring out some of what he had made, he handed Brainy one of the cups before sitting down.

Brainy was surprised to find the mug filled with hot chocolate.

“One of the few things, actually the only thing I remember from when Backpack linked us,” explained Richie. “I like hot chocolate too. I think it fuels my brain. That and frozen pop tarts.”

Unable to help himself, Brainy softly smiled as he took a sip of the hot chocolate. It may of fueled Richie’s brain but for him it was a better relaxant then tranquilizers.

“So, do you want to talk about it?” asked Richie.

At first Brainy wondered why Richie had thought anything was wrong. Did he have Backpack peeking into his mind? Then he realized it was probably the way he came into the room.

“I had a dream, or perhaps a peek into Brainiac’s memory, about the destruction of Krypton.”

“I knew Brainiac and Superman had some sort of background together but I didn’t know Brainiac had been there when Krypton was destroyed,” said Richie.

“The planet was doomed to self destruction but Brainiac,” began Brainy. He swallowed. “Brainiac made everyone thought they were safe and no evacuation plans were made. If Clark’s father hadn’t mistrusted Brainiac then we wouldn’t have had Clark.”

“Wow,” said Richie slowly. “That must make it really hard to be in love with him.”

Brainy felt lucky he wasn’t drinking at the moment. If he hadn’t then he surely would have choked.

“I thought you said you didn’t retain anything else.”

“I didn’t. It was based off observation. I took a chance and you confirmed it,” commented Richie.

Brainy blushed furiously.

“Please, don’t tell him.”

Richie looked at Brainy in amazement.

“You mean you two aren’t already together?”

Brainy blushed even more.

“Of course not. There’s no way Clark could ever-”

“Newsflash! Clark’s crazy about you. It’s obvious,” said Richie.

“You’re being ridiculous. Clark is kind and amazing in so many ways. He could have anybody he wanted,” said Brainy.

“And he wants you,” declared Richie.

“But I’m-” started Brainy.

“He already said that he doesn’t care about you being a Brainiac,” said Richie.

“I was going to say that I- I’m this,” said Brainy, suggesting to himself.

Richie blinked.

“Green?”

“Mechanical,” corrected Brainy.

“Half mechanical,” Richie corrected in returned.

“What’s the difference? Half mechanical? Half artificial? Half fake? Half unnatural? Half dead,” questioned Brainy, more to himself to Richie. “I’m not real.”

“Questioning the meaning of life our we? I think I’m going to need another mug of hot chocolate,” commented Richie.

“How am I questioning the meaning of life?” questioned Brainy.

“You say you’re not real because you’re half mechanical. I say ‘so what’? You’re not completely organic. Lots of people in the world have fake arms or legs because they lost their real ones. And there are people, like you, who lost more then that. Beast Boy’s old team called the Doom Patrol had a member on their team that had lost his entire body. He lived and fought on in a new completely mechanical body, except for his brain. I have never met him but I hear he’s very passionate in the battle against the brotherhood, but very kind to his friends.

‘Cyborg of the Teen Titans lost a big portion of his body in an accident. What was lost was replaced by machines, including part of his face and his mind. Other then that he’s mostly a regular teenager. He’s obsessed with video games, cars and makes mistakes. I was told that he even had a crush on an enemy of theirs once.

‘When I first saw you I thought there was nothing to you but wires and laser canons. Another form of the machine I hated, but you bled when I had hit you. You felt pain and you felt emotions. Even if you were Brainiac Two I don’t think I could have hated you. You were in so much pain, hurting so deeply and so human that I liked you the instant I saw it.

‘So perhaps we can debate? You can tell me why you think you’re not real and I’ll tare your arguments into shreds,” said Richie.

It was one of the few instances in Brainy’s life he felt completely devoid of any rational thought that he could form into words. After realizing Richie was openly staring at him with a knowing smile, Brainy shook his head.

“No thank you.”

“I win by default,” declared Richie.

“If you wish,” said Brainy. He considered his following words very carefully, “I can’t help but be a little jealous of Virgil.”

“Why?” asked Richie.

“Because he has you to be with him for the rest of his life,” said Brainy.

Richie blushed.

“What makes you think that?”

“In an alteration of your words; Newsflash! Virgil’s crazy about you. And it’s obvious you’re just as crazy about him,” stated Brainy.

“You’re only half right. Virgil isn’t gay,” said Richie. “He really freaked out when I told him I was.”

“Then why did he always act so jealous whenever we interacted in a matter of his disliking?” asked Brainy.

“He didn’t trust you because you’re a Brainiac,” Richie tried to reason.

“It seems to me like you’re just making up reasons because you’re not sure if you want to know the truth,” said Brainy.

“You know what I think?” asked Richie.

“Numerous things, but what are you specifically referring to?” asked Brainy.

“Ask us a scientific problem and we can calculate it so fast their heads would spin. Ask us about the feelings of the people we’re in love with and we’re as blind as a bat that doesn’t realize we’re about to fly straight into a rock no matter what his superior hearing is telling him,” said Richie.

“Sounds about right,” agreed Brainy, absently touching his forehead. “I still think you’re completely off base when it comes to Clark’s feelings about me.”

“The same goes about your theory on Virgil,” stated Richie.

--

That morning Clark woke up in a way that he hadn’t for in years; He actually rolled out of the bed. As it turned out the room wasn’t any less a horrifying pink from ground level when it was at normal eye level.

Sitting up, the first thing Clark noticed was that Brainy was gone. The second thing he noticed was that he had a very bad feeling about it. The last time Brainy had woken up before him was because of a nightmare. What if that was the case this time? Why hadn’t he noticed Brainy getting up?

Not bothering to get dressed, Clark rushed to the door and was about to run around, to search for Brainy, when he noticed Virgil sitting at the top of the stairs.

Spotting Clark out of the corner of his eye, Virgil turned to Clark and put a finger to his lips requesting silence. He then patted on the step next to him.

Though confused, and still worried about Brainy, Clark did as Virgil suggested. He silently tip toed over to the steps and sat down next to Virgil.

Smiling, Virgil suggested down the stairs.

“Our geniuses are talking about us in the kitchen.”

Clark hoped he hadn’t blushed at the use of the word ‘our’. He paused to listen with his normal hearing and though he could hear the two blonde’s voices he couldn’t understand what they were saying.

“How can you tell?”

“I’m guessing you don’t have any adoptive siblings,” grinned Virgil. “I got years of practice by listening to my sister’s conversations.”

“So do you know what their saying?” asked Clark.

“My hearing isn’t that good. I just catch our names occasionally,” commented Virgil. “Sounds like they’re debating something.”

What could they possibly be debating about that’s about us, wondered Clark, straining not to use his super hearing.

“Why don’t you use your super hearing and tell me what they’re saying?” asked Virgil, seeing Clark’s tempted expression.

“Would you care to repeat that?” asked a voice behind them.

The two boys, guiltily, turned their heads to see the source of the voice was Virgil’s father. He was looking down at them, with his arms crossed and in a way that made the two boys laugh nervously.

“Spying is wrong, right Clark?” asked Virgil.

“Right,” agreed Clark.

“Nice to hear that. Now head downstairs for some non-spying breakfast,” said Mr. Hawkins sternly.

“Yes sir,” said the two boys, standing and rushing down the stairs.

Mr. Hawkins smiled. It was nice to know that no matter how powerful his son, and his friends, got that he would still have the power to make them listen to him.

--

Hearing the stampede approaching, Richie and Brainy immediately cut off their respective reasoning and protests. They exchanged curious looks when their noticed the two they were arguing about looked slightly panicked.

“What’s wrong with you two?” asked Richie.

“Nothing,” exclaimed Virgil and Clark together in a way that made Richie and Brainy exchange looks again.

“Okay… as long as you’re here I was wondering if you can clear up the issue we’ve been discussing,” said Richie, turning to Clark.

“Do that and I shall return the favor,” stated Brainy, suggesting to Virgil.

Virgil and Clark watched as Richie and Brainy seemed to be having a battle of the minds by just glaring at each other.

“Agree to disagree?” asked Richie.

“Agreed,” said Brainy.

With that the issue was dropped between the two geniuses.

“That’s not fair! I demand to know what’s going on,” exclaimed Virgil.

“You don’t need to know everything, Virgil,” commenting Mr. Hawkins, coming into the kitchen behind him. He moved over to the refrigerator to start looking for something to make into breakfast.

“But it’s about us. We have the right to know,” protested Virgil.

“I’m sure they’ll tell you when they’re ready,” commented Mr. Hawkins.

The two geniuses exchanged somewhat panicked looks. Did he know?

“Do you guys hear that?” asked Clark.

“Hear what?” asked an annoyed Virgil.

Clark listened carefully for a moment before paling.

“The cell phone future me gave me!” He ran up the stairs at super speed.

As if not noticing how fast Clark had moved, Mr. Hawkins turned to Virgil.

“I thought he was from the future?”

“Well he’s actually from the past but Brainy took him to the future where they came back to our time where we met his future self in the future’s past,” said Richie.

“Yea… what he said,” said Virgil.

“Do you have any idea what he said?” asked Mr. Hawkins.

“I got the basic picture,” said Virgil.

“Sooner or later son, you’re going to have to teach me how to speak ‘Richie,’” commented Mr. Hawkins.

“No way, Pops. I’ve been studying the language for years and I still haven’t become fluent,” said Virgil.

“I’m not that hard to understand, am I?” asked Richie.

Not giving anyone the chance to answer, Clark came back into the room wearing his super suit.

“It’s time.”

Mr. Hawkins took one look at Superman and went looking for the aspirin.
Even though I have been writing other LOSH fanfiction I've decided that, since it's nearly over, I'll just continue to post Broken Gears until it's finished.

This is for :icontandymastaofchu: who drew me adorable fanart :dance: and will draw more. :please:

LOSH, SS, JL belongs to DC
This story is mine!
© 2008 - 2024 PriestessOfNox
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SanzoBrat's avatar
“Ask us a scientific problem and we can calculate it so fast their heads would spin. Ask us about the feelings of the people we’re in love with and we’re as blind as a bat that doesn’t realize we’re about to fly straight into a rock no matter what his superior hearing is telling him,”
Best lines EVER!
A very good explination XD