LOSH: Unexpected Changes Chp4

Chapter 4

“Where’s Brainy?” asked Phantom Girl, covering him with her cape. “I don’t see him anywhere.”

“Right here,” exclaimed Brainy from under the cape.

“Who said that?” gasped Phantom Girl.

“Me,” said Brainy.

“Me who?” asked Phantom Girl.

“Brainiac Five,” said Brainy.

“Brainiac Five, who’s that?” asked Phantom Girl, lifting her cape. She squealed. “Brainy! There you are, I was so worried.”

“You’re silly,” giggled Brainy.

“Why thank you for noticing,” said Phantom Girl.

Watching them from a few feet away, Superman half turned to his fellow observers, Saturn Girl and Bouncing Boy.

“How’s it going with the code?”

The other day, when a couple of the Legionnaires were searching Brainy’s lab for clues on how to get him back to normal they discovered that the computer flashing Brainy’s insignia had a message on it. The only problem was that it was encoded.

“No luck so far,” sighed Saturn Girl.

“Knowing Brainy it could be anything,” grumbled Bouncing Boy. “We don’t even know how big the password is.”

“We tried all the obvious things, in case Brainy made it easy for us but it was a long shot to begin with that Brainy would do such a thing,” said Saturn Girl.

“So what are we going to do?” asked Superman.

“I don’t know,” said Bouncing Boy. “We don’t even have a sample of the gas to work with and even if we did our resident genius is in no condition to find a antidote.”

“So he’s stuck like this?” asked Superman.

“Well Lightning Lad is putting out the word that Alexis is wanted for attacking us again. Hopefully someone will catch her and we can get an antidote from her if not just a sample of the gas,” said Saturn Girl.

“If she doesn’t have the antidote how will we find one ourselves without Brainy?” asked Superman.

“There are plenty of eggheads in the universe. One of them should be able to come up with something,” said Bouncing Boy.

“And if they don’t?” asked Superman.

“Well, I suppose the worse thing that can happen is that Brainy will just have to grow up again to natural way,” said Bouncing Boy.

“Bouncing Boy, I love having this little Brainy around but he can’t stay like this. He has a life, people who care for him the way he was,” said Saturn Girl and, for some reason, Superman thought he saw her giving him a peculiar look at those words, “and the Legion needs him. We can’t expect him to still come up with plans in his condition and like you said, we’re short a scientist. What happens when there’s an emergency or we have to go on a mission. It’s not like we can call a babysitter.”

“I’m not saying we’re giving up. That’s just worst case scenario,” said Bouncing Boy. “But you’re right. Maybe we should hold Legion auditions and hope we come across a scientist?”

“Lightning Lad will love that idea,” said Superman. He looked over at the two playing on the floor, unsurprised to see Phantom Girl trying to show Brainy magic tricks, like the quarter behind the ear and Brainy not buying it.

Triplicate Girl came in from the other side of the room, grinning and holding something behind her. She knelt down beside Phantom Girl and Brainy.

“Brainy, I have a surprise for you.”

There was barely a chance to blink before Brainy bolted from his spot from the floor to the safety of Saturn Girl, running past Superman to do so.

If Superman and Bouncing Boy hadn’t been on either side of her, to grab her arms, Saturn Girl would have fallen over with the speed Brainy had approached and held onto her legs.

It was the first time in the week Brainy had been shrunken that he touched someone on his own, without someone offering the touch first by extending a hand or simply lifting him up, though Saturn Girl was really the only person he allowed to do such things. He ran to her whenever anyone else tried.

Saturn Girl gave the two boys a thankful smile before looking down at the child.

“Brainy, what’s wrong?”

“Surprise attack,” exclaimed Brainy, not looking up, shaking slightly.

“Oh Brainy, sweetie, Triplicate Girl wouldn’t hurt you,” said Saturn Girl.

“But she said surprise,” whimpered Brainy, looking up at her now, eyes tearing up.

“Would it really be a surprise attack if she told you she was going to do it?” asked Saturn Girl, gently.

It took Brainy a moment to think about it.

“No…”

“If anyone here wants to surprise you, Brainy, it’s because they want to make you happy,” said Saturn Girl.

“B-but, surprises are scary,” exclaimed Brainy causing Superman and Bouncing Boy to exchange worried looks.

“Not all surprises,” Saturn Girl tried to assure him. “Would you be okay with seeing what Triplicate Girl has for you if I come with?”

Pausing to consider it, Brainy then nodded and released Saturn Girl’s legs.

Saturn Girl bent down as Brainy began to wipe the would be tears from his eyes. She softly ran her thumb under his magenta orbs before lifting him up in her arms, standing and kissing his cheek.

Loosely holding onto her neck, Brainy sat upright in her arms and remained silent for the walk back over to the spot on the floor where Triplicate Girl and Phantom Girl still sat, waiting for them.

Sitting down, cross legged, Saturn Girl placed Brainy onto her lap with him facing towards the other girls. She then spotted the teddy bear next to her and placed it into Brainy’s arms, smiling and patting his hair when he leaned back against her and held the bear close to him.

Slowly, as not to startle the child further, Triplicate Girl brought the item she had been holding behind her to her front. It looked like a purple, the same shade as Brainy’s uniform, blanket. She unfolded it and held it in front of her, revealing the Brainiac insignia on the front.

“Ta da!”

Brainy stared at it a moment before turning to look up at Saturn Girl.

“It’s a blanket,” Saturn Girl tried to explain. “You can sleep with it or play on it, if you like. It even has your symbol on it so it’s just for you.”

Looking back to the blanket, Brainy touched his forehead, absently tracing the three circles and the black lines between them with his fingers.

“You don’t mind that I’m a Brainiac?”

“Why wouldn’t we like you for being a Brainiac?” asked Phantom Girl.

“The Caretakers said that people off of Colu didn’t understand the great things Brainiac 1.0 did and that they hated us,” mumbled Brainy, holding onto the bear more tightly then before.

“We could never hate you Brainy,” said Triplicate Girl, looking sad that the boy would ever think such a thing.

“You could be Brainiac 2 and we’d still adore you,” announced Phantom Girl. She grabbed the corner of the blanket furthest from her, pulling it so the back was now facing Brainy instead of the front.

Seeing what she was doing, Triplicate Girl smiled. Together she and Phantom Girl wrapped the blanket around Brainy’s front and behind Saturn Girl’s sides.

For a moment Brainy looked amazed but then he looked up at the two girls and smiled, his own smile increasing when they smiled back.

“Thank you.”

Walking into the room, Timber Wolf looked at the two groups; the girls with Brainy in the center and two of his male teammates on the side. He made his way over to the boys.

“Have you guys seen Lightning Lad?”

“Not since he left to talk to the science police, why?” asked Bouncing Boy.

“It’s his turn to make dinner,” said Timer Wolf.

“Ah, is the puppy hungry?” asked Phantom Girl in baby talk.

Timber Wolf glared at her, but looked way when he noticed Brainy looking at him.

“That’s one of the many reasons I love you Brainy,” giggled Phantom Girl.

Though it was clear to Superman that the Coluan didn’t understand what she was referring to, he still found it interesting when Brainy blushed and hid his face behind the bear. Hadn’t anyone ever told Brainy that they loved him before?

“He was raised by the government robots who were only programmed to take care of Brainy. Not care for him in any way,” Superman remembered Saturn Girl saying.

Superman really wished that Brainy wasn’t scared of him.

When Lightning Lad came back, he brought with him take out hamburgers, fries and shakes. He also brought back a foul mood from having to deal with the science police.

“You’d think they’re want to catch a criminal as back as we would but they’re not interested,” grumbled Lightning Lad. “Says it’s the Legions problem.”

“Don’t worry about them Lightning Lad,” said Phantom Girl, helping him pass out the food for everyone. “Just because they won’t make an effort for us, it doesn’t mean they’ll let her get away if they catch her.” She read the label off one of the burgers. “No onions cheeseburger.”

“Me,” said Triplicate Girl, taking it and a thing of fries. “Thanks.”

“Extra pickles cheeseburger,” said Lightning Lad.

“Thanks Lighting Lad,” said Bouncing Boy, catching it when it was thrown to him.

They went down the list until it was down to the last meal.

“And for Brainy a cheeseburger kids meal with a strawberry shake,” announced Lightning Lad, walking it over to the aforementioned child and placing it in front of him. “Here’s hoping you still like strawberries.”

“Still?” asked Brainy, peering up at Lightning Lad.

“Ah, I meant to say, here’s hoping that you will like strawberries,” said Lightning Lad, laughing nervously. “But if you don’t you can have half of my chocolate one, okay?”

Though, still confused, Brainy nodded and set about eating his meal. As always, when he ate something for the first time he studied it for a while visually before taking a cautionary bite. Besides the time they gave him broccoli, he would continue to eat it with enjoyment, such as he was doing now. He seemed to like it all, including the strawberry shake, perhaps a little too much because Saturn Girl had to remind him to eat more of his cheeseburger.

“Hey, Brainy, do you want to go read some stories?” Triplicate Girl asked when the meal was over.

Though this had happened several times before Brainy was still confused by the question. He just didn’t understand why the girls liked reading to him so much when he could read perfectly fine himself. Still, it made them happy, and he liked the voices they made, so he nodded.

“We can even use the nice new blankey Triplicate Girl got you,” said Phantom Girl, smiling at the other girl.

“Blankey?” asked Brainy, sliding down from his chair by himself.

“Another way of saying blanket,” explained Saturn Girl.

“Oh, okay,” said Brainy. After grabbing his bear from his chair he walked over to where the two other girls were waiting for him. He almost reached out for Triplicate Girl’s hand but had immediately returned his own hand to holding his bear when he came close to touching her hand.

Noticing this, Triplicate Girl smiled and offered her hand to him.

Slowly reaching out, Brainy took hold of Triplicate Girl’s hand.

“Brainy, if I carry your bear can I hold your other hand?” asked Phantom Girl.

The question made Brainy’s eyes widen. He looked at his bear a moment before holding it out for her.

Phantom Girl grinned as she held the bear in one hand and absolutely beamed when Brainy grasped her free hand.

“Hey Brainy, wanna do something fun on the way?”

“What?” asked Brainy.

“Triplicate Girl and I can walk forward and then you can swing by our hands,” said Phantom Girl.

“Okay,” said Brainy, a little hesitantly.

Phantom Girl and Triplicate Girl walked forward.

“1, 2, 3, jump.”

Jumping when they said so, Brainy giggled when he flew through the air by their hands making the girls laugh with him.

“Don’t swing him too hard, he just ate,” said Saturn Girl, chasing after them.

After they were gone Bouncing Boy turned to the others.

“Is it just me or has Saturn Girl become, like, Brainy’s mom?”

“Someone had to,” commented Timber Wolf, “and better her then Triplicate Girl or Phantom Girl.”

“What do you mean?” asked Lightning Lad.

“Triplicate Girl would probably smother him with affection and Phantom Girl,” began Timber Wolf, but paused to consider his words. “Well, Brainy would never know what’s going on with all the sarcasm she uses.”

“I agree with the part about Phantom Girl, but I’d like to think Triplicate Girl could show some restraint so not to scare Brainy,” said Bouncing Boy.

“Could, maybe, but I doubt it,” grinned Lightning Lad. “I think it would have been funny if it was Phantom Girl.”

“No, if she had her way Brainy would be calling me puppy,” said Timber Wolf, glaring when it looked like Lightning Lad was going to laugh, “and you Sparky.”

“I’m sure either one of them would have done fine,” said Superman, starting to clear off the table.

“What about you?” asked Lightning Lad.

“I don’t think I’d make a good mom,” commented Superman.

“I meant, how is it going with the whole ‘Brainy fearing you’ thing?” asked Lightning Lad. “You two used to hang out together, when Brainy felt like being social, playing chess and stuff. I was just wondering if your okay with everything?”

“Not really,” sighed Superman, “but I’m glad he’s no longer screaming or running away from me. He even ran past me today to get to Saturn Girl.”

“That reminds me, before I forget to tell you guys,” said Bouncing Boy, turning to Lightning Lad and Timber Wolf. “Never say you have a surprise for Brainy. You’ll just end up freaking him out.”

“Why?” asked Timber Wolf.

“He associates ‘surprise’ with ‘attack’,” explained Bouncing Boy.

“Remind me to never go to a party on Colu,” mumbled Lightning Lad. He grabbed the garbage on the table around him and threw it away. “Hmmm, I wonder if taking Brainy to the Superman Museum would make Brainy feel better about being around you?”

“He freaked out around one of me, how do you think he’ll feel about my image everywhere he turns, plus a statue and all those weird looking displays?” asked Superman.

“Just a thought,” said Lightning Lad quickly, raising his hands in defense.

“Sorry, I just don’t want to push him further away,” said Superman. “And I feel so stupid not being able to help with anything or say anything to him.”

Bouncing Boy laughed, coughing when Lightning Lad and Timber Wolf sent him twin glares.

“Er, sorry Clarky, it just sounded funny the way you said it.”

After the kitchen was cleaned up Superman went to the lounge where the stories were being told.

Sitting on the couch was Saturn Girl in the middle with Brainy on her lap, the bear on his lap, and Triplicate Girl and Phantom Girl on either side of them. They exchanged the text pad between the three of them, looking like they had divided the characters among them, giving them their own special voice. Occasionally they’d hold the pad in front of Brainy, possibly to show him a picture that went along with the words. The four of them were wrapped in the blanket Triplicate Girl had gotten the little Coluan.

Not wanting to disturb the story, Superman left before they noticed him.