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Academy Daze -- A Bouncing Boy Elseworlds Fan-Fic
Chapter 4
Chuck Taine's Personal Journal-Entry 654:
Things never go quite like you would expect. I never expected to be accepted into the Legion. I was just going out to support my buddies. I never expected to be a teacher in the Legion Academy. But the first couple of months seemed to go smoothly. I was one "Bouncing Boy" who felt on top of the world. Whenever that happens, life has a way of shaking you up to remind to not to get too comfortable. Case in point...Lu. She...one of her at least had started to kind of...sort of...well, I think part of her likes me. And I certainly like her...but when she came with Ayla's squad to inspect the Academy and do a "Good Will" tour on Winath....uh...things were a bit complicated.
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Standing in front of the Legion Academy as large gold shuttle with an "L*" icon lands we see the students assembled. Karate Kid is smiling as the door opens. The Academy students applaud, cheer, growl, flap wings, wave tentacles, and otherwise show welcome. Light Lass and the rest emerge....with an auburn haired girl in blue behind them. The girl is wearing a crclet crown that seems to radiate pure force. The applause instantly dies. The girl sneers.
"Salutations. Saturn Queen here. Hello Winath! We've heard that this is a LOVELY world...so lovely that we've come to remove some unfortunate blemishes on it's beauty. This 'Legion Academy'...the last thing the Galaxy needs is MORE teenagers with gimmicks prancing from system to system in some mis-guided crusade. Thus I've convinced this contigent of senior Legionnaires to...well...I shall be daring...DESTROY THE ACADEMY!!!"
With those words, Light Lass & Wildfire start blasting the Academy building. Blok, Vi, Brin, Cham, Lu, & Brainy start to attack the now panicked students. Karate Kid almost manages to slip by them and reach Saturn Queen...but then his eyes go blank. "How clever...you were acting almost solely by instinct, not thought. You'll make a great addition to my little entourage." The Queen smirked.
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Chuck Taine's Personal Journal-Entry 654 (continued) :
I was still in my quarters. Lu had hinted in her last message that she'd like to ask me something. I had a pretty good idea what it was. I'm embarrassed to say that was grooming in front of the mirror like some male model instead of a super-hero. Little did I know that I wasn't the ONLY person still inside....
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*Breep*
"Who is it?"
"It's me Bouncing Boy...Cera."
"Cera? Come on in! And please, call me Chuck."
"Okay...Chuck."
a shyly smiling teenage girl with brown hair and freckles in a light blue super-hero costume enters Chuck's quarters. She's hiding something behind her back.
"Hey Cera! What are you doing in here? You'll miss the arrival!"
"Well, so will you..wow...you look so nice."
"Thanks. I want to look my best for my team. And for a certain someone."
At the words "a certain someone" Cera gets ever so slightly tense.
"A certain someone?"
"Yeah...I'm hoping she'll be my girlfriend actually. If that's not saying too much."
Cera is definitely blushing now. Behind her back, her hands tighten & tremble as they grip a small package. Chuck suddenly notices her condition.
"Are you okay Cera?"
"No...yes...I'm just...STUPID!!!" Cera's voice gets higher pitched with each word. She drops the package and rushes out at top speed.
"Cera! What's..." Chuck starts after her, his foot brushes the package. He picks it up. Pulls off an attached note. Starts to read aloud.
"Dear Chuck,
This is just a little something I thought you'd li...." his voice trails off as he reads the rest of the message. "Oh grife. *Cera*??? I didn't think that....Cera!!!" Chuck starts sprinting at top speed into the Corridor. It's at that moments that alarms go off, VERY loudly. "SPROCK!!! What NOW?!?"
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Chuck Taine's Personal Journal-Entry 654 (continued) :
I had known that I was the instructor Cera seemed to gravitate to the most. I had thought it was because I had been able to relate so well to having wonky, sometimes weird power effects. I never thought she had feelings for me. I'm not exactly a guy who has a chain of romances behind me. I felt stupid. Stupid for being oblivious to her feelings. But at the moment there was a fight with a Supervillain AND a group of powerful mind-controlled Legionnaires to deal with...
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"Bouncing Boy!!! Thank Goodness you're here!!!"
"Where are the rest of Team 1B & 1C?"
"Saving a nearby city from a brainwashed Wildfire hopefully."
"The key is to get to Saturn Queen and remove her crown. It's what amps her power. Can you get there quick enough Jenni?"
"Watch me!"
XS races off. Comet is in a bizarre fight with Matter Eater Lad nearby, the anthropomorphic stallion not wanting to hurt Tenzil but becoming increasingly frustrated by the hero just eating his way out of any barriers erected.
Off in the distance, Saturn Queen stands smiling like a well-contented cat at the wrecked Academy. She's digging all the media attention, the sheer OUTRAGEOUSNESS of someone who would do something like this just for kicks and attention. XS nearly reaches her...only to be trapped by a force field sent out from a hidden Brainy.
"Stupid girl. Your thoughts are fast but compared to his yours are easy to read."
Chuck is not pleased by this turn of events.
"Nass! The rest of the Legion can't be contacted because she's used Light Lass to take out the Comms...no Titanians or other 'aths for miles...what are we going to DO?!? Wait...Maybe if I can reach one of the Legionnaires...Val! Lu! Vi! ANYONE!!! Listen to me! I know 'Queenie' has your minds in a vise but fight it! Look at me! You can defeat her! You're stronger than her! Stronger than any crown..."
"Oh really??? Saturn Queen smirked Chuck's way. "You're next, Beach-Ball Lad or whoever you are!" A bolt of coercive force starts out of the crown.
"No!!!" Cera intercepts the bolt...and is caught by it.
"Cera!!!"
"Foolish GirAAUUUGHHH!!! F-FEEDBACK!!!" Saturn Girl and her thralls suddenly double over in pain. Cera's eyes widen.
"It...it can't touch me. Whatever that crown does..my powers repel it....COOL..."
"I've said it before Cera...your powers have a LOT of potential!"
"Yeah...lets see just what they can do..."
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Chuck Taine's Personal Journal-Entry 654 (continued) :
I was so proud of Cera and the rest of my team. Especially Cera. She kicked NASS!!! Heh. For a while the whole team, Academy & Senior Legonnaires basked in the victory...the camaraderie. Comet & Tenzil hit it off, Val showed the squad around what was left of the Academy...then Lu came up and kissed me. It was something I had dreamed about for months...but all I could think about was how I saw Cera slink away in the corner of my eye. Lu's quick on the uptake. She noticed that.
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"What's wrong Chuck?"
"Lu...it's so good to see you...but...there's someone I need to talk with first."
"Uh...okay...Chuck. Take you time."
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Chuck Taine's Personal Journal-Entry 654 (continued) :
Why did she have to sound so hurt?? Good grief, Dirk is the heartbreaker on the team not me! But here I was...living what is supposed to be every guy's dream, being pursued by two girls...and feeling like crud. I thought as I went to look for Cera that they day couldn't get any worse. I should've known better than to think that...
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Bouncing Boy wanders though the Academy Garden, thinking Cera may have slipped off here to be alone. It's very quiet. Winathian, Earth, & other foliage bloom brightly. Insects buzz and a breeze stirs.
"Cera? Are you here? It's me...Chuck."
Silence.
"Guess not....*sigh*..." Chuck turns to search elsewhere.
*snap*
"Cera?? Is that you?" Chuck goes off in the direction of the noise. He's surprised by a deep whisper coming from a group of large purple blooms next to him.
"Psst! Over here!"
"Cera?!?" But it didn't sound like Cera's voice. It was a high-pitched masculine voice...with an odd quality to it. The voice spoke again.
"Listen to the flowers...they will tell you sweet secrets!!!"
"The Heck?!?" Chuck bent down near the blossoms. "Is this some kind of jo-*URK*"
"YOU'RE the joke 'Bouncing Ball'!!!" Two large green hands with long fingers grip Chuck firmly. "As you're about to be taught...by you're kind Uncle Ambush BUG!!!"
*POP*!!!
The garden was again empty.
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Next-Ambush Bug!!! Plaid Lad's revenge!!! Cera Kesh & Triplicate Girl meet!!! (uh-oh)
To Be Continued!
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