The Legion of Nothing

Nataw’s eyes widened, “That’s not good at all. I didn’t mean… Do we have to destroy them now? I don’t want to.”

Lee sighed, using his extended Abominator fingers to press the final series of buttons to turn the field off, “No. It would cause too many problems. If we destroy the Abominators, we’ll have to fly all over the galaxy to kill them all. No great loss, but it’ll attract attention from Destroy and then it’ll be a family thing and we don’t need that. Besides, I’ve already set up a species that should be able to handle them. It’ll be untraceable and look like the natural consequence of poking around where you shouldn’t.”

Pressing the last button, Lee heard a whisper of white noise as the machine stopped working. He turned around, returning to the human form he’d had before.

Meeting Nataw’s gaze, he said, “We’re not going to touch the Abominators. We’re also not going to touch the humans. I don’t know what you see when you look into the future, but I see humans that can keep up with us technologically and some can keep up with us physically.

“I never knew how it happened, but I think this is it. We let the Abominators’ converted version of our genes make it into the human population. They’re already there. Few will be able to use them, but the few that can? We’ll guide them. They’ll need a few thousand years to grow strong enough to be able to do anything. Humans shouldn’t be able to reach that age soon, not in high numbers.”

Nataw stepped off the silver and black disc, “You allowed me access to the device. In a sense, they’re my descendants. What if one of them grows enough in his understanding that he can use it?”

Lee opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again, “They’re… They’re not you. The way Kee explained to me how its ability to identify people works, it’s not the same even if they are your clones in a sense… Shit. We need a failsafe, one that works even if I’m not on the planet to prevent them from using it.”

Nataw nodded, “You’re not technical. I’ll do it. We’re not going to be able to prevent them from sensing it when they get strong enough, but I think we can make it inaccessible with a pocket dimension. If we set up the pocket dimension so that they need you to get into it, you’ll be there to prevent them from doing anything they shouldn’t.”

Pointing at a door on the far end of the room, Lee said, “I like that idea. I want to be there to kill them if it comes to that.”

“Hmmm,” Nataw frowned, “I might be able to set up the pocket dimension so that anyone who enters at roughly the same time, no matter when they enter from the main universe.”

Lee’s smile grew, “Then I can’t miss them no matter what happens on this side of reality? I like it. I think we need to hide it so that neither of us can find it without the other. Can you do that?”

As they began to walk toward the door, footsteps tapping on the hard floor, Nataw said, “I think I can work that out too. It will still be possible to do use it a little bit, but to get full access, you’ll need the two of us.”

Present Day, Earth: Heroes’ League Headquarters

C, Jaclyn’s grandfather, sat with us at the table. He’d come after a short conversation with Jaclyn.

He didn’t wear a costume. Still tall with grey hair and dark skin, he wore a grey jacket over a button-down shirt and grey slacks. Dark glasses hid his eyes. He’d placed his white cane on the table in front of him.

Except that we’d known him for our entire lives (except Amy), he could have been any old, blind man. Of course, that wasn’t quite true. For example, a flicker of light from behind his glasses hinted at the reality. He might be blind, but the glasses allowed him to see.

He turned his head, looking around the table, “I’ve been wondering when this day would arrive and how many of you would be alive when it did.”

My mind flashed back to Travis, but he continued, “I still can’t help you as much as you’d like, but I can point you in the right direction. Early in the Heroes’ League’s history, Lee told us that he’d lost something. You know what it is by now. He helped us find it and then hide it again. I can’t tell you where it is, but if you ask me, I can tell you if you’re going in the right direction.”

Vaughn laughed, “So, twenty questions but with the fate of the world on the line?”

C smiled, “Isn’t it always? You should be used to that by now.”