"Attention, attention; alpha grade emergency in progress at the edge of the Sol System. Legionaires Invisible Kid, XS, Star Boy, Spark, Shikari and Umbra report to the Threshhold Deck immediately. Repeat, Legionaires Invisible Kid, XS, Star Boy, Spark, Shikari and Umbra report to the threshold deck immediately."

"Damn," Lyle muttered under his breath as he looked up from the lab table at which he had been working. Without a second thought, he shucked his lab coat, tossing it on a nearby chair as he jogged out the door and into the corridors of Legion World. An alpha grade emergency, without warning like that? Highly unusual. As he hurried across Legion World towards the threshold deck, the Legionaire known as Invisible Kid ran through several possibilities in his head; what emergency could be going on, in system, with no warning, to warrant an alpha grade, meaning imminent threat of death or destruction on a planetary scale? "Obviously some kind of space disaster," surmised Lyle as he dashed into the threshold deck to find... Triad?

Of course; Kid Quantum and Cosmic Boy were both on seperate missions, and Brainy was out helping the Science Police decommission the old Stargate network. That left Triad in charge at Legion World, and left Lyle as the team's resident genius; his being included in this team lent credence to the idea that it was some kind of space disaster.

"Lyle, I'm glad you're here. I need you to take a team to the far side of the system to deal with what appears to be a major space disaster... why are you smiling? Did I say something funny?" asks Triad with a cross look on her face and folded arms.

Invisible Kid shakes his head, still smiling. "No, not at all Luornu. I was just... coallating, as Brainy would say. What's the emergency?"

"I'd rather wait untill the rest of your team shows up, so I don't have to repeat myself. You'll be leading this one, by the way," she says by way of reply as she glances towards the entrances to the threshold chamber.

"Thanks, I appreciate it," replies Lyle. "It's been a while since I've had the opportunity to lead a team."

The pair wait silently for all of three seconds before XS speeds to their side.

"SorryI'mlateIwasintheshowerIcan'tbelieveInvisibleKidwashereaheadofmewhathaveImissed?"

Before either of the startled Legionaires can reply to Jenni's superspeed query, Shikari comes flying in from above. "Good day Triple Legion, Invisible Legion, Fast Legion."

Within a few minutes, Spark, Star Boy and Umbra arrive, rounding out the team that Triad had selected. Once they are assembled, she begins a hasty briefing.

"I'm glad you all made it down so quickly; we have an alpha grade emergency at the edge of the solar system, with immediate threat to Robotica and, within a few hours, Titan and Mars Colony. Earth will be safe for another few hours or so after that because of its current position." Triad uses her Omnicom to pull up a sensor picture of the space around Robotica, AKA Pluto, AKA War World. "As you can see, a vortex of immense power appeared approximately ten minutes ago in close proximity to Robotica. As soon as it opened, we lost all contact with them; no signals, no thresholds, not even Titanet. Everything is down. According to our scans, the vortex appears to be emitting immense amounts of radiation of very disparate types; it also seems to have a greater mass than its area should account for. This may be come kind of aftereffect of our recent battle with Darkseid."

"That seems like conjecture, Triad... I see nothing in this scan to really indicate that," interupts Invisible Kid.

"I know, but at this point conjecture is all we have. Invisible Kid, you take this team by threshold as close to the vortex as you can safetly emerge. Find out what it is, what's causing it, and close it if you can. Also, assess the condition of Robotica and determine if they will need aid. Any questions?" finishes Triad.

"Is Wildfire around?" asks Lyle. "That vortex is putting out alot of radiation and power, as you say, and his abilities would be useful."

"No, he's with Cosmic Boy's team on Vyrga. We haven't been able to raise them. Also, M'onel is still in the Second Galaxy, Ultra Boy is with Kid Quantum's team and Superboy is with Brainy working on the stargates, so don't even ask. What you see is what you get."

"Don't worry, Invisible Kid," says Umbra. "My darkfield should be able to handle that level of energy."

"Then what are we waiting for?" asks Star Boy.

"What indeed," replies Lyle. "Shikari, please open the Threshold; lets get a move on."

"Threshold open, Invisible Legion. Step through after me..."

"Legion World control, this is Invisible Kid. We have reached the site of the vortex," reports Lyle over his flight ring com as soon as his team is clear of the threshold.

"Understood, Invisible Kid. Proceed with your mission," replies Triad over the com before the link is severed.

"OK, people," begins Lyle, "lets do what we came here for, then get the sprock out of here!! Spark, XS, head over towards Robotica. Stay in communication with me, and keep at a safe distance from the vortex. Assess the planet's condition, and try to make contact with the inhabitants. Do not approach it closely without my direct authorization."

"You got it, boss-man," replies Spark as she and XS fly off in the indicated direction.

That accomplished, Invisible Kid turns his attention to the vortex in front of him, marveling at the brilliance of the color hues radiating from it. It is... truely astounding. Sparing only a few moments for its beauty, however, he quickly returns to the matter at hand. "Star Boy, my scanner is reading vast discrepencies in the vortex's mass. Can you use your power to confirm the readings that I am sending over to your omnicom?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," replies Star Boy as he glances between the personal computing devise and the Vortex."

"Shikari," continues Invisible Kid, "whatever this is it is clearly not a natural phenomenon. See if you can use your power to track its source."

"I have been trying, Invisible Legion, but I..." she bites her lip in concentration for a moment more before shaking her head. "I'm sorry, I cannot find the path."

"Hey, Kid," calls Star Boy. "I want to say that your readings are right, but I'm detecting strange gravitic anomolies that I can't really explain."

"There is definitely something wrong here," mutters Invisible Kid as he turns his attention back to his scanners. "I'm detecting trace levels of chromometric particles... just barely within detectability range. Umbra, I need the strongest darkfield shield around me that you can muster."

"Why?" she asks, even as she weaves the darkness around Invisible Kid to comply.

"I have to go in closer to get better readings of this phenomenon, and my transuit won't protect me from these levels and types of radiation. Just keep the field in place, and I should be fine," replies Lyle as the field settles around him. As soon as it is secure, he flies quickly towards the vortex, scanning as he goes.

"IK, wait!" calls Umbra over the comms. "You're going in too far; I can't maintain my darkfield for long against that kind of radiation."

"Just do the best you can, Tasmia. I won't be long," he answers as he stops heading in closer, setting up for detailed scans.

"Fascinating," he comments after a few moments. "It seems almost like the entire vortex is composed of chromometric particles, now that I'm close in."

"That's impossible," replies Star Boy. "They wouldn't be putting out this kind of radiation."

"The radiation isn't eminating from the vortex... it seems to be coming from another source. It was masking the chromometric signature; that's why we couldn't detect it... but why would..."

"Spark to Invisible Kid!"

"Go ahead, Ayla," replies Lyle.

"Well, we can rest easy. We've just made visual and scanner contact with Robotica, and they seem to be totally unaffected except for the communications blackout," reports Spark cheerily. "We're on our way back to the rest of the team now. Spark and XS out."

"Totally unaffected?" comments Lyle to himself. "That makes no sense. The only possible explanation is that the source of this vortex is deliberately directing its destructive radiation away from the planetoid, while at the same time masking their communications to make it appear to be in danger, thus necessitating an Alpha-Grade emergency. With Brainy gone, that would require me to be sent out here, and the just barely detectable chromometric particles would necessitate me going in for a closer look..."

As he is speculating, the reading on chromometric particles on Invisible Kid's scanners spikes, going almost off the charts, as the vortex visibly flares brightly.

"KID!! I CAN'T MAINTAIN THE DARKFIELD!! GET OUT OF THERE!" shouts Umbra into the comms.

"What the sprok is going on?" asks Star Boy as he is blinded by the flaring vortex.

"Oh, sprock..." mutters Invisible Kid as a flare from the vortex approaches him. "It was a trap! Get back to Legion World, and tell them it was a tr..."

The flare of chromometric particles surrounds Invisible Kid, cutting off his transmition in mid-word. As soon as this occurs, the vortex collapses in on itself, disappearing entirely as if it had never been... and taking Legionaire Lyle Norg with it.

There is silence for a few moments as the five remaining Legionaires from his team just float there utterly confounded. Finally, Spark breaks the silence, whispering to herself in confusion "a trap?"

"Set by who? And why Invisible Kid?" continues Star Boy along that train of thought.

"I cannot find his path," states Shikari with a dread finality. "It is as if Invisible Legion weren't anywhere anymore."

"Let's just get back to Legion World..." states XS nervously. We can recall Brainy, and figure this out from there.

"This is Shikari calling Legion Control, asking for a threshold boost at this location..."

~~~

Lyle awakens to the feel of rain drumming down on the bare skin of his face. He is lying on what feels like concrete, and slowly opens his eyes to reveal a skyscape at the same time familiar and alien. Slowly he climbs to his feet, swaying slightly from a feeling of disorientation.

"Trap... it was a trap..." he mutters to himself, putting his hand against a nearby brick wall for support.

Brick? Nobody built buildings with brick anymore; this is the 31st century.

With a sudden feeling of dread, Lyle forced his eyes all the way open.

"Oh, bloody nass," he says to himself as he looks around and sees the skyline of what could only be late 20th or early 21st century Metropolis. "I am SO sprocked..."