Chapter 3:  A Reputation Preceding

"It’s not a trap," Saturn Girl blurted out from where she still sat. 

Superboy’s head instantly shot around to look at her. 

"What did you say?" he asked.

Saturn Girl’s hand reflexively moved to cover her mouth.  She seemed to shrink with embarrassment, then said, "I said it’s not a trap.  Superboy, I am so sorry.  I didn’t mean to read your thought.  I would never intentionally invade your privacy like that.  I must … I was in there a long time.  There must be some residual connection.  I’m sorry.  It won’t happen again."

Superboy eyed the girl carefully.  Every physiological cue detectable by his enhanced senses indicated that she wasn’t lying.  Perhaps more importantly, his instinct told him that her regret was genuine. 

"It’s okay," he said after a while.  "Don’t worry about it.  Just … a residual connection.  I’m sure these things happen."

She shook her head forcefully.  "It shouldn’t.  I shouldn’t let it happen.  It’s very important that I stay out of others’ minds."

He smiled to reassure her.  "It’s okay.  You’re just really tired."

Reluctantly, she nodded, and said, "I suppose so." 

They were quiet for a moment, then Superboy asked, "You pick up anything else while you were in there?"

She frowned.  What to tell people about what you knew about them and they didn’t was one of the most difficult ethical dilemmas any telepath faced.  "Nothing … nothing important," she said initially.  But after a pause and a rapid consideration, she added, "I’m sorry that you don’t like it here."

Too quickly, he said, "No, it’s fine.  I like it fine."  He was about to protest further until he recognized the look on her face.  It was very similar to one he’d seen his mother wear when he was trying to hide some hurt from her.  He knew that, telepath or not, he wasn’t fooling Saturn Girl on this one.  "You’re right," he admitted.  "I don’t like it here."

She nodded.  "I didn’t pick up the why," she said.

He sighed.  "I … I guess I just don’t feel comfortable here."

"Really?" she said.  "We’ve certainly tried to make you feel comfortable."

"And I appreciate it," he explained "but you’ve tried too hard.  Like last night at dinner.  After every statement, Lightning Lad would stop and say, ‘If you think that’s okay, Superboy.’  Or how Triplicate Girl kept offering to get up and get me more food.  Or how Cosmic Boy kept offering to have my quarters redecorated if I didn’t like them.  I don’t know that I can explain it exactly.  It’s … it’s kind of like … like I’m visiting royalty.  No, it’s worse than that.  It’s like I’m a relic that’s been dug out of the ground, and if I’m handled too roughly I’ll crumble."

"But don’t you understand why we would act that way?  Superman is a legend that we’ve all heard about ever since we were children."

"But I’m not Superman," he protested.  "At least not yet.  I’ve only been Superboy for a little over half a year.  All I’ve done is catch a few bank robbers and stop a couple of monsters.  I don’t deserve all this … attention."

Imra Ardeen paused, not knowing quite what to say.  Knowing all about the brain wasn’t quite the same as knowing all about human emotions.  She was about to suggest that the hero worship he disliked would dissipate as everyone became accustomed to his presence, when he added, "Then, on the other hand, sometimes you all treat me like I’m a dumb hayseed."

His statement shocked her.  "What … what do you mean?"

He began to pace about the room.  "I mean like yesterday at the member tryouts after the meeting.  Now, I understand that neither Smellie Nellie nor the Clean Queen would probably have made good Legionnaires.  That doesn’t mean they needed to be ridiculed like that."

Saturn Girl winced at his statement.  "You’re right.  Some of us were rough on them.  It’s not the first time it’s happened either.  I’ll speak to Cosmic Boy about putting a stop to it.  But why did that bother you so much?"

"Because when I mentioned to Sun Boy and Colossal Boy that mocking them like that really wasn’t necessary, they went into this big phony act about how it had been discovered in the 28^th century that people really did like to be ridiculed.  They went at it for a while, and got a big laugh when I just walked off."

"Those … boys," Saturn Girl said sharply.  She was about to speak further, when Superboy continued.

"Or how Bouncing Boy and Invisible Kid were laughing last night at dinner, when I had trouble working the desert machine and made 10 pounds of some kind of chocolate mousse called A Dark Night Returns. 

Saturn Girl clenched her fists silently.

"Or how everyone was doubled over laughing when I lost five games of Spaceopoly in a row to Proty."

Saturn Girl just shook her head.

"Or how everyone seems to think that it’s funny to drop references to what I’m pretty sure is my future, then just say, ‘Oh, nothing,’ when I ask them what they meant."

Saturn Girl grimaced.  She’d been guilty of that one herself.  "Sorry about the mermaid comment," she said contritely.

Superboy turned to look at her.  "That was meant for me?  I thought you were talking to someone else."

She couldn’t help but groan.  Could she handle this any more poorly? 

"What did it mean?" he asked.

She groaned again.  "I can tell you this only because of what we just did with your memory.  It means that … when you grow up … you’ll … fall in love with … a mermaid."

Making no attempt to hide his incredulity, he looked at her closely for what seemed to her a very long time.  Finally, he said, "You're kidding."

With a stab of self-consciousness, she looked away.  "No," she answered reluctantly.  "I'm not.  That's what happens."

He continued to stare at her for a moment, then slowly shook his head.  "Well, I'll be," he said flatly.  He looked up, either at the ceiling or at Mars.  With him, it was impossible to tell.  After a while, he said, "See that’s the problem.  To you all, I’m not a real person.  I’m a story that you learned a long time ago.  And everyone but me knows how it ends."

"But that will all change," she said forcefully.  "A few more visits, a few missions, and everyone will get used to you.  And you’ll learn how to do things like program the dessert machine and play Spaceopoly.  Before you know it, you’ll be just another one of the guys."

He looked at her, and slowly shook his head.  "I … I don’t know.  Maybe … people are just meant to stay in their own time."   

Saturn Girl bit her lip with concern.  The look in his eyes told her just how serious was his discomfort.  She had to talk him out of this, she realized.  She just had to.  He was too important to the future of the Legion. 

And besides, he was a really nice guy to have around. 

Whatever further arguments she might have produced were suddenly lost forever, erased by the wail of an alarm.  Immediately, Superboy looked at her for explanation.  "That’s the Priority One Alarm," Saturn Girl said with obvious concern.  "Something bad is happening.  We’ve got to get to the Mission Monitor room!  Fast!" 

She sprinted out the door, and was surprised to find herself aloft.  No one had picked her up like that since she was a child.  She learned what it was like to move like a bullet, and in seconds, she and Superboy touched down in the Mission Monitor room.

Waiting there were Cosmic Boy and Brainiac 5.  Both wore remarkably grim expressions.  "What’s wrong?" Saturn Girl barked.

Cosmic Boy began to speak, then found that his mouth was too dry to do so.  He paused, and swallowed hard. 

Then, almost whispering, he said, "Mordru.  We … we have to go after Mordru."