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A little birthday gift for a friend.

Legion HQ – The Lab of Brainiac 5

Querl Dox, a.k.a. Brainiac 5, the Legionnaire with the 12th Level Intellect, was nearing the completion of his latest, and in his words, greatest experiment. Based off mysterious blue prints discovered in the ruins of a civilization on a nearby planet, the plans seemed to have been for an energy generator. After spending two weeks deciphering the plans, another two weeks finding the proper equipment, and now another THREE weeks building the device, Querl had entered the last stage of development.

"If my calculations are correct, once I've uploaded the proper codes, the Nu Machine will generate a brand new form of clean, perpetual energy." He said aloud to himself. His lab was cluttered with his equipment, equations, half-finished experiments he hadn't bothered to put in safety containers, and his dirty clothes.

Querl was just about to encode the last set of numbers, when suddenly, he heard a slight crackling noise in the air. Concerned, but annoyed, that one of his other experiments may have begun acting up (as they tended to do so), he was less then amused when a purplish white wormhole began to open in the middle of the lab.

"Brainiac 5!" A voice cried out.

"Huh?"

"Stop what you're doing!" The voice responded with grave fear. "Or else the universe is doomed!"

"What?" Brainiac 5 turned around. "Who are-"

"I'm you! You from the near future!"

The figure that now stood in the lab looked like a disheveled, battle-scarred copy of Brainiac 5. He was missing patches of hair, there was a black patch over one of his eyes, and it appeared he was missing a leg.

"A future where you activated the Nu Machine and it ripped apart the fabric of space! I've come to stop you!" The copy warned.

"…Really." Querl replied in a rather bored sounding tone of voice. His counterpart seemed to pick up on this right away.

"You don't seem very bothered by my arrival." Querl #2 said.

"A week where I'm not confronted by some disheveled, displace doppelganger of myself is more likely to cause concern." Querl #1 casually explained. "Now, what were you saying?"

"I'm saying, that the Nu Machine's activation won't create a new kind of energy. It will suck the energy out of space itself, until it creates miniature tears in the fabric of existence. The machine can't be shut off, and the tears will become bigger until they start to absorb any and every form of matter around them. 75 percent of the Legion has been destroyed trying to stop it."

"So I won't activate the machine." Querl #1 said, as if it was the most obvious explanation. And it was.

"You have to-wait what?" Querl #2 asked.

"This was mainly a side project anyway to kill time." Querl #1 further explained. "I've got five other ideas for creating perpetual energy anyway."

"Oh." Querl #2 seemed to have significantly calmed down. "Well, um, this seems rather awkward, doesn't it."

"Am I supposed to state the obvious?" Querl #1 quizzed.

"Stop!"

"What?" The two Querls spoke in unison, when another wormhole, this one a bright bubblegum pink, opened in front of them, and ANOTHER Brainiac 5 stepped out. This one was now missing both legs and had a breathing apparatus strapped to his back.

"Now what?" Querl #1 asked.

"Don't try to stop me, whoever you are!" Querl #2 said.

"I'm you, both of you, from the future!" Querl #3 cried out. "If you try to stop him from unleashing the Nu Machine's energy, it will be stolen by the Legion of Super-Villains and create havoc throughout the universe!"

"But if he uses the machine, it will apart the fabric of space time!" Querl #2 re-explained.

"You know I'm standing right here." Querl #1 didn't like being left out of the conversation, even though it was technically about him.

"I know of a way to activate the machine without destroying the universe." Querl #3 spoke as he took out what appeared to be a new set of calculations. "Use these codes, and-"

"STOP!"

A fourth voice emanated from ANOTHER worm hole, colored red and aqua, and out stepped a Brainiac 5 that seemed normal… except the entire left side of his body was made of flaming tentacles.

"Don't use those calculations!" Querl #4 screamed, though his voice was somewhat distorted due to missing half of his face.

"But if he doesn't the universe will be destroyed!" Querl #3 yelled back.

"If he uses the machine anyway the universe will be destroyed!" Querl #2 pushed the third Querl away.

"Who asked you?!"

"I was here first!"

"Then you should be thanking me for making sure you won't exist!"

"What about me?"

"What about you?!"

Querl #1 threw his hands up in frustration.

"Does ANYONE ELSE have anything to say?!"

Five more worm holes appeared.

…

"Brainy what the hell is going… on…"

"Oh dear God."

Cosmic Boy and Dream Girl stood in the doorway to Brainiac 5's lab, their mouths hanging open in shock and horror. Dozens of Brainiac 5s were arguing with one another over whether or not to activate the Nu Machine, embellishing tales of horrifying futures, alternate dimensions, and parallel worlds created from the acts of activating or tampering with the machine.

"I've had nightmares almost exactly like this." Cosmic Boy whispered.

"'Almost?'" Dream Girl asked.

"I'm also in my underwear." Cosmic Boy added.

"Oh."

The funny thing is, the main Brainiac 5 had left five minutes ago to get coffee.

No one noticed.