All the greats were mocked.

((I made an A Softer DCU. 

Querl turned slightly at the footsteps, quirking an eyebrow at the unfamiliarity, before he made a complete about face to look at the other, eyes widening. A… Coluan, here? In the halls of the headquarters? Why would-

It was then that he caught a glimpse of the markings on the other teenager’s forehead, and he lit up, a smile tugging up at the corners of his mouth. “You are an alternate version of myself, correct? Brainiac 5? Are you of Universe-247? That is the only one I have encountered so far, how exciting! I met your Invisible Kid, if so!”

Moaning, Querl attempted to recall how he had come into this state. He had been doing a test on some harvested D amino acid oxidase... How had he allowed a flammable substance to even get near the peroxide, that was meant for the catalase solution... His head was swimming as he strained to think of how he had gone wrong.

Carefully, Querl moved himself to stand, brushing off some soot. There had certainly been an explosion, and the dryness of his mouth indicated that he had been physically unconscious for quite a bit of time. And that he was kind of thirsty. 

Without paying too much attention to his surroundings, Querl trudged through hallway after hallway, hoping to arrive at a hydration station. But the more he walked, the more lost he felt. This was looking less and less like Legion World. He would have surely had a conniption, had there not been a tap on his shoulder. 

Querl jumped, pivoting as fast has he could to face the offender. A... Coluan? What? He blinked, trying to hear what they were excitedly chattering about. "Y-yes?" He responded, cautiously nodding, having no other idea of how to approach this. 

"It isn't as if running into the same people over and over again with different mindsets and experiences is exactly pleasurable for me either. Even with the vast memory capacity that is found with a twelfth level intelligence, one can begin to forget who is who. Similar appearances and the factor of time travel do not assist with that."

He was too young to have Alura, and Alura came first. …Well, organically first, but he had said that he wasn’t a father, so their brother…? No, then, but… Robotica had happened… But it was also a different dimension… Hm. That was something to ponder and maybe question.

Either way, Kal’s eyes unglazed, focusing on the odd version of Father as his brow furrowed, confused by what he was saying. “…Yes, I am. I said that I was lost. Are you certain you are Brainiac 5 and… and… possess a twelfth level intellect?”

The boy shrugged lightly. “Alura does not have one. I… I do, but… she is better with… people. Sort of. She purposefully throws them through… walls, not accidentally. I do… that.”

At the corner of an office, Querl stopped again, as the mystery kid continued to blubber. "Of course I'm Brainiac Five." Querl snapped, eyes narrowing. "No other Coluan would voluntarily live amongst earthlings, and certainly none are going to be travelling. Colu is fighting to secede from the U.P. because they did not receive what they wanted, and were being gluttonous. Eschera coli slathered upon a shank of meat. The gall of minor intelligences is infuriating." Cursing Sharn Nux under his breath, Querl snapped his attention back to the roads, ignoring the child babble about some girl. 

He glanced around the landscape, studying the city that was familiar and not, before finally casting his gaze back onto the odd Brainiac 5. He was about his height, huh, and given Kal slouched… “This is not Earth-22, correct? That is my Earth. I think I… am lost again. Especially if you are Brainiac 5, he… he is my Father.”

"Excuse me?" He stammered, head turned to face the kid again. A closer look did indicate a more pinkish complexion, now that he thought of it. "This is Earth-247. I... I am not a father t-to.." 

Computo. 

.....

No, not now. 

Querl regained his composure, bringing his gaze back up from the ground. "I am father to no one, and do not intend to be." His stare was unwavering now, regaining it's cold demeanor. He did not want to help anyone, he had reserved today for errands and maintenance... But alas, he was sure there would be no end to the telecasts should a Coluan citizen be found in the streets. Querl looked back and forth, before rolling his eyes and curling his fingers in a gesture to follow him. 

Querl gave a cursory glance at who had approached him. It was strange, considering the area was not very populated. Doubly so, considering the offender appeared to be of coluan descent, but on Earth. Querl pursed his lips. Anomalies were not one of his favorite things. 

"I didn't think there were any other Coluans present on the planet at this time, especially due to the Robotican fiasco. Politically, it is not wise for you to be here. I highly advise you to go home, purge your memories, and connect to the sleepnet like a decent child, alright?"