She looked up to see a...new Legionnaire?

The young woman in front of her looked to be older than most of the Legion, but not by much - perhaps twenty, twenty-one. Her black hair fell in waves around her pale face. She was dressed in a two tone bodysuit, like most of the Legion; hers had deep blue panels on the sides and legs, with white in the middle. There was a symbol, too; it looked like an old earth cross but had a funny circle on top. Black lined her eyes, drawing a squiggle under one. And she was smiling, cheerfully, holding out both hands. One had a small toy that looked like an Ultra Boy teddy bear. The other was empty, as if asking for a hand in response.

Tinya Wazzo drew back from the woman. "Wha-where am I? Who are you?"

The woman's smile softened. "You know who I am. Come. It's time."

"No."

Death sighed. "There's no time or way to argue, Tinya. It's over. You got what you had. It's time to move on."

Tinya drew herself up proudly. "I am the daughter of the Representative from Bzggtl to the United Planets. I earned my way into the Legion of Super-heroes. And I will not go until I say it is my time."

With that, she promptly disappeared down through the ground.

Death sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I hate it when they do this."

***

Apparition floated through Legion HQ but nothing registered her presence. No one saw her or heard her. The alarms paid her no mind. She flew through people and rooms, hoping someone or something would notice her but nothing could. Defeated, she phased through the door to her rooms.

And found herself in a comfy-looking living room, Death sprawled on the couch. "Tinya, you can't keep on like this. Admit it. There's nothing more for you to do."

"Nice goldfish," quipped Tinya, floating into a seated position above the table. "How did I get here? I was in Legion HQ."

"You are mine, now, Tinya, until you move on. I can be anywhere you are. Or I can move...this realm to suit."

There was a knock at the door. Death raised her head, narrowed her eyes, and called out, "Enter!"

The door swung open to reveal a... Tinya faltered a moment and settled on person - A person, dressed in a white business suit and smoking. She couldn't believe it. Smoking was so dangerous and everyone knew it. But there he - she? - was, puffing away. Her - his? face was beautiful, framed by pale red hair, with eyes that spoke of untold wants. On the couch Death made a face, where her sibling couldn't quite see her yet. "Desire."

"I believe you have something that belongs to me," spoke the person in the doorway.

Death covered her face with her arm. "Un-be-lievable," she moaned.

For their part, the goldfish bubbled.

***

"I don't belong to anyone," Tinya said angrily. Desire smirked and drew another puff from its cigarette.

"You are the object of another's...desire. That puts you in my Realm, child." Desire's smile was edgy and not at all comforting, as Death's had been. It paced about the small room as if it was a cage, pausing before the table. "Goldfish. Nice."

"Her time is still up," Death retorted from the kitchen. She was making chicken noodle soup. "That doesn't change."

Desire crossed its arms. "You've let our brother choose mortals before, Sister. One of mine has invoked me. So I came to offer her a choice." The smile widened.

Pale hands thrust a bowl of soup at Tinya. "Done is done."

"Stop talking about me like I'm not even here!" Tinya shouted, startling both of the Endless. She glanced at Desire suspiciously. "What do you mean by offering me a choice?"

Death caught Desire's eyes. "There are rules."

"Agreed. And the forfeit?"

"Will be paid."

Death looked grumpy; Desire, radiant. "It's a choice, child," purred Desire to Tinya. "If you choose our sister, you may move on to whatever dreary little afterlife Bzggtlians believe in. If you choose me, you return to your world, your time, your lover, your friends and family."

Tinya jumped off the table. "What kind of a question is that? Of course I want -"

"Read the fine print, kiddo," Death interrupted, earning a scathing glare from Desire. "You'll only get an extra year, and you'll have to have someone other than Jo admit you exist. And you'll still be dead, which means no one is going to be able to see you. Or hear you."

"But then how will I make anyone know I'm there?"

"That part is your own concern," Desire said.

The young ghost sank a little into the couch, elbows on knees and her chin in her cupped hands. She thought of all her friends and everything the Legion meant to her. She thought about her mother and what she would do to the Legion because her daughter died in the line of duty. An image of Jo swam before her eyes.

She looked up and asked, "If I go back, will I make a difference?" She asked Death, and not Desire, for she was somehow certain Desire would only tell her what she wanted to hear.

Death shrugged. "It's not my place to say."

Tinya shook her head. "It doesn't matter. If I go on, I can't. If I go back, I might be able to help them."

Death took Tinya's hands in her own. "Then forget, Tinya Wazzo, what you have learned here. I return you to your world." Pale lips kissed intangible ones.

***

It took a long time to realize she wasn't gone. It took a longer time to realize who she was. Still more time passed as she learned her limitations. And even precious time slipped away while she tried, futilely, to get Jo to realize she was here.

But in the end, she managed it. And even better, her mother could see her too. Maybe the rest of the Legion would manage it in time.

For now, though, she could make a difference.

For Apparition, that mattered.

***

Delirium took her hands from Winema's shoulders and dove through her touchstone with a shouted "Wheeee!" In between places, where only she could walk, she stopped, and turned inside. She stood in Death's house.

"You owe me nothing, sister. But I'll take a goldfish anyways." Her little hand dipped into the goldfish bowl and snagged one. "You never know when you might need one." The goldfish wriggled in her hands.

"I'll let you look after it, all right? But remember its mine now." Delirium bowed, then skipped through the door and out. Death calmly went to the cupboard and pulled out the fish food, sprinkling flakes into their water.

"Forfeit, Desire," she whispered.

Somewhere else, her sister-brother frowned.