Batman was always prepared. It took a lot to surprise him, and the whole League knew it (even Flash had stopped trying after a well-aimed batarang almost took his head off). In any scenario, the Dark Knight had a plan, resources (on his utility belt, of course) and an unfailing backup.

But not even Bats himself had suspected the capabilities of a dying time-alien.

Superman had been putting some last blows on the strange time-warper-alien-machine-thing-that-appeared-out-of-nowhere-to-eat-the-earth, when the thing abruptly decided to give up the ghost, though not without letting fly one last massive explosion of time-bending power.

In protecting the nearby Watchtower and the rest of his beloved league, Superman bore the brunt of it.

Bruce remembered standing in the Monitor Womb with the other senior members, watching, horrified, as Clark was bowled over and over in space by the massive ripples, seeming to grow smaller and smaller...It must be a distortion of the cameras, he had thought.

Until they sent a Javelin out to bring the limp body home.

Superman was a child.

Diana looked at the little body laying on the life-support bed, curly mop of dark hair in dramatic disarray, lashes dark against the white skin. She turned to the Martian next to her. "J'onn, will he be all right? He'll come out of it, won't he?"

The alien's eyes were dark. "He will survive, but we do not know how long this effect will last, nor what harm it could do him. Age-wise, he is currently the Krypton equivalent of five years."

Flash had been leaning on the door, unusually silent as he studied the child on the bed. Now he spoke. "At least he's gonna be ok...that's a good thing. But when he wakes up, that kid's gonna be a holy terror to have around."

This drew a smirk even from Batman, who had been sitting silently in a shadowed corner of the room. The smirk vanished, however, when Clark's eyes fluttered open, as if on cue. Dark blue eyes rested on one face, then another, a small smile playing at the corners of the rosebud mouth.

Then, "Hi, guys!" he chirped brightly. Before even Flash could say something, the little boy rolled onto his side and began picking at the life-support contraptions hooked to him. "Can I take these things off now? I feel fine!" His eyes darted over to the more shadowy corner of the room, and stopped on the dark figure there. "Bruce, why's your mouth hangin' open?"

No one was surprised when J'onn called a meeting of the senior members. Now all of them sat around the conference table, trying hard not to pay any attention to the conspicuously empty chair next to Batman.

J'onn spoke. "We have successfully determined how much he remembers. Upon psychological analyzation and a few questions, we have found that he knows our names and has a general mental-emotional connotation with each of us. He knows this is the League, and in his own words, knew we 'do good stuff, like save the world.' However, he has no recollection of any past or ongoing missions."

Green Lantern spoke up. "So, he knows who we are and trusts us, but is really just a kid, otherwise."

J'onn nodded in affirmation. "His mind has the same capacity and capability of a normal Kryptonian five-year-old. His temperament is that of a human of similar age."

The group was silent, except for a low, "Oo-oo-kay," from Flash.

Batman broke the silence. "I have done research on age regression due to anomalies in time, like the one the alien created. Unless a fluctuation similar to the original one hits the subject and reverses the damage, that subject must relive their life in the normal time-space continuum."

For being an Amazon princess and all, Diana looked suspiciously close to tears. John had his ring off and was fiddling with it, Wally slumped dejectedly in his chair, and Shayera kept twisting a nervous strand of hair around her finger. Only J'onn seemed unmoved.

"In all your research, did you not find there to be any alternative answers? Superman is one of the League's foremost members, and–" his voice lowered slightly, "–much needed by all of us."

The Dark Knight leaned forward, folding his hands on the table. "There is a theoretical method that has never been tested. It involves a concentrated ray of pure energy being aimed at the subject, accelerating their age. It's risky, but it might be possible..." He trailed off, for once in his life feeling unsure. He, as much as anyone, felt the painful gap that Clark's caring leadership left.

John set his ring spinning on the tabletop and looked up. "Sounds great, but...where would we get that energy?"

Everyone turned, waiting, to Batman. The dark head bowed slightly, silent for a moment. Then, "Captain Atom."

The table instantly buzzed, everyone with a different opinion. It was Flash, shrill with indignation, that broke through. "We can't just ask him to sacrifice himself for Supes! I mean, if he wanted to, great, but we shouldn't lose one member for another!" Murmurs of agreement circled the table.

"No," J'onn replied, "We should not. However, if I am not mistaken–" here he glanced at Batman, who seemed to know what he was thinking and nodded, "–it would use only a portion of Captain Atom's energy. He would recover."

Silence. Then, "I'll talk to him," and Batman was gone with a swish of the dark cape.