This began as a momentary Christmas thought in my brain that grew, developed it's own plot and generally just refused to leave so I thought I would me mean and stick it here. I probably won't stick to the proper Young Justice storyline but I hope it's not too bad.
Not quite sure how his works but from what I gathered it generally goes along the lines of - NO I do not own any of the characters or DC content, wish I did, but I don't.
Underline = Bart's memory, ItalicBold = Khajida and italics = Jaime talking to Khaji da
It all started rather stupidly. Jaime had brought Bart to the League's annual Christmas party, an innocent enough move but it had still earned Impulse the attention of a doubly green-eyed monster.
A jealous, and rather drunk, Wally.
"But I can't see my family," Barts voice was quiet and he fixedly stared at the floor at Wally's feet.
Wally who had just accused him of being a spoiled future brat who had come back to his tome to try and steal Wally's family and team spot.
"Why not there are telepaths here surely one of them could show us just how excellent your future Christmas parties must have been. Go on M'gann give us an insight to the life of Bart Allen the tourist from the perfect future," he slurred slightly.
"Wally I do not think it would be polite to-"
"Polite? What does he care about polite? He just showed up here completely uninvited and spoils everything M'gann."
Jaime's fists clenched as he moved to shield Bart from Wally's drunken wrath, "I invited him hermano, you have no right to say that."
"Well boo hoo for you Blue, you're not the one who's had to stand by and watch this kid steal their position on the team, their friends, even my family." The red head took a shaky step forward, "all I want is to see this perfect future where the kid got it all so he doesn't have to bother," he hiccupped, "me."
"Can you do it M'gann?" Bart's green eyes looked at her from behind his human shield, "can you show everyone what happened a year ago?"
"Well, yes Bart but you don't have to."
"What's the matter Bart? Suddenly ashamed of your precious future life?" Kid Flash jeered.
Bart looked at him slightly distressed as Jaime squeezed his arm reassuringly but without thinking his gaze turned back to M'gann "Do it, please."
The green girl bit her lip but nodded, "Okay Bart."
There was rather a lot of confusion in the room as the occupants suddenly found their gaze shifting out of focus only for the image to return as clearly as if they were looking at it with their own eye's but every individual suddenly knew that the visions, the sensations of movement and actions, the entire perspective of events was purely Bart's.
"But I thought we weren't allowed up there Aunty Lian," cried a small red head as they walked along an overgrown path.
"It's okay Carol, today's a special day, we're going to go see your mum and dad."
"Will they be there?" Another little girl, clearly the twin of the first tugged on the dark haired woman's sleeve, "what about great uncle Barry?"
The grown up version of Lian Nguyen-Harper, smiled almost sadly at their hopeful expressions, "I'm sure he'll be there too, Alice."
The Justice Leagues view of the three women changed as they felt the sensation of an arm being tugged on. The head they were possessing turned and gasped at the sight to disturbingly similar for all consciousness's present, even if it clearly wasn't the same individual they were used to. An angry Batman.
"What are you thinking Lian? You know this is a restricted area." spoke the Batman glaring hard at the woman his hand still gripping Bart's arm.
"Come on the kids some chance to see them, especially today."
The white mask eyes narrowed slightly but his voice had softened by the time he replied.
"Fine then, How many in your party?"
She smiled at him, " eight."
"Names and ages too Lian."
"Lewis West, 15, Carol and Alice West both, 9," she started, ticking them off on slender brown fingers, "Mia Queen, 16, Victor Logan, 18, Holly Wayne-Kyle also 18."
She smiled to herself as Batman sighed in frustration, "Then there's Bart Allen here, 12 and myself of course," she curled her fingers letting the one representing her to stand alone, "and you should never expect a lady to reveal her age now, should you."
"Of course not," he replied dryly, "so where are the rest of the kids? There's only four of you here."
"The older one's went on ahead."
"Do you think that was a good idea?"
"Why are you asking me?" she paused at the slight flash of concern that crossed his face rolled her dark eyes and continued, "Holly might be your baby sister but she's big enough to look out for herself. The kids know to stick together and how to watch each other's backs. Beside their old enough to want to, need to, do this themselves."
He growled faintly but relinquished Bart's shoulder and followed them.
After a while the trees began to thin out and the silent spectators behind Bart's eyes watched and felt as the small group's movements became more and more cautious. The watches waited expecting a building or cave, or at a pinch some kind of mystical entrance but as the body they were possessing moved out from the protection all they saw was a ruin.
There were 4 people already up on the hill looking intently at the chunks of stone, spotting them Alice and Carol began to pull away from Lian running toward one of the figures.
"Lewis," they called out in unison.
The four figures turned around at this but the reply was answered by a freckled boy with messy blonde hair and very bright green eyes.
"Well if it isn't my favourite carrot-tops," he snickered teasingly as the two girls wrapped their arms around him, "see Holly the ladies just can't keep their hand off me."
A tall girl with short, black, pulled away from her face by a pair orange goggles just laughed, "nice try West but I have the feeling these two will keep your hands plenty full."
As if to prove her point the twins looked up at him with their huge grey eyes, "did ya find them yet Lewis?" , "Yeah did ya?"
He knelt down to the his voice becoming softer, "of course I did. Do you want to go see them?"
Two nods.
"Alright," he started to lead then away but paused briefly, "you want to come too Bart?"
"S'okayLewisIDon'tReallyWantToInteruptTheCrashFamilyFeels."
"You are family Bart, we're even kinda related and all," came the reply
The image blurred as Bart's memory self shook it's head.
"Okay then Bart, if you're sure."
"So how are you Bart? Feeling crash?" asked a remaining teen, one hand was tousling his vivid green hair, his other arm, a cybernetic limb, was around the shoulders of the blue-eyed blonde standing beside him.
"I'm okay Vic ButIsMiaAlriteSheLooksABitModed."
Mia wiped a hand across her slightly damp cheek and gestured to the stone she was standing beside, "I just haven't seen them in a while Bart."
Bart walked over and crouched down beside the rock moving aside a few strands of grass to read,
'Oliver Queen, Husband, Father, Archer, Friend.'
"I know I'm being silly but-" She was cut off by Vic who hugged her shoulders tightly.
"You're not silly M, your mum would be proud of you for showing your emotions."
She smiled at him but the moment was interrupted by the sound of someone berating.
"Holly Magdalena Wayn-"
"don't you DARE use my full name on me when I'm not even allowed to call you anything but Batman while you're in that suit."
Batman tried to soothe the irate figure of Holly, "Look, I think-"
"I don't care what you think their our parents and you are coming with to their grave right now!"
Lian chuckled as she watched the dark night being dragged off, "So much spirit, she's going to be just like Selina," she turned to face Bart, "I have someone I want to visit too Bart, will you be okay?"
Mia and Vic had already walked off so he simply nodded.
"We'll all meet back here soon okay," and with that she disappeared.
And he was left to read the names of the fallen alone in the silence.
Until the silence exploded.
It wasn't the only thing.
Something had blasted the hero's graveyard tuning some of the memorials and a large chunk of the earth beneath it to dust. He looked around, Vic was carrying Mia to the safety of the trees, Her head lolled limply, Lian had disappeared, so had Batman, Holly could be heard shouting something in the distance. That left Lewis and the twins. He ran in their direction Lewis's blond hair was nowhere to be seen but one of the girls was lying on the grass. She was too still. Bart froze, and stared, somewhere now he could hear something laughing.
Another explosion knocked him sideways, and they felt one knee break.
His eyes opened he had fallen down on front of what must once have been a plaque. He could hear the cries of the others now as they fled, feel the dust settling back down upon him, see the blood on his leg. He looked back at the piece of metal, his reflection stared back, skinny, frightened, bruised, alone.
Then there was a voice behind him.
"Well if it isn't a little toy meatbag,"
Then the sensation of claws gripping his throat, tearing his clothes, turning him over to see-
"NoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNoNo."
They were back in the party room staring at each other shocked and confused with the exception of Jaime who was reaching out to catch Bart as he fell. Jaime tried to sooth him and Bart clung to him like a lifeline, his eye's screwed shut, words tumbling out of his mouth almost too fast to be understood.
"Bruce Wayne, father, husband, hero : status dead, Selina Wayne-Kyle, the feline fatal, loving wife and mother : status dead, Clark Kent, Superman : status dead, Barry Allen, fastest man alive : status dead, Iris Allen-West, flower of her time : status dead, Red Tornado, he of human heart : status dead, Oliver Queen, husband, father, archer, friend :status dead, Dinah Queen : status dead, Hal Jordan, dead, J'onn J'onzz, missing presumed dead, Richard Greyson, dead, Connor Kent, missing, Wally, dead, Artemis, dead, Zatanna dead-"
Jaime shook the small speedster, "Bart, come on esse, snap out of it."
Bart merely gave a hiccupping sob as a few more names tumbled out of his mouth, "Lian, missing, Holly, captured, Mia, comatose, Vic, captured, Lewis, missing, Carol, missing, Alice, dead."
He let out a shuddering sigh and his eyes flew open as he hung limp in Jaime's arms. The rest of the room looked at each other, had that really just happened?
It was Green Arrow who stumbled forward first, "What on earth just happened?"
The rooms attention was suddenly fixated on Bart who was hesitantly stand on his feet, one hand still clutching Jaime for support.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I didn't realise it was that day, I'm so sorry, SoSoSoSorry."
"You don't have anything to be sorry for esse," Jaime's concerned voice was soft in Barts ear.
Wally took a step forward now, his drunken anger had started this but now he felt chillingly sober.
"Mind telling us what that was" he wasn't asking, those faces, the names, could it possibly be a coincidence?
Bart looked at him, his face stricken, "I can't-, I wasn't even supposed to-, I shouldn't have-, ICan'tBelieveIDidThatThisIsSoTotallyModed," the small speedster turned imploringly to his friend.
Jaime nodded understandingly, "go, esse I've got your back."
A quick nod in reply and, still under the scrutiny of the room, Impulse was gone.
But Wally wasn't watching the fleeting Impulse his gaze was locked on Jaime, Jaime who had remained so calm after everything.
"You knew about this already, didn't you."
Jaime sighed and turned back to face the room, "some of it but mostly from guess work."
"How the HELL do you guess something like that!"
"I overheard the names list."
"When did his happen?" Barry moved forward now, standing beside his nephew as both glared down at him.
"He was talking in his sleep, one night when he slept over" Jaime's hand rubbed the back of his neck as he looked awkwardly around the room, "though talking isn't really the best word, he umm whimpered a lot and screamed a couple of times. I just couldn't get him to wake up, and then when he did he just started on that list until eventually I calmed him down enough to get him back to sleep. Next morning he didn't even remember what had happened."
He glanced around the room again the occupants were finally starting to gather their thoughts and start moving, "look all I wanted to do was show him what a Christmas party was. He hasn't been to a proper one before and I thought he might like his first to be with you guy's, you know, all that 'time for family' kind of stuff."
Jaime Reyes the organisms known as the League of Justice have us surrounded. Offensive action recommended.
Not necessary bugsuit we're just being the centre of attention.
Should they attack recent scans suggest a 65% chance of defeat.
I get the idea Khaji da, now shut up and let me get out of here, we need to find Bart.
Affirmative.
"Wait what?" Jaime voiced aloud to himself.
"What what?" Wally wouldn't admit it to anyone but the seeing through Barts eyes had shaken him especially the sight of the three, ever so familiar, children.
Jaime just shook his head slightly, "it's nothing, look I better go. I need to get Bart and head back home before anything else happens."
"And why should it be you," Wally had moved closer, shock and fear and anger were all twisted into his expression, "look bug boy, I want answers and I want them now so if you think that I'd let you -"
Jaime didn't realise he'd suited up and had the plasma cannon aimed at Wally's chest until the faint whirring noise of it charging reached his ears.
Bugsuit what on EARTH are you doing?
Organism Kid Flash threatened host Jaime's possession of the Impulse.
He's not a thing Bugsuit, I don't possess him, and put the cannon away we're trying to be diplomatic here!
The room watched in slight shock as the cannon dematerialised into Jaime's armour and the scarab pulled away.
"Sorry about that hermano, look I really need to go now." he turned away from them walking towards the zeta tubes.
"Just why? Do you feel sorry for him or what?" as quickly as it had come Wally rage had gone again replaced now by confusion.
"He's my friend, Wally, my team mate and right now he doesn't need to be alone on Christmas eve."
Wally gestured to the silent people around the room. Batman surrounded by the various incarnations of the Robin's, to M'gann standing beside Martin Manhunter, Aquaman beside his queen her small child clutched in her arms, even Superman was hovering uncertainly close to Conner.
"But you said it yourself Blue," he spat bitterly, "Christmas is a time for family."
But now Jaime had had enough. He rounded on Wally so fast that even the speedster was taken by surprise.
"Really Wally? Fine then if you want to prove your point then tell me where he is. Tell me where he goes when he gets scared and tired. When he needs to feel like he's not just some stupid kid messing up the lives of the people he's trying to protect who couldn't be bothered to give him the time of day, Wally. Just give me some reason, any reason, to believe you've actually cared about him at some point since he got here."
Their eyes locked in the silence that followed, Wally breathing heavily, Jaime standing perfectly still until Wally's face twisted and his gaze shifted down to the floor.
Jaime sighed, "ay dios mio, Wally, ever heard of the word hypocrite? I hope you saw enough to keep you satisfied."
He walked back to the zeta tube, the scarab armour once more moving to cover his body, before it covered his face however he looked back, "I'm sorry we spoiled your night."
He was disappearing into the white light of the teleporter but everyone could still here the words he spoke next, "Merry Christmas."
Well then, that was the first chapter of Paradox.
I am new here (this is the first thing I've written) so any help with what kind of warning or acronyms I should use to describe this would be greatly appreciated.
Bonus points to those who can get the (mostly comic) book references I've used for the future kids names.