DISCLAIMERS/NOTES
1. This is a fan fiction based on characters owned by DC Comics. I DO NOT OWN THEM. This is just for fun.
2. As always, I'll point out this was written over a decade ago. Here in the UK, Season 2 of the JL cartoon had yet to air, so Hawkgirl had not been revealed as a spy. And the massive, every-hero-in-the-DCU roster of Unlimited wasn't a factor. My timeline picks up after the Season 1 finale, The Savage Time. All my Wayback Wednesday stories are numbered chronologically, if you get stuck.
3. When I originally wrote this, 2015 was twelve years in the future.
4. I misspelt Katar Hol's name throughout this.
5. There are aspects of these stories that, in hindsight, I would change. However, I have kept them as I originally wrote them for history's sake. Not laziness.
THE STORY SO FAR…
Superman/Clark Kent
Age (approx): Mid 40s (age slowed)
The world's greatest hero, the Man of Steel is married to Lois Lane, they have two children, Joel, five, and Lara, two.
Batman/Bruce Wayne
Age (approx): Mid-to-late 40s
Still the Dark Knight, Batman protects Gotham at night, leading his group of vigilantes. He is happily married to Diana, and finally is enjoying life.
Wonder Woman/Diana Wayne
Age (approx): N/A
The chairwoman of the Justice League, Diana is still married to Batman, and looks after their four children at Wayne Manor, as well as leading the world's greatest superteam.
Green Lantern/John Stewart
Age (approx): Late 40s (age slowed by power ring)
Spending more time away from Earth on missions for the Green Lantern Corps, John Stewart has been replaced as Earth's GL by Kyle Rayner, who returned after assignments around the galaxy. His relationship with Shayera dissolved, and they divorced, sharing custody of their two children, Tarran and John Jr.
Flash/Wally West
Age (approx): Late 30s
Deciding to forget about Shayera, Flash rekindled his relationship with Linda Park and they married, having one child, a daughter, Megan. Though more mature, he still faces life with an upbeat and fun-loving attitude. He has a special bond with Faith Wayne, and sees her as a second daughter.
J'onn J'onzz/John Johns
Age (approx): N/A
Still uncomfortable around Humans, J'onn still continues his life as Detective John Jones at the New York Police Department. He is still a member of the Justice League, where he feels the most at home.
Hawkgirl/Shayera Hol
Age (approx): Late 30s
Finally returning to Thanagar, Shayera was reunited with her old boyfriend Kator Hol. As her husband John Stewart spent more time away on missions, Shayera's feelings for Kator returned, and they began an affair. When Stewart returned, they divorced and she married Kator. She has main custody of her and John's two children, Tarran and John Jr, and is expecting a child with Kator.
Wonder Girl/Faith Wayne
Age (approx): 11
Preferring her mother's Amazon background to her father's vigilantism, Faith became Wonder Girl and began training to be as good a hero as her parents. She is particularly close to the Flash, and sees him as a big brother.
Robin/Thomas Wayne
Age (approx): 11
The eldest son of Batman and Diana, Thomas was handed the Robin mantle when Tim Drake retired. Stronger and more invulnerable thanks to his Amazon DNA, he still nevertheless looks up to his father and tries to aspire to be as good as him.
PART 1
Batman sat at the Batcomputer, updating his files. It had been a busy time. Two-Face had escaped for the twenty-second time. Harley Quinn had left the Joker and gone with Poison Ivy, where they had disappeared together. He did not see them as a threat, as neither had caused much trouble recently, but in the interests of security, he had to keep tabs on them.
Selina had come out of retirement and had tried to win his affections by doing good deeds. He thought she had turned over a new leaf, but everytime he spurned her advances, she would undo the good she did and leave him to pick up the pieces.
Kirk Langstrom, after years of controlling his condition, had reverted to his Man-Bat form and tried to kill his ex-wife. It took the entire Batclan to bring him down.
James Gordon had retired as police commissioner, and had been replaced by Harvey Bullock, who had matured over the years and was a respected officer. However, he still had a problem with Batman and his partners.
Still, despite all that… life was good.
He heard footsteps behind him, and turned his chair around. He smiled, as the reason he lived stood infront of him.
"Hi," Diana said. "Thomas is almost ready."
Batman stood up. "Good. What are you going to do tonight?"
Diana shrugged. "The same I always do. I'll put the kids to bed, then I'll play chess with Alfred. I finally won yesterday."
Batman went upto her, and raised his arms, stroking hers slowly. "I'll be at the Watchtower tomorrow."
"You better be," Diana said with a smile. "It's a meeting, and I won't have anyone, not even my husband, not turn up."
Batman moved his arms higher to her shoulders. "You let me miss them quite often, though."
"Only because I like to punish you later…" Diana looked at him seductively. Batman went red.
"Will Clark be there?" he asked.
"Which one," Diana said. "Superman or our son?"
"Both," Batman said.
"Superman said he'll be there, if he can make it. As for Clark, he has school."
"Listen," said Batman. "Next week, Dick and Barbara will cover Gotham. That'll give me all week to spend with you."
Diana smiled wide. "That would be lovely," she said. "I'm going to have to give you a present for that…"
Batman frowned. "Present?"
Diana put her arms around the back of his neck. "Well, here's a small taster…" She then leaned close, and pressed her lips against his. He returned the kiss, but she increased the pressure, surprising him. She pushed his head closer, kissing him harder. He ran his hands through her hair, losing himself in the embrace.
She ended the kiss, and looked at him lovingly. "Get the idea?"
Batman smiled. "I think so."
"Good. And I'll have another taster when you get home tonight."
Batman's eyes widened. He then looked behind Diana. "Come on Thomas, we have to get going!"
/
The stars shone brightly outside, the only things lighting the room apart from the desktop lamp. John Jones leaned back in his chair, having finished his paperwork for the day.
There was a time when he would be looking at the stars through a window of the Watchtower, instead of his office at the NYPD. But a lot had happened these past few years. He had created a Human identity for himself, joined the police force, and rose up the ranks to become one of the city's top detectives. He even had his own office.
Yes, life had improved for him. He was no longer just J'onn J'onzz, Martian immigrant trying to fit in with those around him. His closest friends were still his teammates in the Justice League, but he had other friends now. Fellow cops. People in his apartment building. He had found a place for himself in the world.
Still, it would be good to get back to the Watchtower. There was a meeting tomorrow, and he had missed everyone a great deal. The League had been a tight-knit family, but in recent times, the heroes had been spending less time together. Ever since John and Shayera's divorce, the League had seemed less close. It was not Diana's fault, of course – she had done a fine job as the group's chairwoman. It was just… the original members were moving on. Batman was spending more time in Gotham with his children and protégés. John had left Earth and returned to doing interplanetary missions for the Guardians. Shayera had remarried and was living back on Thanagar.
But the meeting tomorrow would be enjoyable. Superman was going to be there, as well as Batman, Earth's current Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, the Flash, Green Arrow, Blue Beetle and Black Canary. And Superman and Batman and Diana would probably bring their children.
John turned off his desktop lamp, and stood up. He stood there, and morphed a coat around him and a hat on his head. He then left his office, and locked his office door. He went down the corridor, tipping his hat to Bob the security guard as he passed him.
He left the building and walked down the Police Department steps. He looked up. It was a beautiful night. He considered going straight to the Watchtower, but decided to go home first. There was a cute girl on his floor who he had spoken to a couple of times while collecting his mail. Hopefully he would see her again.
John walked down the street, looking forward to the evening and day ahead…
Life was good…
After all these years… life was good…
A few minutes later, after John had left the area, a figure in a similar hat and coat crossed the road, and went towards the police station…
/
He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
He had not moved for several minutes.
He did not have the energy.
He blinked as he breathed in and out. His chest hurt everytime he moved it. His lungs strained as it passed air in and out of his body. He had an awful headache, and his hands were trembling.
He thought about his life, as he had done a lot recently. He had spent the majority of his years in this house. The people he had met… the family he had made. He knew it would end someday. He knew he would die here eventually.
He just did not want it to be now.
His surrogate son was enjoying life for the first time. He had a beautiful wife and incredible children, and he could tell in his wife's eyes that she wanted more. The house, once so empty, was now full of the sound of laughs and giggles. And in seeing his son so happy, he himself had had his life reinvigorated.
He did not want to go now. Everything was perfect. He had a real family around him again, after so long. He did not want to leave them. He wanted to share in their times of happiness, and help them in their times of sadness. He loved them all, and wanted to be with them always.
But it was no good fighting it. He was dying. He knew. He had known for months… the tiredness, the pain, the trembling… he had tried to keep it hidden from his family. He did not want to burden them with his problems. And it was not a problem really: it was just life. He was not going to live forever. It was inevitable. And he had led a good life. Despite all the troubles and moments of danger, he loved everyone around him. His son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. True, they were not relatives by blood, but he loved them all like family.
He did not want to go. He wanted to stay with them. To be with them, watching their lives unfold.
But he was dying.
When he wanted so much to live.
He heard a knock at the door. He slowly turned his head.
"Alfred? Are you in there?"
Alfred sighed at the sound of Diana's voice. It was time for their nightly chess game.
"Alfred?"
Alfred took a deep breath, and pushed himself up with all his strength. He sat on the mattress, putting his hands on his knees.
"Coming, ma'am…" he said weakly.
"No hurry," Diana replied.
Alfred sat there for a few moments, and waited for his hands to stop shaking. He then slowly shuffled off the bed, and walked to the door. He opened it, and stepped out. He then straightened up, and made his face as serious as possible. He then went down the corridor, towards the stairs…
TO BE CONTINUED
