Time Enough For Heroism, Part 3: Time For A Change

By C. Mage

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I had the nightmare again.

I should know better than to try to sleep. Problem is, even a Time Lord can't go without rest forever. I sat down in the comfy chair in my room, closed my eyes, and I was there again.

Gallifrey. The Time War. And me right in the middle of it, on the front lines. I was valiant, bold, decisive, an unstoppable force. I was hungry for the bloodlust. I remember fighting and fighting, and it never stopped.

I was the Nightmare Child.

The other Time Lords weren't fighters. They were politicians, scientists, people who relied on their minds. I became one of the greatest weapons in the Dalek arsenal, and I would have wiped the world clean of them if it hadn't been for HIM. My greatest enemy.

THE DOCTOR.

It wasn't even being beaten by him that had made me so angry. It was that he bested me so EASILY. I underestimated him. I never realized he had the Moment, much less that he would even use it.

I was broken, escaping in my TARDIS like a beaten, scared animal and everything became nothing. The dream always ended the same way, looking up at the blank screen on the console, seeing my blood-streaked reflection.

The DEMON...with my face...

I woke up, a cold sweat all over my body. My hearts felt like a heavy metal drum solo in my chest. I don't think I screamed this time, thank the stars. That would've raised an awful lot of questions I really didn't want to answer.

I checked the clock. It had been nine days since the defeat of Metallo. Kara was off pursuing Cadmus in her reporter identity. Henshaw and the rest of the DEO were on alert, in anticipation of the President's arrival. Yes, you guessed it, I'm not invited to the press conference. Seems I'm not reliable enough to be considered a benefit and, with Cadmus out there, I'm also in danger and should fear for my very life.

I snorted. "Welcome to my morning commute," I said to no one in particular and got out of bed. I needed to get dressed and figure out what I was going to do next, because there was no way I was going to cool my heels at the DEO if I had the ability to help.

As I showered, a thought came to me, one I didn't particularly care for: what if they didn't actually NEED my help? Sure, I helped out Supergirl and Superman once, but Henshaw and the others at the DEO didn't trust me. Supergirl was one of the most formidable women I'd ever met. Her friends were able to do some pretty impressive things...and ever since I used the Chameleon Arch years ago, I managed to save my soul, but at the cost of my intelligence and knowledge. Maybe I'm not as big a help as I think I am.

I had to get to the TARDIS. It's been under guard in an attempt to prevent me from attracting any more attention by taking any more trips, but nobody's detected my short-range teleporter yet. I can get in there if the situation called for it.

I took out my sonic screwdriver and bollixed the cameras in my room, making it look like I went back to sleep, then looping the image. The situation called for it.

As soon as I got in, I saw the lights flicker on in response. "Hello, honey, I'm home."

The male response said, in a parody of marital bliss, "+And what time do you call this?+"

"Cute. I need some help."

"+THAT goes without saying, Gambler.+"

"Are you going to provide me with assistance, or are you going to ride me for a while first?"

"+Both. And not in that order. I am stuck here in the midst of primates, with the only exceptions being the Kryptonians and assorted alien races here. We should be trying to figure out how to get back to our own universe, not sitting around here entertaining the whims of beings that are just this side of multicellular.+"

"Ah yes, thanks for reminding me that my predecessor was the one that did the programming on you. We need to start getting rid of some of that outdated and useless code. For now, I need you to do something useful. I want you to locate all alien signatures on this planet, biological as well as technological. I don't mind if it takes a little while to run, but this needs to be run and I need to get identification and examination of all biological alien signatures. I've got a feeling that there's going to be some people here that aren't exactly here by choice. Kind of like us."

"+Very well. At least it gives me something to do.+"

"How many volumes of information do we have regarding conceptual space?"

"+None. And I made sure, I counted twice. The very nature of conceptual space is that the very act of examining it changes its nature. It's the only phenomenon in the universe that the more you know about it, the less it applies.+"

I sighed. There were times when the TARDIS could be extremely annoying, usually when it was being uncaring, but even more so when it was right about something. "Just run the scan. Contact me once the scan's complete, I'm heading back to my room."

"+Don't you mean your 'cell'?+"

"I can come and go as I please."

"+Sure you can.+"

I growled and stabbed at the recall function with my finger. Didn't take long to get back into bed and take the cameras off the loop. I made a show of getting up, hoping nobody was watching me too closely.

As it turned out, I needn't have worried.

I walked into the ops room to find out the President's press conference was being pre-empted...by an attack. The screens were filled with scenes of carnage, caused by a woman throwing fireballs around. Supergirl was already there, but the faces in the room were worried, to say the least. "What's going on, Henshaw?" I asked.

"I'm a little busy right now, Gambler," he said without looking at me. I thought about returning a biting remark about the obvious, but I was having enough trouble making friends at the moment without adding neutrinos to stabilize a positron array...or, as people around here would put it, adding gasoline to put out a fire. "If I require your assistance, Gambler, rest assured I will let you know!"

"I am at your service," I said simply and walked out of Operations. This was starting to develop into an ugly habit. Either I can't help or I seem to make matters worse when I do, and my attempts to learn more about this place seems to be encroaching on the time others have.

Maybe it was time to start looking around.

I stepped into a large room, a large walled octagon with a smaller octagon platform built into the center. The door closed behind me, the hubbub outside silenced. Huh. Soundproofed. Must be someplace where talking is important somehow...or this is where the loud parties are held.

As I stepped forward, a woman appeared in the center of the room. "Identify yourself."

Interesting. "I'm the Gambler. Who are you?"

"I can only tell you that I am not authorized to speak with you. Please leave."

"Well, that's a fine how-do-you-do. Look, if you don't want to talk to me, that's fine. Besides, I can't get to my TARDIS for some privacy…"

"TARDIS...you are attempting to access classified information. Access denied."

I slowly turned to look at her. How in the stars would she know enough about what a TARDIS is to restrict that information? "What do you know of what a TARDIS is?" I asked pointedly.

"You are not authorized to access that information."

Hmmm. "Do you have the ability to scan the biological signature of anyone in this chamber?"

"Yes."

"Scan me and tell me what you find."

The woman blinked, then looked directly at me. "You have been positively identified...as one of the Time Lords."

"NOW we're getting somewhere. What does Krypton know of the Time Lords?"

"...you do not possess the proper authorization for me to…"

I was getting tired of this. I aimed the sonic tool at the base of the platform, pressing down the button for a few seconds. There was a spark from the platform and the woman's image blurred and glitched. "AUTHORIZED," I responded.

The woman nodded. "The Time Lords are legendary beings of great power and intellect. No records exist confirming solid evidence of their existence. What information remains suggests that they were capable of traveling in both time and space, and were the guardians of realities. Eons ago, contact with the Time Lords ended, and no concrete explanations were given. The only causation given was a reference to a being known as 'the Scourge'."

I sighed. So the Time Lords came here, a long time ago, before they closed off the boundaries between realities. "Remove all records of everything that happened prior to my entering this room, and if asked, you will respond that I made an attempt to converse with you, but access was denied. Understand?"

"Understood."

I considered telling the woman to remove all information about the Time Lords, but I wasn't sure how it would react to it. Removing information about me was easier and less likely to cause a paradox.

I left the room. Great. I had answers. Now I wanted a drink.

I was on my way out when I heard that the President was on her way to DEO HQ and was all right. Meeting a President, hadn't done THAT yet. I managed to get back into my room, change into my good clothes, and rush out to see the doors open and the President walking in, flanked by Henshaw and Supergirl. "Welcome to the DEO, President Marsdin," Henshaw said gesturing to the interior and the Operations Room just ahead. "If you'll step this way, we'll show you to your quarters. You can be assured of your safety here."

"I certainly hope so...someone clearly is trying to undermine my efforts to provide amnesty for aliens. It's a tragedy that non-hostile aliens do anything that would make the news, but it could've been a great deal worse." She turned and smiled at Supergirl. "The country is grateful for your help, and Superman's help as well. You demonstrate the reality that not all aliens have ulterior motives or sinister purposes. Aliens have a great deal more in common than some might assume."

As she walked past me, I nodded...and that's when the smell hit. I'm glad my face was directed towards the floor when it happened, then I steeled myself and held out my hand. "Hello, Madame President. Please, call me the Gambler."

She took my hand. "I take it you don't work for the DEO, unless you're a transfer from the Wild West district?" she added with a polite chuckle.

I forced a smile to my face. "No, I'm one of those aliens you're trying to help. Just a traveler, really."

"Oh? What planet are you from?"

"That's kind of a long story, and I'm sure you've got other matters to take care of." I let go of her hand after a suitable length of time. Curiouser and curiouser.

Henshaw shot me a short look before guiding the President away. Supergirl and Alex faced me and both wore disapproving looks. Before either of them could ask me anything, an alarm starts going off. Alex and Supergirl turned to each other. "The infirmary!" Alex said quickly, and both of them hurried off.

Crisis narrowly averted, but I got the feeling that there was going to be a conversation about this later. I figured now might be a GREAT time to not be here. I tapped a button on my sonic tool. "Please tell me you've made progress."

"+I've identified an establishment that is frequently visited by non-terrestrial lifeforms.+"

"What is it? A museum, sports center, diner?"

"+A bar.+"

"...provide me with the address RIGHT NOW."

I found the place, but it was an underground establishment without even a name, which means it took me an hour to find out which door was most likely the right one. It was a very sturdy door with one of those eyeslit things, reminding me of my last encounter with a speakeasy. Of course, if things went true to form, it usually meant the place also required a password. Great. The first rule about being a bar patron: don't try to break into the place.

As I was trying to figure out how to get in, I heard a very familiar voice. "What are YOU doing here?" I turned around to see Alex with another woman. "I thought you were staying indoors because of your recent 'admirers'."

"Who's this guy?" the other woman said, and her eye was looking me over, but not in the "you're kinda cute" way. More like the "you're kinda trouble" way.

Alex sighed. "Maggie Sawyer, meet the Gambler. Gambler, this is DETECTIVE Sawyer."

I held out a hand, which Maggie shook. "Charmed," I said with a smile.

"Yeah, we'll see." Maggie smiled back. "You trying to get in? You should know that this place has kind of a...restricted clientele."

"Don't worry, Maggie, he fits the bill. Although the only non-human ability he seems to have is annoying the people around him by bending or breaking rules."

Maggie looked me over. "He the kind of alien that hurts people?"

"Not that I've noticed," Alex answered reluctantly.

Maggie smiled. "Good enough for me. Just behave yourself, Gambler." She went to the door and knocked. When the eyeslit opened, Maggie said, "Dollywood." The eyeslit slid shut, then the door opened. "Come on in, Gambler. You look like you can use a drink."

"Detective, you have NO idea." I walked in with them. "So, what brings you two here?"

"Trying to get some leads on who attacked the President." Alex gave me a look. "Think you can get a drink and stay out of trouble?"

"You wound me. Deeply." I walked over to the bar. The bartender, an attractive woman who smelled a lot like Henshaw came over. "Miss, I need you to do me a favor. I want you to make the most powerful drink you can give to a carbon-based lifeform."

"Payment up front, and no tabs for first-timers," she said matter-of-factly.

I slapped a twenty on the bartop. "Just pour until this runs out. I've had a really discouragin' month."

"You got it."

As she walked away to make the drink, I saw Alex and Maggie talking to one of the aliens there, and they weren't being nice about it. I heard a tap on the bar and found a golden drink in a tall glass that was fizzing slightly. "What's this?"

"Massive brain damage in a glass. Eight dollars."

I took a sip. OHHHHHHHHHyesssss...this is EXACTLY what I needed right now. I took another gulp as Alex and Maggie gave the alien the "bad cop, worse cop" routine. It's always fascinating to see social evolution in action. By the time I finished my drink, they were finished with the alien, and Alex was walking over to me. "Come on, Gambler, we're leaving."

"What? Why? I just got here."

"Three reasons. One, you're trouble enough sober, I don't want to see what kind of trouble you can cause drunk. Second, we've got a lead to follow, which means I'm not going to leave you here by yourself. I'm not even going to try to explain how you got left alone in a bar and called the DEO twenty-four hours later in another city, in an alley, wearing only that hat and holding a Ken doll in your other hand."

Maggie snickered. I frowned. "And Reason Three, perchance?"

"Some of the people in here play rough, and I don't want to have to pull your butt out of a bar fight before one of these bruisers kills you. Because believe me, Supergirl isn't the only alien on this planet capable of superhuman physical abilities. So come on, Gambler." Alex pulled me off my stool.

I turned to the bartender. "Looks like I'm being cut off, miss. Keep the change."

"I'll float you a tab for next time," she said with a small smile. "'Gambler', right?"

"Got it in one," I replied, walking with a slight unsteadiness that I didn't feel. If they want to think I'm a lightweight, might as well let them underestimate me. "I can walk, Alex...I'm not as think as you drunk I am…" I grinned.

"Funny," Alex said wearily, and walked me out to the car.

It was late when we returned, and Alex "escorted" me back to my room. "Please tell me you're not going to ask me to help you take your boots off, are you?"

"Don't be ridiculous." I demonstrated that I was still fully capable of removing my boots. "See you in the morning?"

She shook her head. "Good night, Gambler. Hope you're not the type to have weird hangovers." Alex left and switched off the light. As I lay there, it was becoming apparent to me that these people didn't trust easily, and I could understand why, based on what was happening. Still stung, however.

The worst part was, the more I learned about Supergirl, the more I found myself becoming attracted to her. Kara was...well, she was Kara. Always trying to hope, to see the best in people, even though she didn't seem to feel that way about me that much. My choice not to take her back to Krypton probably didn't sit well with her, but she struck me as being too impulsive. The risk was too great, but...the look on her face when I said "no" was heartbreaking.

As far as the rest of the DEO was concerned, I was a mystery to them, despite telling them so much about me. I was a loose cannon, an unknown quantity….a gamble, so to speak.

I sighed and closed my eyes. Maybe things would be better in the morning.

Things were NOT better.

I walked out of my room at the DEO to find out we had a new visitor, an alien who seemed to irritate people more than me if you can imagine that. I walked towards the medlab to see Supergirl storming out of it, nearly pushing me into a wall as she passed. I turned to see a man on a bed, looking contrite. I saw Alex coming and asked, "Hey, Agent Danvers…"

"Not. Now." she said tersely and strode past me, chasing after Supergirl. I was starting to see a trend, here. I saw Henshaw, but when our eyes met, I saw nothing but flint. Geez, was everybody angry at me for something, or just angry and unwilling to talk to me?

Fine. If nobody wanted to talk, then I'll just have to get my information another way.

I walked to the room where my TARDIS was stored, seeing that the storage area had a new feature: armed guards. "Well, this is discouragin'..." Fortunately, right when I thought I was going to be put in a conversational oath of silence, I saw James Olsen coming my way. "Olsen, got a few minutes to talk?"

"About what?"

"About why in the world everyone's so angry. I've been given more courtesy in a battle with DALEKS than I've gotten from people around here." He gave me a look. "I'll explain about Daleks later, just tell me what's going on."

"All I know, Gambler, is that the guy in the infirmary is from a planet from the same system Krypton was, and Kara doesn't like him very much. She hasn't been talking to me much, either. Not like she used to." I sensed there was a story behind that, and I got the distinct impression I wasn't the only one here attracted to Kara.

"Trust me, I've been getting the cold shoulder almost ever since I got here. I understand where you're coming from. Maybe if you could tell me more about what Supergirl's been dealing with, maybe we can both reason something out. It's not like I've got anything else to do."

"On one condition. I tell you about Supergirl, but YOU have to tell me more about YOU. Maybe people here would be more accepting if you're less of a mystery to them."

I considered. "You may not like what you hear. If anything, you might find yourself less likely to want to help me."

"How bad could it be?"

I shook my head. "Let's go somewhere we're not going to be heard."

We had a nice, LONG talk.

James told me about how Kara got here, who her cousin was. I told him about the Time Lords, the guardians of time and space. He told me about her earlier exploits and her training. I told him about the TARDIS. He told me about the fight with Astra, Non and Indigo.

I told him about the Scourge. James stopped talking for a few moments. "You were...someone else? A Time Lord….supervillain?"

I sighed. "You make it sound really bad...which, unfortunately, makes it completely accurate."

"But you're not him anymore? How?"

"There's a procedure that can take the essence of a Time Lord and store it someplace. It makes the Time Lord functionally human, with no memory of what he was before, protecting him from even telepathic hunters. Don't need to hide who you are if you don't KNOW who you are. But something went wrong. I took the Scourge and locked him away...but I'm still a Time Lord. Sort of."

"What do you mean?"

I hated this part. "Because I have none of my knowledge as a Time Lord. It's all locked away with the Scourge. The only way I know to get my knowledge back is to release the Scourge again...and I can't do that."

"So that's why you weren't considered dangerous. They didn't find any information about advanced knowledge in your mind when they examined you."

"Yeah...that's me. The idiot with the time machine."

"Hence the guards." James nodded. "They're worried that you might release the Scourge again, and they're not taking any chances."

"So here I am. They don't think I can help, and they're concerned about my motivations when I do help."

"Well, let's be honest...they're also dealing with a lot right now." There was something in his eyes that made me wonder if he wasn't feeling the same way I was.

"When are they not? Look, James, I'm going to go for a walk, clear my head...get out of their way. I wish you better luck than me dealing with this." As I got up, I saw James stand and head out. He looked like he had someplace in mind to go.

That made one of us.

The walk took me around the downtown of National City. Kara's workplace was easy to find, but the thought of showing up unannounced and unexpected made for an unwelcome surprise. She was already in a bad mood, and showing up at CatCo wouldn't help. I swear, I'm getting a warmer welcome from the so-called "supervillains". At least with Silver Banshee and Livewire, I actually got a meal and talking out of it. Maxima was talkative enough.

Maybe I should've taken up my kidnappers on their offer. How sad is THAT?

Well, they don't plan to dissect me at the DEO. Yet.

As I mused about that, I heard tires screeching to a halt and several men pile out of a plain looking van. What wasn't plain were the weapons they were carrying. The hard part wasn't figuring out what they were: meson particle rifles. What I couldn't figure out is what they were doing on Earth! Those weapons were about eighty-four years ahead of technology levels here, which meant they were alien make.

I considered going after them, then remembered the DEO. They weren't exactly happy about the work I did dealing with Metallo. I should just leave it to the experts. Who probably wanted some people to take their frustrations out on.

Who were perfectly happy without my help.

Who had a bad view of me as it was.

….oh, who am I KIDDING?

I moved towards their getaway vehicle. First things first. Hmmm. Nice vehicle. Power doors, power locks, power windows, power steering…

I raised my sonic tool and aimed it at the vehicle, watching as the doors locked, the windows rolled up, the steering wheel locking up and the engine dying. I grinned as I walked past.

PowerLESS.

I looked inside and saw the thugs waving the weapons around. There's a reason why meson particle weapons get phased out soon after their conception. The particle chambers are generally made of crystalline metal or non-metal compounds to increase their efficiency. I blinked. Not sure how I knew that, but it sounds relevant, and it gave me an idea. I sorted out which were holding meson particle weapons and…

"WHAT are you doing here?"

Normally, I'd be glad to see Supergirl, but with her mood, not right now. Still… "They're carrying meson particle weapons...you might want to wait before going in." Almost…

"Wait for what?" she asked, then heard the weapons powering down, the lights on the sides going out. I didn't need superhearing to know I'd found the right frequency.

"Wait for me to use the resonant frequencies of the particle chambers to rupture them, thereby activating the shutdown for the weapons." I pocketed the sonic tool. "All yours. They were being kinda belligerent, so if you are feeling particularly gentle today, don't bother."

Supergirl looked at me, then walked through the doors. I walked away from the bank. I knew this song already, I didn't need to see how it ends. Besides, I was feeling a bit hungry...and I was not eager to head back to the DEO to get chewed out by Henshaw again for getting involved.

Today, I'm going for a walk in the park. That is until I felt the tap on my shoulder. The very strong, feminine tap.

I stopped. "Well, that didn't take long. Let me guess: you want to have a nice long talk with me about this." I turned around, only I was surprised to see that Supergirl wasn't angry.

"Yes, but not the way you think."

I wanted to be angry at her, I wanted to be sarcastic and mean-spirited and let her know EXACTLY how I felt during my time with the DEO. But that look on her face...every caustic comment I'd thought about just went away. I couldn't be mad at a face like that.

Dammit. "All right. Fine. I was going to get something to eat." Grrrrrrrr. "Want to come with me?"

"Mind if I change first?"

"Go right ahead. I'll wait here." As she flew off, I suppose I should be glad I wasn't asked to hold her purse or something like that.

"So….what's up?" I asked over a Big Belly Double Trouble Burger and fries.

"I wanted to apologize for how I acted earlier. I was frustrated about finding out that a DAXAMITE had come here, to Earth."

"And we don't like Daxamites?"

"Their entire race are...elitist...stuck-up...!"

"Okay, I get it, calm down. I was worried you were going to pop a gasket, start throwing things around...maybe even use a profane word."

"They're just….the WORST." She took a long sip of her drink. "And I let myself get bothered by it, and I know you just wanted to help."

"Forget about it." Besides, I'm getting used to that kind of reaction. "You know, last time I had one of these, I was dealing with two other frustrated women. Maybe it's something in the food that helps…"

"Two other women? Who? Do I know them?"

"Well….probably."

"Who?"

"Uh...you probably know them as...uhm...Livewire and Silver Banshee?" Oh man, I probably shouldn't have done that while she was drinking her soda. I just made carbonated soda come out of Supergirl's nose. "Hey, it wasn't that bad…!"

"LIVE...Livewire and Silver Banshee?!" she whispered hoarsely. "How did THAT happen?"

"Well, I got them lunch. They were kind of in hiding at the time…"

"You AIDED and ABETTED two known criminals!"

"I didn't know they were criminals! I just thought it was just Livewire and she was hungry, so I did her a solid, then we went to eat at a burned out club and then Silver Banshee showed up. We ate, I left them alone and they left me alone." I ate some fries, realizing that her stunned expression was not going away anytime soon. "What was I supposed to do, convince them to turn themselves in? The GOOD GUYS don't listen to me, I'm not about to go all John Law on them and end up as a hostage."

"When didn't we listen to you?" she asked.

"Are you kidding me? If I didn't have an automatic translator working for me, I would've thought the most common Earth greeting at the DEO was, 'NOT NOW!' Henshaw, Alex, even you. Kara, I get it, you guys are dealing with a lot, and I want to try and help you. But I'm not going to force myself into your situations if you don't want me there. I'm not here to make things worse."

Kara sighed. "The truth?"

"I can handle it."

"Gambler...it's too much of a risk. You're the last of your kind, and I know a little of what that's like. But you're not like me, or Hank, or the others at the DEO. We're trained, extremely resistant to damage, and we know how things work here on Earth. You've already admitted that you aren't familiar with this Earth, and you don't have a lot of experience or superhuman abilities to fall back on if things get difficult. Look at Wynn. He's a valuable part of the DEO, and has a lot of skills that have helped us out. I just think that, until you get your bearings, find your feet, that you should just stay out of sight. Cadmus is still interested in you, probably wanting to find out what value you could have...even biologically. Do you want to take that chance?"

"I can do plenty, I have…"

"A device that could be taken away and, if reverse-engineered, can cause a lot of trouble. Right?"

I didn't think there was a possibility of that happening, but they were clearly worried about the possibility. "Then what do you suggest?"

"Lay low, research our world, find your place in it. Just give it time."

"Nice touch, that." I sighed. "Fine. I'll lay low, stay out of the way. Maybe I'll check out a few books from the library?"

"Considering what happened the last time you went to a library, Gambler, maybe you should look into getting an audiobook service instead?"

I hated to hear it, but maybe I should give that a try. Look around, listen, learn...maybe grab a drink now and then. Couldn't hurt, I suppose. "I'm going to get more food, take it to go. Want me to grab you anything?"

"No, thanks. You think fighting Metallo was tough? Try maintaining the kind of figure needed to fit into my clothes."

I should've known it wasn't going to be easy.

Supergirl and the DEO got into some more trouble, and it took a lot to stay in my cell, er, room. A few revelations about the bartender at that alien-friendly bar, like how the bartender was a Martian, just like Hank. Some bitch named Roulette who was hosting alien bloodsports, it's been an interesting...and appalling month.

I've been cooling my heels, trying to do research and learn from this place, but files at the DEO are notoriously encrypted and the newspapers are not exactly the sort of thing you use for researching. While I was able to catch up on Supergirl's exploits, apart from discovering that Cat Grant seems to really like Supergirl, there really wasn't a whole lot to go on. I was no closer to being of much use to anyone here, a fact that became glaringly clear when Supergirl was KIDNAPPED by Cadmus. This was, of course, right after dealing with a parasite that makes its host into a leech-like creature that feeds on the life-force of other beings.

Supergirl may have run into some trouble, but, with the help of everyone at the DEO, she was doing just fine. Well, everyone but me. I was starting to feel as useful to the DEO as a spare tire was on the Titanic. Actually, wasn't much help there, either.

I popped my head up for air after Kara returned, only to find that there was a new guardian on the streets, named "Guardian", of course. Plus, Thanksgiving is here, really popular with Earth-types...and I really don't have much to be thankful for.

I went to the Alien Bar to see if I could drown my sorrows, only to find that Mon-El was there...and even an idiot could tell he was waiting for Kara, after brushing off the advances of a couple of the other alien women there. More good news. Looks like the place was going to be getting a little more money out of me. Didn't have much, but then, I didn't have anything to spend it on except hooch.

Just then, I saw Mon-El leave the bar, going after some big guy in a hoodie. Before I could even wonder what was going on, that's when it hit. I felt a roughness in my chest, as if my lugs had been re-upholstered in sandpaper. I started to cough, and saw that I wasn't the only one; other people were starting to cough and wheeze, and falling over.

Wait,...not everyone. The humans seemed fine. Only ALIENS were suffering from whatever was affecting them...affecting ME.

I tried to stand up, but my legs weren't working right, and it was getting harder and harder to breathe. I felt my strength draining out of me as I found the strength to turn my head. All the other aliens were dying. I was dying.

I've never been more scared in my entire life...because I knew what was coming.

Suddenly, Mon-El was there, and he looked fine. "Gambler? Gambler!"

Speaking was AGONY. Speaking was like arm-wrestling SUPERGIRL. But somehow, I managed to get out what I needed to say. "...TARDIS…." Then I blacked out.

I woke up in an isolation cell in a hospital bed, all kinds of tubes hooked up to me. I HAD to get to the TARDIS! I tried to look around, but I was almost catatonic. I could feel whatever it was that did this still coursing through my body. Every cell was starting to die. "...TAR….DIS…."

"He's awake!" I heard Alex calling out to someone, then other steps moving. Henshaw. Supergirl. Good. Maybe they'll actually help me. "Gambler?"

I took a breath, as deep as I could, and pushed myself up in bed. "...get me...to the...TARDIS…..NOW….!"

"We can't, not until we know what happened to you and the other aliens. Mon-El is fine, but you're the only other one who survived."

"I….DIDN'T...survive...I'm DYING...and you...NEED TO….get me….into the TARDIS...FAST!" I could feel it coming. Under these conditions, I wasn't sure how long I had left.

"You're in quarantine. Look, everything's going to be fine," Supergirl said reassuringly. "We'll help you. We'll save you, somehow."

Good GRAVY, but these people could be dense. "I'M...NOT the one….THAT NEEDS SAVING….RIGHT NOW….GET me into my TARDIS...BEFORE I KILL EVERYONE…!"

"What are you talking about?" Henshaw asked, but I could see in Supergirl's face that she was starting to understand, though she couldn't know what it was she was understanding.

"Hank...I think we need to do as he says." She pointed at me, and I looked to where she was pointing. My right hand was starting to glow a gold color. Dammit, it was starting already and I had no idea how long I could hold it off. "We need to get him in a hazmat suit or something."

"...no...time….left…" Dammit. It was going to happen...maybe the quarantine room would be strong enough...no way to know for sure.

Henshaw looked at me, then said, "In for a penny, in for a pound. Come on. We can't leave him in there. Alex, clear the halls. We'll have to do this, Supergirl." She nodded and prepared herself as Henshaw opened the door. They rushed in, picking me up and pulling me out of bed. My other hand was starting to glow now. They literally flew me towards the TARDIS and got me to the door in record time.

"...open...sesame…" I said, my voice barely a whisper now. I didn't know what was going to happen next. The TARDIS doors opened wide for us and Supergirl carried me inside, followed by Henshaw, and the doors slammed shut behind us. I felt surrounded by the energy of the Time Vortex.

Thank goodness. "You can put me down now, Supergirl...and you might want to step back a bit."

"Are you all right? You sound stronger. Is this TARDIS healing you?"

"No...I'm dying. You know….I'm going to miss this old body. We've been through a lot, you know."

"Stop talking like that! We can help you, we can heal you, we can DO SOMETHING…!" Supergirl said desperately.

I chuckled a little. "Tears, Kara Zor-el?" I nodded. "Look...you need to understand when it happens...and I need to tell you something before it does." I looked at the two of them, then finally at Kara again. "You're easy to fall for, you know. You're sweet, caring, smart, funny…"

"Gambler…" she said, but I held up a hand.

"...not finished yet. Still got a lot to do. But before you see the last of this face, I just wanted to you know that I'm really glad I got to meet you. Both of you. Everyone at the DEO. You've all been great to me...and I just wanted you all to know that before I went. I hope I've been at least a little great to you, too." I could feel it now, the energy coursing through me. I had no idea what to expect, how it would react in this reality.

Was I crying?

I opened my eyes to a storm of sound and light. My TARDIS was on fire. There were two people in here with me! A man and a woman. WHOA, what a woman! They were staring at me.

RIGHT! Spot check!

"WOW! Oh my God! I've got a spine! It itches, but I like it!" I looked down. "Okay, so far, so good, two legs, torso, nice enough size….LOVING the new spine!" I kept examining myself. "Good, arms, hands, all ten fingers!" I looked up at the two people...I keep thinking I should know them. "I was worried I'd be missing a few! WAIT! MIRROR!" I turned to the side and pushed aside an armoire, showing a cracked mirror. BOY, but I was a lanky guy. Some muscles, nice, but I had to check out my face. Two eyes, two ears, one nose, one mouth...but the FEATURES. Chiseled face, high cheekbones, and just LOOK at that JAWLINE. Looks like the prow of a ship!

I turned back to the two strangers...WAIT! I I know them! One of them is Supergirl...KARA! Yes, and the annoyed looking one is called HENSHAW! I'm pretty sure of it. Imagine how AWKWARD it's going to be if I mix them up. "SUPERGIRL!" I said, pointing to the one in the red-and-blue outfit. "In the skirt!"

"Yes...who are you?"

What a silly question. "I'm the Gambler, of course. Who else would I be? And YOU must be HENSHAW!" I walked forward to shake their hands and they stepped back a bit. Oh, right, I'M the silly one. They're probably put off by the whole "burning TARDIS" thing. "Look, let's go outside while I sort this out. I need to let the TARDIS go off somewhere safe."

"But…"

"COME ON! No time. Out, out, out, shoo!" The doors opened and I pushed them out of the TARDIS, then turned back. "Go on, I'll be here when you get back!" The TARDIS, flames coming from the opened door, closed the doors and dematerialized quickly. "Good boy! Now…"

I turned around to see Supergirl, Henshaw, and a dozen men with guns pointing them at me. I sighed. "LOOK, can I, Supergirl and your boss have the room, what I have to say next is kind of delicate. Please?"

The men turned to look at Henshaw, who nodded. The men filed out and the door closed. "Whoever you are...explain yourself."

"Whoever...I'm the Gambler!"

"The Gambler died! We saw him explode, and you just...took his place!" Supergirl started forward and I remembered that she could punch holes in battleships, better to explain the Dummies version.

"Not exactly. Uhm...okay, that Gambler did die, sort of...but Time Lords go through this process when their bodies die...we regenerate. A whole new life cycle. This was my first, so I didn't know what to expect, wanted to play it safe. I knew the TARDIS would be the safest place to regenerate."

"So...you're the Gambler."

"I am, just not the Gambler you know." I spun around once. "New body, new experiences, new rules!"

"Do you remember...being the old Gambler?" Supergirl asked, her face unreadable.

I smiled. "Every single moment. It's all coming back to me, new body, new face, BUSY day." I paced a bit. "I remember how you told me about your sister coming out, I know Henshaw here isn't the REAL Henshaw, but a Green Martian, don't worry, Henshaw, like your version better." I felt so FULL of life. If I'd known I was going to feel this good, I might've been less apprehensive about dying. "I know Wynn is the son of the Toymaker, and this is my sonic…!" I pulled out my sonic tool, only to see that it was, well, more fried than a Big Belly Burger Spicy Chicken Sandwich. "Oh...damn."

"Wait. You can fully regenerate after death. Completely." Supergirl was looking less contrite and more mystified.

"Yep. Fully functional." I smiled, then I felt a RUSH go through me. "Oh….OH!"

"What is it?" Henshaw asked.

I shook my head, then looked up and smiled. "I'm CLEVER again...all the things I learned, all the knowledge I had before when I was the Scourge...it's all BACK! Minus the genocidal and megalomaniacal tendencies, thank GOD." I looked at my new hands.

"The question remains: what kind of Gambler are you?"

Leave it to the Martian-in-Charge to cut right to it. "I haven't the foggiest idea...but I can't WAIT to find out! Let's go to your lab. I want to work on what happened to those aliens in there."

"YOU want to work in a lab?"

"Yeah, I know, last time didn't go so well, but I'm not going to do anything flammable this time. Honest."

Henshaw looked at Supergirl. "Normally I'd be against this, but...the sooner we resolve this, the sooner we can figure out how this happened. We'll keep an eye on you, Gambler, rest assured."

"All right, Gambler….here's the lab. Now, we don't have many samples, so you're only going to have one to work with." Henshaw handed me the slide and I took it over to the microscope. This was EXCITING! I looked it over for about ten minutes, the eyes of the three of them boring into my back like they all had heat vision instead of just the one. I double-checked the results, which I didn't like, then frowned.

"Well, this is going to be awkward."

Kara groaned. "Please tell me you haven't spent all this time trying to figure out how the microscope works!"

"It's a virus."

Henshaw said, "We suspected that much…"

"...and what makes it AWKWARD is that it's designed to attack any sentient species that isn't KRYPTONIAN." I turned to look at Supergirl. "So it does sorta narrow down our list of suspects."

"WAIT. How do you KNOW it won't affect Kryptonians?!" Alex asked me. Oh yeah, she still thinks I'm in Moron Mode.

"Section 6908725 of the genetic markers. It's a programmable genetic vector. That's why Mon-El isn't choking out in his cell. Daxamites and Kryptonians evolved along similar genetic lines, apparently. See for yourself. I'll wait." I pushed my chair away from the desk so that the others could look it over, then picked up three empty flasks. I wonder how good I am at juggling. "While you're at it, you MIGHT want to check out if the Fortress of Solitude has had any unexpected visits lately." I started with one, then two, and finally all three. HEY! I was GOOD at this!

Alex walked over to me. "Why?"

"It's a Kryptonian weapon. Designed by Kryptonians. And who's got the biggest Kryptonian database around? Probably accessible only by Kryptonians, through genetic locks. Hmmm...so, Kara, make any donations to the Red Cross recently?"

Kara blinked, then said grimly, "CADMUS."

"So…." I resisted the urge to smile, Kara was clearly distressed over the revelation and I didn't want to make light of her distress. "Think I might end up being a tad more useful nowadays?"

"We'll see, Gambler. I've got a few more aptitude tests for you to run, now that you seem less likely to be mystified by them." Henshaw smiled. "You feel up for them?"

I couldn't keep from smiling at that. "Bring it on."

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TO BE CONTINUED…..