Chapter Five
Three days. Three claustrophobic, mundane repetitious days. Barbara had abruptly taken time off from the precinct without so much as an explanation to ensure the speedster stayed under the radar. It hadn't taken long for him to find and begin tinkering with every electronic device in her apartment; taking them apart, seeing how they worked, what they were made of, what powered them, etc. To save them from imminent destruction, she sat the red head down and began introducing him one by one to today's modern technology. She'd only scratched the surface before Wally had mastered it, his speed of light mind still as sharp as ever.
They'd taken short strolls at night, pointing out places he might remember, places that urban growth and sprawl had not completely taken yet. She'd ordered in as much junk food as she could to placate the speedster, nearly putting both Big Belly Burger and Chicken Whizzies out of business, but soon they were both at wits end, and it was then and only then that she finally remembered how utterly annoying speedsters could be. Bruce's invitation couldn't have come soon enough
.
xxx
Wally sat in the front seat, hands folded patiently as the commissioner drove through the busy Gotham rush hour traffic, obeying every traffic law, every stop, every yield, as well as the ever changing speed limits along the way. It took all the will power he could muster not to reach his foot over and press down on the accelerator or even possibly get out and push.
"God Barbara, you drive like an old woman," he groaned.
"I am an old woman smartass," she retorted to his amusement. Crossing over the bridge they left Gotham proper and headed south towards the New York countryside.
Wally smiled and sat back in his seat, closing his eyes and stretching his arms behind his back to find a position he could get comfortable. One of his favorite things about Barbara Gordon had always been her humor. The Batcave by nature had been a boys club; be it by League members or their protégés, but Barbara had fought her way in, both physically and mentally earning her place. Besides being an excellent detective in her own right, she'd kept up with two sanctimonious wise asses like he and Dick step for step. Dick Grayson was the closest thing Wally had to a sibling, and a byproduct of that relationship was Barbara became like a sister. If he squinted hard enough, through the blurry haze he could almost see that teenager again. It had been almost twenty-five years to her, but to the speedster it seemed like yesterday.
After a few minutes of silence Wally spoke up. "So what's the story with this McGinnis kid?" Wally asked.
"That kid is actually older than you are," Barbara chuckled, "but as far as his story, it's one you've probably heard before. Parents divorced when he was young, he begins lashing out at any and all authority figures, starts running with the wrong crowds, fights-petty theft, does a couple of stints in juvey, you know the drill."
"Sounds like Jason," the speedster frowned, remembering the tragic life of the one-time Robin and Outlaw.
"Yes it does," she nodded. "Then it becomes even more convoluted. Terry's father is found murdered and not long after, McGinnis 's discovers the hit was ordered by the CEO of Wayne-Powers."
"Oh God," Wally sighed despondently, hearing the same story he had heard too many times.
"Warren McGinnis was a research scientist in the R&D Department. Somehow he and another colleague discovered the company was making biological weapons and selling them off the books and on the black market. Terry found a disc his father had hidden, uncovered some pretty disturbing facts and tracked down Bruce for help. Of course the old man refused, telling him to take any evidence to my office. You have to understand, Bruce had been out of the game for a long time. Most of his family and friends were dead, and the one's still living he no longer spoke to. Bruce had cardiac problems, degenerative disc and joint damage, and just about everything else you could think of that comes with all the punishment he'd put himself through over the years and they had taken their toll. Anyway somehow Terry discovered the entrance to the cave and turns around and steals one of Bruce's high tech Bat-suits."
"Pretty ballsy," Wally replied impressed.
"Yeah I thought so," she grinned. "They eventually teamed up and caught his killer. After Derek Powers was arrested, Bruce took Terry on as a partner, I think it gave both of them a new sense of purpose. Terry's had to grow up fast. It's not like it was in the old days with teams of young heroes and the mentors to train them, it's been on the job training. All the while he's been taking care of a sick mother, raising a brother that's going off in a direction that Terry knows all too well, and trying to keep a girlfriend and the old man happy at the same time. He's carried the mantle well, but Terry's his own man, not some puppet that Bruce manipulates. He is the Batman. Just not the one you remember."
A few moments later they finally reached the gate leading up the long driveway to Wayne Manor. Barbara reached out to the broken speaker box, placing her thumb on the un-lit call button. Seconds later a slim red laser came to life from out of shadows, scanning her thumbprint and DNA.
"Didn't see that coming did you?"
Wally peered curiously at the box as the gate lumbered open. Not as broken down and decrepit as the speedster had first been led to believe. Dick always told him sometimes the best place to hide was in plain sight. Even at his age, Bruce Wayne could still be full of surprises, but an even bigger one waited inside.
xxx
"My God, You look great kid."
"Ollie?!" Wally said in utter astonishment, racing over and embracing the elderly archer.
"Whoa slow down kid," he laughed, "just had my rotator cuff replaced."
Wally released him gently, taking two steps back to look over the old man. Where the years had not been kind to Bruce, the same could not be said for the archer. He looked in amazing shape for someone his age. He was tanned, toned, and still wore his trademark goatee, only now a few shades whiter. From far away if you could look past the silver hair, you'd swear the Green Arrow hadn't changed a bit. Even now the guy still looked like he could kick somebody's ass.
"I can't believe this?"
"You can't? Imagine how I feel." Queen chuckled.
Wayne walked over next to them. "I thought it would be a nice transition if you could be around a few more familiar faces," Wayne declared in his low timber.
"Dinah sends her best. She can't wait to see you."
"Oh man I'm soooo glad she's ok. These days I'm afraid to ask." Wally replied relieved.
"She's doing great, still hotter than hell and hasn't slowed down a bit. You'll see her soon enough, she's getting the guest house all set up for you."
Wally froze for a moment, looking back at the archer curiously. "Hold on a sec. What? Guest house? Where?"
"Star City," Ollie replied equally as confused, turning back to the detective. "You didn't tell him?"
Bruce stepped in. "We need you off the grid. The Paris incident is now on the League's radar, and unfortunately so am I. Out west at Oliver's estate you'll be away from prying eyes."
"It's for own good Wally," Barbara added. "You need some space and time to adjust; Gotham's just not the place to do it."
"But..."
"Look kid it's just temporary until we can get you back on your feet. Trust me you'll love it out there. Diana's still an amazing cook; the guest house's got all the latest gadgets, there's lots of property and a great view of the coast. Everything you'd want."
Wally nodded irritably; trying not to come off as ungrateful. He hated having decisions made for him, but begrudgingly had to admit it probably was a good idea. Gotham, with its smothering buildings, numerous security cameras, and masses and masses of people would make it nearly impossible to keep his speed under wraps long-term. Both Bruce and Barbara felt strongly about keeping his presence a secret from the League for now, and even though he didn't always agree with Batman, he knew Bruce was usually right.
"Ok," he sighed. "When do we do this?"
"Tomorrow morning, first train out." Wayne answered.
"Train?" Wally grumbled. "Really?"
Ollie chuckled. "They're a lot faster these days kid. Not your type speed, but it will do. Best way to travel to keep a low profile."
"You've got to be kidding me," Wally sighed, rubbing his hands through his hair irritably, before surrendering. "Fine."
A quiet chime rang from the dining room, as one of the temporary kitchen staff came out from the kitchen indicating dinner was ready.
They all rose and walked towards the formal dining room, leaving the speedster trailing behind. Barbara stayed back with him, trying to soothe Wally's unease.
"Wally it really is for the best. I know you're nervous you're going to be forgotten, but that's not going to happen. Once things settle down here, we'll all get back together and try to figure out a future for you, and don't worry you'll get some input in it this time. Until then I'll be in touch with you at least once a week, but you can still call me anytime you want, we can catch up with what you missed, or just to vent. Anything ok?"
Wally nodded. He appreciated the gesture, but regardless in all honesty what other choice did he have.
xxx
After dinner the group retired to the library, a roaring fire illumination the room, its glowing embers leaping and twirling in a mesmerizing dance. Oliver and Bruce sipped brandy reminiscing the old days while Barbara, Terry, and Wally sat to the side listening to their tales. Ollie was still a grade A bullshitter, but his stories were as entertaining as ever, albeit a tad exaggerated as everyone who knew the archer was already aware, but you never stopped the man when he was on a roll. It was one of the few times the speedster actually recalled seeing Wayne smile.
The stories skirted the edges of heroics, focusing more on old friends than the masks they wore. Friends they'd loved and lost; remembered just the way they'd want to be. An hour later, Terry yawned and rose from his plush leather chair, stretching and walking towards the old Steinway piano.
"Time to go to work," he stated, hitting the proper key sequence on the antique piano as the oak book shelf to the right of the fire slid open.
"Not tonight?" Wayne asserted
Terry looked back to his boss. "You sure?"
"I'll need you back here at o-four thirty sharp. The Amtrak to California leaves Gotham Station shortly after five."
"Understood. It'll be nice finally sleeping in my bed for more than two hours." McGinnis cracked. "Ollie it's always a pleasure, and West, I'll be seeing you bright and early."
Wally nodded. "I'll be ready."
Barbara yawned and rose to her feet as well. "Come on hero, I'll give you a ride to the city, you can bring my car back in the morning."
The police commissioner walked over the speedster, her palm ghosting his face. "Take care of yourself Wally, I'll be in touch." She kissed his cheek and wrapped her arms around him squeezing tightly. Wally hugged back but her phrasing troubled him. What she meant was until later, but why did her hug feel like goodbye?
"Good night all," Terry stated, sliding the bookcase closed, grabbing his backpack and following Barbara out the door.
The three men remained in the study for another hour. Ollie handed the speedster a glass as they sat and told stories of Barry and Hal, Dick and Roy; their friends, their sons. Wally could have done without the brandy, but the memories were priceless, listening to stories of men he'd never heard before, amusing tales of miscues and embarrassing moments that were sworn to secrecy but carrying statute of limitations that had run out a long time ago. You hadn't lived until you heard Bruce Wayne let out an uncontrollable belly laugh.
"Well kids this has been fun, but this old man's got to hit the bed," the archer remarked. "Don't forget to set your alarm kid, but don't worry I'll be up. Kind of an early riser. See you all in the morning."
As Queen left the room Wally turned to Wayne. "Do you think he's forgotten about the time change?"
"After all that brandy, I think he'll be lucky to remember where his room is," Bruce chuckled. "Speaking of which, Dick's is available if you want it."
The speedster shook his head, uncomfortable with the thought of trespassing on such sacred ground. "No I'm good, I'll probably stay up a little while longer and pass out on a couch somewhere."
"Suit yourself. Sleep well."
"You too."
Before Wayne exited the library, he turned back to the speedster,
"I know you're not happy about this, but you deserve more than I can give you. Oliver and Dinah will able to take much better care than I ever could, but know this, you are always welcome here."
"Thanks Bruce, I really do appreciate at it, but its fine. Speedsters always land on their feet, Flash fact."
Wayne nodded and trudged off towards the elevator to his second story bedroom.
xxx
Wally stretched out on the leather couch watching the hypnotic flames perform their dance. He glanced around the room with hooded eyes, watching the flickering light battle the shadows, until finally he felt the drowsiness of slumber fast approaching. The mansion carried a dank musty smell, every corner of the library covered in cobwebs, something that would not have been tolerated while Alfred Pennyworth was alive.
Bruce was right, he didn't belong here. Gotham had been a safe haven from the storm, but now his voyage was now sailing in a new direction, and he honestly didn't know how to feel about it. This city, this place reeked of death, and he'd been so overwhelmed by his return that he was just finally beginning to notice it.
Almost everyone he'd ever cared about had a direct connection to this place and with them gone it was time for him to say his goodbyes as well, but at the same token where was his headed? Green Arrow's would just be another temporary stop, and then what? Spend the rest of his days hiding out from the Justice League? keeping his speed under wraps and move to some small town and start a new life under a new name? This was insane, a new existence full of unfathomable choices, a perfect example as to why he and Artemis had decided to leave the life in the first place.
Artemis
Just saying her name made his heart ache. What he wouldn't give now to wake up on a table next to her, another one of Megan's mental simulations goes awry.
He hoped that she had forgiven him; forgiven him for not stopping to share his plan, to say goodbye, at least a kiss. Perhaps the pendant she still wore in the picture Barbara had shown him was his answer. He hoped the years following she'd found happiness. He hoped her husband had treated her like the precious gift she was. He hoped her daughter knew what an amazing woman her mother was, how far she'd come from the person her father had tried so hard to corrupt.
But most of all he wished he could have spent just a few more moments with her, tasted her lips one last time, tell her how much he loved her.
"God I miss you babe." he sniffled, feeling his eyes beginning to burn with tears.
He was on the verge of twilight when a small thump followed by a squeak caught his attention. He sat up from the couch and glanced around the room but saw nothing. He disregarded the noise, it was a very old house after all, but as he settled back down he heard the sound again, and then again.
Wally rubbed his eyes, turning on a lamp and searching for the source. Resting next to the book case sat a tall glass faced grandfather clock. Cornered in the back and slamming against the casing was a small gray bat, most likely trapped during one of Bruce or Terrys trips back and forth from the cave.
He'd be lying if he said he did it for humanitarian reasons, the truth was he'd never fall asleep if that thing didn't get back to its home and stop thrashing around. And besides if he was saying goodbye to Gotham tonight, he should say one last goodbye to the Batcave as well.
Wally walked over to the piano, fumbling with the wrong keys twice before hitting the proper sequence. The bookshelf slowly slid open, freeing the bat in the process. The speedster glanced around the room cautiously before making his was down the spiral stone staircase. It felt wrong to do this, but he and Dick had snuck into the Batman's secret headquarters so many times he'd lost count, one last time wouldn't hurt.
Wally traversed the stairs downwards as a cold breeze blew through the chamber, much cooler than he remembered. When he reached the bottom he was surprised to see how much had changed. As he'd surmised the exit had been sealed shut, barely a whisper of the roaring waterfall behind it could be heard now. With the stories that had been conveyed to him about the League, he doubted it had been done by choice.
On one wall sat the uniforms and weapons vault, locked tight of course, on the other was the trophy room, the idea that first inspired the speedsters own desire for souvenirs.
The room housed so much history; the Giant Penny, Scarface's head, Joker's playing card, one of the Riddler's giant hourglasses, and many more Wally didn't recognize, but he'd missed so much history during his absence. He wondered if the new Batman collected them as well.
Wally wished he'd had more time to explore, but it was still good to see it all one last time. Directly in the center of the cave sat the Batcomputer, surrounded by enough hardware that it encompassed nearly a third of the cave. It seemed to be in sleep mode, and Wally was sorry he wouldn't have the chance to see it in action just once, it had to be impressive.
He imagined holographic projectors, petaflop processing speed, algorithm engineering, artificial intelligence interfaces. The technology of this age was astounding, and Batman always had the best toys.
He was so distracted by the cutting edge tech all around that when he turned he nearly knocked over one of the cave's examining tables, sending several prototype batarangs flying towards the floor. Wally slid to his knees in a blink of any eye, catching each and every one before they could impact and send a thundering metallic thud throughout the cave. He prayed none were the exploding type.
As he gathered them together, something caught his eye. Sever long cylindrical items tucked away directly under the table, items someone didn't want found. He placed the weapons back on top and knelt back down to discover five transparent filaments placed carefully underneath, secured by two Velcro straps and away from prying eyes.
Despite his better judgement, Wally loosened the straps, and took one of the transparent documents, unrolling it carefully to examine what someone had tried so hard to hide. Suddenly it flickered to life at his touch, just like the newspaper in France he'd found, but what appeared on this sheet was nothing close to what he had read on the Herlad De Paris.
Wally sped through the document multiple times, placing it down and then examining the others at a blurred pace. Inside were theoretical four dimensional constructs, metallurgy analysis, GPS coordinates, formulas for quantum manipulation, quantum tunneling, zeta beam and tachyon radiation readings, but what caught his eye most was the schematics, laid out in multiple angles and displays. He'd recognize the diagram anywhere; Bart Allen's time ship.
On each document he flipped through, the same six words appeared at the bottom. Dr. Raymond Palmer PhD Ivey University.
'Un-fucking believable" he whispered
xxx
The next morning Barbara's steel Mercedes Vison II rolled up the long cobblestone driveway to the manor parking next to Wayne's town car in front of the once functioning ornate French fountain. Outside on the stoop stood Wayne in his bathrobe and pajamas, drinking coffee and waiting for his partner's return.
"Any problems?"
"Nope," Terry replied. "He was pretty quiet the whole trip in, but it's not like he and I have been chatty anyway. I don't think West likes me very much," he shrugged.
"You saw him get on the train?"
"Yes Bruce," McGinnis answered annoyed. "He's gone ok? Put a tracer on his bag and everything, just like you asked."
Terry raised his arm and hit the display on his wrist. "GPS says he's halfway through Ohio at this exact moment. You need to chill Bruce, he's safe."
"I'll chill when this is all over with and we can proceed to stage three. Are we all set for tonight?"
"Everyone's sent their coded confirmations, and we'll be pulling out right after sunset. Rental car issued under a false I.D., just to be safe."
"Good. If everything goes well, you know what's next. Are you ready?"
"Yes, and I still will be the next fifty times you ask. Bruce you're not talking me into this, I volunteered. I'm ready; we're going to fix this. We're going to fix all of it. Now stop talking about it because you're starting to freak me out," the younger Batman smiled.
"Fine. Let's get some breakfast and do some acclimating and survival training. You're about to enter a very different world."
xxx
Ray Palmer looked at his watch, noted the time and continued typing. His midterm grades weren't going to enter themselves, and he had an important meeting scheduled later that evening that he couldn't be late for, possibly the most important one of his life.
His junior professor Ryan Choi had offered to do the grades for him, even drive him to the rendezvous, but Palmer had declined his every offer. Choi had done enough already, placing his life and freedom on the line if the League discovered what they'd been researching.
Ryan was loyal to a fault, and had taken the mantel of the Atom and done it proud, replacing Ray once he retired. When the League mandate came down, like many young heroes, Choi held little interest in joining a group who'd basically taken over world governments across the globe. By now the League had returned most of that power as crises were averted, but their continued presence alone made any offer to be a part of that them hypocritical.
Do as I say, not as I do.
Over a million people, including his parents and sisters had died in the terrorist attack in Hong Kong, and he's watched helpless as Superboy Prime and his compatriots had destroyed a vast majority of his homeland, but when he'd accidently discovered Ray's initial research in a top secret project, he wanted in. Ray had kept him at arm's length the best he could, but Choi was determined to be a part of the solution, the League or its mandates be damned.
A stack of paper reports sat stacked neatly on Palmer's desk. Despite being a Nobel Prize winning physicist with an eye always looking to the future, Ray Palmer was old school, and he didn't care how hard or how much trouble it was for his students to prepare paper reports. Hard work built character, and he hated using filaments. At his age, it was tough enough to keep his hands from shaking to navigate them easily, let alone trying to grade and make corrections on them.
A loud rumble echoed throughout his lab, and in the distance he could see storm clouds forming to the east. It would make his commute a little longer, which meant he had to get his grades entered faster, which meant he'd need to leave early and not be late again.
Hurry Hurry Hurry, That's all life was about these days, and he was sick of it. If he didn't love science so much, he would have retired long ago. God knows he'd threatened to enough times. If their plan was successful, he wondered how different his life might become, but no matter what happened, Palmer was sure his love of science would still follow him, some version of him at least.
Ray stiffly stood and walked to the window , closing the screen from the upcoming storm when a burst of air shot through the lab sending every report he had so tediously examined flying to the floor.
"For the love of God!" he cursed, seeing hours and hours over work thrown across the floor like a jigsaw puzzle. His aching knees creaked and popped as he knelt down on all fours, beginning the journey of reconstructing his labor. His glasses fell from his nose just as another burst shout through the lab. When he reached to pick up the fallen bifocals, suddenly the reports were gone, stacked neatly back on his desk, while a ghost suddenly appeared before him, fading remnants of lightning racing across his body.
"Hello Ray."
xxx
Michael Holt hated caves, he always had. Batman had a cave, Arrow had a cave, and now this place. The former Mr. Terrific just never understood the fascination. Why couldn't grown-men have secret penthouses or secret cabins somewhere? Why did everything always have to be underground?
Holt knew his issues stemmed from an incident at Mammoth Cave as a child. What in the world were his parents thinking when they took a claustrophobic eight year old into one of the world's largest, darkest caves, only to have their tour guide shut off the power to let them know what real darkness felt like. While his siblings loved the experiences, he knew that day he'd never become a Speleologist.
Worst family trip ever he smiled at the memory, but that smile faded when he thought back to all he'd lost. What he wouldn't give to take his own family on one last road trip, but Superboy Prime had taken that all away from him and millions more.
Tonight's meeting would determine if the result of Ray's latest simulations had been successful. There had been many near misses over the last year, but if the last reports were any indications, it appeared Choi and Palmer had indeed reached a breakthrough, and now it was time to put those results into practical applications.
Their group was small, but distinguished; the aforementioned Michael Holt, Doctors Palmer and Choi, Christina McGee for Mercury Labs, and Silas Stone from S.T.A.R. Only Holt and Palmer were present this night, the remainder staying away as well as a handful of others as a security precaution. It wasn't safe to have the entire brain trust in one place until the trials were ready to begin. The rest of the team consisted of Barbara Gordon, Renee Montoya the Question, Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance, Bruce Wayne and Terry McGinnis, and a few silent partners Bruce chose not to share but vouched for with his life. Holt doubted any of this would be possible had it not been for the late Dr. Martin Stein, whose work deciphering the technology of the time ship had given them a theoretical bedrock on which to build on. How Bruce Wayne had acquired those reports from the League he'd never know. Youth was no longer on their side, but what they lacked in it, they gained in experience. At least that's what they told themselves when morale was low.
Tonight only a small contingent were present, and across the table, Oliver Queen was getting antsy. "He's not coming. Somethings happened."
"He'll be here," Bruce assured.
"What if the League got to Choi? What if he spilled everything?"
Wayne asserted. "Calm yourself Oliver, it's probably the weather."
"Then why the hell doesn't he answer his phone," Queen countered.
"Maybe he can't find a place to park," Terry wisecracked trying to break the tension, but Palmer's tardiness had the younger Batman on edge too, but showing it wouldn't help anyone. "Or maybe it's just off just like yours is," McGinnis added, reaching down to Queen's phone and pressing the power switch on.
"Shit," Ollie cursed, tapping the display and waiting for a signal.
A flood of texts poured in, but before Ollie had a chance to check them, the sound of a security code being entered chimed in through the cave's makeshift intercom system. The computer confirmed the identity belonging to Ray Palmer and everyone began to breathe a little easier.
"Answer your phone next time grandpa," Ollie griped to the approaching scientist as he looked through text after text from his wife. Evidently she'd been trying to reach him for hours, and there was going to be hell to pay. Tonight's results could be game changers, and in his anticipation for the meeting he'd completely forgotten about the package he'd sent her.
The footsteps got louder as Ray Palmer stepped from the shadows, a forlorn expression draped across his face. Seconds later Green Arrow knew exactly why as he read his wife's last urgent message.
"HE'S NOT HERE!"
Behind Ray, Wally West calmly stepped from of the shadows.
"Someone's got a hell of a lot of explaining to do. Who wants to start?"
xxx
McGinnis stood to the side, feeling oddly out of place as he listened to the scolding and arguments erupting from their uninvited guest. Despite only knowing most of these men little over a year, they'd bonded as their plan began to come closer to its fruition, but he'd forgotten most of these men had known the speedster for most of his life, suddenly making Terry feel the odd man out.
The Batman was the key to their plan, and it took every ounce of strength and resolve Terry had to keep his nerve. What they were attempting had only been accomplished once before. It had a slim chance for success, but something had to be done, they owed it to their world, and sacrifice is what true heroes sign up for the day they put on the mask . Now a literal stranger had arrived and was in the process of derailing all they had worked so hard to accomplish.
The speedster's chastising echoed throughout the cave. "Are you all insane?! Did you not listen to one single thing I told you? What you're suggesting is ripping a hole in the universe and expecting it to take you down some metaphorical time stream and then just drop you off wherever you want? What's waiting for you inside is not what you think it is. It's not a journey; it's a static, motionless prison, a single moment frozen in time and space. This is beyond reckless; its suicide, no scratch that, it's worse."
"Then how do you explain your arrival here?" Palmer asked.
"I have no fucking clue Ray. It could have been a multitude of things, some kind of wormhole, a crack in the universe caused by Cosmic Strings, maybe even a faster than light event Bart and Barry created trying to shut down the Reach device. There's no way of knowing, but I'm not arguing that time travels possible; it's what happens inside once you open that door that scares the shit out of me. How do you even expect to create an event like that in the first place?"
All gathered eyed each other cautiously. This was highly classified information, information they were willing to take to their graves to protect. Only a handful of men and women knew a plan like this and the ability to pull it off even existed. Their group had been small for a reason and the speedster represented a wild card, one that could easily destroy all they'd worked for with one single slip. To the group he was still a stranger, a very dangerous one. What if he disagreed with the plan so vehemently that he intentionally allowed himself to be discovered, or even worse contacted the Justice League outright?
It should have been a group decision to share as much as they had in the first place, but Ray had known this man since he was a teen; they'd shared a bond, a friendship not just from their work behind the mask, but outside it as well. Wally was a prodigy; Ray had discovered that the first time Barry had brought him to his lab. He absorbed theories and concepts like a sponge. Years later Palmer would advise and guide the speedster through his years at Stanford: steer him when he was lost, encourage him when things seemed darkest, keep him focused when his understanding began to exceed those of his instructors, but most all Ray knew what Barry had known all along, he was a hero, willing to make the ultimate sacrifice if necessary, like he'd already done once before. That had earned him the Atom's trust.
"We believe it's possible to create a stable wormhole using the quantum tunneling technology inside the time ship in conjunction with the Zeta Tubes, to open a pathway to the past.
"Possible," Wally chuckled bitterly. "Not probable, not doable, but possible."
"Yes, and both your presence here as well as Bart's arrival in the past prove the theory is sound. It's no coincidence that Bart's ship arrived at a location that had an active Zeta conduit located inside. We believe once he entered in the time stream, he was able to lock onto to a Zeta signature and used it to guide himself to his destination, both physical and chronological."
Wally stared at the group cynically. "And Bart's ship?"
Mr. Terrific answered. "Theoretically it should protect the passenger inside from the forces within the time stream. It did for your cousin. That may be why your journey differed so much from Bart's account."
"Theoretically," Wally sighed, "and who exactly is this passenger going to be?"
"I am," Terry stepped forward.
"Oh my God!" Wally groaned in frustrated disbelief, shaking his head and walking away.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Terry replied.
"McGinnis you have no idea what their sending you into. What do you all even hope to accomplish?"
"Bart Allen had the right concept," Bruce began, "but not a thorough enough historical understanding. To put it simply, he didn't go back far enough. He focused so much on saving the Flash's life that he missed the events that led to his world's fate, and ours."
"And what was that exactly?"
"A deadly combination of magic, immortals, clones, alien technology, invasions; plans that were put into place long before the formation of the League. Savage has been playing this game for centuries, pitting country after country against each other in world wars, unleashing plagues and catastrophes, all in the hopes of ending humanity as we know it and forcing an evolution of the species that would meet his standards. When that failed he waited patiently for the right allies and technology to available to finally create his master plan, but the endgame was not what he predicted. Savage expected the Reach to simply wipe out humanity, not enslave it. Their plans ran counter to his, and by the time we drove the Reach from out world and began rounding up members of the Light, Savage must have known his ultimate defeat was at hand. Everything he had ever worked for was about to be lost. Unleashing the Superboy Prime clone was his final card."
"How do you know any of this?" Wally asked incensed.
"Savage said as much at his trial, right before he was banished into the Phantom Zone," Ollie answered. "Along with a handful of other powerhouse's the League deemed too dangerous to remain on planet. It's one of the few times I've agreed with one of their moves, but it still doesn't make it right."
"You told me you didn't know who released it," Wally snarled directly to Bruce.
"I told you what you needed to know at the time. We didn't expect for you to discover any of this until it was over."
"Wally, Bart's own trip through time is quite possibly what doomed his future and ours. What we're proposing is finishing the job he started, correctly this time" Ray plead.
"By wiping out our existence?" You said it Bruce, the world is at peace for the first time in decades. And now you want to destroy all of that? Erase all of this, all of us?
Oliver jumped into the argument. "Look Kid, I'm an old lefty. I've always believed the government must do for people what the people can't do for themselves. The people sure as hell can't protect themselves from the likes of us. The League has appointed themselves judge, jury, and in some cases executioner, but eventually folks will wake up and realize this isn't freedom their being force-fed. It all comes around full circle. Societies oppressed, disinters imprisoned, freedoms ripped away. You don't have to be a history scholar to know what happens next. War, death, just what Savage hoped for. This is what future generations have to look forward to, and I'll be damned if I'm just going to sit back at watch it happen. That's not I signed up for, and it sure as hell isn't the legacy I want to leave. Not when I've got a chance to do something about it."
Wally reached back, rubbing the back of his aching neck, an unconscious habit he'd had since his teens. "Ok, let's just say for a minute this little back to the future gig is successful. What then? Are you just going to have this new Batman march up to the watchtower and lay out the entire future?"
Bruce shook his head. "No, it's the League's inaction that brought us here to begin with. It's going to have to be done covertly. The League, my League can never know. Ray, Clark, Michael, J'onn, myself, and other scientific minded people will determine that Terry's existence could severally impact the future. They'll confiscate my suit, the ship, isolate Terry from polluting an already changing time line, and quite possibly make matters even worse. We were different men back then Wally, and I'm not willing to take the chance of this mission ending in failure, and God forbid someone from the Light discovers his existence. No, this has to be done subtly."
"And what the hell are you going to do if this Justice League finds out?" the speedster inquired.
"By the time they do, it will be too late for them to do anything about it." Wayne assured. "If all goes as planned….."
"And that's a big if," Wally interrupted to Bruce's annoyance.
"If all goes as planned we'll be targeting a specific moment in time where all these critical events first met at a crossroads. At that point Terry will begin to make minute alterations."
"And when is that exactly?" Wally asked.
"The formation of your team, specifically the night you broke Superboy out of Cadmus".
"What? This is somehow our fault?"
"No," Bruce replied, "but it is roughly the time period when the Light first put their plan into motion. All the events surrounding that period eventually led to Savage's mind control over us and our off-world absence. That's what drew the Reach to Earth to begin with."
Wally pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to ward off the beginnings of a migraine. He plopped down in the closest chair and closed his eyes. It was all so overwhelming. Wally thought after all he'd been through things couldn't possibly get any more confusing, but he was wrong. Paradoxes, Butterfly effects, even the subtlest of changes that could alter the course of history. These men, the heroes had come up a stratagem to fix the past, one that had the most miniscule chances of succeeding and an even greater chance at making things worse.
However Wally knew he hadn't lived this life, or watched helplessly as millions of innocent people died, friends and loved one giving their lives against a stacked deck. These were incredibly intelligent men and women, true heroes in every sense of the word. They weren't delusional; they weren't doing this to better their own lives. It was about generations both past and future. It was about making things right. He'd posed a similar question to himself earlier of what his future was going to be and had come up empty. Perhaps something like this had been what he'd been searching for all along.
"I want in," he asserted, rising from his chair.
"No way Kid, we don't want any of you anywhere near this in the event it goes tits up." Ollie charged. "We know the risks. We're all old men, if the League does find out, there's not a hell of a lot left that they can do to us that father time hasn't done already."
"Well that's tough shit Ollie. You and I both know I can't be still; eventually they're going to find me. I've got nowhere to go and all day to get there. Besides I'm the fastest man alive now, they'd have to catch me first."
"He does have first-hand knowledge of what we're facing and a familiarly with Bart's ship."
Bruce glanced around the room finding affirming faces. "Fine, but when this is finally about to go down, in the event were discovered I want you and Barbara as far away from this as possible. I need your word."
"Wally nodded. "You've got it."
Mr. Terrific looked over at Palmer. "We'll now that that's settled, why don't you show us what you've got Ray?"
The former Atom nodded, walking back to the conference table and activating the virtual blackboard to begin his dissertation. If his numbers were right it would soon be time to gather the remaining scientists and move on to the next phase.
As the group walked back, Wally took Bruce by the arm, pulling him aside for a moment. "So you've been having clandestine meetings under the rubble of our old base and no one even noticed?"
"That was the plan."
"Dick said this place was completely leveled."
Bruce shook his head no. "The water way, a few maintenance areas, a computer core and a back-up Zeta tube still survived the blast. And I've done a little excavating over the years, just in the event we needed some privacy."
"Hide in plain sight, classic Dick Grayson."
Wayne smiled. "Who do you think taught him?"
"You know if this plan of yours works, you'll crash the time stream."
Bruce nodded. "I'm counting on it."