Chapter Six

22,236 miles above the Earth, the Watchtower floated peacefully in geostationary orbit with the planet. A half century earlier, as a direct result of their current base of operations being compromised, the Justice League covertly established the orbital base, carved from an asteroid and donated by the Green Lantern Corps, its existence kept secret from the general public, leaving their established headquarters, the Hall of Justice, nothing more than a tourist front.

A weary Man of Steel materialized on the Zeta platform and proceeded to make his way towards the monitor womb, it had been a long week. Once again Beijing had disrupted shipping and navigation around the Subi Reef, the man-made islands the Chinese government had constructed in the South China Sea in a blatant attempt at annexing long standing international boundaries, thus hampering the freedom of navigation act in international waters. Their government had been warned on several occasions that such acts would not be tolerated, and yet they still pressed on. Three days ago, those same uninhabited islands were obliterated, erased from the planet by the Justice League.

He hated that the League had been forced to such extremes, but peaceful cohabitation in that area was non-negotiable, and China's actions only fueled a flame that could not be allowed to burn. If Beijing wanted the proposed free elections, they'd have to prove they were ready. Their latest actions clearly proved they were not.

Mozart echoed throughout the white cathedral-esque rooms of the Watchtower as he entered into the satellite's monitoring center. Stationed in front of multiple displays sat the young blonde Atlantean, cycling through numerous live feeds being beamed directly to the facility. Monitor duty was not a task most Leaguers looked forward to, but Aquagirl was never one to complain. The solitude of the satellite was sometimes a much needed break from the chaos below.

"Mareena how is our world tonight?"

"Quiet," she smiled. "A 767 out of Glasgow suffered engine failure shortly after takeoff, but Warhawk was dispatched and assisted in a landing at Heathrow, no injuries were reported. Green Lantern is still off planet, Micron is aiding flood victims in Venezuela, and J'onn is monitoring protests at Cal - Berkeley by the Mankind Liberation Front, all without incident. So all things considered, pretty uneventful thankfully."

Then she added one more item. "Oh and an escape attempt at Arkham Asylum, but it was resolved without incident."

"Batman," Kal-El half smiled.

"No actually Terry…I mean Batman never showed."

Superman chuckled to himself at the slight increase in body temperature he sensed when Aquagirl spoke his name. She and Kai-Ro were so young; it would have been so beneficial to them both if another hero their age could have joined their ranks. Terry McGinnis made perfect sense, until his mentor was factored into the equation. Batman and Aquagirl had had formed a strong bond it the short time they were together, and she still had a great fondness for him, despite being on opposite sides of the League's direction, one Clark knew she still felt uneasy over despite her commitment to the team.

'We'll that's a bit odd, but I suppose even Batman deserves a night off." he shrugged. "Well your relief is here, time to log off and enjoy your weekend. Any plans?"

"I was actually thinking about visiting my mother. Atlantis is very nice this time of year, and since she and I haven't spoken in months, I thought it would be good to pay her a visit. And if things don't go well, the whale migration to always amazing to watch."

"Well tell Mera I said hello."

"I...uh will, " the Atlantean responded uncomfortably, reminding Superman that perhaps mentioning his well wishes would not be the best idea. Like many current and former heroes, the Queen of Atlantis did not hold the alien in high regard any longer, not only for his role in the death of her husband, but the direction he had taken the League after which. It was his order that had sent Aquaman to Central City that fateful day, and like many widowed families, Mera had never forgiven him for it, or for asking their daughter to take Arthur's place."

"You know…on second thought," he said wearily.

Mareena smiled kindly. "I know."

Clark sighed, moving past the memories, sadness and guilt of his fallen friend. "Anyway I've got this, go start your weekend."

"Just one second and the womb is yours," she replied, typing a few more commands into the master computer. "I'm just following up on this odd reading that appeared approximately 26 hours ago. The sensors still don't seem to know what to make of it."

"Let me see," Clark asked, moving next to the young women.

She typed in a few keystrokes, and the world map left the monitor just as holographic projectors came to live, generating a topographic image of the northern hemisphere between them.

"Computer, playback image from time stamp 02:30."

The system complied, and the map focused in on the North American continent, seconds later more specifically the north eastern tip of the United States. As the recording began to progress, a small flash of light appeared beside a landmark no more than a few hundred yards off the coast.

"What is that?" Superman asked curiously, rewinding and playing back the sequence.

"The computer is reading it as a minute radiation surge, but on-board sensors are calling it a tachyon pulse. It's weird," she answered.

"Where's it located?"

"A landmass on the outskirts of Rhode Island. When you plug the coordinates into the GPS, it comes back as Benson Mountain."

Superman's brows furrowed at her discovery.

"What is it Kal?"

The Kryptonian adjusted the settings, and zoomed in on the land mass. It was no longer any kind of mountain, barely a hill even, just acres and acres shattered rock and rubble. He continued staring at the image, stroking his chin deep in thought.

"An internet search says it was an old Air Force facility, the Mt. Benson Bombing and Gunnery Range," Mareena read.

"I remember it as something else entirely," he countered.

"What?"

"Mt. Justice."

"Oh wow," she replied, mouth agape.

The legend of Mt. Justice was well known among the new Leaguers, its location not secret as much as private. Originally it was the covert base of operations during the early days of the Justice League; years later serving the same function for a young and talented group of protégés ready to escape the shadows of their mentors, until its destruction at the hands of one of their own. It was the beginning days of the Reach Invasion, and its destruction and aftermath one of the darkest periods of the League's history.

"According to government records, the drilling rights were sold to a private equity firm about three years ago. I guess there could be pockets of crude oil or methane somewhere down below," the Atlantean suggested. "Maybe the drilling equipment disturbed some of that debris, releasing small traces of radiation trapped under the rubble."

Clark's brows furrowed. "I don't remember reading anything like that in any of the initial geological surveys. It was a long time ago though. The explosive device that was used was of alien origin, it carried the same destructive power of a cobalt bomb with hardly any of the radiation fallout, but it still left that area very unstable. It seems like an odd area to mine."

"I agree. You'd think that all that devastation there wouldn't be any natural resources left to drill for."

"Who purchased it?" he asked

"All it shows is a bill of sale to a firm called Napier LLC."

"Napier?" Superman whispered to himself; that name like a splinter in his mind's eye. Something seemed familiar, but he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Let's see what we can find out about this company."

xxx

A long brown timber rattler slid across the warm desert floor in search of its nightly meal as the Sierra Aguilada Mountains slumbered quietly under a cloudy southwestern sky. Tucked away at the base of that range stood a large abandoned structure, once home to some of the most advanced aircraft ever manufactured.

Ferris Air was now another company fallen victim to the post 2030 financial collapse, an unforeseen ripple effect of the worldwide terrorist attacks years earlier. When CEO Carol Ferris was unable to resurrect her company from the ashes, she pulled up stakes and closed shop, joining a long list of aerospace companies that had left empty facilities scattered across the western United States. Military air crafts were big business, but now that market had been cut significantly. There was no need to prepare for war when war wasn't allowed. The Justice League had seen to that.

Inside the thousand square foot hangar five scientists, some of the most brilliant men and women in their field had finally come together in the same room, after almost three years since the initial idea had been first proposed. There had been several small clandestine meetings throughout the years, two or three scientists gathering by chance in the same science conference, circumstantial encounters that would not garner suspicion from up high, but tonight caution was thrown to the wind, it was finally time for the entire collective to convene. The simulations had been a success, and after comparing notes and triple checking each other's formulas, they were finally ready to begin phase three, that was until an unexpected visitor from the past had brought along news that none of the gathered scientists had remotely expected.

On the left side of the large conference table, Dr. Tina McGee could not stop staring at the speedster. It was the first time she'd laid eyes on him in person since his return, and the doctor was still trying to wrap her head around his presence here. When Ray first sent her the news, she initially thought it was a joke, one in very poor taste.

Even though it had been decades, she distinctly remembered the first day Barry Allen had brought the young red head to her lab. Wally had barely been out of the hospital a week since the explosion in his basement, and was already beginning to manifest his abilities. Tina had been a confidant and adviser to Barry for much of his career, but she wasn't exactly what you'd call and a people person, and she most definitely was not kid friendly.

Over the next few weeks and months, she battled constantly with the young speedster; to stay still for the numerous examinations, to quit clowning and take the tests seriously, to pay attention and focus, but it was like herding cats, super powered cats with the attention span of a flea. That was the day Tina decided that motherhood was not something she planned to add to her resume.

But throughout the following years, the two grew closer. When Wally's childlike curiosity of science became an obsession; that was when they finally made their connection. Years later she would find herself sitting in the crowds with the West and Allen's at Wally's graduation. Being a Stanford graduate herself, she was the first to write a letter of recommendation to the prestigious university on his behalf, but there was never any doubt of his acceptance. He was a wunderkind and everyone knew it.

The news of his death had been devastating, and for a woman that kept most everyone at bay, a little piece of her died that day as well. Now he was standing here in front of her, exactly the way she remembered him, and sadly with the news he brought, a part of her wished he wasn't.

"Are you certain Wally?" she asked

The speedster nodded grimly, taking out the small tachometer from his pocket, one of the few surviving pieces of technology from his uniform. "Barry and I both had these sensors built into our suits to monitor output and velocity. I was at almost three times the speed of sound, maybe even a tad faster by drafting off of Barry and Bart; they were probably twice that…at least."

"I remember being lapped by them, I remember the feedback that kept hitting me, watching my body fade away, and the next thing I know I'm slamming into some kind of invisible brick wall. It felt like it was covered in glue. I didn't decelerate; I didn't bounce. I just… stopped… dead …frozen, completely motionless. That was probably the edge of the time stream, and let me tell you, the gravity inside that thing was crushing. And that's it. That's the last thing I remember before I arrived here."

"But the quantum tunneling effect….." Mr. Terrific questioned.

"If his measurements are correct it won't be enough," Dr. Stone spoke dejectedly. "We've assumed entering through the Zeta transit system would bypass the need for breaking through the event horizon, but it seems that is no longer the case."

Ray rubbed at his eyes bleakly. "Theoretically the specs on Bart Allen's time ship indicate it can match and exceed the speed necessary, but not until the ship reaches the time stream and the tachyon emitters begin to forge a path. We expected severe gravitational fluxes, but not to this extent."

"If we can't punch through that barrier there's no telling how or where the ship might enter back into normal space time, and what does that force do to the pilot inside?" McGee added before turning to the speedster "Wally, how do you think you survived?"

"I really don't know Doc. Maybe my body's more equipped to handle gravity due to my abilities, maybe my physiology different, maybe it was just dumb luck."

Choi stepped in. "From what we've gathered from Wally's experience, it's not likely the ship could survive the initial impact, and if it did, it's doubtful it would have enough velocity to even reach the stream,"

Dr. Stone agreed. "Using the Zeta tube to open a hole in the space time continuum is only the first step, and even in doing so it appears there's no way the ship can reach the needed velocity in such a short window, let alone navigate inside it."

"Then we're screwed," Palmer replied in disgust, throwing his research to the floor. "It's pointless"

Wally remained silent as he looked around the table at the dejected faces. These were some of the smartest people he'd ever known, and it was unbelievable, bordering on sardonic, that a device as simple as a speedometer had trumped some of the most advanced theories and technologies ever imagined. This science was beyond him, he accepted that and didn't once doubt its validity, but the bottom line was he'd been there; he'd experienced the events inside that were just theories and variables to the gathered scientists and physicists. He'd been where they were trying to go, the only person he knew of that had reached that plane, and it was a road to nowhere.

"We can't just give up, maybe were looking at it wrong." Mr. Terrific interjected, trying to mask the fact he was as disheartened as they were. 'We need to think more outside the box."

"Michael, this whole project has been nothing but outside the box. You can turn and shape it anyway you like, but we're still going to come up with the same conclusions," the elder Atom sighed.

"I need some air," the disillusioned physicist added, walking out the hangar doors into the dry desert night, passing by Bruce and Terry as they arrived without even stopping.

"What's wrong?" Wayne asked.

"Nothing a Saturn Five rocket wouldn't fix," Choi replied as he passed by, heading out to calm his mentor.

Holt walked over and to join the duo. "We've discovered some… unexpected variables we hadn't accounted for. We're going to have to go back and reevaluate large segments of our initial data and calculations."

"How far back?"

Holt frowned. "Honestly…all the way to square one."

Over the course of the next few hours the collective explained to both Batmen what had transpired; the unforeseen dynamics of new gravitational data provided by Wally's experience inside the time stream versus their current models and theories, and how with these new abstracts, the chances of the Zeta alone piercing the event horizon dropped to less than twelve percent, the likelihood of the survival of the passenger even less. That left the collective with the doleful reality that years of painstaking research and planning now suddenly meant nothing.

Choi argued, "Time travel is a reality, be it through quantum mechanics or Einstein-Rosen bridges, there still exists a technology inside Allen's ship that made it possible, we're just going to have to dig deeper into those unknown components. It's just going to take time...no pun intended."

Wayne looked around at the frustrated and disillusioned faces of the scientists. Four years ago it was a few friends and colleagues sitting around and reminiscing about the past, commiserating on what they could have done differently, the road not taken, Just a catch of a phrase, nothing more. Then an off-handed remark became an idea, and shortly after an idea became science fiction, two years later it was science fact. Roberts Frost's tale of a life changing decision became a plan to reset the future and correct the mistakes of the past, while saving millions of lives in the process, including those of the ones they loved.

It was a grandiose plan shrouded in a moral quandary, which seemed absurd at the time, but now with a real chance before them, and faced with a dystopian future governed by the Justice League, those moral issues were tossed aside. It had been their driving force. Save the future, save themselves. For a group of men and women with not many years left on this world, it was to become their legacy, their last selfless act. Now weary and exhausted eyes stared back at him. Begrudgingly he knew what had to be done.

"Doctors, it's time to walk away."

"Bruce…" Holt argued

"We've reached the end of the line Michael. It just wasn't meant to be. Tomorrow's not promised to any of us, we need to accept that and move forward. This is the world we live in; it's just not the one we hoped for."

Dr. Stone nodded sadly. "Perhaps he's right."

"We can't just give up. There are still other avenues out there to investigate," Mr. Terrific pleaded. "We're close. I know we are. We just need a little more time."

"That's the problem Michael," Palmer replied. "Time is something we don't have the luxury of anymore. Look at us. We're old. How much time do we have left? I've poured everything I have into this project. I don't give up lightly, but going back to the absolute beginning and starting over? I… just can't do that. Bruce is right; it's time to accept where we are and move on."

Choi looked to Palmer, unbelieving the words escaping his mentor. "I can't believe you're saying this. The proof," he gestured toward the speedster, "is standing right in front of us. We're scientists. We don't just give up because the numbers don't match, we work the problem. We consider the alternatives. We don't just walk away when it gets too hard."

"I agree," Tina added.

"Ryan, don't lecture me. This was a pipe dream to begin with, deep down we all knew it. This project gave us purpose, it gave us hope. Everyone here has lost someone important, someone special. We dreamed we could go back and change that, saving lives in the process. It was a noble idea, but not a realistic one. It's time we face facts."

"Years of research, and you're willing to just throw it all away." Dr. McGee said in disgust.

"No one's throwing anything away, you're welcome to continue on Tina, but I for one don't want to spend my few remaining years obsessing over something I can't hope to change. That's not how my son would have wanted me to live."

Mr. Terrific looked sternly at the old scientist, "You never truly believed in this project did you? This was all just a way to deal with grief of Victor's death."

"How dare lecture me about grief!"

The arguing among the five scientists continued on until Wayne had had enough, and a piercing whistle broke though the bickering.

"That's enough. I appreciate and admire everyone's dedication, and I know that each of you were one hundred percent committed, no one gave up. You all are some of the most brilliant persons I've ever known, but the science is just not on our side. We won't throw it all away; we'll save and protect the work you've done, hopeful that one day the next generation can find a way to put it to use, or perhaps by then there won't be a need to. Regardless the League watches my movements constantly, and it's time for me to stop putting you all at risk. It's time to move on."

The room grew deathly quiet at the assertion. Bruce had been the project's biggest proponent, a lighthouse in a tempest of doubt and despair. Seeing him preparing to walk away sent a finality that none had expected. Soon cooler heads prevailed, handshakes and hugs were handed out, the promises of staying in touch, and final farewells were given. A half hour later the gathered elderly scientists made their way to their vehicles, scattering back across the country, lamenting painfully how close they had come, leaving Terry, Bruce, and Wally alone in the cavernous structure.

Wally and Bruce remained silent as Terry walked away to the electrical room, shutting everything down and securing the facility. Days from now, all utilities would be shut off, and the dummy corporation leasing the facility would close the account and disappear.

Outside, the speedster walked the elderly man towards his car, occasional stealing glimpses of the constellations above. Bruce Wayne was an expert and hiding his emotions, but still the speedster thought he saw a flicker of regret across his grim features.

"You don't believe a word you said to them do you?"

Wayne never turned. "I told them what they needed to hear. Ray was correct; it did give them a sense of purpose. I could see it in their eyes. It gave them an outlet, a way to push past the pain and loss they'd suffered, for the hope of a brighter future. They were close, and sometimes that's has to be enough."

Bruce rubbed his weary eyes. "But in the end, the dead have to remain dead I suppose."

Terry pulled the hangar doors closed and joined them. "All powers been severed from the grid, and the computers and pads have been wiped clean. All the data left is on this thumb drive."

"Good, it's time to go." Wayne confirmed.

"So what now?" Wally asked troubled. Defeat was not something he was used to Bruce Wayne succumbing to, let alone accepting.

"Now you start thinking about your future. I'll give you any assistance you may need. You can go anywhere you like, do anything. We'll give you a new identity; a new home. Or you can take your chances and alert the Justice League to your presence. It's your choice. I'd appreciate it if you'd keep our activities to yourself and off the record. A lot of people would suffer for my poor judgement. I prefer not to have that burden on my conscience."

"Of course," Wally agreed.

McGinnis eased the elderly man into the back seat to begin their journey to the private airstrip and then back to Gotham. He looked to the speedster. "You coming?"

"I don't think so." Wally lamented. "Ollie got me a room at this flea bag motel outside of Roswell. I think I'm just going to lay low tonight and head back to Star City in the morning. I'll come out your way in a few days if that's ok, I want to see Barbara one more time before I head off to…wherever."

"Suit yourself Kid," McGinnis smiled. "You know where we'll be."

Wally chuckled to himself. Kid, What a smart ass.

The speedster watched the taillights of the limo disappear over the horizon, and then he was alone, perhaps really alone for the first time. There was a small part of him that was actually relieved that this delusion was over.

Changing the past, altering the future

The temporal paradoxes alone were logistical nightmares. Scientifically speaking Terry actually had been a good choice to go back, but for all the wrong reasons. He was the only one that wouldn't exist back then, the only one that wouldn't risk running into a past version of himself, but still he would be a fish out of water, all alone. History books could only teach so much, and one misstep could make things worse. A million times worse.

And yet…if he'd succeeded…..

xxx

Two days later Wally sat on the veranda of Oliver Queen's guest house, watching the sunset over the Pacific. Dinah had made another amazing meal; packing him leftovers for days that she knew wouldn't survive the night. Being around them felt good, it felt right. The gloominess of Bruce Wayne could wear on a person, and disillusioned scientists who looked at you as the cause of their failure didn't help much either

Despite the years Ollie and Dinah were exactly the couple he remembered. Two sides of the same coin; a fun-loving, wisecracking, caring duo that could turn strangers into family within minutes. Being with them made him feel loved, safe. It's probably the same feeling a young troubled girl felt after being pulled off the streets and given a chance she didn't ask for. They were as much her parents as Paula and Lawrence ever were, and she was the daughter they had always wanted. Cinderella stories never pan out, but for the longest time this one did. The mere memory of that girl made his heart ache, but the new thoughts and ideas that ran rampant through his brain made it worse.

"Aw babe…" he sighed. "What am I doing?"

He walked back in and sat down at the desk, reactivating the pad he'd been using and entering in a few more equations. He'd already done the math in his head, but seeing it now on screen made it somehow more real.

A flicker of an idea had flashed in his mind while inside that hangar in New Mexico listening to the gathered scientist argue. An incomplete thought that he struggled to put into words. It was far-fetched, almost unfeasible in the logistics, but something that might actually be the unknown variable everyone was searching for.

Him.

The moment Bruce Wayne walked away, Wally decided to let that idea walk with him, and yet it still haunted the speedster,

At twenty three, he still had his whole life ahead of him, but much like elder Batman had said days earlier, it wasn't the life he hoped for.

You can go anywhere you like, do anything. Those were Bruce's exact words. It was at that moment Wally decided he would take him up on that.

xxx

Terry McGinnis sat in the spacious study, looking over the junior college application he had filled out weeks earlier. Up until a few days ago, there really wasn't going to be much of a need for a full load of classes, he wouldn't even exist by the time the semester began. He'd promised his mother if she'd let him take a year off, that he'd work the entire time to earn money for college. That's what his dad would have wanted.

You're brilliant son, you just don't apply yourself. The world doesn't owe you a thing, you have to go out and earn it.

If Terry had heard that once, he heard it a thousand times. How he wished he'd taken that advice to heart sooner. His dad was right, he usually was. Terry hoped that wherever his father was that he was proud of him. Bruce Wayne might have been the reason he was a hero, but Warren McGinnis was the one who taught him to be a man. He missed his dad, he always would.

On his phone he had three unread messages from Dana. He hadn't seen her in days. She'd long accepted that the old man came first, and in all honesty Terry wouldn't be that surprised if she'd already put the pieces together and knew exactly who he was and what he was doing. She was sharp and it would account as to why she'd put up with him as for as long as she had. It reminded him a bit of the dynamic of Barbara and Jim Gordon all those years ago, neither accusing or denying her alter ego as Batgirl. Terry knew Dana wouldn't wait forever, and up until a few days ago he had no idea what he was going to tell her or how to say goodbye, thankfully now he didn't have to.

Maybe it was that feeling of guilt that kept the old man from marrying. It wasn't like he didn't have plenty of female suitors. Talia, Selina, Vicky, Diana, Barbara: the list could go on forever. Maybe the fear of hurting them, or never having to say goodbye was the reason for his bachelorhood, that and being emotionally incapable of any kind of affection or intimacy Terry bemused, but he knew that wasn't true, Bruce Wayne was probably the most caring man he'd ever known.

Once he heard Wayne begin to snore, he knew it was time to start his night job. He silently made his way down the main staircase, stopping briefly at the kitchen to make a few sandwiches before heading to the library and the cave below. By the time he reached the bottom step, one of the sandwiches was already gone. By the time he suited up the next one most likely would be as well.

The cave was faintly lit as usual as he walked over to the main console and entered his code into the master computer, bringing the unit to life. Off to the right, the uniform vault hissed open and heavy hydraulic doors slowly came to life and began to open.

Tonight would be short night. A few laps around the Narrows, Riverfront Center, and Blackgate Penitentiary, just to make his presence felt. He might even have Barbara activate the Bat signal for good measure. Nights like these Terry was usually itching for a fight, but this evening if things remained quiet and uneventful, he'd be perfectly content.

He had pulled on the top of his uniform when he first detected the sound of light breathing coming from the darkness behind him. By the time he pulled his sleeves down, his gloved hand had already activated the batarangs release mechanism and the Taser tips began to charge. Seconds later he let the weapons fly in the general direction of the source only to hear them clang loudly against the cold stone wall. The burst of wind and the lightning contrails that appeared before him were the dead giveaway.

"Why'd you volunteer?"

"God Damnit West! Are you trying to get yourself killed?" McGinnis cursed, deactivating the weapons systems of the Batsuit. "What are you doing here?"

"Sorry. I um…just needed someone to talk to."

"And you chose me, I'm flattered," he said drolly, pulling up the bottom half off the uniform, loading his armaments into their designated pouches.

"Why'd you do it, volunteer I mean? You've got a good thing going here. Family, girlfriend, job…" he said gesturing towards the suit. "How do you give it all up for a plan that had no chance of succeeding?" How do you walk away from all this? From him?"

"Doesn't really matter anymore I guess." McGinnis replied, his voice masked with a trace of disappointment or relief, leaving the speedster unsure as to which.

"Yeah, but you were still willing to. Giving up any chance of a future for people, heroes you didn't even know. Why?"

Terry looked away, pondering the question. It was one he'd asked himself several times, The speedster was correct, he'd be giving up literally everything, making a sacrifice that had very little chance of succeeding. To an outsider, his answer wouldn't mean much, but to someone like Wally, someone whose entire existence in this time was a byproduct of a similar sacrifice, the answer would be clear.

"Because the old man would have."

"West I was a bad kid, I mean really bad. Even before my parents split I was running with a rough crowd doing stupid shit just for the rush, you know just trying to fit in. I wasn't a genius, I wasn't a jock, I wasn't anything. I was just angry and I didn't know why."

"I'm sure Barbara's already spilled all the heartbreaking details," he said sarcastically "Things were good for a while, I got a girlfriend that for some reason put up with me, found a solid group of friends, my grades even got better. Things were starting to look up, and then everything turned to shit. My dad gets murdered, I find out it was his boss who did it, I met the old man, we catch the scumbag, and the next thing I know I'm freaking Batman."

"Welcome to my world," Terry remembered Bruce's' words vividly.

"I felt like a fraud at first, but then I started to get used to the idea of helping people, saving people, and I didn't want another seventeen year old kid to go through what I had., That's when I really started to see what it's like to be a hero. Bruce said he saw something in me, just like he did with Dick, Barbara, Jason, Tim. That's a pretty impressive list; I wanted to be on that list."

"And you were willing to give all that up?"

"Isn't that what being a hero is all about?" McGinnis asked sincerely.

"Look Wally, You've known Bruce longer than I have. He's always been wary of the League, of how powerful it was. It was all about checks and balances with him. Don't get me wrong, he wanted to be a member of it. They were his closest friends, they did great work together, but I think he was always worried about what it might become if they weren't careful. He felt it was his obligation to stay on to make sure it didn't."

Wally closed his eyes, rubbing his fingers deep into his temples. "I just don't get it; these are people I've looked up to my whole life. My uncle was a member; I wanted to be a member. How could things have turned so bad so fast?"

"Don't get me wrong West, they aren't the Injustice League or the Crime Syndicate. They're heroes, they're good people and I don't doubt for a second they'd give up everything if it meant saving lives. I just think that after a while of plugging leaks, they decided it was time to fix the plumbing, Death and loss will do that to you, I get that. And the sad truth is, the world probably is safer now. There's no wars, no tyrants, no criminal masterminds, but there's no freedom either."

"They found a way to fix all that, but the cost is just way too high. They keep criminals locked away without anything remotely resembling a trial, all in the guise of keeping people safe, but they do the same thing to heroes if they don't fall in line to their way of thinking. The world is scared of them, and they have every right to be. That's why the League initiated the Meta-Human Registration Act, it was supposed to calm everyone's fears, but all its done is intimidate or incarcerate people who half the time didn't ask for these powers or abilities in the first place. And guess what? Society is still just as scared of them as they ever were. That's why Bruce and Ollie call them the Justice Lords, it's like they're gods that rule on high. They've forgotten what they were supposed to be fighting for."

"Now meta-humans are afraid to come out in the open. They don't know if registering with the League keeps them safe, or makes them a target. And what about their families?. You don't think I worry about that anytime I step a little too far out of Gotham? The League only sees things in black and white, there are no shades of gray. I've heard Clark and the old man argue about it time and time again. He'll say if they'd been this strict, this diligent back in the day, none of this would have ever happened, then Bruce comes back with, if they'd been smarter and more careful they wouldn't have had to."

"Look the old man has made plenty of mistakes; he'd be the first to admit it, but this plan wasn't one of them. The idea of it scared the shit out of me, it still does. I don't want to leave my family or my friends, I sure as hell don't have some kind of death wish, but it's the risk you take when you put on the mask right? It's what heroes do, it's what you did isn't it?"

Wally nodded solemnly.

Terry sighed. "Look it doesn't' matter anymore, it ain't happening. I've made my peace with it, it'll take the others a lot longer, but eventually they'll come around. We just gotta play the cards were dealt, it sucks but it's true."

He sat down into the chair next to the speedster, staring at him curiously. "But something tells me you didn't run all the way cross country to ask me that."

Wally paused, for a moment, struggling to say the words. "I can do it."

"Do what?" McGinnis asked confused.

"Go back. I can finish the plan?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I think I've figured out a way to do it. I need Bruce to get everyone back together."

"How?" Wayne asked from the darkness, startling the two young heroes, proving once he still had a few tricks up his sleeve.

"The Treadmill." Wally replied confidently, as their elder walked from the shadows to join them.

Bruce's eyes went wide. "The Treadmill," he repeated astonished

Wally nodded.

"Treadmill?" Terry asked in hopeless confusion.

xxx

A weary Barbara Gordon entered the cave shortly after one a.m. It had been a long night. A hostage situation outside the law office of Braford and Cummings in the heart of the financial district, some nut job associate having not made partner or something. It had taken a few hours, but eventually she'd talked him down, but it would have taken considerably less time if she'd had her back-up. She was not happy.

"Could have used your help tonight," she grumbled, "Isn't that why we keep that god damn spotlight on the roof? And why am I being summoned, I was the only one out working tonight and I'm tired. So unless you've got a hot bath and a bottle of Pinot hiding somewhere I'd appreciate…."

Terry gestured his head towards the large monitor screen resting over the main computer console. On it displayed the images of five disheveled scientists in all manners of disarray. Evidently they'd been awoken in the middle of the night as well, but upon examination none look tired or worn, if anything Barbara would describe them as…excited? It took her a few moments to notice the red head standing next to the seated Wayne.

"The Treadmill," Palmer laughed at the simplicity. "It just might work."

"It will," Wally replied. "I've done the math. If the Zeta Tube can open a singularity, the Treadmill can help me reach the speed to pierce to pierce the event horizon. The tachyon emitters will do the rest; we won't even need the ship."

"How did you ever think of it Mr. West?" Dr. Stone asked curiously.

"It was the Saturn Five quip Dr. Choi said at the hangar. It was always about the velocity. You wouldn't need miles of runway to build up speed with the treadmill."

"How will you survive the stream?" Choi asked.

"Your tachyon emitters can plow the way. My physiology kept me alive, but the emitters will carve a path. Then all I'll have to worry about is breaking, and trust me that's not going to be easy."

"We have a plan in place for that, but first things first."

"We need to find the treadmill." Wally asserted.

"The original was inside the Flash Museum when Central City was destroyed," Bruce countered.

"The specs are probably still on the STAR Labs mainframe somewhere. Michael do you still have access?" Palmer asked.

"Yeah," Mr. Terrific replied, "I'll have to call in a few favors, but it shouldn't be too hard."

"I can produce most of the materials with the 3D printer at Mercury Labs, but I'll need help with the assembly and software." McGee added.

The scientists continued talking logistics, as Terry took Barbara by the arm and walked her away from the conversation. "What in the hell are they talking about? What's this treadmill they're talking about anyway?"

"Wow those are words I never thought I'd hear again," she said in amazement. "It was sometime in the early two thousands I think, Barry Allen, Dr. McGee and Wally designed and built a high velocity magnetic reinforced machine for monitoring their speed, rehabbing injures, measuring increases or decreases in their velocity, things like that. Wally joked around and called it the Cosmic Treadmill and it stuck."

The speedster walked over to join the two. "I wanted to call it a TARDIS, but no one got the Dr. Who reference."

Terry and Barbara stared blankly at the speedster.

"Aw come on! Are you telling me knows who Dr. Who doesn't is anymore? God your time sucks." he groaned.

"Anyway," he sighed. "Barry and I just threw around the idea that if we could move fast enough that maybe the potential kinetic energy could kick open a door to another dimension. It would be too dangerous to try outside of a laboratory setting, and there weren't a whole lot of tracks long enough to allow us to get up to that kind of speed anyway, so voilà…the Cosmic Treadmill. There was no way I was ever going to be fast enough, but Barry might have. Once Bart appeared, it started to seem more of a reality than a fantasy. I guess they never got around to trying it."

"And you think this Treadmill thing is really going to work?" McGinnis asked. "What happens if you're not…you know…fast enough?"

"Bug on a windshield?" Barbara guessed.

"Thanks Babs," Wally frowned, "but yeah pretty much. The trick is I really don't have to be. The Zeta and tachyon emitters do half the work; all I have to do is maintain a constant speed."

"And what's that supposed to be?" Terry asked."

"Let's just say…faster than I've gone before, but I'm gonna try and stay positive."

"Now who's insane West?"

"Look you were right, Bruce would have done this if he could, and I know you would too, but this isn't my time, I don't belong here. There's no future for me here; hiding from the Justice League, watching the few remaining people I care about growing old and dying before my eyes. I've seen enough death to last a lifetime. If there's even a chance I can fix all this, I'm willing to give it a shot. It's what being a hero is all about, your words."

Bruce waved them over to join the gathered scientists at the view screen.

A concerned Tina McGee speaks first. "Wally are you sure about this? Do you feel we've pressured you in some way? There's a lot of things that could still go wrong."

Wally nodded, trying to forget the fading memories of the torture of being trapped inside the event, but he was undeterred. He would be prepared this time; he now had an understanding of where he was going and the technology to help him get there. His mind was set.

"No Doc, I'm good I Promise. Like I told McGinnis, I don't belong here. If there's a chance to go back and fix all this and save millions of lives in the process. I've got to take it"

"You know you can't go back to your old life Wally, There will be a version of you already there living it. You'll have to alter the events covertly, no one can ever know your there. If you're discovered there's a strong chance you'll make things worse." Palmer asserted.

"I knew that before I volunteered Ray, but it's not about me, I know that, it's about them, all of them. I can live with that, but being stranded here, that's no future at all. Besides if this works out, maybe I can pull a Back to the Future thing, get rich betting on games I already know the winner of. Guys got to eat," he smiled.

"So what now?" Terry asked.

"We assign tasks, and reconvene in three weeks. Minimal contact during that time, and only if it's absolutely necessary. Remember always on a scrambled and secured channel. Once the pieces are in place I'll handle the transportation and shipping of all hardware to the facility. After that we'll have a very short window so we'll have to move fast. All hands on deck."

They all agreed, and moments later the re-exhilarated scientists all logged of, preparing for something they'd previously only dreamed about. It was really happening now; they were going to save the world.

"And what about me?" Wally asked

"You… genius," Terry chuckled, putting his arm on the speedster's shoulder, "you get to go to history class."

"Great," Wally laughed. "Not exactly my best subject,"

"It will be by the time Barbara and Bruce get done with you. Trust me."

Barbara yawned. "I'm going home, if I have to start playing schoolmarm, I'm going to need my sleep. I'll see you all in the morning. And Wally…..I'm going to need Stanford West, not class clown high school West. Understand?"

Maybe it was the silver hair, or the piercing green eyes, but something in her tone and appearance reminded the speedster of his old English teacher at Keystone Elementary Mrs. Griffith. He hated Mrs. Griffith and was pretty sure the feeling was mutual. His old teacher wasn't afraid to smack his knuckles with rulers when his mind would wander. His new one carried a gun and a Taser, and Wally was pretty sure she wasn't afraid to use either of them. He took her warning in stride, assuring her he'd be on his best behavior.

"Let's get some sleep gentlemen," Wayne offered, "we have some very long days ahead. We're going to need it."

They all made their way to the staircase when Wally turned to older hero. "By the way, where exactly is this facility you're talking about"

"Where it all started," Bruce said slyly.

xxx

Three days later, under a stormy Gotham sky, the vintage 2010 Mercedes Benz slowly pulled into the Gotham Memorial Cemetery, traversing the twisted path between the grave markers before parking at the crest of a lone hill, another visitor already present, paying his respects.

Bruce Wayne gingerly stepped out of the car, as Terry McGinnis made his way around the vehicle, opening the large black umbrella and escorting his boss to the top of the hill. The sky opened up and a torrential rain began to fall, but the tempest didn't faze Wayne in the slightest, nor the man he met next to the series of graves markers that rested together.

The names on the headstones were familiar to both, all with a long intertwined history both men would like to forget.

Grayson, Cain, Drake, Brown, Todd, Wayne, al Ghul

Ra's knelt down to his daughter's grave, wiping of the fall leaves and debris that covered the tombstone as Terry and Bruce stood respectfully over the site. This was not the first time these two men had met to mourn the dead and pay their respects, but if all went as planned, it would be the last.

"Detective"

"Ra's"

"I understand there's a new player in the field."

"Yes," Wayne confirmed.

"Another piece to the puzzle?" his adversary asked.

"The missing one I hope."

"May I ask who?" Ra's asked.

"It's better if you not know."

"Fine," al Ghul replied, trusting in the Dark Knight's wisdom. "Then I assume we are ready for the final pawns to be into put in place."

"Yes," Wayne confirmed, "but the timetable needs to be moved up."

"How soon?"

"Within the week. We don't have much time. I believe the League is starting to suspect."

"A leak?" his adversary asked.

"No, but I'm aware they've begun to examine my finances. We knew eventually this might happen. It won't take them long to discover the shell companies we created and trace them back to me. Regardless are you confident on your end?" Wayne inquired

"My operative inside will escort the package out and will be waiting at the rendezvous point."

Wayne nodded, staring down at the graves of the only family he'd ever known; his children, as well as the woman he could have loved in another life. "This may well be the last time we'll meet."

Ra's nodded mournfully. Despite their history and agendas, their battles and struggles, the two men cared and respected the other.

"Do not go gentle into that good night Detective."

Wayne smiled at the reference, continuing the poem. "Old age should burn and rave at the close of day."

"Rage - rage against the dying of the light," al Gul concluded.

"An odd bit of irony don't you think?" Wayne smirked, "the story of an old man who's nearing the end of his life as quoted by an immortal."

Ra's smiled, enjoying the last verbal chess match with the only man who was ever his equal. "I always imagined Thomas as referring to the Earth having grown senile and plummeting towards its death, despite the good intension of its new Gods and masters. That was the reason the League of Shadows were brought into existence, to restore balance. We are all that is left detective."

"Then we'll have to be enough." Wayne replied.

Both men stood reverently over the final resting places of their loved ones, imaging a day when these markers would cease to exist, a day when those wrongfully taken would be returned.

"To a brave new world." Ra's announced, extending his hand to the elderly man.

Bruce gripped it firmly. "A brave new world," he answered in kind.

The rain began to let up as Bruce began his journey back to the car. Halfway down the hill, he heard his name called.

"Detective, I regret all our wasted years pitted against one another, but if this is successful you do realize were bound to repeat history again."

"If this succeeds, I can live with that," Wayne smiled