Surprising how many of you picked alternate universe 4 or 1! Hope you

Enjoy!

"Tristan?" Jerome frowned "What are you doing here?" it was a night club, hot and sexy, strobe lights flashing, music blaring, people dancing and singing and having a good time "This doesn't seem like your place,"

Tristan smiled, and shifted, obviously uncomfortable in the atmosphere "I'll admit…I'm more of a…um…stay at home reader." He ran his hand through his black hair "What are you doing here? I thought you and Mara were back on the right track?"

"Oh we are," Jerome nodded "I'm here with her,"

"W-with her?" Tristan blurted out quickly, "Right." He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth "With her?"

Jerome tapped him on the shoulder "Are you drunk?"

Tristan visibly shook as the flashes from the alternate universes shone in his mind: "Are you hung-over again or something?" Mara cocked her head, examining him "And you look different, you've d shaved for the first time in ages"… "Or are you still hung over from last night?" Jerome grinned madly "I got admit though, you did epic on the bachelor party thing." "I can't breathe." He whispered, clutching his head.

"Wow, superhero," Jerome supported him, leading him out the back into the cold night air. He looked worriedly at Tristan "Are you alright? Some Alien thing I should know about, Vision?" Tristan took a long look at Jerome, all the different Jerome's from the universes flashing through his head

"Mr Smith, I was just leaving, don't worry, you don't have to kick me out like you did last time," he glared at Tristan, who only frowned in response, as Jerome left.

Jerome laughed "Nice dude, but you'd super speed us over there so that we can take down the drug dealer? Remember? We've been planning it for ages, me and you, the Green Vision."

Jerome saluted her as she walked out "Aye Aye! I always take of you mate," he laughed "Which is why I was your best man, remember you got so nervous you almost cried," he hit his shoulder "Oh you are a hoot, come on man, let's go."

"Dude," Jerome laughed heading for the door "You wanted to have a double wedding, but Patricia wasn't a big fan,"

"Why are you still torturing us, Blaker? Why can't you leave us alone?"

Jerome's face was pained "You sue me, till I have nothing left, not even a penny. You get Mara fired, and make us both homeless so now we're both staying with friends. You killed Mara's sister, Blaker. What more can you take from us?"

Jerome shook his head "I wish the Vision was here, he would have saved us from you,"

"Yeah," Jerome laughed "Because everyone knows I'm the green arrow, and with the press here I thought it might make my wedding day a little bit better," he gave his cocky smirk.

Jerome arched a delicate eyebrow, looking at Tristan carefully "Is your alien stuff acting up again, Vision?"

"Dude, you're the best man? What's wrong? Surely I should be the one getting cold feet," his smile was natural and harmless

This Jerome was his best friend

"If he is from an alternate universe, he only has a few minutes here," Jerome sighed

Jerome growled "I am the only reason you are here today- Me!"

"Why are you here then, Mara?" he spat down at her "If you hate me so much? Why don't you leave the RGA?"

Jerome picked up his arrow and aimed it at Mara. "Jaffray, I taught you how to fire an arrow. You can't defeat me."

Jerome smiled, aiming at her "Mara dearest, I've always been the villain," and with that he released. The arrow sailed through the air and hit Mara right in the middle of the stomach. She stayed standing for a moment, before she crumpled to her knees. Jerome walked slowly over to her. "Mara, you designed these arrows, you know the poison is seeping through your system." He leaned down "Now why don't you take back what you said?"

Tristan gasped for air, and he slid down the wall. Jerome fought to keep him up "Tristan?" he called loudly, "Tristan? Listen to me! Tell me what's wrong?"

"Counters." He whispered, chest heaving "I need counters."

"I don't think now is the best time for gambling, superhero," Jerome wheezed

"Counters! Blue counters, please," he gripped Jerome's shirt and Jerome looked down with worried eyes, before nodding and heading back in the club. He didn't know what he was looking for, so just went behind the bar with his VIP access and grabbed one of everything that he thought looked rather counter-ish. He sprinted back outside, wondering where Mara had gotten too. He displayed everything he found to Tristan who sifted through everything. Before pulling at an alcohol bottle, scanning the back for certain ingredients. Apparently he found what he was looking for, because he smashed the top of the glass with two fingers and drained it all immediately. He stopped convulsing, and calmed down.

"I didn't know alcohol was so good for you," Jerome attempted to lighten the mood. Tristan stood and Jerome copied his movements. "Are…you gonna tell me what the hell that was?"

"Counters, Jerome. It's glucose and glucagon reacting with hydrogen and it does something to me. Different colours have different effects on me. Blue heals me, red intoxicates me, green strips me of my powers-"

"You're a faulty rainbow."

"Jerome?" Mara's voice floated over the two of them "…Tristan?" Tristan smiled down at her "What are you both doing?"

Tristan faulted, so Jerome stepped into the spotlight "He is following up on a story,"

Mara nodded, hands on hips "Why didn't you tell me?"

Tristan offered her a kind smile "I knew you and Jerome were going out tonight, I didn't want to ruin your special time together. W-who knew you'd be going to the same place as the story?"

Jerome glared at him for his terrible lying skills, but Mara didn't seem to notice. "Oh," she said finally "How's it coming along then?"

"Not so good," Tristan's voice was far too high pitched. "I-it wasn't real. There's no story here," Mara smiled apologetically

"I hope it hasn't ruined your night,"

"Tristan's a big boy," Jerome said, wrapping an arm around her waist "He can take care of himself, right superhero?" he shot Tristan his signature smile. Tristan nodded

"Yeah, y-you enjoy yourselves."

Line Break

Jerome awoke to a hazy wonderland. He was in his king sized bed, white sheets all around him, Mara was fast asleep, softly on his right. The window was open, and the bright golden light flooded in, giving him the perfect view of the city. He stood up, shrugging on his blue robe and heading into the living room. He froze upon seeing Edmon on his sofa. "You really can get past my security systems," he stated frowning. He closed his bedroom door, not wanting Mara to wake up just yet.

Edmon turned. Edmon Blaker was tall and thin, and would have been scrawny looking if not for his handsome face. He had black hair, with brown highlights. He was rich, very very rich, and he dressed like it. "So you and Juliet are still together then?"

"We've had our share of ups and downs," Jerome frowned, eying the wall where he hid his green arrow items, he couldn't let Edmon see them.

"Jerome, how long have we known each other?" he didn't give Jerome time to answer, instead standing up and continuing "I mean, what? When we were eleven at boarding school? Right?"

"Yeah," Jerome nodded "We were-"

"Best friends," Edmon nodded, his smile was rueful. "Best friends up until we were 19, do you remember what happened, Jerome?" Jerome shook his head "Really? You don't remember? November 16th?"

"Ed, what the hell is this about?"

"I'll remind you," he ignored him "You and I were out after curfew, remember? We'd stuck out of our Anubis boarding house to see the cheerleaders?" Jerome nodded "And on our way back, we saw Mick and his football friends, coming out of the head teachers office?"

"Oh yeah," clogs turned slowly in Jerome's head. Memories he had long forgotten "They had stolen the answers to the end of year exams, right?"

Edmon nodded "And do you remember I said-

"Let's go tell the teachers!" A young Edmon cried, terrified at the injustice that had just occurred.

"No, wait." Jerome whispered, his blond hair was slicked back with gel, it had been cool back then. "No, let's use this. Let's blackmail them into doing our bidding, this is a blessing in disguise,"

"No!" Edmon shook his head "Jerome, let's get them expelled."He gripped Jerome's school shirt and yanked him towards the staff room. Jerome pushed him away

"I said no!"

Edmon stumbled, hitting the wall. He clutched his head "Ow,"

Jerome stepped forward "Sorry, mate. But look, we can do whatever we like now, we can rule the school, you and me."

Edmon pulled his arm back and swung, hitting Jerome square in the face. Jerome staggered back, but did not fall. "And I said, no."

Jerome shrugged at the recollection "I remember that, Edmon." He headed into his kitchen, pouring himself a glass of orange juice "So? We got into a fight over what to do. In the end because we disagreed, we didn't do anything."

"Exactly. But we stopped being friends on that day,"

Jerome laughed "I guess we were both too stubborn,"

"But Jerome," Edmon pressed, the blond wasn't getting his point "you know what doesn't make sense? The fact that Mick didn't pass his exams with flying colours,"

Jerome frowned, thinking hard, before laughing "Oh yeah, I remember, he came bottom of the year! I remember laughing my head off at that one, he probably stole the answers for the wrong test."

"That's what I thought," Edmon nodded, walking over to Jerome "But look," he handed Jerome the answers to the test they had taken over five years ago. "They're the right answers."

Jerome blinked once "Ed, this is weird. So what? He blanched? He got nervous? Who cares? Does this matter so much to you that you had to come in here, defy my security passes and wait for me to wake up?"

"Jerome, I thought it was weird. So I looked it up in my spare time-"

"Of which you have too much."

"Very funny." Edmon rolled his eyes "And I managed to get Mick's test." He handed Jerome another piece of paper.

"We're not 12 anymore, Ed. We don't go through other peoples tests to laugh," despite this, he opened the page, scanning the answers.

"Jerome, page 14, question 34,"

Jerome flicked to the right page, before reading.

What will happen after the sun becomes a supernova? (6 marks)

It was glow very brightly red, the Green Arrow and the Vision will come together to save humanity and stop the city from being destroyed from the explosion. The Vision flies up into the sky and throws away the sun, bringing another protostar to take it's place for the next 10 billion years.

Jerome frowned. This was years ago. Before Green Arrow or the Vision had been named, before they had been known. And how on earth did he know about the Vision's powers? "That's weird," he whispered.

"Jerome," Edmon sighed "I think Mick has a Flexo Ring."

"I have no idea what that is,"

"It's a ring, and you put it on, and it takes you to wherever you want to go, if you know how to use it properly. But I think Mick just put it on and got sent to the future. Where he saw a news feed or something, it must have stuck."

"He travelled through time?" Jerome tried to sound doubtful, but really, after everything he had learnt recently about Tristan, and another planet and counters…anything was possible he supposed. "And how do you back this up?"

"Yesterday," Edmon whispered, somewhat excitedly "I saw Mick, as in the 19 year old, standing outside a tv store, watching the news, it was a story on the Green Arrow and the Vision. And then he vanished. Maybe he went further into time and saw them saving the world."

Saving the world. He would save the world. It gave Jerome a funny feeling inside, one he couldn't quite place "And you saw him yesterday?"

Edmon nodded "Like I said, I went home, researched, and look what I bought off ebay," he took out the gold Flexo ring. "And Jerome, it works."

Jerome stared at him in confusion "Edmon…how would you know that?"

"Let's just say, Henry the 8th's third wife may have had an affair with me, oops," he handed Jerome the ring, who took it very carefully.

"Why are you giving it to me?"

"I want you to try it out,"

"What? What if it sends to me an alternate universe instead of just forwards and backwards in time?"

"Spin it and come home."

Jerome shook his head "Thanks, Ed. But no thanks. I've had my share of magic-"

"If it's true." He whispered persuasively "Then we could see how it works, and move to an alternate universe where we have everything we want, money, power…Mara?" At this Jerome's blue eyes sparkled with interest, so Edmon kept going with it "Imagine a universe where you and Mara ruled, no problems, no worries, only you and her together forever, as in your own fairytale. You deserve that Jerome, after everything your family's been through, you deserve this,"

Jerome watched his childhood friend, trying to think of an argument. But he couldn't find one. He could at least check if it worked.

He slid the ring onto his finger, and could feel himself being pulled into another universe.

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