Disclaimer: Based on characters and references owned by DC Universe and the CW, which I do not own. Enjoy!


The air is slightly humid, the remains of last night's rainstorm. Still, the sun shines through a clear, blue sky and birds chirp in full force. The scent of the garden William sits in is strong, a mix of dandelions, hydrangeas, and others that he both recognizes and those he can't. He never had a garden this large before. The most he knew were the cheap potted ones Mom used to get from the floral place in the city, and from research. Still, it's a good change of pace after coming back from the somewhat barren Kent Farm. And it distracts him from the haunting…

"Master William," Alfred calls to him a distance away. "I have been looking everywhere for you."

"Sorry," William says, not turning to face him. "I needed some air."

His eye catches just a glimpse of the black pants Alfred wears everyday.

"Another night terror I presume?"

William bows his head, responding mournfully, "Yeah."

He can hear Alfred slowly sit down next to him. Still, he doesn't look up.

"I try to apply what Bruce taught me. I keep seeing Prometheus' mask in my head, imagining it scaring criminals instead of me, but…but EVERY TIME, it's like…it's like it just keeps getting worse and even scarier. I just want them to STOP."

"Look at me," Alfred commands. "LOOK, Master William."

William finally looks up, staring Alfred in his serious yet assuring eyes.

"Fear and nightmares can be fraught with endless terror, but only if you let them. They are reminders of WHY we fear what we fear. They can drive us to do terrible things, but also motivate us to do good. Just look at Master Bruce and all that he's done for his Gotham as well as this world's." Alfred puts a hand on William's shoulder. "Your nightmares alone do not define you. It is what you DO with them. Understand?"

After taking some time to process the information, William slowly nods his head. "I-I think so."

Alfred smirks. "Good." He stands and helps William up from the bench. "Now, let's get you some breakfa—"

Suddenly, an orangish hue appears in front of them. It traces a circle, crackling sparks like a muffled firework. Suddenly, something develops in the circle. A picture or a place.

Alfred gets in front of William, ready to defend him. However, as someone steps out of the picture, Alfred's guard lowers as he and William see a familiar face wearing black armor.

William gets around Alfred to get a clearer view. "Connor?"

Connor, William's future counterpart, does not greet them, his distressed eyes focused on Alfred.

"We need help!"

From behind Connor come more people, including Kara Danvers, who is in some kind of black outfit. In a couple of the people's arms are two women who look…

She looks like…Felicity. But she's not. And that other one, she looks a lot like Barry's wife, Iris…Wait a minute!


Bruce awakens to the sounds of birds chirping outside his window. He looks at his clock and sees that it is just five minutes before the alarm goes off. He looks to his side, smiling when he sees the backside of Talia, remembering last night's patrol and their little "escapade" afterwards. For her sake, he resets the alarm to go off half an hour from now.

"You really are a gentleman," Talia's soothing voice compliments.

Bruce looks back to her, now facing him with a blanket covering everything except her smirk.

"And you should be getting some more rest," Bruce comments. "You seemed wiped out after our run in with the Court of Owls."

"I was an assassin for Ra's Al Ghul. Fighting a cult of corrupt affluent elites and their Talons is comparable to an hour of training exercise."

"And everything afterwards?"

Talia lets out a little scoff. "It and every night beforehand feel like you are drawing me into the domestic life."

"And is that a bad thing?" Bruce asks almost rhetorically.

Talia's smirk widens. "No."

She then takes out an arm from under the covers and brings Bruce into her for a long, succulent kiss, which ends with both of them giving each other a content…

"Master Bruce!" Alfred's voice booms as he bangs loudly on the door. "You must come outside! Quickly!"

"Is something wrong Alfred?" Bruce asks as he slowly shuffles away from the bed.

"Connor Hawke is here…and he's brought guests."

Bruce's eyes widen not at the alias of future William, but the fact that he has "guests."

William, what have you done?


"Blackstar! Blackstar!"

"Come see your mother…brother. Be with your family."

"Mia!"

"Mia!"

Mia's eyes open as wide as they've never opened before, begging for sweet release from her sleep. For so long, she felt like she was floating from two different realities, sorting out which one was real or fake. Yet one of them, where she is an agent for Dr. Destiny, begins to feel detached from her, almost as if it were a lucid nightmare. But now, she's glad to be out of it and in…wherever this is.

From the polished wooden ceiling, she narrows down her location to some kind of resort or manor. When she looks to the side, she sees…a kid, looking back at her. Yet, there is something vaguely familiar about him. Something…

"You're…you're the kid version of my older brother?" Mia instinctively asks.

The boy nods. "And you're the future version of my yet to be born sister."

Younger William walks over to Mia with a key in his hand. Upon looking to where he is pointing the key, she finds a pair of handcuffs chaining her to the lavish bed she is lying on.

"Sorry about the cuffs," Younger William says. "Older me said to make sure you weren't brainwashed before letting you loose."

Well, this is certainly a déjà vu moment.

As soon as Mia's cuffs were unlocked, she rubs her wrist and looks around the room they were in further. It is large. Among other things, it houses a fireplace across from the bed, a couple of chairs and a table in the corner, a couple of pane windows along the wall next to her, and an exotic rug that may be made from some kind of animal skin.

"Where are we?" Mia asks.

"My home," Younger William vaguely answers. "For the moment. Guess it depends on how the future needs to be shaped."

Mia thinks back to the last thing she did. She was a thrall to Dr. Desti…no. John Deegan. The man that Oliver and William said they were going to find before they headed to Gotham. Trying to remember that fact and remembering what she did are surprisingly hard, possibly because she has to remember two realities, one that she knows is not her own. From what she can recollect, she went on a mission to capture the Universe Des…William, alongside Dr. Destiny and a few others. The attempt was foiled, she got knocked out and then…the floating between realities.

"I…I was with others. Nora, Kara and…someone else. Ava Sharpe."

"They're fine. All of them are unbrainwashed too. Well, at least Kara and the Ava woman. Nora's still asleep, but she's most likely back to normal too since…well, you know."

Mia nods, though a bit out of it. Her head is still swimming, as if she is still trying to find solid ground. She needed something to focus on, get her grip back on reality. Looking at Younger William, she realizes that he isn't surprised or perplexed by her at all. He just seems neutral.

"You don't seem…"

"Surprised that you exist?" Young William finishes. "Well, I'm actually still wrapping my head around the fact, but older me's explanation helped some."

"And you're…okay with this?" Mia prods further. "Knowing that you have…um, going to have a sister in the near future?"

Young William gives a small smile. "Well, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

Mia opens her mouth, but no words come out. She starts to remember her real life. All the mistakes she made and all of the consequences. Not just to herself, but to William, to her mother and father. All of it floods back, pushing away the atrocities she most likely never committed in Deegan's name.

Suddenly, the door leading into the room opens. In came a man in his 70's with combed back hair, pushing in a tray table with a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon and hash browns flanking the sides.

"Ah, good," The old man says. "Your sister is awake and in full control of her faculties. Though, she should be lying in bed and resting."

"She's fine Alfred," Young William assures. "What about Nora?"

"She's awake and in perfect health," The now identified Alfred answers as he sets the cart in front of Mia. "But she as well as your sister need to recover their strength before they are able to fight."

Mia slowly grabs the fork, but she does not dig in just yet. "Where is my brother now? Uh, the other brother?"

"He is currently in a meeting with my master at the moment, but he wanted me to assure you that he will see you afterwards. For now, please eat. After all that you have went through, I'm sure you have quite the empty stomach."

On that, he is not wrong. With her mind now focused, she can feel the growling in her stomach. It must have been hours since she had a proper meal in either reality. Still, she can't shake off the feeling of guilt that comes with Younger William being here.

Has he been told and is just playing it off? If not, can he take it like older him can? What if he can't? What if…


"So, this John Deegan managed to take the whole world?" Bruce asks to reconfirm.

William begrudgingly nods. "The whole multiverse could be next if we don't stop him."

"And you're sure that the Book of Destiny is there?"

"I can attest to that," Sharpe confirms. "He keeps it in his office in the West Wing, where he also keeps his special prisoners."

"Well, why doesn't Deegan have the means already?" Talia asks. "He has the facilities that should have such technology."

"Most likely," Charlie begins to explain. "The Book is not allowing him to have what he wants, pushing it as necessary to keep the timeline stable."

"We also think the Book influenced some of Deegan's decisions," William chimes in. "The Arkham Asylum, most likely the entire island, is a recreation of a previous Arkham, one you have archived."

"Which means his defenses are making up for the infrastructure," Bruce deduces. "And you believe I have an answer."

"Well, of course you do," Ray intervenes. "You're Bruce Wayne, who also happens to be THE Batman. Actually, I should've made the connection sooner. I mean, how in the WORLD could you ever—"

Ray then notices the slightly irritated yet powerful stare Bruce gives him, which makes him clear his throat and bow his head as if in shame.

Bruce then stands up from his lofty chair. "Luckily I do. If the dampeners cover the whole island and it's a recreation, there's one place he's trying to hide. Hangman's Point."

William stares at him with shock. "You're kidding!"

"I'm not."

"Um, what exactly is Hangman's Point?" Sara asks.

"A suicide drop," William explains. "Where criminals or others with said tendencies go."

"I once saved a man from plummeting to his death," Bruce takes over. " When I did, I discovered another ledge further down. It revealed a cave where I created a hideout."

"A bat cave…on Arkham Island?" William asks.

Bruce nods. "In case of a hostile takeover. Besides a hideout, I found a tunnel system that leads into the Asylum itself."

"I know that place," Talia adds. "My father once occupied the island, long before the Asylum was built. He had the tunnel made as a secret escape route."

"Deegan may have been unable to change it," William deduces. "So he erased all records of it so no one except those who knew of its existence could use it."

"He may have accounted for those few," Bruce warns. "Meaning that there may be defenses waiting for us."

William, upon catching the last word, raises an eyebrow.

"Us?"

Bruce nods his head once more. "I know more about the Asylum than any of you. You'll need assistance and a guide."

Many may not have heard it, but William catches a faint squeal from Ray. No doubt, he's excited to fight alongside one of, if not his most favorite hero. William, fighting alongside Flash, knows the feeling.

"Okay," Sara says, clapping then rubbing her hands. "I think we need to get going now before Deegan finds his way back to Earth."

"Not yet," Bruce insists. He walks over to William with a stern look, his cover for acting worried. "If what you told me about yourself is true, then Deegan will deploy everything in his power to stop you. How you are now is not enough."

William thinks about what Bruce may mean for a bit. It dawns on him that his current suit is a prototype. There was always meant to be more features that fleshed out the Bat tech. And…the mask.

"It's ready?" William asks.

One last time, Bruce nods. "Follow me."

When the whole group attempts to follow, Bruce turns to them and warns, "This is NOT for anyone else's eyes but William's. At least for the moment. You all need to wait here."

Ray is the only one who shows a visible emotion, hunching back and letting out a subtle but still audible moan. Nate gives him a pat on the shoulder.

William follows Bruce a short distance through the library and towards the piano. Upon reaching it, Bruce plays the according keys to activate the mechanism. The floor starts to slowly give way, which surprises the others until they see him, and William slowly descend into the black abyss being illuminated by one set of circular lights at a time. William can hear Ray talk about how cool it looked but is disappointed that he is still not there to see the rest. Another voice, Nate's by the faint but familiar sound, assures him that maybe next time, it can happen.

"I am sorry about all the company," William laments as he did when arriving. "I didn't have much of a choice."

"You had to get your group out of harm's way," Bruce acknowledges. "I won't fault you for that. Besides, I'm nearly done forming Batman INC. anyways."

"So…you'll be coming back to Earth 1 for good soon?"

"Possibly. I still need to create a will and pass on inheritances to the others. As well as the mantle to Dick. Though, I'll admit, I worry if he can handle it."

"He makes a good successor to the suit on this Earth. Trust me, Bruce."

Eventually, they catch sight of the nerve center of Bruce's operation. The Bat Cave. As soon as they touch down, Bruce leads William to the center of the room, where the large bat computer stands, displaying data that William does not find familiar. They pass it and head to the display cases, which show off an assortment of armors from the couple of Bat suit variations to the Robins and Batgirl outfits. Farther to the right is one William has not seen there before, but the design is familiar to him. Like his current suit, it is black tri weave armor with a red arrowhead emblem on the chest. A couple of differences he can see are flaps attached under the arms that act as gliders, sharp blades on the gauntlets to help with disarming weapons, and…the mask. Designed the way he told Bruce to, every detail to the letter. The way it's eyes are structured, it feels as if they are gazing into his…

"You may be familiar with the suit mechanisms already at a glance," Bruce says, breaking him from the spell. "The mask will cover you, front to back, and ensure a stray pistol shot doesn't kill you outright. Just watch for suit degradation, weak points in the armor, and piercing rounds."

Bruce presses the arrowhead chest piece in. Suddenly, it begins to disappear into nothingness. It keeps going until nothing but the arrowhead remains.

"You managed to compress it all with nanites," William infers, amazed.

"You had a suit of your own to use," Bruce explains. "It gave me something to test. You can still take off every piece individually, but I don't see you doing that often."

He hands the arrowhead to William. Upon further examination, he sees a small, advanced clip on the back that can attach to any surface, whether skin or shirt.

William smirks as he puts it in his pocket. "Once again, you've outdone yourself."

Bruce doesn't comment, but looks to his suit, standing proudly in its case. He puts a hand on the glass. He remains silent for a long while.

"Bruce?" William breaks the silence.

Bruce looks back at him with his stern look. "That day you described. When Deegan's wife died. It was when Joker single-handedly took over Arkham Asylum. He didn't try to escape. He was…proving a point. Arkham wasn't the same after that day. It was when…"

"When it began to deteriorate?" William finishes.

Bruce nods back at him through the glass reflection. "The day after I freed it, I helped to make sure there weren't any inmates hiding in the shadows, waiting to escape in the cover of night. That was when I found and saved the man who jumped from Hangman's point. Dr. John Deegan."

William's jaw nearly drops.

"You saved Deegan? You're saying…you're saying he was there to find the cave you found. Why didn't you tell me back up top?"

"Because I read you're friends," Bruce answers as he turns to face William. "They're good people. But I could tell that at least a couple of them have had their fair share of kills, especially that Sara Lance woman. Like I told your younger self, being a vigilante comes with a choice, and telling them will result in the wrong one being made. Besides Talia and Alfred, you're the only one I can trust with information like this. To make the right choice. You've kept my secret for long enough, and I am grateful. But now—"

"No," William says almost instinctually. At first, he didn't know why. But with the long pause between the two, he figures it out.

"No?" Bruce asks with a frown.

Still, knowing why he takes his stance, William stands his ground. "Bruce, keeping your secret for THAT LONG…it led to my own father mistrusting me almost all the way. When he figured out that I knew Kate and Luke, he was upset, and I WAILED on him just so he wouldn't prod any further. When Deegan revealed that you trained me, he stared at me like he didn't even RECOGNIZE me!"

"I admit, there is a cost to keeping such sensitive—"

"And I showed him and Barry EVERYTHING when we were in the book! My past, my part in my mother's death, and YOU. After all that, they STILL accepted me! I led the Legends of Tomorrow into a possible death scenario where their alternative would've been to kill Deegan, yet they trusted in my plan! So, I trust them."

Bruce does not argue with him on any of the points, either because he can't come up with an argument or he knows that William is right.

"If you keep this a secret from them, it WILL blow up in your face when Deegan tells them. You have to."

Still, Bruce does not talk. He looks back to the suit, this time his eyes wander around in the case's reflection. William can't tell what is running through his mind, but he bets on either doubt or the beginnings of a revelation. Bruce's whole shtick is that he never completely trusted anyone, always cautious about whether a friend can possibly become a foe. Now, his own protégé is asking him to betray his ideology. It's not a dilemma to tread on lightly.

Finally, he turns back with the neutral, stern look on his face. Even William does not know what will happen next.

"You say that you've told your father and Barry everything. YET…you never said that you've told them how you got here in the first place. To the past."

Whatever bravery William mustered to stand up to Bruce slowly falls apart. His fingers begin to twitch a bit and his lips tighten for a moment.

"That…that wasn't relevant to the—"

"WILL you tell them?"

"When—when the time's right."

"And when will that be?! When the whole world is beginning to burn down around everyone and it's too late for them to do anything for you? So you can feel like that you're not making them worry or do anything that will risk THEIR future?"

"Their future is a concern Bruce!"

"And you minimize risk by NOT telling them, just as I want to minimize risk by not telling your friends about Deegan and potentially risking his life! And I know, deep down, you have the SAME concern that I do. I would have taught you better than to base your trust on a firsthand experience."

William does not argue further. He cannot find the words to do so. The feeling of doubt he hoped Bruce would feel starts running through his mind. All of the teachings that Bruce gave him take precedent over all the virtues he conjured in his mind. The guilt of the mission weighing down on him feels like it no longer matters. It all culminates in a blank stare he gives Bruce, who slowly walks up to him with a more callous look.

"The next time you want to argue ethics with me…have a better argument than feeling guilty over necessary decisions."

Bruce then walks over to the glass case and opens it, putting on his suit one piece at a time. All the while, William beats himself up over the whole argument.

Why did I even try to argue with Bruce? He's like a rock. Nothing can move him away from his code. NOTHING! But…he's not wrong. Not completely.