"Okay, so it's totally not like I haven't dealt with death before, but I kinda wanted to avoid the chance of dying when I played with virtual reality stuff for once."
"Calm down Jubes. We just need to think this through."
"What is there to think about? He's dead and the evil computer bitch tried to kill me and killed him and he's dead – or do you need more proof than the throwing stars that struck him?"
"Okay, but why are we still in the game? With all the cameras and monitors around this place, they have to know what happened."
"So those bastards are trying to kill us!"
"Or Impulse could be part of the game, like he was never real to begin with."
"Or I could be stuck in my body somewhere and they are using images of you to get info on my team!"
"Hey, how come I have to be the creation of the perpetrator?"
"Because I know I'm not."
"But you were the one who dropped in on me unexpectedly."
"So they wanted someone who I trusted but didn't know much about and they knew *you* were never going to take the initiative and come visit me."
"But I don't have the fun technology to go see you."
"Then how come your friend made it?"
"I don't know. All I know is that I'm real."
"That's just the sort of thing they would make you say."
"You just used that excuse yourself!"
"Um, right. So we're both fake?"
"Or we're both trapped. Who has the power to send both of us into a dream world?"
"Should I start with the mind control power people, or the people rich/evil/smart enough to build mind control devices?"
"And that leaves us . . ."
"Dead before we figure this out."
"Well, that really doesn't help us right now. Let's just assume for a second that this great girl from another dimension I had to fight to save both our worlds gets a call from my sorta brother who tells her that that I need a vacation. This leads her to kidnap me and we use stolen alien technology to dimension jump again to a place where she is bloody rich and is also invited to try this new V.R. game.
"In this game, some freaky ninja reject named Maitreya has taken control and she wants to kill every female that enters her game. She aims to kill the great girl, but I save her – without much thanks I might add – and she kills some geek who was playing the game with us. That leaves us with the question of whether Maitreya is real or if she's just a big computer glitch?"
"She is *so* not real."
"How do you know?"
"Duh, I've fought too many fake versions of real criminals to not know the difference."
"There's a computer program who hates girls running around trying to kill us. It all makes sense now."
"Kinda an overdone plot if you ask me."
"So does she get a motive, or is that ruled out because she's digital?"
"Traumatic childhood? Maybe she got called a slut too often?"
"I'm not sure that could really effect her. She can only do what she is told to do, right?"
"Now there's a great scheme to use. I'm sure Ivan would love to kill off half his market every time they played, because that wouldn't be suspicious at all."
"Unless she is programmed to think for herself and Ivan can no longer control her."
"Since when did thinking and believing in yourself become the 'in' thing to do? I guess living in a digital environment would make it totally hard to get a subscription to *Seventeen,* but just because she is sheltered and confident doesn't mean she gets to try to kill me!"
"It's not like any magazine models would have any effect on her self image if she can run around in that thing. Ouch!"
"Hmph! If you are going to be distracted, it might as well be by pain."
"Fine. But that still doesn't explain why she was able to kill someone. Where did she get real weapons?"
"Probably the same place she got that outfit."
"That's not really helping, Jubes."
"Neither is this. I say we just go show her what happens when you mess with JUBILEE AND TIM!"
"I like the way you said that."
"Just a little thing I do."
"How come your name gets to be first?"
"Would you rather use a team name, maybe something like Young X or Generation Justice?"
" 'Jubilee and Tim' sounds good to me."
"Then let's go beat this hussy at her own game."
~X~R~
They had been expecting to be attacked as soon as they left the building. Neither doubted Maitreya's determination to eliminate her target and both were ready to use all their training to prevent her from succeeding, but they had not expected to step into blackness.
"Who turned out the lights?"
"Probably the same person who made the building disappear behind us, I can't feel it anymore."
"Just hold on a sec, Tim."
A gentle glow of light illuminated the area that Tim was moving towards, which was nothing. The ground was simply gone where his foot was about to go. The light went out again as Tim propelled his weight backwards and felt a hand grab his kevlar vest to yank him backwards. Tim thanked the beautiful ground that painfully caught him as well as the girl who was again providing the light. "I don't think I tell you this enough, but, Jubilee, you're beautiful."
"Duh, most girls are when the only light is coming from some fireworks. I figure if I keep them close to me, nothing should go boom."
"You mean your pyrotechnics and technology don't mix? I can't imagine why."
"Okay, smart guy, get up and help me look around."
The abyss encompassing the island supporting them defied all the rules of the game. Everything took place in a large, blank room which had a height smaller than the distance than Tim would've fallen if Jubilee had not grabbed him. Someone was obviously herding them as the only place they could move to was a small platform bobbing lazily up and down.
"It seems to be our only option, unless you want to see if that canyon is really as deep as it looks."
"Ya know how I said I would thank your mentor? Remind me to send Wolvie in afterwards."
"You'd only be attacking half the problem then. There's someone else who is more responsible for this idea than Batman."
"Yeah? And who else could be crazy enough to make you think of having me jump to that platform in the dark?"
"There's no other way. You can't jump with your light-pop in your hands and we can't risk you setting off any of them in open space. Besides, I'll be there to catch you."
"Don't you have one of those Bat-Line-Jump-Thingies?"
"Sorry left those in my other tights."
"Men! So let me get this straight. I light the way while you flip over to the platform, then I toss you the guns and then I throw myself over there – in complete darkness – so you can catch me on that two foot floating piece of metal which might not hold all our weight . . . fun!"
~X~R~
He had to keep his mind focused. If he could do this blindfolded, it would be easier with feeble lighting. But this time, he was the experienced acrobat and there was no one there to catch him by his wrists if he messed up. He flashed quickly through all the lessons that had become almost second nature to him. His clothes and the vest would work against him, they were stiffer and heavier than he was used to doing this sort of work in, so he would have to remember to compensate for the difference.
It wasn't the distance he had to cross as much as the landing that he had to worry about. He would have to create enough force to stick his landing on the moving surface, yet if there was too much momentum, there was no place to roll safely. The best way seemed to be reaching the platform just when it started it's decent. With some luck, he would be stable enough to avoid being thrown off when it changed directions again.
With a wink to Jubilee, he was airborne. It all seemed to go perfectly at first. He had modified his movements for an inhibiting garments, was prepared for the acceleration of platform, and had his body arched correctly to land at the proper angle for the minute landing space. The light showed him that he had timed everything perfectly and would hit the platform at the optimum time. Things didn't go wrong until his feet actually touched the center of his target.
Instead of the rhythmic motion that Tim had relied on to catch him, the platform froze when it felt the extra weight. The forward movement of the flip propelled Tim past his landing position. Instinctively, he rolled into a ball, knowing full well that there was no room for him to ever finish the action on the dinky landing space given to him. It was disappointing knowing that he would die never hearing Jubilee's voice again since it was covered by a sound that compared to nails in a blender. But there were other thoughts. How would Dick explain to Bruce their disappearance? How would everyone handle his death? Would Bruce feel guilty about training him and go back to being cold(er)? What would happen with Young Justice without him? It wasn't fair. He would never get to be bugged by Alfred again, never have to worry about homework, never get to win the money when Dick and Babs finally got together. Why did this happened now? Why this way? Why . . . was he still able to worry?
It was Jubilee calling his name that finally convinced him to open his eyes. She couldn't have been shouting for more than couple seconds because he had only been laying there for that long. He was sprawled out on his back on something as solid as the ground. Perplexed, Tim stood up on protesting legs and made his way back towards the edge near where Jubilee was. "What happened?"
"Dude, that was some freaky shit. You landed and the thing stopped, doubled in size and then this bridge to the other piece of land came out of nowhere."
Her words were true. The reason he wasn't plummeting to his grave was that he had tumbled down a pathway which hadn't been there before. There was also extra moving room where the platform had been. Everything was substantial enough to hold his weight and he was betting that Jubilee's wouldn't be a problem.
With the guns safely stored behind him on the newly formed bridge, Tim prepared himself for the next step. So many things could go wrong, how come he ever suggested such a ludicrous plan? But Jubilee hadn't let him see any of her worry if she was feeling it. The light had been cut so their eyes could adjust some and she had gone into one of her X-Men stories to lighten the mood. Tim didn't know if the duct tape he had been planning to use to shut her up would hold for more than a few seconds, but he was secretly grateful for the distraction.
"Ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
"Don't sound so nervous. I'm the one jumping, remember?"
"Yeah, all too well."
Every part of his body strained to detect her coming. He could hear her and see her form racing towards him and Tim felt her weight knock them over. They just laid there for a second until she fell into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.
"What?"
"Nothing, just now I have a great 'When I was part of Gen. Justice' story!"
"What happened to 'Jubilee and Tim'?"
"Details, details. You worry too much! Relax, get into the spirit of this place."
"And what exactly is 'the spirit of this place'?"
He could only watch as she dusted herself off as if nothing had happened and heaved the big gun up pointed it at him. "Bang, you dead."
"Wha-"
The question was cut short as the ground beneath them began to shake violently, attempting to throw off its occupants. Tim's bruised body seemed unwilling to give up it's position on the floor. He was afraid he was going to have to suffer through another life flash until he noticed Jubilee by his side pulling him up. Together they made their way down the shifting bridge until they hit solid ground.
"The other gun!"
"Jubilee, no!"
It was too late to warn her and too late to follow. She had already shoved the weapon she had been carrying into his hands and ran back the way they came. Tim could only watch as the path she had taken began to degenerate behind her. The force behind the havoc seemed to understand her intent and began destroying the bridge from the other end.
Tim refused to breathe as Jubilee only had a few more feet to go . . .
A few more seconds . . .
A single instant later, it was gone. It didn't even bother to teeter at the edge, it just fell right out of her grasp. But now she had nowhere to go.
"Jubilee, jump!"
The bridge disappeared from where her feet had just been seconds ago, but Tim was no longer watching the ground. Her jump had been reckless, but under the circumstances, few could do better. Everything went to slow motion as he could tell she was coming up deadly short. Discarding the gun behind him, Tim could only reach out for her as she flew towards him. Hope was fleeting as the seconds marched by and she was still out of his grasp.
The jolt of her sudden stop traveled through his body and threatened to drag him after her, but he had been braced for the impact. He easily hauled her up, even though every bruised muscle protested.
"That was careless, stupid and senseless . . . I was supposed to do that."
"Why, because you're the guy?"
"No, because I have the boring life, remember? And you also have the only way out of this world."
"Well I couldn't let you have all the near death experiences with the pit. Thanks."
"No problem, but we probably should get moving. You were the one who really saved the gun, you should carry it."
"You sure?"
"Yep."
"Where is this light coming from? It's just been here since you caught me over there and it's been following us ever since."
"I noticed it, but I just never thought about the fact you weren't making it. Still, it only lights up a small area around us."
"So is someone helping us or does Maitreya just want us to find her to kill us herself?"
"I don't know, but we should find out what we can while it's around."
Their search was pointless. It seemed that no matter which way they ventured, there was nothing to find. No walls or ceilings or computer bad guys ever came into view. A clicking noise above them directed their attention upwards. Rows of light flickered on as if someone flipped a switch revealing a scene straight from a sci-fi movie. Ancient pillars loomed around the players. They were inside a regal arena empty of any fans. Beyond the invisible audience's seats, two suns gleamed, ignorant to what they were about to view.
"Not another alien civilization addict. Why is it always aliens?"
"For dramatic effect?"
"But it's such a typical game setting! Why don't they come up with something original?"
"Like surrendering?"
"Now you're being insane. What's the fun in that?"
They waited for her, both confident in each other's ability. There was now only one gun between them, but Jubilee had been given any extra clips. Neither would be completely helpless if she ran out of ammo. All they needed was their challenger, who did not disappoint.
They heard them at the same time and easily avoided being hit. The arrows struck the ground harmlessly, allowing the former targets to focus on the real problem. They stood side by side when she somersaulted slowly off the pillars as if she were unaffected by gravity's pull. The silver-clad warrior touched down smoothly without disturbing the dusty terrain in the least. No one dared move while they waited for the other to attack first.
With a skill that rivaled both the Flash and Hawkeye, Maitreya let her bow sing and sent her opponents scattering for cover. The assault only stopped when Jubilee returned fire, sending the archer spinning out of existence.
"That was too easy."
"Yeah, if there is one thing I've learned playing video games-"
"Other than how to break your opponent's ankle."
"It's that you've never won until 'K.O.' flashes on the screen."
"So where is she?"
The answer came in the form of the clanking of the gate behind the opening and two pairs of eyes peering out of the darkness. Leaping from their den, they took the form of lions, circling their prey.
"It's a sick, sad world when there is irony in this situation."
"Good story?"
"Yeah, it involves a beetle, a pizza delivery, and a temporarily blind cop."
"The best I've got is chili, purple smoke, and a porcupine brother."
"The winner of this round: Tim!"
"Yeah whatever, but we'll have to save your victory party for later, we've got trouble!"
With a strange mix of Roman and mechanical attackers, Maitreya succeed in dividing her foes. Tim managed to distract the lions into chasing him while Jubilee took aim at the redhead's five duplicates, each flying in on what appeared to be their own hover crafts. It was an unfair game of tag and Tim had been permanently named it. The fight was insane, because while the lions looked real, they were really just bits of information programmed to kill him. But information could be changed, reprogrammed, deleted – if one could get inside the game.
The answer hit him like a swipe of a predator's paw, which he only managed to tumble away from at the last second. His vest, which now had a sizable gash in it, thanks to the claws, was connected to the computer mainframe. If he could hack into it, he might be able to do some damage to the system, or at least convince the computer everyone was dead. Now, he just had to find a way to lose the kitty cats. Taking evasive maneuvers, he needed to make it back to where the main action was.
It was a stray miniature bomb that finally wiped them out for him. The idea had been to run past the fight to let them become the victims, but Tim hadn't been expecting that type of force. As he corrected his course towards Jubilee, he could see Maitreya's new play toys. She was beyond the hover crafts, now hiding behind tanks, bombers, and small dragons. Jubilee had held her ground, but the odds were continually doubled against her.
Tim only paused a moment to take out a Maitreya biker before he grabbed Jubilee's hand and pulled her behind a felled pillar. He could only smile as she refused to take her finger off the trigger as she was dragged behind him.
"See if you can hold them back for a minute."
"Make it a fast one, I only have one clip left. After that, we only have one choice."
"Just make every shot count."
Tim would have to run the risk of removing the kevlar vest to examine it. The gash left only a thin layer between him and the computer chip. Only a thin, yellow layer that covered the key to their survival. Only a thin, yellow, slimy layer that moved under his touch. Tim snatched his hand away as the thing gurgled and rippled its skin.
"Um, Jubilee?"
"What! I'm kinda busy here."
"Look at this."
She glanced over quickly in a way that Tim could see was only supposed to humor him; that was only until she saw it. Her face contorted to a look of astonishment and disgust that must have mirrored his own.
"It's *alive?*"
"Apparently."
"Ewwwwwwwwww! It's alive and on me and alive and living and ewwwwwww!"
She made a grab for it before he could stop her. The vest flew threw the air and was shredded in front of their eyes by the Maitreyas' fire and even then, Tim couldn't find the words to protest. Jubilee's vest soon joined it, tattered and on the other side of the pillar.
But there were no pillars any more. They had faded with the dragons and the machines, leaving only the four players in a blank room with one very unhappy Maitreya. The exit raised upwards with a cloud of smoke directly behind them, but one thing kept them from leaving. Chamber's still body was located beyond where Maitreya stood.
"Jubes, can you distract her?"
"You have to ask?"
Sliding past the charging computer program, Tim expected to hear another round of fire, but only heard the dull thud as the unwanted gun hit the wall. He turned to discover Jubilee ducking a kick intended for her face. His legs stopped on their own accord as he was caught reevaluating his priorities.
"It's covered. Just *go!*"
Maybe it was the threatening tone in her voice, or maybe it was her kick that connected with Maitreya's knee that got Tim moving again, but whatever it was, he doubled his efforts. The way to Chamber had been clear of any obstacles, so it wasn't until after Tim had actually reached the unconscious man that the villainess was forced to remind him of the rules of her game.
As he pulled the teen game junkie to the door, Tim's eyes wandered back towards where Jubilee had pushed Maitreya into a defensive position. She fought with a natural spunk which enhanced the skills that had been taught to her. The X-Men might have special abilities, but they couldn't always rely on them in battle. From the stories Jubilee told and especially this demonstration, Tim could tell that Wolverine, Storm and Gambit's hand-to-hand combat skills had been passed down another generation. It might have been an even fight had they continued, but Maitreya was not going to let that happen. She now charged at Jubilee with a fury, only this time, a glint of metal could be seen in the fray.
There had been an opening in Jubilee's assault, and Maitreya had taken advantage of it. In a maneuver so smooth and swift that Tim almost missed it, she raised her hands, morphing them so they now each carried a Kama. A sadistic smile spread across her face as she force Jubilee to roll clear of the sickle-like weapons. Fighting against the skill of every combat game ever invented, Jubilee could only manage to stay clear of the blades.
Tim's only thought was to help Jubilee with Maitreya when the fallen goddess' body was hurled by him by a brilliant burst of light. Shielding his eyes, he could just barely make out a standing figure. While he would have liked to simply run to her and escape with her from the room, there was still Chamber to think about. Avoiding the sparks flying from every direction, Tim attempted to get himself and Chamber to the door. Random scenes and cyber villains materialized around them, but they remained unharmed as they sped for the door. He turned, expecting to have to yell for Jubilee, but she was already by his side, flinging Chamber's other arm around her shoulders.
"Need help?"
"Jubes, you are gorgeous."
"So I've been told. Now lets get out of here."
The building layout was almost as confusing as the game's had been. The corridors were empty of life, as Tim hoped the rest of the building would be. The game room must have contained the majority of the explosion; they could only hear the rumbling erupting sound and feel a light quaking under their feet when they reached the mostly empty parking lot. No one was complaining though, they didn't feel like avoiding flying debris or finding that something had skewered their car. Instead, they simply plopped down next to their jeep with exhausted sighs.
"Aren't you glad I made you work out all this week?"
"I'm sure that's what you had in mind when you bought everything and had me carry it. What should we do with our genius friend here?"
"Leave him and give an anonymous tip to the cops?"
"That's a great idea! An unconscious teen at a burnt building won't look suspicious at all."
"Are you sure he's okay?"
"Yeah, he was just knocked out, he should be fine. We probably should get that vest off him since there is a living organism in it. It would be interesting-"
"Interesting as in a biology project, or interesting as in my pet . . . creature named Pat who I will clone and use to take over the universe? Either way, it's not coming through my portal."
"But conquering everyone would be such a great project when I get home."
"Ha! I don't know about you, but when I get home I'm tossing all alien inventions out. No more borrowed Shi'ar technology for me."
"Of course, if you get rid of the device that got us here-"
"Then I won't be able to visit you! Well, I can keep *that* one, I just won't come to *this* world anymore. It will just transport me to your world and-"
"And what? We both lead very busy lives and don't have that much time for relationships to begin with. There still is a problem with distance. It's not like we live in a different city and can call, but there's a whole dimension between us."
"I guess that *was* the reason we didn't go out before."
"But it's not like I didn't have fun this week. It's been great hanging out with you, Jubes, and I won't trade a single moment for the world. Not that I particularly crave to be a target of a digital killer, but if it means I get to spend time with you, I'd do it again – as long as we survived again. I mean, if our situations were different-"
"Yeah, yeah. If we were really supposed to go out we'd have meet our child from a possible future that we had raised in a pocket universe . . . twice."
"Right, or we could've just gone to the same grade school."
"Not if you wanted to date someone from the X-Men. But hey, why are we so down on this? We have two days left after we clean up this mess, and even then, it's totally not like we won't see each other again. It's like a rule or something that we'll run into each other again. We're bound to have to fight some crazed meta-human or mutant or External or god willing to throw us together so we can stop him, right?"
"Like you said, it's a rule."
~X~R~
"If you don't stop now, Tim, I'm gonna cry!"
"Weren't you the one who didn't want to make a spectacle of ourselves when we first got here?"
"Since I'm the one who fell off the bench 'cause I was laughing, I don't care anymore!"
"Sooner or later, someone is going to call the police about two drunken teenagers in the park if we don't watch it."
Ignoring the stares of those around them, Tim offered a hand to the giggling mutant. He should've known better. Like everything else that day, they ended up in a pile of laughter. There wasn't much time left for them in this dimension and they were making the most of it. But now Tim wondered if stopping for coffee before they came to the park had been such a great idea.
"Well I can't help it; it's just so . . . wonderfully wrong. You have *got* to be makin' that up."
"I almost wish I had. I found it on an old recorded case file."
"No way! Do it again!"
" 'They call me Robin, Mr. Harrison. But *you're* the bird I want to sing'."
"That's almost . . . as good . . . as . . . the time . . . Cyclops . . . wanted to drop . . . a . . . a . . . truck . . . on . . . Gambit!"
"See, now you can barely get through a sentence. I'm cutting you off from Robin quips until you breathe."
"Not fair! This is just to get even with me for making you go shopping again!"
"Not that you didn't *try* to justify it earlier. Who says I needed to buy people souvenirs from this trip?"
"I still can't believe they don't make a shirt that say 'My sorta brother sent me to another dimension and all I got was this lousy T-shirt'."
"I still can't believe you asked!"
"It would've been perfect for you to give out . . . Oh c'mon, I'll tell you about the time when Frosty made us breakfast, or the poker game where Beast tried to throw Sam out the window, and I do have lots of great battle lines. Please!"
"Well, I guess I could make an exception – just this once – for you."
Somehow, it was decided that the perfect way to finish the week would be to roll down Art Hill. Grass found its way into their hair, clothes, and mouths, but both raced down a second time. Their contest was cut short when the game turned into all-out grass warfare. If he ever shared his week with anyone, Tim reserved the right to omit the part when he had to shake the weeds from his pants.
"So, is this the typical date for an X-Men?"
"Well, it beats spending an entire evening riding an ice slide or being used as a pawn to set the team into a trap."
"In other words, saving the world doesn't pay much where you come from either."
The week was ending quickly, yet Tim found it hard to believe that he had been gone for an even shorter time. Not wishing to spend their last days in a car, the two had staked out the best things to do in St. Louis. According to Jubilee, they would be sent back near Brentwood anyway.
Thoughts of home rekindled Tim's feelings of inadequacy during the Maitreya affair. Even though he had survived the ordeal without a utility belt and mask, he hated himself for being so easily trapped. Not only that, but he had allowed the perpetrator to escape. He would've claimed the blame for Impulse's death if Jubilee hadn't knocked some sense into him. If he was to be responsible for failing to control every situation inside the V.R. game, then it was Jubilee's fault for being the intended target. Then, Ivan would no longer be liable for the situation he created and Tim hated that idea more than what he viewed as his failures. Still, it was strange to be so involved in a case, yet unable to solve it.
During on of Jubilee's earlier visits, Rosie had told her about a FBI agent who specialized in the paranormal. Surprisingly, the man had found them the next day; but even with the enthusiasm the agent displayed, Tim felt the case would remain unsolved. Confident, smart, and proud, the man seemed more involved in the details of the game than in finding Ivan. After an hour of questions and cell phone breaks, all the man seemed to have accomplished was emptying a bag of sunflower seeds. His interviewing techniques were peculiar, and Tim was surprised he was never asked if he had ever been abducted from earth. Tim knew the value of small observations, but even he failed to see how a detailed sketch of Maitreya would crack the case. There was also this strange feeling that he had seen the agent before . . . in a movie or something. On his world, he hadn't thought enough of the movie to pay much attention to the actors.
What was bothering him more than the self-blame and feelings of helplessness was the fact that he could locate Ivan he was sucked back to his normal life, but he didn't care. Somehow, spending time with Jubilee seemed more important than bringing in a criminal, even if he had tried to kill them. He had seen Bruce sacrifice a date tons of times to help others, was he being selfish for not doing the same?
The irony of the situation was pretty obvious. He was lecturing himself for not doing something that he would lecture Bruce for doing. He was having fun, looking beyond his duties and enjoying life. Tim mentally sighed. He was going to end up in Arkham with a multiple personality complex worse than Two Face's if he didn't stop it. Sometimes it seemed like his life was being written in three different books by various authors who never communicated. It was a wonder he didn't speak about himself in the third person.
For now, he was going to enjoy wondering around the Gateway to the West with a cute girl by his side. None of his friends would ever recognize the leader of Young Justice if they saw him getting his picture taken with random people in the streets or asking for obvious directions. He wondered if it would be hard to get the whole team on one of these trips . . . as long as Bart had previous plans for that day.
~X~R~
The pillow seemed too far away even though Tim Drake was lying on it. The headache was back, but it helped that his room was completely dark except for the soft square of moonlight that broke in through the window and made its way across the floor. He had awakened in his bed back at boarding school with only hazy thoughts. He could remember riding in the Jeep with Jubilee who was in the middle of reliving a Thanksgiving football game. He had only closed his eyes for a second, and now he was back where he started as if nothing had ever changed. The digital numbers on his clock cut through the darkness revealing that it was only 2:14. If he was calculating correctly, he had last fallen asleep in his bed around one on Saturday morning. The thought that everything had only been a dream jump-started him into action.
The tender spot on his arm from where he had rolled into a trash can at the bottom of the hill proved that they had been in St. Louis, but where was Jubilee? He tentatively whispered her name, but with no response. Figuring she had crashed nearby, Tim patted down the other bed. He found something, but it wasn't really what he had hoped for.
He moved the letter into the beam of light, praying that her last words to him wouldn't be found in the note. But it wasn't her handwriting. In fact, the cover of the letter didn't even contain any other words than the name 'Robin' in child's careful script of red marker. Below it was a drawing of himself, complete with his bo staff. Tim smiled at the grinning crayon version of himself. His curiosity piqued, Tim turned the letter over.
'Hey squirt, hope you enjoyed the adventure with Jubilee. While you were gone, I couldn't help notice how drab your room looked. After consulting the most experienced interior designer I know, I was compelled to help add color to the dismal state of your room. Display your new room with pride. BTW, Lian says "Hi".'
Tim's eyes speed across the words twice before he found the courage to view what Dick meant by 'added color'. As the lights flickered on, his hope for a normal future flickered out. The image was only blocked out when he closed his eyes, but no amount of praying was going to change his walls. There was not a millimeter of empty wall. Littered with poster of pop bands, anime and children's show characters, all the room needed was a row of stuffed animals to make the image of a girl's room complete.
His mind scurried to make sense of it all, but nothing clicked until he realized that posters could be taken down. His life wasn't over. Swallowing a hysterical scream, Tim ripped down the nearest Power Puff Girls' banner, but that only turned the panic in rage. Rushing to another wall, he tore down the picture of the dog Blue, and the one of the Backstreet Boys. But it was there wherever he turned. His walls now reeked with Barbie Pink. Dick was so dead, if Tim ever got the chance to live to kill him. He let his body slide down the wall, wondering why he had wanted to come home to his life.
~X~R~
It couldn't have been more obvious that he was in Blüdhaven if a neon sign had been erected. There was just something about the city that was rotten, but it was the perfect place to work the kinks out on a Saturday night. Beating up common muggers cleared the air in Tim's head and let him concentrate on the events of the last week, or just that morning to be precise.
He no longer was concerned by his room's appearance. Before rushing out to find some paint, he had torn down all the posters to find a small device pinned to the corner of a wall. With the push of a button, the pink had disappeared and a message popped up. 'Isn't Shi'ar technology fun? Remember to thank Jubilee for her gift to you.' The device turned to dust before Tim could plan to use it against anyone else. It had only taken him an hour to locate the rest of his stuff and dispose of his new teeny bopper persona.
Vengeance was the original reason Tim had changed his city to patrol, but now he was using the time to think about other things: Jubilee's laugh, the way she almost skipped when she walked, her strange obsession with the color yellow. Had it been easier to just leave him behind without saying anything? It wasn't like they were never planning to see each other again, but neither thought they could just hang out during the time. Why hadn't he at least tried to work something out? At least then he would know whether this anxiety was because he felt something special for Jubilee or if it was a normal reaction to missing a good friend. Strange how he was stuck back in the position he started in. Now he couldn't consult anyone in his 'family' about his problems because their relationships were more messed up than his.
Mourning his absent love life was accomplishing nothing and he decided to indulge himself later with self-pity and work on his stealth skills now. He was still unclear why he was opening Dick's apartment window without a plan. Revenge was a fool's game if one played blindly and right now he was fumbling around with mace in his eyes. Yet, he had been drawn to Blüdhaven by something and he was sure he could think of something impromptu – as long as the floors weren't booby trapped or something.
The success probability of the mission plummeted as soon as Tim had made it halfway across the room. The door handle turned slightly and instantly froze Robin in his place. If Dick was coming home, then Tim would never live this down and if he wasn't alone or if it was someone else, no amount of explaining was going to rectify this. The distance to the window was too great to escape that way and leave it to Dick to own nothing to effectively hide behind. He could try melting in the shadows, but that would only work until the person opened their eyes. Yellow, red and green weren't the most covert colors to wear for that sort of thing. Black was looking more appealing for Robin every second. He prepared himself for the worst and could already hear the squeal as the door opened.
"You wore the outfit!"
"Jubilee?"
"You were expecting the Power Rangers? I knew you'd come, but I didn't know you'd wear that. I mean, I was hoping you would, but-"
She couldn't complete her sentence, not with Tim's mouth covering hers. The rest of the world seemed to slip away as they stood there over Tim's dropped mask and groceries that had fallen from Jubilee's hands. It wasn't until footsteps could be heard on the stairs that Jubilee regained enough sense to nudge the door closed again with her foot. Even though they were a breath away from each other, Tim almost missed her next word.
"Whoah."
"You were saying something?"
". . . was I?"
"Yes, something about how long you get to stay."
"Really? What about how I got back here?"
"No, but at the moment it doesn't seem as important as you being here."
"No, I was asking you, how did I get back here?"
". . ."
"Gotcha!"
"Jubilee."
"Hold that thought, I think I should sit down. Whoah."
"So, how much longer will you be here?"
"Probably 'til late Sunday night, since I have to pretend to be alive Monday morning."
"And then?"
"I don't think I'll be coming here next weekend, if you're wondering."
"The device?"
"Already buried and broken somewhere on Gen X's base."
"But then how-"
"Didn't you wonder how your friend found me?"
"Well, now I do."
"After I dropped you off in your beautifully decorated room, I realized that Nightwing either had some alien technology or found some other way between worlds."
"And?"
"It turns out, during the time he was Short-Pants Robin, the Teen Titans attacked X-Men base back when Storm was on her first costume, Jean had only been dead twice and when Kitty still went by 'Sprite' – which I might point out was a much worse name than even 'The Red-Head without a Code Name.' Anyways, it seems the walls that separate our realities are pretty flimsy and easy to get through as long as you are thinking of the other place."
"What, we don't need pixie dust or anything?"
"Not unless you are planning to defect to Never-Never Land. Which I hope you're not, 'cause it's not fun being the eternal child. Just ask me 'n Bobby."
"Do I look like I wear green tights and fight guys in funny outfits while making bad jokes? Wait, scratch that. But if Dick had never heard of the place before, then how did he know how to do it the first time?"
"I guess the fact that the Dark Phoenix was about to rise again to destroy all life everywhere *could* have something to do with it, but I *could* be wrong."
"So, why can't you come next weekend?"
"Because, you're coming to visit me."
~X~R~
"Could he have used my name any more in that conversation?"
"Well, I'm sure he wasn't expecting you to be eavesdropping on your own apartment while visiting me. And besides, you already have the title for the most people knowing your secret identity."
"Very funny, Babs."
"Funny but true. That's the best part."
"You're just upset that you lost the bet."
"Okay, fine. So you can play matchmaker It doesn't matter much because he's going to kill you as soon as he turns on his computer."
"You don't think he'll appreciate the virtual Impulse shrine I made for his desktop?"
"Well, I have to admit, the way that a sultry voice worships Bart when you scroll over the icons was pretty impressive."
"For awhile there, I was afraid they would get lost in the eternal playing of the 'Thong Song'."
"I'm sure he would've been crushed if it hadn't worked out. What makes you think he won't just change it?"
"Another pointless application of highly sophisticated and extremely rare Shi'ar technology. This stuff even puts an Impulse letterhead over everything he prints. After a week he can save his computer, all he has to do is say the right password."
"Let me guess, the password is 'Dick is the master'."
"Why , thank you."
"What is with you two? Next time just beat each other over the head with foam bats."
"But then we'd have to label it 'therapy' and be charged two-hundred bucks an hour. Besides, the way I figure it, the kid got off easy. If I had asked you to help, he would've ended up with a desktop of gay porn and Alanis Morsette songs."
"Then next time don't ask me for ideas if you're going to put them down."
"Hey, we compromised on the closet thing."
"Only because you were too much of a wuss to handle it on your own."
"It's a guy thing."
"Sheesh, since age eight, you've been exposed to and desensitized from the sight of blood and every medical emergency, yet you are acting like a hormonal teenage guy about this? It's not like the package was even opened."
"And if I had followed your plan, they would've been all over the walls like stickers."
"Being a guy, you miss out on all the best pranks. But I take it Robin hasn't found our present yet."
"I think he would now be hysterical if he did."
"Next time, just make sure that the password is 'Barbara is the master'."
~X~R~
Tim scrunched his nose and gently tapped the receiver in his ear. So far the bug he had planted in the clock tower wasn't interfering with the one that was in the apartment, but that wasn't what he was worried about. Jubilee was enjoying the conversation a lot more than he was and was trying her hardest to not give them away by laughing. Tim hoped the whispers wouldn't be picked up by the transmitter listening to them. "What are they talking about? There was nothing left for me in my closet, I already checked!"
"Isn't it *obvious,* Boy Wonder? They left something for you in a closet and you know it's not yours . . ."
"They didn't."
"It seems they did."
"But what-"
"If you can't figure it out, I'm not telling you. But that's a good one for the next time I visit the mansion . . ."
~X~R~
"Why did it get so quiet over there? That worries me more than the phrase 'starring David Duchovny '."
"Plotting against you, what else? Sure you got Robin to admit his feelings for Jubilee through your scheme, but you forget now she's no longer on your side. They'll probably do the exact same thing to you."
"Please inform me when he's going to strike so I can make sure I'm not on duty that day."
"And when you find out that your date is really a hologram?"
"Well, if he sets me up before tomorrow's charity ball that Bruce is somehow dragging me to, then I can at least *pretend* to have a social life."
"Well, I see only one solution to this predicament you have gotten yourself into."
"And just what is this solution of yours?"
"You need ask someone out on your own."
"And if she says 'no'?"
"And what if she's had enough time to say 'yes'?"
~X~R~
"Jubilee, are you pondering what I'm pondering?"
"I think so Robin, but if the Beastmaster only wears that skimpy loin cloth, how does it stay put when he does aerials?"
"Thanks for the mental pic, Jubes."
"My pleasure."
"We're all alone in an apartment together. What's the one thing that must be done in this sort of situation?"
"Raid the fridge!"
"Trust me, you do not want to go there."
"Yeah, I noticed. I was supposed to wait here for you, but I got hungry and – for a vigilante – your friend is kinda stupid after living in this neighborhood and not hiding his cash better than just with his costumes. The chips and soda I bought rolled off somewhere, if you want to look for them."
"For a guy who can clean, wash and fold laundry and can even sorta cook, Dick could never keep a decent apartment."
"I hope this isn't a sign of your living habits."
"Err, anyway . . . what do you want to do tonight?"
"The same thing ever teenager should do on a date: blackmail someone!"
"I know of a certain disgruntled landlady who would love to know more about a certain tenant."
"The building owner?"
"In a way, yes, I guess Dr. Fledermaus does own the building."
"Poor guy, does he spell his name like the opera?"
"Yep."
"Why does Dick's pseudonym for his other apartment mean 'the bat' anyway? That *isn't* suspicious at all . . . what? I have to know some pointless facts!"
"About operas?"
"Well, the Prof. does have his own personal box with a perfect view of a season ticket holder who I swear looks just like Ben Affleck!"
"And people say that teens today have no culture."
"Whatever. I say unless we get ten thousand dollars each in an hour, Clancy has a little revelation about Fledermaus' other personality. Maybe she would like to take a tour of his room?"
"Sounds fair to me. Just give me a sec." Racing into the other room, Tim threw on some clothes that passed the sniff test. He emerged a minute later in some jeans and a Gotham Knights T-shirt. "Remember Dick, less than an hour," he warned the transmitter. They didn't allow themselves to celebrate until they were outside the building.
"*Yes!* Pay up Tim! Dick and Babs are soo together!"
"No fair, you had an inside woman!"
"Is it my fault that Babs never contacted you about getting this together? Maybe if you told her your real name she would've plotted with you."
"I'm sure she never expected that you'd use the information to win a bet!"
"Well, I did as much work getting those two together as she did, she gets Nightwing and I get the money from your little game. Quit stalling."
"Well, it's not that simple. There are people from three different teams in this and don't you think it'll be suspicious that my girlfriend won?"
"It's totally fair, I put my name in days ago! You'll find a way to convince them."
"Well, I figure our lives are worth nothing now that we've threatened Dick."
"But wasn't that *so* sweet the way he asked her out? I mean it sounded like he was planning that moment for years. We could only hear his voice, but the passion that was behind it-"
"Yes, and then he receives a threat from us."
"The timing couldn't have been more perfect! So we have about fifty minutes to live, what's there to do in this town?"
"If your still hungry, I know this great Deli where we can get some cheesesteak fajitas."
"Kewl, does Dick have some wheels we can borrow?"
"I thought you would never ask . . ."
End.
A special thanks to:
Coie – who gives out great plot advice
Noel – who gave me character info and was brave enough to attempt to edit this thing
you – duh!
Check your dealers (comic or otherwise) for these titles:
The Adventures of Jubilee and Tim: The hunt for the Plot!
Generation Justice: In this series, Impulse dies!
Generation Justice Annual: Because we claim that you demanded it!
Generation Justice Classics: Reprints from the Pre-First-Death Age!
Gen Justice Evolution: The cartoon fighters who can get into *Mooby World at the 10 and under price!
Generation Justice *Mooby Fast Foods Special Edition: Creating an empire off of simply creating hype!
Generation Justice 1,000,000: Set during tomorrow with the costumes of yesterday!
Generation Justice Unlimited: Tim visits the X-Mansion, hope you survive the experience!
Ultimate Generation Justice: Generation Justice updated for the new millennium!
Uncanny Generation Justice: It was done before, dare we rip it off again?
Young X: Generation Justice is trapped in another dimension. Fear them. Fear for them. (Actually, just the second suggestion.)
*all hail Kevin Smith: maker of the Golden Calf
"Calm down Jubes. We just need to think this through."
"What is there to think about? He's dead and the evil computer bitch tried to kill me and killed him and he's dead – or do you need more proof than the throwing stars that struck him?"
"Okay, but why are we still in the game? With all the cameras and monitors around this place, they have to know what happened."
"So those bastards are trying to kill us!"
"Or Impulse could be part of the game, like he was never real to begin with."
"Or I could be stuck in my body somewhere and they are using images of you to get info on my team!"
"Hey, how come I have to be the creation of the perpetrator?"
"Because I know I'm not."
"But you were the one who dropped in on me unexpectedly."
"So they wanted someone who I trusted but didn't know much about and they knew *you* were never going to take the initiative and come visit me."
"But I don't have the fun technology to go see you."
"Then how come your friend made it?"
"I don't know. All I know is that I'm real."
"That's just the sort of thing they would make you say."
"You just used that excuse yourself!"
"Um, right. So we're both fake?"
"Or we're both trapped. Who has the power to send both of us into a dream world?"
"Should I start with the mind control power people, or the people rich/evil/smart enough to build mind control devices?"
"And that leaves us . . ."
"Dead before we figure this out."
"Well, that really doesn't help us right now. Let's just assume for a second that this great girl from another dimension I had to fight to save both our worlds gets a call from my sorta brother who tells her that that I need a vacation. This leads her to kidnap me and we use stolen alien technology to dimension jump again to a place where she is bloody rich and is also invited to try this new V.R. game.
"In this game, some freaky ninja reject named Maitreya has taken control and she wants to kill every female that enters her game. She aims to kill the great girl, but I save her – without much thanks I might add – and she kills some geek who was playing the game with us. That leaves us with the question of whether Maitreya is real or if she's just a big computer glitch?"
"She is *so* not real."
"How do you know?"
"Duh, I've fought too many fake versions of real criminals to not know the difference."
"There's a computer program who hates girls running around trying to kill us. It all makes sense now."
"Kinda an overdone plot if you ask me."
"So does she get a motive, or is that ruled out because she's digital?"
"Traumatic childhood? Maybe she got called a slut too often?"
"I'm not sure that could really effect her. She can only do what she is told to do, right?"
"Now there's a great scheme to use. I'm sure Ivan would love to kill off half his market every time they played, because that wouldn't be suspicious at all."
"Unless she is programmed to think for herself and Ivan can no longer control her."
"Since when did thinking and believing in yourself become the 'in' thing to do? I guess living in a digital environment would make it totally hard to get a subscription to *Seventeen,* but just because she is sheltered and confident doesn't mean she gets to try to kill me!"
"It's not like any magazine models would have any effect on her self image if she can run around in that thing. Ouch!"
"Hmph! If you are going to be distracted, it might as well be by pain."
"Fine. But that still doesn't explain why she was able to kill someone. Where did she get real weapons?"
"Probably the same place she got that outfit."
"That's not really helping, Jubes."
"Neither is this. I say we just go show her what happens when you mess with JUBILEE AND TIM!"
"I like the way you said that."
"Just a little thing I do."
"How come your name gets to be first?"
"Would you rather use a team name, maybe something like Young X or Generation Justice?"
" 'Jubilee and Tim' sounds good to me."
"Then let's go beat this hussy at her own game."
~X~R~
They had been expecting to be attacked as soon as they left the building. Neither doubted Maitreya's determination to eliminate her target and both were ready to use all their training to prevent her from succeeding, but they had not expected to step into blackness.
"Who turned out the lights?"
"Probably the same person who made the building disappear behind us, I can't feel it anymore."
"Just hold on a sec, Tim."
A gentle glow of light illuminated the area that Tim was moving towards, which was nothing. The ground was simply gone where his foot was about to go. The light went out again as Tim propelled his weight backwards and felt a hand grab his kevlar vest to yank him backwards. Tim thanked the beautiful ground that painfully caught him as well as the girl who was again providing the light. "I don't think I tell you this enough, but, Jubilee, you're beautiful."
"Duh, most girls are when the only light is coming from some fireworks. I figure if I keep them close to me, nothing should go boom."
"You mean your pyrotechnics and technology don't mix? I can't imagine why."
"Okay, smart guy, get up and help me look around."
The abyss encompassing the island supporting them defied all the rules of the game. Everything took place in a large, blank room which had a height smaller than the distance than Tim would've fallen if Jubilee had not grabbed him. Someone was obviously herding them as the only place they could move to was a small platform bobbing lazily up and down.
"It seems to be our only option, unless you want to see if that canyon is really as deep as it looks."
"Ya know how I said I would thank your mentor? Remind me to send Wolvie in afterwards."
"You'd only be attacking half the problem then. There's someone else who is more responsible for this idea than Batman."
"Yeah? And who else could be crazy enough to make you think of having me jump to that platform in the dark?"
"There's no other way. You can't jump with your light-pop in your hands and we can't risk you setting off any of them in open space. Besides, I'll be there to catch you."
"Don't you have one of those Bat-Line-Jump-Thingies?"
"Sorry left those in my other tights."
"Men! So let me get this straight. I light the way while you flip over to the platform, then I toss you the guns and then I throw myself over there – in complete darkness – so you can catch me on that two foot floating piece of metal which might not hold all our weight . . . fun!"
~X~R~
He had to keep his mind focused. If he could do this blindfolded, it would be easier with feeble lighting. But this time, he was the experienced acrobat and there was no one there to catch him by his wrists if he messed up. He flashed quickly through all the lessons that had become almost second nature to him. His clothes and the vest would work against him, they were stiffer and heavier than he was used to doing this sort of work in, so he would have to remember to compensate for the difference.
It wasn't the distance he had to cross as much as the landing that he had to worry about. He would have to create enough force to stick his landing on the moving surface, yet if there was too much momentum, there was no place to roll safely. The best way seemed to be reaching the platform just when it started it's decent. With some luck, he would be stable enough to avoid being thrown off when it changed directions again.
With a wink to Jubilee, he was airborne. It all seemed to go perfectly at first. He had modified his movements for an inhibiting garments, was prepared for the acceleration of platform, and had his body arched correctly to land at the proper angle for the minute landing space. The light showed him that he had timed everything perfectly and would hit the platform at the optimum time. Things didn't go wrong until his feet actually touched the center of his target.
Instead of the rhythmic motion that Tim had relied on to catch him, the platform froze when it felt the extra weight. The forward movement of the flip propelled Tim past his landing position. Instinctively, he rolled into a ball, knowing full well that there was no room for him to ever finish the action on the dinky landing space given to him. It was disappointing knowing that he would die never hearing Jubilee's voice again since it was covered by a sound that compared to nails in a blender. But there were other thoughts. How would Dick explain to Bruce their disappearance? How would everyone handle his death? Would Bruce feel guilty about training him and go back to being cold(er)? What would happen with Young Justice without him? It wasn't fair. He would never get to be bugged by Alfred again, never have to worry about homework, never get to win the money when Dick and Babs finally got together. Why did this happened now? Why this way? Why . . . was he still able to worry?
It was Jubilee calling his name that finally convinced him to open his eyes. She couldn't have been shouting for more than couple seconds because he had only been laying there for that long. He was sprawled out on his back on something as solid as the ground. Perplexed, Tim stood up on protesting legs and made his way back towards the edge near where Jubilee was. "What happened?"
"Dude, that was some freaky shit. You landed and the thing stopped, doubled in size and then this bridge to the other piece of land came out of nowhere."
Her words were true. The reason he wasn't plummeting to his grave was that he had tumbled down a pathway which hadn't been there before. There was also extra moving room where the platform had been. Everything was substantial enough to hold his weight and he was betting that Jubilee's wouldn't be a problem.
With the guns safely stored behind him on the newly formed bridge, Tim prepared himself for the next step. So many things could go wrong, how come he ever suggested such a ludicrous plan? But Jubilee hadn't let him see any of her worry if she was feeling it. The light had been cut so their eyes could adjust some and she had gone into one of her X-Men stories to lighten the mood. Tim didn't know if the duct tape he had been planning to use to shut her up would hold for more than a few seconds, but he was secretly grateful for the distraction.
"Ready?"
"As I'll ever be."
"Don't sound so nervous. I'm the one jumping, remember?"
"Yeah, all too well."
Every part of his body strained to detect her coming. He could hear her and see her form racing towards him and Tim felt her weight knock them over. They just laid there for a second until she fell into an uncontrollable fit of laughter.
"What?"
"Nothing, just now I have a great 'When I was part of Gen. Justice' story!"
"What happened to 'Jubilee and Tim'?"
"Details, details. You worry too much! Relax, get into the spirit of this place."
"And what exactly is 'the spirit of this place'?"
He could only watch as she dusted herself off as if nothing had happened and heaved the big gun up pointed it at him. "Bang, you dead."
"Wha-"
The question was cut short as the ground beneath them began to shake violently, attempting to throw off its occupants. Tim's bruised body seemed unwilling to give up it's position on the floor. He was afraid he was going to have to suffer through another life flash until he noticed Jubilee by his side pulling him up. Together they made their way down the shifting bridge until they hit solid ground.
"The other gun!"
"Jubilee, no!"
It was too late to warn her and too late to follow. She had already shoved the weapon she had been carrying into his hands and ran back the way they came. Tim could only watch as the path she had taken began to degenerate behind her. The force behind the havoc seemed to understand her intent and began destroying the bridge from the other end.
Tim refused to breathe as Jubilee only had a few more feet to go . . .
A few more seconds . . .
A single instant later, it was gone. It didn't even bother to teeter at the edge, it just fell right out of her grasp. But now she had nowhere to go.
"Jubilee, jump!"
The bridge disappeared from where her feet had just been seconds ago, but Tim was no longer watching the ground. Her jump had been reckless, but under the circumstances, few could do better. Everything went to slow motion as he could tell she was coming up deadly short. Discarding the gun behind him, Tim could only reach out for her as she flew towards him. Hope was fleeting as the seconds marched by and she was still out of his grasp.
The jolt of her sudden stop traveled through his body and threatened to drag him after her, but he had been braced for the impact. He easily hauled her up, even though every bruised muscle protested.
"That was careless, stupid and senseless . . . I was supposed to do that."
"Why, because you're the guy?"
"No, because I have the boring life, remember? And you also have the only way out of this world."
"Well I couldn't let you have all the near death experiences with the pit. Thanks."
"No problem, but we probably should get moving. You were the one who really saved the gun, you should carry it."
"You sure?"
"Yep."
"Where is this light coming from? It's just been here since you caught me over there and it's been following us ever since."
"I noticed it, but I just never thought about the fact you weren't making it. Still, it only lights up a small area around us."
"So is someone helping us or does Maitreya just want us to find her to kill us herself?"
"I don't know, but we should find out what we can while it's around."
Their search was pointless. It seemed that no matter which way they ventured, there was nothing to find. No walls or ceilings or computer bad guys ever came into view. A clicking noise above them directed their attention upwards. Rows of light flickered on as if someone flipped a switch revealing a scene straight from a sci-fi movie. Ancient pillars loomed around the players. They were inside a regal arena empty of any fans. Beyond the invisible audience's seats, two suns gleamed, ignorant to what they were about to view.
"Not another alien civilization addict. Why is it always aliens?"
"For dramatic effect?"
"But it's such a typical game setting! Why don't they come up with something original?"
"Like surrendering?"
"Now you're being insane. What's the fun in that?"
They waited for her, both confident in each other's ability. There was now only one gun between them, but Jubilee had been given any extra clips. Neither would be completely helpless if she ran out of ammo. All they needed was their challenger, who did not disappoint.
They heard them at the same time and easily avoided being hit. The arrows struck the ground harmlessly, allowing the former targets to focus on the real problem. They stood side by side when she somersaulted slowly off the pillars as if she were unaffected by gravity's pull. The silver-clad warrior touched down smoothly without disturbing the dusty terrain in the least. No one dared move while they waited for the other to attack first.
With a skill that rivaled both the Flash and Hawkeye, Maitreya let her bow sing and sent her opponents scattering for cover. The assault only stopped when Jubilee returned fire, sending the archer spinning out of existence.
"That was too easy."
"Yeah, if there is one thing I've learned playing video games-"
"Other than how to break your opponent's ankle."
"It's that you've never won until 'K.O.' flashes on the screen."
"So where is she?"
The answer came in the form of the clanking of the gate behind the opening and two pairs of eyes peering out of the darkness. Leaping from their den, they took the form of lions, circling their prey.
"It's a sick, sad world when there is irony in this situation."
"Good story?"
"Yeah, it involves a beetle, a pizza delivery, and a temporarily blind cop."
"The best I've got is chili, purple smoke, and a porcupine brother."
"The winner of this round: Tim!"
"Yeah whatever, but we'll have to save your victory party for later, we've got trouble!"
With a strange mix of Roman and mechanical attackers, Maitreya succeed in dividing her foes. Tim managed to distract the lions into chasing him while Jubilee took aim at the redhead's five duplicates, each flying in on what appeared to be their own hover crafts. It was an unfair game of tag and Tim had been permanently named it. The fight was insane, because while the lions looked real, they were really just bits of information programmed to kill him. But information could be changed, reprogrammed, deleted – if one could get inside the game.
The answer hit him like a swipe of a predator's paw, which he only managed to tumble away from at the last second. His vest, which now had a sizable gash in it, thanks to the claws, was connected to the computer mainframe. If he could hack into it, he might be able to do some damage to the system, or at least convince the computer everyone was dead. Now, he just had to find a way to lose the kitty cats. Taking evasive maneuvers, he needed to make it back to where the main action was.
It was a stray miniature bomb that finally wiped them out for him. The idea had been to run past the fight to let them become the victims, but Tim hadn't been expecting that type of force. As he corrected his course towards Jubilee, he could see Maitreya's new play toys. She was beyond the hover crafts, now hiding behind tanks, bombers, and small dragons. Jubilee had held her ground, but the odds were continually doubled against her.
Tim only paused a moment to take out a Maitreya biker before he grabbed Jubilee's hand and pulled her behind a felled pillar. He could only smile as she refused to take her finger off the trigger as she was dragged behind him.
"See if you can hold them back for a minute."
"Make it a fast one, I only have one clip left. After that, we only have one choice."
"Just make every shot count."
Tim would have to run the risk of removing the kevlar vest to examine it. The gash left only a thin layer between him and the computer chip. Only a thin, yellow layer that covered the key to their survival. Only a thin, yellow, slimy layer that moved under his touch. Tim snatched his hand away as the thing gurgled and rippled its skin.
"Um, Jubilee?"
"What! I'm kinda busy here."
"Look at this."
She glanced over quickly in a way that Tim could see was only supposed to humor him; that was only until she saw it. Her face contorted to a look of astonishment and disgust that must have mirrored his own.
"It's *alive?*"
"Apparently."
"Ewwwwwwwwww! It's alive and on me and alive and living and ewwwwwww!"
She made a grab for it before he could stop her. The vest flew threw the air and was shredded in front of their eyes by the Maitreyas' fire and even then, Tim couldn't find the words to protest. Jubilee's vest soon joined it, tattered and on the other side of the pillar.
But there were no pillars any more. They had faded with the dragons and the machines, leaving only the four players in a blank room with one very unhappy Maitreya. The exit raised upwards with a cloud of smoke directly behind them, but one thing kept them from leaving. Chamber's still body was located beyond where Maitreya stood.
"Jubes, can you distract her?"
"You have to ask?"
Sliding past the charging computer program, Tim expected to hear another round of fire, but only heard the dull thud as the unwanted gun hit the wall. He turned to discover Jubilee ducking a kick intended for her face. His legs stopped on their own accord as he was caught reevaluating his priorities.
"It's covered. Just *go!*"
Maybe it was the threatening tone in her voice, or maybe it was her kick that connected with Maitreya's knee that got Tim moving again, but whatever it was, he doubled his efforts. The way to Chamber had been clear of any obstacles, so it wasn't until after Tim had actually reached the unconscious man that the villainess was forced to remind him of the rules of her game.
As he pulled the teen game junkie to the door, Tim's eyes wandered back towards where Jubilee had pushed Maitreya into a defensive position. She fought with a natural spunk which enhanced the skills that had been taught to her. The X-Men might have special abilities, but they couldn't always rely on them in battle. From the stories Jubilee told and especially this demonstration, Tim could tell that Wolverine, Storm and Gambit's hand-to-hand combat skills had been passed down another generation. It might have been an even fight had they continued, but Maitreya was not going to let that happen. She now charged at Jubilee with a fury, only this time, a glint of metal could be seen in the fray.
There had been an opening in Jubilee's assault, and Maitreya had taken advantage of it. In a maneuver so smooth and swift that Tim almost missed it, she raised her hands, morphing them so they now each carried a Kama. A sadistic smile spread across her face as she force Jubilee to roll clear of the sickle-like weapons. Fighting against the skill of every combat game ever invented, Jubilee could only manage to stay clear of the blades.
Tim's only thought was to help Jubilee with Maitreya when the fallen goddess' body was hurled by him by a brilliant burst of light. Shielding his eyes, he could just barely make out a standing figure. While he would have liked to simply run to her and escape with her from the room, there was still Chamber to think about. Avoiding the sparks flying from every direction, Tim attempted to get himself and Chamber to the door. Random scenes and cyber villains materialized around them, but they remained unharmed as they sped for the door. He turned, expecting to have to yell for Jubilee, but she was already by his side, flinging Chamber's other arm around her shoulders.
"Need help?"
"Jubes, you are gorgeous."
"So I've been told. Now lets get out of here."
The building layout was almost as confusing as the game's had been. The corridors were empty of life, as Tim hoped the rest of the building would be. The game room must have contained the majority of the explosion; they could only hear the rumbling erupting sound and feel a light quaking under their feet when they reached the mostly empty parking lot. No one was complaining though, they didn't feel like avoiding flying debris or finding that something had skewered their car. Instead, they simply plopped down next to their jeep with exhausted sighs.
"Aren't you glad I made you work out all this week?"
"I'm sure that's what you had in mind when you bought everything and had me carry it. What should we do with our genius friend here?"
"Leave him and give an anonymous tip to the cops?"
"That's a great idea! An unconscious teen at a burnt building won't look suspicious at all."
"Are you sure he's okay?"
"Yeah, he was just knocked out, he should be fine. We probably should get that vest off him since there is a living organism in it. It would be interesting-"
"Interesting as in a biology project, or interesting as in my pet . . . creature named Pat who I will clone and use to take over the universe? Either way, it's not coming through my portal."
"But conquering everyone would be such a great project when I get home."
"Ha! I don't know about you, but when I get home I'm tossing all alien inventions out. No more borrowed Shi'ar technology for me."
"Of course, if you get rid of the device that got us here-"
"Then I won't be able to visit you! Well, I can keep *that* one, I just won't come to *this* world anymore. It will just transport me to your world and-"
"And what? We both lead very busy lives and don't have that much time for relationships to begin with. There still is a problem with distance. It's not like we live in a different city and can call, but there's a whole dimension between us."
"I guess that *was* the reason we didn't go out before."
"But it's not like I didn't have fun this week. It's been great hanging out with you, Jubes, and I won't trade a single moment for the world. Not that I particularly crave to be a target of a digital killer, but if it means I get to spend time with you, I'd do it again – as long as we survived again. I mean, if our situations were different-"
"Yeah, yeah. If we were really supposed to go out we'd have meet our child from a possible future that we had raised in a pocket universe . . . twice."
"Right, or we could've just gone to the same grade school."
"Not if you wanted to date someone from the X-Men. But hey, why are we so down on this? We have two days left after we clean up this mess, and even then, it's totally not like we won't see each other again. It's like a rule or something that we'll run into each other again. We're bound to have to fight some crazed meta-human or mutant or External or god willing to throw us together so we can stop him, right?"
"Like you said, it's a rule."
~X~R~
"If you don't stop now, Tim, I'm gonna cry!"
"Weren't you the one who didn't want to make a spectacle of ourselves when we first got here?"
"Since I'm the one who fell off the bench 'cause I was laughing, I don't care anymore!"
"Sooner or later, someone is going to call the police about two drunken teenagers in the park if we don't watch it."
Ignoring the stares of those around them, Tim offered a hand to the giggling mutant. He should've known better. Like everything else that day, they ended up in a pile of laughter. There wasn't much time left for them in this dimension and they were making the most of it. But now Tim wondered if stopping for coffee before they came to the park had been such a great idea.
"Well I can't help it; it's just so . . . wonderfully wrong. You have *got* to be makin' that up."
"I almost wish I had. I found it on an old recorded case file."
"No way! Do it again!"
" 'They call me Robin, Mr. Harrison. But *you're* the bird I want to sing'."
"That's almost . . . as good . . . as . . . the time . . . Cyclops . . . wanted to drop . . . a . . . a . . . truck . . . on . . . Gambit!"
"See, now you can barely get through a sentence. I'm cutting you off from Robin quips until you breathe."
"Not fair! This is just to get even with me for making you go shopping again!"
"Not that you didn't *try* to justify it earlier. Who says I needed to buy people souvenirs from this trip?"
"I still can't believe they don't make a shirt that say 'My sorta brother sent me to another dimension and all I got was this lousy T-shirt'."
"I still can't believe you asked!"
"It would've been perfect for you to give out . . . Oh c'mon, I'll tell you about the time when Frosty made us breakfast, or the poker game where Beast tried to throw Sam out the window, and I do have lots of great battle lines. Please!"
"Well, I guess I could make an exception – just this once – for you."
Somehow, it was decided that the perfect way to finish the week would be to roll down Art Hill. Grass found its way into their hair, clothes, and mouths, but both raced down a second time. Their contest was cut short when the game turned into all-out grass warfare. If he ever shared his week with anyone, Tim reserved the right to omit the part when he had to shake the weeds from his pants.
"So, is this the typical date for an X-Men?"
"Well, it beats spending an entire evening riding an ice slide or being used as a pawn to set the team into a trap."
"In other words, saving the world doesn't pay much where you come from either."
The week was ending quickly, yet Tim found it hard to believe that he had been gone for an even shorter time. Not wishing to spend their last days in a car, the two had staked out the best things to do in St. Louis. According to Jubilee, they would be sent back near Brentwood anyway.
Thoughts of home rekindled Tim's feelings of inadequacy during the Maitreya affair. Even though he had survived the ordeal without a utility belt and mask, he hated himself for being so easily trapped. Not only that, but he had allowed the perpetrator to escape. He would've claimed the blame for Impulse's death if Jubilee hadn't knocked some sense into him. If he was to be responsible for failing to control every situation inside the V.R. game, then it was Jubilee's fault for being the intended target. Then, Ivan would no longer be liable for the situation he created and Tim hated that idea more than what he viewed as his failures. Still, it was strange to be so involved in a case, yet unable to solve it.
During on of Jubilee's earlier visits, Rosie had told her about a FBI agent who specialized in the paranormal. Surprisingly, the man had found them the next day; but even with the enthusiasm the agent displayed, Tim felt the case would remain unsolved. Confident, smart, and proud, the man seemed more involved in the details of the game than in finding Ivan. After an hour of questions and cell phone breaks, all the man seemed to have accomplished was emptying a bag of sunflower seeds. His interviewing techniques were peculiar, and Tim was surprised he was never asked if he had ever been abducted from earth. Tim knew the value of small observations, but even he failed to see how a detailed sketch of Maitreya would crack the case. There was also this strange feeling that he had seen the agent before . . . in a movie or something. On his world, he hadn't thought enough of the movie to pay much attention to the actors.
What was bothering him more than the self-blame and feelings of helplessness was the fact that he could locate Ivan he was sucked back to his normal life, but he didn't care. Somehow, spending time with Jubilee seemed more important than bringing in a criminal, even if he had tried to kill them. He had seen Bruce sacrifice a date tons of times to help others, was he being selfish for not doing the same?
The irony of the situation was pretty obvious. He was lecturing himself for not doing something that he would lecture Bruce for doing. He was having fun, looking beyond his duties and enjoying life. Tim mentally sighed. He was going to end up in Arkham with a multiple personality complex worse than Two Face's if he didn't stop it. Sometimes it seemed like his life was being written in three different books by various authors who never communicated. It was a wonder he didn't speak about himself in the third person.
For now, he was going to enjoy wondering around the Gateway to the West with a cute girl by his side. None of his friends would ever recognize the leader of Young Justice if they saw him getting his picture taken with random people in the streets or asking for obvious directions. He wondered if it would be hard to get the whole team on one of these trips . . . as long as Bart had previous plans for that day.
~X~R~
The pillow seemed too far away even though Tim Drake was lying on it. The headache was back, but it helped that his room was completely dark except for the soft square of moonlight that broke in through the window and made its way across the floor. He had awakened in his bed back at boarding school with only hazy thoughts. He could remember riding in the Jeep with Jubilee who was in the middle of reliving a Thanksgiving football game. He had only closed his eyes for a second, and now he was back where he started as if nothing had ever changed. The digital numbers on his clock cut through the darkness revealing that it was only 2:14. If he was calculating correctly, he had last fallen asleep in his bed around one on Saturday morning. The thought that everything had only been a dream jump-started him into action.
The tender spot on his arm from where he had rolled into a trash can at the bottom of the hill proved that they had been in St. Louis, but where was Jubilee? He tentatively whispered her name, but with no response. Figuring she had crashed nearby, Tim patted down the other bed. He found something, but it wasn't really what he had hoped for.
He moved the letter into the beam of light, praying that her last words to him wouldn't be found in the note. But it wasn't her handwriting. In fact, the cover of the letter didn't even contain any other words than the name 'Robin' in child's careful script of red marker. Below it was a drawing of himself, complete with his bo staff. Tim smiled at the grinning crayon version of himself. His curiosity piqued, Tim turned the letter over.
'Hey squirt, hope you enjoyed the adventure with Jubilee. While you were gone, I couldn't help notice how drab your room looked. After consulting the most experienced interior designer I know, I was compelled to help add color to the dismal state of your room. Display your new room with pride. BTW, Lian says "Hi".'
Tim's eyes speed across the words twice before he found the courage to view what Dick meant by 'added color'. As the lights flickered on, his hope for a normal future flickered out. The image was only blocked out when he closed his eyes, but no amount of praying was going to change his walls. There was not a millimeter of empty wall. Littered with poster of pop bands, anime and children's show characters, all the room needed was a row of stuffed animals to make the image of a girl's room complete.
His mind scurried to make sense of it all, but nothing clicked until he realized that posters could be taken down. His life wasn't over. Swallowing a hysterical scream, Tim ripped down the nearest Power Puff Girls' banner, but that only turned the panic in rage. Rushing to another wall, he tore down the picture of the dog Blue, and the one of the Backstreet Boys. But it was there wherever he turned. His walls now reeked with Barbie Pink. Dick was so dead, if Tim ever got the chance to live to kill him. He let his body slide down the wall, wondering why he had wanted to come home to his life.
~X~R~
It couldn't have been more obvious that he was in Blüdhaven if a neon sign had been erected. There was just something about the city that was rotten, but it was the perfect place to work the kinks out on a Saturday night. Beating up common muggers cleared the air in Tim's head and let him concentrate on the events of the last week, or just that morning to be precise.
He no longer was concerned by his room's appearance. Before rushing out to find some paint, he had torn down all the posters to find a small device pinned to the corner of a wall. With the push of a button, the pink had disappeared and a message popped up. 'Isn't Shi'ar technology fun? Remember to thank Jubilee for her gift to you.' The device turned to dust before Tim could plan to use it against anyone else. It had only taken him an hour to locate the rest of his stuff and dispose of his new teeny bopper persona.
Vengeance was the original reason Tim had changed his city to patrol, but now he was using the time to think about other things: Jubilee's laugh, the way she almost skipped when she walked, her strange obsession with the color yellow. Had it been easier to just leave him behind without saying anything? It wasn't like they were never planning to see each other again, but neither thought they could just hang out during the time. Why hadn't he at least tried to work something out? At least then he would know whether this anxiety was because he felt something special for Jubilee or if it was a normal reaction to missing a good friend. Strange how he was stuck back in the position he started in. Now he couldn't consult anyone in his 'family' about his problems because their relationships were more messed up than his.
Mourning his absent love life was accomplishing nothing and he decided to indulge himself later with self-pity and work on his stealth skills now. He was still unclear why he was opening Dick's apartment window without a plan. Revenge was a fool's game if one played blindly and right now he was fumbling around with mace in his eyes. Yet, he had been drawn to Blüdhaven by something and he was sure he could think of something impromptu – as long as the floors weren't booby trapped or something.
The success probability of the mission plummeted as soon as Tim had made it halfway across the room. The door handle turned slightly and instantly froze Robin in his place. If Dick was coming home, then Tim would never live this down and if he wasn't alone or if it was someone else, no amount of explaining was going to rectify this. The distance to the window was too great to escape that way and leave it to Dick to own nothing to effectively hide behind. He could try melting in the shadows, but that would only work until the person opened their eyes. Yellow, red and green weren't the most covert colors to wear for that sort of thing. Black was looking more appealing for Robin every second. He prepared himself for the worst and could already hear the squeal as the door opened.
"You wore the outfit!"
"Jubilee?"
"You were expecting the Power Rangers? I knew you'd come, but I didn't know you'd wear that. I mean, I was hoping you would, but-"
She couldn't complete her sentence, not with Tim's mouth covering hers. The rest of the world seemed to slip away as they stood there over Tim's dropped mask and groceries that had fallen from Jubilee's hands. It wasn't until footsteps could be heard on the stairs that Jubilee regained enough sense to nudge the door closed again with her foot. Even though they were a breath away from each other, Tim almost missed her next word.
"Whoah."
"You were saying something?"
". . . was I?"
"Yes, something about how long you get to stay."
"Really? What about how I got back here?"
"No, but at the moment it doesn't seem as important as you being here."
"No, I was asking you, how did I get back here?"
". . ."
"Gotcha!"
"Jubilee."
"Hold that thought, I think I should sit down. Whoah."
"So, how much longer will you be here?"
"Probably 'til late Sunday night, since I have to pretend to be alive Monday morning."
"And then?"
"I don't think I'll be coming here next weekend, if you're wondering."
"The device?"
"Already buried and broken somewhere on Gen X's base."
"But then how-"
"Didn't you wonder how your friend found me?"
"Well, now I do."
"After I dropped you off in your beautifully decorated room, I realized that Nightwing either had some alien technology or found some other way between worlds."
"And?"
"It turns out, during the time he was Short-Pants Robin, the Teen Titans attacked X-Men base back when Storm was on her first costume, Jean had only been dead twice and when Kitty still went by 'Sprite' – which I might point out was a much worse name than even 'The Red-Head without a Code Name.' Anyways, it seems the walls that separate our realities are pretty flimsy and easy to get through as long as you are thinking of the other place."
"What, we don't need pixie dust or anything?"
"Not unless you are planning to defect to Never-Never Land. Which I hope you're not, 'cause it's not fun being the eternal child. Just ask me 'n Bobby."
"Do I look like I wear green tights and fight guys in funny outfits while making bad jokes? Wait, scratch that. But if Dick had never heard of the place before, then how did he know how to do it the first time?"
"I guess the fact that the Dark Phoenix was about to rise again to destroy all life everywhere *could* have something to do with it, but I *could* be wrong."
"So, why can't you come next weekend?"
"Because, you're coming to visit me."
~X~R~
"Could he have used my name any more in that conversation?"
"Well, I'm sure he wasn't expecting you to be eavesdropping on your own apartment while visiting me. And besides, you already have the title for the most people knowing your secret identity."
"Very funny, Babs."
"Funny but true. That's the best part."
"You're just upset that you lost the bet."
"Okay, fine. So you can play matchmaker It doesn't matter much because he's going to kill you as soon as he turns on his computer."
"You don't think he'll appreciate the virtual Impulse shrine I made for his desktop?"
"Well, I have to admit, the way that a sultry voice worships Bart when you scroll over the icons was pretty impressive."
"For awhile there, I was afraid they would get lost in the eternal playing of the 'Thong Song'."
"I'm sure he would've been crushed if it hadn't worked out. What makes you think he won't just change it?"
"Another pointless application of highly sophisticated and extremely rare Shi'ar technology. This stuff even puts an Impulse letterhead over everything he prints. After a week he can save his computer, all he has to do is say the right password."
"Let me guess, the password is 'Dick is the master'."
"Why , thank you."
"What is with you two? Next time just beat each other over the head with foam bats."
"But then we'd have to label it 'therapy' and be charged two-hundred bucks an hour. Besides, the way I figure it, the kid got off easy. If I had asked you to help, he would've ended up with a desktop of gay porn and Alanis Morsette songs."
"Then next time don't ask me for ideas if you're going to put them down."
"Hey, we compromised on the closet thing."
"Only because you were too much of a wuss to handle it on your own."
"It's a guy thing."
"Sheesh, since age eight, you've been exposed to and desensitized from the sight of blood and every medical emergency, yet you are acting like a hormonal teenage guy about this? It's not like the package was even opened."
"And if I had followed your plan, they would've been all over the walls like stickers."
"Being a guy, you miss out on all the best pranks. But I take it Robin hasn't found our present yet."
"I think he would now be hysterical if he did."
"Next time, just make sure that the password is 'Barbara is the master'."
~X~R~
Tim scrunched his nose and gently tapped the receiver in his ear. So far the bug he had planted in the clock tower wasn't interfering with the one that was in the apartment, but that wasn't what he was worried about. Jubilee was enjoying the conversation a lot more than he was and was trying her hardest to not give them away by laughing. Tim hoped the whispers wouldn't be picked up by the transmitter listening to them. "What are they talking about? There was nothing left for me in my closet, I already checked!"
"Isn't it *obvious,* Boy Wonder? They left something for you in a closet and you know it's not yours . . ."
"They didn't."
"It seems they did."
"But what-"
"If you can't figure it out, I'm not telling you. But that's a good one for the next time I visit the mansion . . ."
~X~R~
"Why did it get so quiet over there? That worries me more than the phrase 'starring David Duchovny '."
"Plotting against you, what else? Sure you got Robin to admit his feelings for Jubilee through your scheme, but you forget now she's no longer on your side. They'll probably do the exact same thing to you."
"Please inform me when he's going to strike so I can make sure I'm not on duty that day."
"And when you find out that your date is really a hologram?"
"Well, if he sets me up before tomorrow's charity ball that Bruce is somehow dragging me to, then I can at least *pretend* to have a social life."
"Well, I see only one solution to this predicament you have gotten yourself into."
"And just what is this solution of yours?"
"You need ask someone out on your own."
"And if she says 'no'?"
"And what if she's had enough time to say 'yes'?"
~X~R~
"Jubilee, are you pondering what I'm pondering?"
"I think so Robin, but if the Beastmaster only wears that skimpy loin cloth, how does it stay put when he does aerials?"
"Thanks for the mental pic, Jubes."
"My pleasure."
"We're all alone in an apartment together. What's the one thing that must be done in this sort of situation?"
"Raid the fridge!"
"Trust me, you do not want to go there."
"Yeah, I noticed. I was supposed to wait here for you, but I got hungry and – for a vigilante – your friend is kinda stupid after living in this neighborhood and not hiding his cash better than just with his costumes. The chips and soda I bought rolled off somewhere, if you want to look for them."
"For a guy who can clean, wash and fold laundry and can even sorta cook, Dick could never keep a decent apartment."
"I hope this isn't a sign of your living habits."
"Err, anyway . . . what do you want to do tonight?"
"The same thing ever teenager should do on a date: blackmail someone!"
"I know of a certain disgruntled landlady who would love to know more about a certain tenant."
"The building owner?"
"In a way, yes, I guess Dr. Fledermaus does own the building."
"Poor guy, does he spell his name like the opera?"
"Yep."
"Why does Dick's pseudonym for his other apartment mean 'the bat' anyway? That *isn't* suspicious at all . . . what? I have to know some pointless facts!"
"About operas?"
"Well, the Prof. does have his own personal box with a perfect view of a season ticket holder who I swear looks just like Ben Affleck!"
"And people say that teens today have no culture."
"Whatever. I say unless we get ten thousand dollars each in an hour, Clancy has a little revelation about Fledermaus' other personality. Maybe she would like to take a tour of his room?"
"Sounds fair to me. Just give me a sec." Racing into the other room, Tim threw on some clothes that passed the sniff test. He emerged a minute later in some jeans and a Gotham Knights T-shirt. "Remember Dick, less than an hour," he warned the transmitter. They didn't allow themselves to celebrate until they were outside the building.
"*Yes!* Pay up Tim! Dick and Babs are soo together!"
"No fair, you had an inside woman!"
"Is it my fault that Babs never contacted you about getting this together? Maybe if you told her your real name she would've plotted with you."
"I'm sure she never expected that you'd use the information to win a bet!"
"Well, I did as much work getting those two together as she did, she gets Nightwing and I get the money from your little game. Quit stalling."
"Well, it's not that simple. There are people from three different teams in this and don't you think it'll be suspicious that my girlfriend won?"
"It's totally fair, I put my name in days ago! You'll find a way to convince them."
"Well, I figure our lives are worth nothing now that we've threatened Dick."
"But wasn't that *so* sweet the way he asked her out? I mean it sounded like he was planning that moment for years. We could only hear his voice, but the passion that was behind it-"
"Yes, and then he receives a threat from us."
"The timing couldn't have been more perfect! So we have about fifty minutes to live, what's there to do in this town?"
"If your still hungry, I know this great Deli where we can get some cheesesteak fajitas."
"Kewl, does Dick have some wheels we can borrow?"
"I thought you would never ask . . ."
End.
A special thanks to:
Coie – who gives out great plot advice
Noel – who gave me character info and was brave enough to attempt to edit this thing
you – duh!
Check your dealers (comic or otherwise) for these titles:
The Adventures of Jubilee and Tim: The hunt for the Plot!
Generation Justice: In this series, Impulse dies!
Generation Justice Annual: Because we claim that you demanded it!
Generation Justice Classics: Reprints from the Pre-First-Death Age!
Gen Justice Evolution: The cartoon fighters who can get into *Mooby World at the 10 and under price!
Generation Justice *Mooby Fast Foods Special Edition: Creating an empire off of simply creating hype!
Generation Justice 1,000,000: Set during tomorrow with the costumes of yesterday!
Generation Justice Unlimited: Tim visits the X-Mansion, hope you survive the experience!
Ultimate Generation Justice: Generation Justice updated for the new millennium!
Uncanny Generation Justice: It was done before, dare we rip it off again?
Young X: Generation Justice is trapped in another dimension. Fear them. Fear for them. (Actually, just the second suggestion.)
*all hail Kevin Smith: maker of the Golden Calf