by Iron Raven
--- Space, near Earth
Shayera looked back on the Earth, one hand on the green bubble of energy. From here, the Watchtower was just a large mote, gleaming with reflected light above a mottled ball of white over blue-green. They had powered down everything but the computer and the most basic life support. She and John had packed his apartment the night before. The few boxes of personal items fit easily into the empty closet of his quarters on the station. They had everything they thought they would need; it wasn't much, just a backpack of medical supplies and food, some changes of clothing, a sleeping bag. John had planned on staying in subspace for only a few hours, stopping for a few days at each inhabited planet nearby.
J'onn was on Mars, meditating. They had left a message with the computer on the Javelin. They had given him a rough idea of their itinerary, and an invitation that if he wanted to try to find them. Secretly, she felt it was as likely as getting Flash to forgive them. They had left the other Javelin on the station, and had emailed him their plans. She felt like they deserved his anger, but hopefully that too would pass.
She had done the one thing she needed to do. She had sent a message to Thanagar. She had forged a final report to her superiors. Nuclear exchange. Background radiation extremely high, Earth unsuitable for operations. Use alternative site. Do not attempt recovery, firing self destruct. Lt. Sheyera Hol. Then she took her mace to the electronics of her micro-transmitter, fusing and crushing all of it's components. A lie, hopefully her last. Hopefully, her people would survive.
"You're quiet."
"Just thinking about the last time I saw Thanagar, that's all." She leaned back against the wall of the bubble, and against him. "I should warn you of something." He raised a quiet, questioning eyebrow as their bubble slipped from this reality, into subspace, eating distance faster than light. She looked at his face, the concern, the trust in his eyes, and she found she couldn't say what she wanted, not yet. Hopefully, she would be able to do so. Some day. "John, my people lay eggs. If that happens, don't take anything I say about you personally, ok?" She leaned her head down, her cheek on his shoulder, nuzzling into him. By the time he recovered from her statement, she was asleep. He had the same habit- as a rule, emergencies in space either gave you warning or killed you instantly, and watching subspace could be a little hard on the stomach. The ring was aware enough to wake him if it ran into trouble, and smart enough to dodge any debris in the way. He kissed the top of her head, and joined her in dreams.
--- Elsewhen
The moon was nearly full, watching the clouds play tag on the wind. She was not alone in looking after them. A single figure stood on a balcony, looking up at the stars as if for the first time, or the last. They had made a test of the portal this morning, and it had held steady. Bruce and Diana had let Vandel cook for them one last time, while they prepared to return. Tonight was a last chance to relax before going back, if the tests tomorrow worked as planned.
With the notes of Vandel's piano behind her, Diana crossed the floor of Bruce's quarters in silence. She stood watching Bruce's back for a long time, not wanting to disturb him, but needing to at the same time.
"Tomorrow, I put my mask back on, and become the Batman again." Bruce decided to break the silence during a pause in the music, knowing Vandel was selecting his next piece from the patiently recreated stack of sheet music. He wasn't totally sure how long she had been behind him. "Tomorrow, we go back to being you, and me; no more us."
Three long steps took Diana to his side. She turned him to face her, to see the hurt in his eyes. To others, the pain might have been hidden, but not to her, not now. In the months since they had been thrown forward in time, she had learned how to read him. In her own eyes anger and hurt swam in equal parts, as ever muscle in her body tensed in fear.
Bruce looked away, not wanting to see the result of his words on her face. He had come to love her during the months of searching for the zero point device, and the weeks of getting the time machine working. There had been nothing to hide behind. Without a world that would smear their faces on tabloids, without maniacs and disasters to attend to, this was the first change he'd had to have a normal life. How many years had Bruce been the act for the Batman? Would he be able to resume his normal life back in their time, or would Batman only be an act for Bruce now? Would the two beings who shared his body and soul be able to survive if the Batman became the lesser. "Because it changes things. People can use you to hurt me back then."
She took his chin in her palm, forcing him to look at her. She snapped at him, wounded by the weakness, the selfishness of his excuse, as if she was some simple peasant girl. "Or use you to hurt me. I'm almost immortal, remember." He started to speak, but her fingers still held his jaw, silencing him, a fierce look in her eyes."I'm not some delicate flower, Bruce. And don't tell me you work alone, you've never been alone. How many times did you tell me about Alfred and Leslie and Dick and Barbara and Tim? You'd be dead by now if it wasn't for them. They'd be dead if it wasn't for you. I'd be dead if it wasn't for you. You trust them, love them- try trusting me."
"It wouldn't work." Unable to look at her, and unable to look away, Bruce closed his eyes tightly. He had loved Selena, and she still embraced a life of crime, even if she wasn't a violent criminal. He could have married Talia, but she had been loyal to her father, turning to terrorism for their cause. And Andrea, he could have shared his secret with her, had a life with her, even his other side, but she had chosen her path as well. A nagging voice told him that he was a corrupting influence on people, that he destroyed every life he touched. He had to look at her, to force himself to meet her eyes. She had to see his resolve.
Diana snorted, a hard sound of derision. "You aren't always right, you know. Stop running from happiness, Bruce, before you die alone. Really alone." Her voice had softened again, soothingly, as she hugged him, clinging to him. He infuriated her like no one else ever had, but she wouldn't let him hide in a cave like a wounded beast, waiting to die. "By Hera, why do you have to be so gallant? "
He couldn't break away, he couldn't will his body to move. In the long run, his will was the weaker, he knew that. That was why he lived in a world of shadows and masks, while she bared her face to the sun. "I'll try." Meek words in a meek voice, the Dark Knight allowed the Princess of the Amazons win. The one woman he couldn't run from, and wouldn't run from him. Someone he could be weak before; it was alien, disturbing, and not unpleasant.
After a long time, the moon low in the sky, Savage began to play again. "I recognize this piece." Diana kissed his lips, briefly. The last time she had heard it was long ago, in Paris, before gunmen broke up the party. "We started to dance to this before, Mr. Wayne."
The last of the clouds cleared from the face of the moon as they started to dance, finishing something they had started millennial ago. The first dance on Earth in centuries.
--- Jump City
The island was crowded with party goers. It had been Terra's idea to have a cookout for all of those heroes who worked the Pacific coast of the Americas. Even Raven thought it would be a good idea. The Titans had worked with many of them already, but not all, and most didn't know each other. Some had declined, but that wasn't unexpected; there was still about a hundred superbly trained and gifted people around, gossiping, playing, trading war stories and showing off techniques and toys. Young and old mixed freely, everyone having added to the potluck.
Cyborg had insisted on manning the grill, helped at various times by Wildcat and others. Upwind of the grill, Beast Boy was watching with rapt attention as a fellow vegan showed off what could really be done with tofu. A super powered volleyball game ranged over the entire top of the Tower, the poor ball being punished into a hemisphere as Star sent it flying in a boys-vs-girls game. The boys were regretting having proposed these terms.
It had only been a month since the first serious attempts to organize those gathered here, but it didn't feel it. It seemed as if it was only natural that information be shared, and that they would work together as needed, as natural as if they had always done so.
--- Kent Farm
"Kara, your water is boiling."
"Uh? Oh! Thanks Uncle Johnathan." Kara Kent hopped off the glider seat, sliding past her uncle as he moved from the doorway.
Johnathan stepped closer, sitting on the edge of the railing. He glanced at his adopted son, and at the younger, redheaded man who had been sharing the bench swing with Kara. "Wally, Clark and I were talking about you earlier."
Wally West felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Uh oh
"It's ok, Wally. Kara's a big girl, she can shoot you down on her own." Clark smiled gently, but it still brought pain to his face. There were lines there that hadn't been there two months ago, deep ones. He felt old, even older than he had after Darkseid's control of him. He had known that there would be a time to hang up the cape, and this was it. "I know you were living on the Wayne Foundation grants."
"Here, son." Johnathan held a slim wad of folded bills out to the man most knew as the Flash.
"Guys, I can't take-"
"Wally, you are among friends. And you've been working on the farm for a week now. This is what you've earned." Johnathan leaned forward, tucking the money into Wally's shirt pocket. "A man gets paid for what he does. Don't argue with us."
Kara stepped through the door before her aunt, her fingers looped through the handles of three mugs of tea. "So, what's the answer?"
Numbly, Wally accepted a mug from Kara. His mind was whirling, he was more than a little lost. "Answer?"
Martha leaned back against the railing with a chuckle, next to her husband. "You didn't ask him yet?" Despite her initial distrust of the redhead, she had come to like Wally. While he might have been inept in the ways of farm life, he was a fast learner. His mind had surprised her almost as much as his skills as a cook, and Clark's forgiveness had been heartfelt. He complained less about certain chores than Clark had once, that was for sure.
"Wally, you need a job. I'm offering you one." Johnathan held out his hand.
"We are about 30 minutes from Central and Keystone, at my top speed." Kara looked over the rim of her mug, expectantly. "You could commute."
Clark smiled again, with a little less pain this time. "And Dad doesn't mind if you need to take off, unlike a regular boss."
"Boys, I think you are scaring him. I think he needs a little time." Martha rested her hand on the back of her husband's arm, the other on her son's shoulder.
--- Stonegate Prison, Gotham City
Clyde Parker watched the normally empty exercise yard with annoyance. It wasn't his normal shift. Instead, he'd been called in for a special duty. For the next week, everyone would be pulling double shifts, and there would be no days off. Even thought it meant a lot over time, double pay plus graveyard shift bonus, it still raised hell with his plans. He planted his hands on the console that controlled the cameras and lights of the watchtower that was his station. "So why do we have to have these freaks here? Why couldn't Stryker's hold them."
Senior Officer Bonnie Barrow stared at the young man in equal annoyance. Short and slight, she looked more like a kindergarten teacher than a prison guard, but she could could bang heads together better than most, even if she did have to knock most prisoners off their feet first so she could reach. "They aren't freaks, or monsters, they are prisoners. Treat them with respect, or you will get sloppy and they will take advantage of it. And if you had been paying attention at the briefing, you'd know something is wrong with the water at Strykers. We get some of their special crimes wing, the Feds get the rest." She looked down at the transport being unloaded. Parasite looked up, his unnaturally purple skin seeming to glow in the harsh lights. Officer Barrow stepped back with a shudder. It had felt like he touched her with those eyes. Freak.
--- Gotham Harbour
"This isn't hap'nin'. You're dead." A pale, scared man stepped backwards quickly, crossing himself over and over. "I watched 'em vaporize you. You're DEAD!"
"They sent me back." Sulfurous smoke seeming to cling to him, Batman strode closer, slowly, patiently, like a force of nature. Tall, almost skeletally slender, the cape was shorter than before, ragged, as if burned by fire. His eyes glowed slightly with a pale, ghostly fire. "Answer my question: Who wants the dark matter."
The fence looked about, for signs on aid, but his bodyguards had already been laid low. His eyes returned to the ghost in front of him, and his lips moved, but no air would pass through them. He felt the cold, strong fingers close on his shirt front, chilling him through the material of his shirt. That was enough reality for the fence as his eyes rolled up into his head, showing only whites as we went limp.
"Not again." Batman dropped the unconscious criminal in disgust, and cuffed him quickly before frisking his potential source of information. He pressed his hand to his ear, waiting for the click of the scrambled circuit opening. "Batgirl, you were right, we need to not use the smoke screen."
The reply came not from the communications headset built into his mask, but from about ten feet above him. He looked up just as Batgirl triggered the release on her grapple gun, and landed on her feet. "It was a great idea, but you are just scaring them to death."
Both headsets crackled the communications units shifted to the police frequencies. The automated voice spoke calmly, much more calmly than any human would, as it announced a break out attempt in progress at Stonegate Prison, Special Security Wing.
"They are getting the transfers from Strykers tonight." Batgirl muttered, half to herself, as they broken into a run towards the door. Batman nodded, as he pressed his hand to the communications control again. "Alfred, did you copy that police broadcast?"
There was a pause, before an English voice came over the air. "Yes, sir, I've already started calling."
--- Elsewhen
Dressed in their costumes again, Bruce and Diana had finished their preparations for their return. The portal had remained stable under an empty load for 30 seconds this morning, and once again this afternoon. Tonight was the voyage to yesterday. Bruce and Savage weren't positive to the date, but the passage should dump them less than a month before the old Savage tried to get the dark matter. A past that thought they were dead.
"Everything is ready. I hope you stop me."
"We will." Diana stepped up her former enemy. She hugged him, like she would have Superman or Flash if they were in the same position. "I promise."
Caped and cowled, Bruce shook Vandel's hand firmly. "I hope you can find peace, my friend. Take your ship into the stars, you've served your time."
Savage turned to the control panel, throwing the last switches. "Stand on the platform." He was glad he could hide his face from these people. He was sending them back to stop the man he was. Was he committing suicide or saving his soul by this act? Would he come to know the fullness of his crimes as he had, or would he forever be a wild beast tearing at the flesh of civilization? His voice was unexpectedly tight as he spoke. "Portal opening in six, five, four, three, two, one..."
With a whooshing pop, the temporal vortex opened, the visible portion swirling with the energies needed to create this insult to the universe. The light of the zero point generator dimmed slightly as they jumped into the portal. He was glad they hadn't said anything more, because he would not have been able to answer them. The light of the generator dimmed as his silent count reached seventy. Seventy seconds, they should be there.
With a tiny crack, the portal closed, taking the last of the generator's power with it. The only light in the room was the sparks of components overloading with residual energy and the tiny illumination of bus bars heated to a glowing blue.
--- Kent farm, Smallville
His head swimming, Wally felt like had mistaken a strong wine for grape juice and gulped. As an orphan, he had had few chances, with fewer helping hands. It had gotten him into college, and was why he helped at the orphanage when he could. But this, this was too much to fast. "But, why me?"
"Because you are a friend, and you need a hand." Clark leaned forward, his eyes silently pleading with the Flash. "It doesn't have to be forever, just until you are stable."
Wally was broken from his reverie by the chirping of his phone in his jeans pocket. Moment's later, Kara's did the same thing. She closed her phone with an eager expression on her face. "Sorry folks, duty calls."
The youngest people on the porch dashed inside at full speed, dismaying the cat who had been sitting in Clark's lap greatly. Before the fout legged resident of the Kent home could complain, they were back, suited up. It was Wally who spoke first. "It's Gotham, something big. We could use the help, Big Guy."
The Clark looked at them both, his features melting into sadness, adrift in a sea of doubt. "I, I can't. I'm sorry."
--- Stonegate Prison
Senior Officer Barrow dove below the concrete halfwall of the observation tower, just in time to feel the heat of Volcana's blast on her back. "Parker, you still with me?"
Her junior looked at her, an expression of blank terror on his face. This wasn't what he signed up for, he just needed the job. He had taken the job because of the benefits, they started at day one. That should have told him something. But he had his kids to support, even more than the judge had said he had to. He let out a high pitched scream when he felt the tower begin to vibrate like a telephone pole struck by a small car. He curled up into a fetal position, his face pressed to his knees and his hands protecting his neck.
Barrow snarled, and risked drawing the fire of Volcana or one of the others to look over the edge, before she grabbed the smoldering remains of a high legged chair, and dropped it in the general direction of the inhuman criminal who had struck the tower. Kalibak looked up in the only direction the object that missed him widely could have come from, and grinned with joy. This jailbreak had just gotten more interesting. "At last, someone who will fight me!"
The Demon Etrigan tapped on the shoulder of the cheered up villain. When the massive brute turned enough to see behind him, the ancient warrior didn't waste time, delivering pair of punishing jabs into his side. "Boo."
Batman and Batgirl dropped from the sky, behind Deadshot and Shade, both armed with weapons seized from the guards. Dick's hand dropped knife-edged on Deadshot's wrist, the temporary lack of control causing him to drop the gas gun. With a grunt of pain, the assassin kicked out, using the energy of Batman's parry to bring him about further.
Tossing aside the taser, it's single shot expended in a miss, Shade dropped into the low, long crouch of the crane stance in front of Batgirl. "They really do make Bats in all flavors. Try it, Red." Barbara snapped a kick towards his outstretched hand, letting him catch it so she could step up into his hand, her other boot catching the gaunt illusionist squarely on the tip of his chin. She didn't have time to follow through when she found herself literally swept off her feet.
She found herself in a blur, the middle of it sheathed in red cloth. "Hi, Bats. Sorry it took so long, Supergirl isn't as fast as her cousin." Behind them, Volcana had loosed another column of flame, searing the concrete where Shade had been. The aristocratic thief was over Flash's other shoulder for a moment, before being dump without ceremony in a waste bin.
"I heard that, mister!" Supergirl broke off from the position she'd held a third of the way across the country, neck-and-neck with the speedster, to deal with Volcana.
With each passing second, more and more responded to the call, coming from Metropolis to Bludhaven. The Gotham Riot Squad waded into the fray alongside the likes of Steel and the Creeper.
---
a passage of unplace, outside of normal timespace
They didn't exist, not really, nothing did. Their eyes showed them a multicolored inkblot, rich with hues beyond human comprehension. To block it, they both closed their eyes tightly, somehow sensing the other beside them.
Through his eyelids, Bruce's mind saw images, some horrible, some beautiful. Of him at different ages, showing him possible futures. One where he carried guns; others where he sat alone by the fireplace, old and frail. Of those who would take the legend of the Bat into the future, heroes and savages. Children, simultaneously his and not his.
Diana saw similar images. Images of home and of Mansworld. Her hands, strong and young and graced with a ring, others old and twisted and bare. Of her mother, of the gods. Of Hades and her mother, images she silently screamed where a lie. Of her killing criminals, laughing with glee as her sword bit into their flesh. Of her weeping beside the graves of her friends, the only survivor. The dreams and the nightmares blended together as she tried to breath.
Through the inhuman battering of touching all of time, of all possible times, they could sense a nearing of the end of their voyage.
---
the west side of Qui-Tui'kth city, in the plains of the lesser continent of Ki'lit
John Stewart cracked his eyes. It felt like his head was about to crack in two. "Gnnggg..."
"Morning, sleepy head." Shayera stroked his forehead gently, running her fingers along his hairline, as she cradled his head in her lap.
Flinching his eyes closed at the searing pain that the light brought, John's hand found her wrist, holding her to him, savoring her scent. He was also able to keep her finger tips from the molten heat of the crack on his head. "Did we win?"
"Yes, we did."
---
Stonegate Prison
As the assembled heroes formed a perimeter, they looked at each other. This had been one of the largest attempts at a break out ever by supercriminals, and they had shut it down in less than an hour. They carried those who couldn't walk, and poked and prodded those who could, putting the inmates into their cells, as the warden walked up and down the halls, checking off names. Outside, the media menagerie was in full swing, being managed by Commissioner Gordon. The mass of costumed, socially accepted vigilantes reacted to the media as their personalities allowed, but even the most outgoing members of the assemblage might were restrained. This wasn't the time for comedy. Even those who's sanity was a vague rumor were acting professionally for once.
That might have been why the crackling blue orb of light was reacted to as if it was a common occurrence. They were ready for anything as the remainder of them spilled out of the gates of the cell block as it grew larger. A darkness grew at the core of the energy, splitting into two silhouettes. And then, without any warning, it was gone, leaving the two figures several stories off the ground. One grabbed the other, and both sank slowly to the pavement, in the middle of the crowd.
Batman looked around, as did Wonder Woman, slightly taken aback by the nature of the crowd around them. The silence lasted for several heart beats, before the yard of Stonegate Prison was filled with subdued, disbelieving utterances, from the holy to the blasphemous.
The crowd parted slightly, allowing Batman and Batgirl through. Batman and Batman surveyed each other quietly at arms length. The blockier one spoke first: "Nice suit."
"It looks better on you." Batman the Younger threw his arms around Batman the Elder, hugging him fiercely, not caring how much the show of emotion bothered his mentor. The Elder felt another pair of arms go around him from behind, effectively trapping him there. "What happened. We thought you were dead."
Wonder Woman blushed slightly, looking away. Diana knew that Bruce really wouldn't have wanted this, but at the same time, it was what he needed. She only had a moment for that thought before being hugged by the Flash, who was laughing with joy as he spun her off her feet, a slightly hysterical edge in his voice. "I knew you two couldn't die. Bats is too mean, they had to send you back!"
The crowd surged forward, the newsies blocked by a wall of humanity as the collected heroes wanted to be sure they were actually seeing what was before them. The babble of voices became deafening quickly, a mass of questions, war whoops and howls. After several minutes of this, a sharp, shrill whistle caught all their attention.
Wonder Woman raised her voice. "Everyone, settle down. We will answer your questions when there is time." She and Batman quickly drew those they had worked with into a huddle, others repeating what they were hearing in soft whispers. They explained the nature of the potential emergency posed by the possibility of a dark matter device. They were also very taken aback when Batgirl told them they were already on the case.
They were shocked by the answer to their next question, "Where's the League?" Flash cleared his throat before speaking. "I don't think it exists anymore. We've had some difficulties since you left."
Barbara surveyed the crowd, looking for a face. "We need someone who can generate a magnetic field, where's Static?" When the young man levitated above the masses, she looked to her mentor. "I want to take Junior, Supergirl, Flash and Static to meet the transport. It is still in the middle of the ocean, but Savage is capable of anything. Maybe bring some extra muscle." With nods from Batman and Wonder Woman, she grabbed Batman the Younger by the arm ", Come on, Junior."
The softly harsh voice of Etrigan crept through the crowd. "And you want us to find Savage?"
Wonder Woman shook her head. "We don't have to find him; we know where he is. It's just going to take most of us to go get him."
Only Batman didn't wonder about the slight sadness in her voice.
Author's Notes:
So, the League opens up before the Thanagarian Invasion? Maybe? What would that have been like? Maybe Shayera's duplicity would not have mattered as much, she might have been able to speak in her own defense before an international court. Or maybe a larger, more active League might have forced the Thanagarians go in guns blazing, and scorch the Earth from orbit? But wouldn't her message to them make the speculation moot? What would they do if they learned of her treason?
As for the egg laying bit, that would explain some of the apparent pain resistance of Thanagarians, or at least the females. Owwwwwww!
Image: Flash chewing on a strand of hay, with a beat up old John Deer cap on his head? Eey-yup, that thar be a disturbing image.
I tossed in the bit on Gull Island because of the number of reviewers of the early chapters who wanted to see more of the Titans. Yes, I'm pandering the masses! I figure Terra's betrayal came just before the Thanagarian invasion, so she would be on the team right now.
And yes, I know, having them dance to a song played by Savage, and having it be the one they were dancing to when his goons tried to grab Audrey is kind of hokey. Shoot me, I'm a romantic. Just remember, I shoot back.