Chapter Five — Bloodlines

"See it wasn't a coincidence, it was fate."


Ten days after Roy Harper and Jade Nguyen-Harper had dropped their daughter Lain off with Arley, Wally and Artemis, the youngest two-eight-one-four sector Lantern woke up— at the crack of dawn —to the sound of the young, five month old Harper-Nguyen baby fussing inside the pen Roy and Jade had left behind for her.

With blurred vision the Lantern gently pushed Wally's arm off her waist and stumbled out of bed, over to the auburn haired baby girl; Arley scooped the baby out of the pen and held her close to her chest, gently bouncing her as she did so.

"Hey," Arley whispered, "We got to be quiet, uncle Wally had a long day yesterday. Sides, the suns not even up yet silly girl." Lian let out a coo and Arley looked over her shoulder at Wally who had turned onto his back, the arm that had kept her anchored to him throughout the night rested on his own stomach.

"How about we go for a fly?" Arley asked the baby rhetorically, Lian's mouth opened and flashed the young, dark haired woman a gummy smile. "That's what I thought."

Arley moved out of the room— she shut the bedroom door quietly behind her —and set Lain on the couch, against a sleeping Bodie's stomach, as she slipped her feet into her own sneakers and grabbed the tiny pink jacket and knitted hat that hung on the coat rack on the door; Arley also grabbed the tiny pair of boots Lain had been wearing when Jade and Roy dropped her off.

When Arley turned back around to see that a still sleeping Bodie's paws had moved so that he was caging in the young girl and keeping her away from the couch's edge.

"Good boy," Arley praised as she slipped the hat onto the baby and then— for the next several minutes —struggled to get both of the girls feet into the boots and both her arms into the jacket; but once she was done Arley formed a baby carrier on her chest and slipped an excited Lian into the construct.

Arley reached down and scratched the side of Bodie's head.

"I'll be back okay Bodie? Hold down the fort until then?" Bodie simply rolled over so that his face was buried in the corner of the couch. Arley snorted at the vulpimancer as her uniform transformed over her pajamas.

A moment later, on her way out the door, Arley grabbed the eight crumpled dollar bills that'd been her coat pocket and the keys that'd been in Wally's before she stuck her head out to check for any neighbors. When she saw that the neighborhood around her was still asleep Arley took off into the air as Lain let out an excited shriek; the baby girl wriggled excitedly against her chest in the construct and Arley couldn't help but smile.

She couldn't help but wonder if her own children would one day like flying as much as the Nguyen-Harper baby did.

Powered down and with a bag of bagels in her hand and with Lian still strapped to her chest, Arley arrived back at the apartment nearly forty-five minutes later only to see Wally and Artemis in the kitchen chatting. Wally had been drinking tea out of the sonic mug Artemis had gotten him years ago, the words Gotta Go Fast were written in blue just under the speedsters hands and Artemis had a bowl of what looked like Lucky Charms in front of her.

Next to her, where one of the stools had been was Lian's highchair.

"Morning Arty, morning Handsome," Arley greeted as she kicked the door shut behind her.

"Babe," Wally grinned as he straightened up, pushing off from the counter he had been leaning against. Arley tugged off Lian's hat, "And baby."

Lian squealed at the acknowledgement; her hair messed up and stuck out in a dozen different directions.

Artemis with a mouthful of food waved in Arley and Lian's direction; though she threw a wink in her niece's direction.

Wally set his mug on the counter and before Arley could properly process what was happening Wally was in front of her and Lain was out of the baby carrier she had constructed with her ring. Arley let the construct fall and disappear as Wally turned to set Lian on the edge of the counter as he began to help her out of her jacket.

Wally handed Arley the jacket and then the little girl's shoes before he, with Lian, resting on his boney hip, pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Love you," Wally said to Arley; the Lantern looked at the red head and pressed her lips softly against his, Lian's jacket and shoes were balled up in her hands.

"Love you more," Arley reposed and when Wally pulled back with a breath he turned to look at Lian; a brilliant and bright smile on his face.

"So baby girl, what's on the menu this morning? The peaches your parents left or some of aunt Arty's cereal?"

Arley couldn't help but beam at Wally as he set Lian down in her highchair.

One day, she thought, One day that'll be us.

It was approaching noon when Arley and Wally— with giggling Lian in another baby sling Arley had formed from her ring —stood outside on the porch of Wally's parents home; Wally's hand was splayed across the small of the Lanterns back and though Lian was in the sling Arley rested one arm behind the five month old's knees.

The three of them— as Artemis had forgotten about term paper to write —along with Wally's parents and Hal and Guy were all supposed to meet over at Barry and Iris West's home so that they could all celebrate Joan and Jay's seventy year anniversary.

The sky above them was dark and stormy, looking as if rain would start falling at any moment.

Wally had Lians baby bag thrown over his shoulder and his goggles hung half out of his pocket and Arley had been leaning against the speedster when his mother Mary West swung the front door open; Mary West was in the latter half of her fifties, her red hair was streaked with grey and the crows feet and laugh lines on her face had become deeper then they had been the last time Arley had seen her.

"Wally!" Mary threw her arms around her son as she stepped out of the house; Wally towered over his mother and rested his chin on her head as he hugged her back just as tightly. Lian chewed on her hand curiously as Arley turned to watch the mother-son interaction.

"Hey mom," Wally said as Mary rocked him side to side for a moment, "How've you've been?"

Mary's arms dropped and the woman stepped back with an easy going smile on her face, "Good; school's out in another few months so the kids are getting a bit restless but all in all it's been quite around here now that your father and I don't have you zooming around the house."

Arley snickered; Mary turned on her heel to Arley.

"Hi dear, how are you?"

"I've been good," Arley answered; Mary beamed at the Lantern before she bent down slightly so that she was eye level with Lian.

"Hi, I'm Wally's mom, you're Lian right?" With a gummy smile Lian looked up at Arley and Arley looked down at the young girl.

"Come on say hi, Mrs. West is a really nice lady," Arley said in a high pitched voice. Lian raised the slimy, drool covered hand she had been chewing on and tangled it into Arley's long side swept ponytail. "Ah-no, L-ow, ow—" Arley started to say as Lian began to tug at her hair, Wally, with wide eyes jumped forward and gently— but firmly —began to pry Lian's ravioli sized fist opened, only to stop when a familiar ringtone started to blare from Arley's back pocket.

"You're kidding me," Wally breathed. "I thought you told the team you weren't going on missions until Roy and Jade come back on the fifth?"

"Ow-I did. Ow, come on Lian," Arley said to the baby girl. She swatted Wally's hand away and began to struggle against the five month old herself, Arley looked up at Wally as her phone began to ring, "I told Dickie to call only if it was an emergency; just answer it for me please."

"Course." Wally's hand reached into Arley's back pocket— though not before the speedster, with a cheeky grin, slipped his hand into the wrong pocket —and pulled out her phone. Wally's finger slid across the answer button and held the device up to his ear; "Hey Dick it's-what?"

Arley turned to look at Wally, her hair still tangled in Lian's hand; Mary West looked at her son with raised brows.

"You're kidding me," Wally said. The speedster looked to Arley as his lips pressed together and a breath swelled in his chest. "Alright we got it, I'll call you after." Wally slipped the phone in his own pockets; "There's a speedster from the future claiming to be aunt Iris' uncle Barry's grandson."

Travelers from the future weren't common— though they weren't completely uncommon either; Arley had met several time travelers throughout the years —and yet Arley's eyes narrowed dubiously at Wally because no matter how often she met someone from seventy-thousand years in the furniture or a cowboy from the nineteenth century, time travel never seemed anymore real then it'd been since before the first time traveler had come crashing through a time portal on the Watchtower.

"You're serious?"

"Yeah, or well Dick sounded so," Wally said as Arley finally got her hair free from Lian's grip. "Dick wants us over at aunt Iris' so we can bring them back to the cave."

Arley nodded, she turned to Mary West as she wrapped her arms around Lian and the construct around her chest disappeared.

"Do you mind watching her while we handle this?" Arley asked, Mary smiled easily at the Lantern and took the young baby from her arms,

"Of course not," Mary replied as she shifted Lian on her arms and Wally passed his mother the diaper bag once she had settled the young girl. When Mary West had stepped back and Wally had slipped his goggles over his eyes he turned to Arley with his arms outstretched.

There was nowhere for her to transform in the middle of the day and so Arley allowed Wally to sweep her legs out from underneath her and cradle her in his arms. Arley buried her head in the crook of his neck and the next thing she knew is that they were off.

"Oos," Arley and Wally heard an unfamiliar voice say as Wally pushed open the West-Allen's front door; Arley's brows shot up as she looked at Wally, "Spoilers."

Arley shut the door behind her.

"Careful dude," Wally said, "If you are what you say you are, revealing too much could crash the whole time stream."

Arley stood next to Wally with both her brows raised as she focused on the short brown haired boy who stood only steps away from Iris. The time traveler was dressed in a white and red suit— much like the one Barry wore as the Flash and Wally had once worn as Kid Flash —and goggles.

"Crash it," The time traveler muttered with a weak smile, "If only."

Arley's head cocked to the side and her mouth opened to ask the young boy what exactly he meant when Barry cut her off,

"Wally? Arley what are you two doing here now?" They weren't due for another two hours or so she could understand Barry's confusion on why the two of them had just randomly showed up.

"Nightwing called," Wally answered, "He thought Arley and I could be some help with this mess."

Before Arley knew what was happening the boy had sped from his spot by Iris over to Wally; Wally let out a groan as the boy brought him in for a tight hug. The boys arms were wrapped around Wally's middle and arms, trapping him in the hug. Arley pressed her palm to her mouth in order to smother a giggle that bubbled in her throat.

"You're Wally West!" The time traveler exclaimed, "My first cousin once removed"

"The operative word being removed," Wally snipped as he wiggled his arms free and pushed the boy back. Arley's hand dropped;

"Come on Handsome, be nice," Arley teased; the boy spun on his heel and beamed at Arley, his eyes widened ever so slightly behind his goggles. Before she could step back— just like he had with Wally —Arley found herself in the future speedsters tight grip.

"You're Arley West—" Arley's mouth fell open as she looked at Wally over the boy's head; Wally, with wide eyes and pink cheeks looked back at Arley just as shocked at the boys declaration, "—My other first cousin once removed!"

The boy's arms dropped from around Arley and the boy peered up at her, his thumb and index finger pinched at his chin. The boy nodded as if he were agreeing with a silent statement.

"Uncle Harry's right Maria does look just like you when you were younger. I mean all your kids do-Rosie's the only one who got the red hair and everything but still, woah, it's like looking at carbon copy-that's the expression right? We don't have carbon in the future so I wouldn't know."

"A-all our kids?" Arley choked out. She wouldn't only one day be Arley West— that's what the time traveler had called her —but all her children except for one would look like her meaning she— and Wally; one day she would have kids with Wally and though it was something Arley had been fantasizing about since high school, knowing one day she would have a life with the man she loved sent a shocking thrill up her spine —would have more than three children with Wally.

They'd have a large family together, something she had always wanted.

"Yeah-huh," the time traveler nodded so fast— for a second —he blurred; Wally looked at Arley with a small smile on his face and an indescribable look in his emerald eyes. A phone started to ring.

Barry held his up to his ears, "Hello?"

Iris waved her lit up phone in the speedsters direction.

"It's mine, babe," the reporter said.

"Don't answer that!" the time traveler shouted as he spun in Iris' direction; "I mean," the younger boy perched his hands on his hips, Wally crossed his arms over his chest and Arley leaned back on her heels, "Why interrupt the reunion?"

"It's my boss at GBS," Iris sighed, she held the phone up to her ear. "What's up Pete?" Iris' eyes widened; she held the phone to her chest as she looked at Barry, "They're evacuating downtown. A new superpowered lunatic is calling for blood. Your blood."

Barry's brows set forward into a scowl. The Speedster pressed the ring on his finger and his suit popped out— Wally, Jay and the younger teen turned away as —faster then Arley, Iris or Joan could see Barry changed into his uniform. The time traveler turned back to Barry with a hopeful smile on his face.

"Come on, Grandpa, let the League handle this guy. I mean how often does a relative from the future show up at your door?"

"Listen, I—" Barry cut himself off with pinched eyes and a deep sigh. When Barry opened his eyes he looked at Arley, "—You're with me Lantern?"

The time traveler turned to look at Arley as she rolled her eyes, her uniform appeared over her clothing and her mask over her eyes. The time traveler eyed Arley with a look of amazement.

"Duh, of course I am." Barry nodded, Arley turned and pressed a kiss to Wally's cheek. Wally's fingers wrapped around her wrist.

"Come back," Wally requested. Arley's face softened under her mask.

"To you?" Arley smiled, "Every time Handsome."

"Right, okay," he looked down at the boy claiming to be his grandson, "Stay put. I'll be back in a flash." And then he was gone before the first groan came out of Iris' mouth.

"And that's my queue, love you Handsome-get the new kid back to the cave for me," Arley said as she flew off after the Flash, out of the West-Allen household and towards downtown Central City and whatever new superpowered lunatic Iris' boss had called her about.

Arley got to downtown Central City second after the Flash had; she saw— as she, for a second, took in the havoc from her spot in the air —a man in some kind of suit that vaguely reminded her of Mr. Freeze from Gotham.

The villain produced red energy waves from his body as he fired energy blasts at nearby cars and people; Arley— as she saw a red blur speed by underneath her, saving a woman from getting crushed by a car one of the villains energy waves had created —used her ring for form a catchers mitt under the feet of several civilians who had been hiding behind a parked van.

The civilians let out several shrieks as they were lifted off the ground; though one of them quickly looked up.

"It's the Girl Lantern!"

The panicked screams quickly quieted. A few even cheered.

"It's Green Lantern," Arley said dryly as she moved the civilians down the block. There were three other active Lanterns on Earth, there was no reason anyone should forget she went by the same name as them especially when she had been doing it longer then either Guy or John. "And you're welcome for the save. There's a shelter at something and Gardner; get out of the danger zone quickly and make sure to help others out on the way there, alright?"

Arley didn't wait for any of the several civilians to respond before she took off towards the Flash who she saw being blown back— another catcher mitt Arley formed from her ring hung below her, ready to save the speedster before he hit the ground —only to pause midair when she saw a tiny tornado spinning underneath him. The Flash was deposited onto the concrete as the speedster from the future came to a grinning stop.

Arley's construct disappeared as she landed lightly besides the Flash.

"Nice trick," the older speedster said.

"Thanks. Dad taught me, he learned it-well, will learn it from you," the younger teen said with a grin.

"Flash!" the villain destroying downtown called out, "Prepare to meet your doom!" The villain raised his arms and fired at Arley and the two speedsters and Arley threw her ring up in front of her, greeting a thick, glowing green wall for the three of them to stand behind.

The energy blasts shook the construct but did nothing else to it; the villain fired again and once more the construct only shook. An energy wave hit the construct and though it threw trees and cars back Arley and the two speedsters who stood behind the impenetrable, unmovable wall remained untouched.

"What's with this new meat?" The boy chuckled, "He's never going to hit us."

"No but it is a standoff," Arley said; the Flash hummed. The two speedsters ran back and Arley flew into the sky before she dropped her construct; the Lantern followed the two speedsters around the street with a shield she had used her ring to construct, protecting her from the villains energy blasts.

The three landed behind a white four door car.

"He's generating cascading waves of energy, each wave starts before the previous wave dissipates, leaving no gaps at any speed," the Flash explained. "Meaning we can't get close."

"I can though," Arley said, "I can fly over the energy waves and get him that way."

"You want to fight that guy on your own?" the time traveler said; "Isn't that asking to get your ass kicked?"

"Don't curse," the Flash snapped, Arley's brows shot up as the time traveler looked at the man he claimed to be his grandfather with a smile. The Flash blinked, "Wait a minute, I told you not to come!"

The car they had been hiding behind exploded; Arley— as the speedsters she'd been crouched next to ran —flew into the air and blasted a shot of energy from her ring at the villain, only to miss as he stepped forward. The Villain stumbled; his head shot up and though the cascading waves of energy kept both the Flash and the young teenager claiming to be his grandson away the villain aimed up at Arley and began to shoot blasts of energy at her.

Arley knew she couldn't both form a construct and fire her ring so the Lantern— giving the speedsters beneath her time to think of a plan —took to dodging each blast the villain sent her way before parrying it with a blast of her own.

The Lantern and villains standoff continued on for several minutes; the villain managed to hit Arley once and then two more times causing the Lantern to drop out of the sky and careen into the hood of an already damaged car. The hood contorted and crushed around Arley, leaving the Lantern breathless as she stared up at the cloudy sky.

Arley moved to sit up and roll off the damaged hood of the car when the car was then thrown back into the air by one of the villains energy waves; Arley formed a bubble around herself and the car, as it flipped to land on her, slid off the curve of the bubble and onto its side.

"Flash, Flash, Flash-where the kriffing fuck are you?" Arley muttered to herself in a sing-song ton of voice as her construct dropped and she looked for the Central City based hero and his time traveling grandson only to spot her own boyfriend's familiar red and yellow super-suit nearby several Central City police vans. Arley shot over to Kid Flash and a Central City police captain and Kid Flash, almost as if he could sense her, half-turned to Arley before she landed.

"Protecting the city is what they pay me for Speedy," the captain snapped at Kid; Arley's brows shot up at the captain's harsh tone. Arley rested a hand between the speedsters shoulder blades. The Flash and the Flash's grandson appeared next to her and Arley, Kid Flash and the captain all jumped.

"No Speedy's the other guy, though the history books never really explain why," the younger speedster said. The Flash set a hand on his grandsons shoulder,

"Let's please, try to stay focused," The Flash said. The Flash looked at the pudgy, mustached police captain, he most certainly knew in his everyday, civilian life. "Captain, the best way to protect this city is to keep its citizens out of harm's way and at a safe distance. You handle that—"

"—And you handle Neutron, right?" The younger speedster wondered.

"Right," The Flash nodded, "Wait, his name's Neutron?"

Arley turned with her hand still between Kid Flash's shoulder blades. The youngest of the three speedsters blinked innocently at his apparent grandfather.

"Yeah sure, heard him shout it. Like bad guys do," the boy raised his arm and shook it, as he deepened his voice, "I'm Neutron and all of you will die. Anyway what's the plan?"

"Remember that wind tunnel you used to save me?" Flash wondered.

"Sure I do, I was there, so were you and the most beautiful Lantern in this sector," the younger boy turned his head and over dramatically preened in Arley's direction; Arley held back a comment on how he must have been the type of four year old who wanted to marry his mother and instead simply rolled her eyes good naturedly in the boys direction, "Anyway good times."

"We do it on a bigger scale, you, me and Kid Flash, all around the perimeter of the explosive wave—"

"—The funnel—" the time traveler said, his voice speeding up.

"—We get Lantern-in a bubble—" the Flash said just slightly faster.

"—And move him out of the city!" The two speedsters continued to speak faster and faster and Arley shared a look with Kid Flash and the Central City police captain as they listened in on the two Allens' chatter.

"Are either of you getting any of this?" The captain wondered. Arley shook her head and Kid Flash shrugged,

"Every fifth word, maybe. Flash," Kid said in his uncle's direction, "Yo Flash!"

The Flashs' head snapped towards Arley and Kid, his grandson's head also turned in their direction.

"Sorry I got sidetracked, are you two on board?" Arley threw her hands up in front of her, she'd completely lost them after the speedster from the future had mentioned moving the villain out of the city. Kid looked at the other two speedsters as if they'd grown a second head.

"With what? I heard something about Lantern in a bubble and funnel cake."

"Just follow our lead Kid, Lantern," the younger boy said with a wave as he and the Flash took off. Kid Flash looked at the captain and then at Arley,

"See you after the fight?" Arley pressed a kiss to the speedsters cheek, on the edge of his mask,

"Course you will. Love you, be safe," and with that, as Kid sped away Arley took to the skies; she hovered over where the villain— Neutron —was and waited, the three speedsters began to circle the villain and slowly— but surely —lift him up into the air.

"No!" Neutron cried, Arley raised her ring and enclosed him into a bubble she had made with her ring "This will not stand!" Arley's construct shook as more and more energy waves rolled off the villain. Arley had only just started to move when Neutron began to glow from the inside out. The man's eyes burned yellow and his skin glowed orange.

Arley, Aniell hissed; Arley gritted her teeth as the inside of her construct began to fill with red, cracks appeared and the glow of the red energy Neutron had released began to spurt out from the cracks. You need to get out of the blast zone. Arley ignored her ring and willed the cracks in her construct to smooth over only for new ones to appear.

Aniell and Arley had one shot; the Lantern knew this, but she also knew she would one day be Arley West so she continued to grit her teeth as she gave the three speedsters more time to get away.

Arley!

Now Aniell! Heat raced up Arley's arm as the construct shattered; Arley— encased in a bright glowing green light —was blown back and into the corner of a building and out of the air as the large blast of energy Neutron overtook the area around her. Arley, though mostly impervious to harm, instinctively threw her arms up in front of her face as the energy continued to push her back into the side of the building.

When the blast had faded and all that was left was smoke and a crater that hadn't been there before, Arley, on shaky glowing green legs stood up. The green light of will that bathed her very being danced around her body, like living green flames.

Slowly Arley approached the crater.

Arley, Aniell hissed, Be careful.

Trust me, Arley thought back with a half smile, I think after all these years I know what I'm doing. Besides, I have you, I don't need to be careful. Aniell snickered in the corners of the Lantern's mind. Arley peeked over the edge of the crater, ready to see a charred body scattered into bits a pieces only nearly stumbled back at the sight of the unexpected.

Neutron's body had slowly begun putting itself back together.

"Charaya's soul," Arley gasped as Neutron glowed yellow, just as he'd done before his suit exploded. Arley, still glowing green, stepped back, ready to fly only to stop when she heard Neutron's panicked voice.

"What's going on?" The villain asked, "How did I get here! What's happened to me!"

He wasn't in control; Arley wasn't sure if Aniell had said that or if she herself had thought it, Arley was a hero and though heroes fought villains Arley knew that the person several feet below her in the crater sounded nothing more than a scared child.

Arley took several steps back when a bubble of energy enveloped the crater, separating her from Neutron.

Arley, Aniell hissed, You should get out of here, he is going to blow again.

Then we need to get him out of here and to the fields outside the city, Arley thought back.

Because that worked so well the last time? Arley, he could kill you in a second blast. You're not invincible like this, get away. Aniell sounded serious but Arley looked at the glowing boy in the crater and then at her hand where her ring should be.

She was called the Morningstar because when she went green— bright, burning, green —she ended fights; like the rising sun, she signaled the end of a battle. She was going to end this.

Have a little faith Aniell.

Arley once more raised her ring once more, her feet lifted off the ground as she got ready to fly herself and Neutron away only to turn when she heard two shouts. Arley saw both the Flash and the Flash's time traveling grandson skidding along the burnt up asphalt; behind her the bubble she had constructed around Neutron fell as her concentration broke.

Light shined brightly from the corner of her eye and Arley's head snapped back towards Neutron as he began to glow brighter. Far brighter than even Arley was doused and bathed in green.

"Get outta the blast zone babe!" Kid Flash's voice sounded as both he and a tin hat wearing Jay Garrick— the first Flash —sped into view. Arley didn't wait to reply as she shot up into the sky, high above even the tallest of Central Cities skyscrapers.

Arley saw— as the green faded from her body —Neutrons blast swell and swell and swell, destroying everything it touched as both Jay and Wally— with Barry thrown over Wally's shoulder and Barry's future grandson tucked under Jay's arm, much like a football —ran.

When the blast had settled Arley landed where the four speedsters had stooped.

"Is everyone—" Wally's arms had circled around Arley's shoulders, cutting her off before she could even finish her question. The young woman's feet lifted slightly off the debris covered street as Wally picked her up into the bone crushing hug. The yellow and red clad hero buried his face into the side of her neck.

"—Hey Wally," Arley said softly, her lips brushed against the redhead's ear, "I'm okay."

Wally breathed after a minute— it was a deep raggedy breath —and then, slowly, he released Arley and the bottom of her feet once more touched the concrete; the young man cupped her face with an intense glint in his eyes.

"You got caught in the first blast," Wally breathed. "You're sure?"

"Cross my heart handsome," Arley swore; Wally's hand fell from her face and Arley threaded her fingers through his as she squeezed his hand. Wally nodded and his lips pressed together before he turned to the youngest of the four speedsters. Arley could see her boyfriend's eyes narrowed behind his giggles.

"You realize you almost got them both killed right!" Wally demanded in a heated tone; the hand Arley wasn't using to hold Wally's pressed against the red heads shoulder as he took a step forward.

"Kid!" Arley protested, as Barry and Iris West-Allens grandson hung his head.

"Sorry, I—"

"Actually he saved me, Lantern too probably," Barry said as he set a hand on his future grandson's shoulder. "Neutrons overload accelerated, even at our top speeds, Lantern and I would have never been able to make it to the desert in time."

"Flash is right," Arley said softly, "Honestly I-Aniell doesn't think I would have never been able to contain Neutron if he blew in my construct," Arley added, she looked up at Wally, "The kid saved our lives-you all did."

Wally's grip on her hand tightened as the corners of his lips twitched up. Wally brought his and Arley's jointed hands up and, with his eyes locked with Arley's, pressed a firm kiss onto her knuckles.

Barry turned to look at Jay Garrick who seemed more and more weathered as the days went by, no longer his youthful and spry self.

"What are you doing here, you're retired! You could have died!" Jay chuckled.

"Please, Joan's going to kill me for putting on the tin hat," Jay said. Arley turned to make a joke about how anyone would kill him for putting on a tin hat only to notice that Barry and Iris Allens future grandson was no longer by the eldest speedster side.

"Where'd the kid go?" Barry's head swiveled towards the still smoldering crater.

"One guess," Barry said with the ghost of a mirthful smile playing on his lips. Arley looked to Wally, a playful grin on her face;

"I'll race you to him-loser cleans Lians diapers tonight?" Wally pressed a chaste kiss to Arley's lips, the young Lantern leaned back as Wally pressed his hand against the small of her back and dipped her into the kiss.

When he pulled away, Wally's eyes twinkled; "You're so on!"

And then he was gone; Barry and Jay let out two loud laughs and Arley's mouth fell open. The Lantern jumped into the air,

"Cheater!" She called out with a grin as she shit after the speedster; only to turn away when she did see Wally and the future West-Allen's grandson standing in the crater, both of them in front of a naked young man.

"Woah!" Arley shouted, "A little warning would have been nice," Arley snapped with her back turned to the defeated villain. There were some things Arley didn't need to see; snuff films involving animals, the Justice League roleplay-porn videos that were usually pinned to the very top of every porn site, and naked super villain's were just three of the things she did not need to see.

"Someone might want to get him a blanket or something," Barry and Iris' grandson said; Arley heard the familiar zooming sound of a speedster running and peaked over her shoulder to see Barry setting a thick wooly blanket over the young man's shoulders.

"What happened to me?" Neutron asked feebly.

"We're not sure son," Jay answered. Wally's hand was on his goggles.

"But it looks like it's over," Wally said, "His heat signature reads normal human now."

"What did happen?" Jay asked with a faint smile and his hands on his hips.

"No idea," the time traveler said, "Guess old Neutron just ran out of juice." The bald, humanoid Neutron looked around at the heroes, his hand clasped the blanket closed tightly in front of himself.

"Who's Neutron?"

With Artemis watching Lian Arley found herself back at the Mount Justice Cave with Dick, Mal, Tim and Garfield, along with Barry, Wally, Jay and the time traveler— who's name Arley had learned was Bart —as Dick read off the DNA test results he had ran once Bart had claimed to be Barry and Iris West-Allen's grandson.

The young speedsters bulky time machine sat in the middle of the room.

"Impulse's DNA matches up with both Iris' and you, Barry. And this thing is giving off both zeta and chronotron radiation," Dick said.

"Which is," Wally said; Arley was tucked under the speedsters shoulder, "Based on past League experiences, what you'd expect radiating off a time machine." Barry put his hand on Bart's shoulder.

"Which means you're exactly who you say you are." Bart laughed,

"Told you!" The boy explained as he stepped away from his grandfather, "Anyway it's been crash, but the future awaits so I've got to run!" Jay sagged forward and Wally seemed to slump backwards; Barry though— as Arley snorted at the young boy —smiled proudly at his grandson. "See what I did there? That was for you gramps!"

Barry stepped forward.

"Bart, thanks for coming. I look forward to—" Barry paused, "—Meeting you again for the first time and watching you grow up."

Arley saw a soft smile overtake the young boys face as he looked up at his grandfather.

"That will be crash," Bart said; gently he hugged his grandfather before he stepped back and into the time machine he'd come from the future in. "Anyway so long!"

The time machines door shut behind the young West-Allen and air puffed out the sides. Arley waited for the whirl of the engines and the lights expectantly.

"Maybe he's traveling forward one second at a time?" Garfield proposed, only for Bart to kick open the door of the machine angrily.

"It's not working!" Bart exclaimed as he stepped out of the machine, "The whole thing's fried!"

Bart kicked the side of the machine.

"Can you fix it?" Arley asked, Bart turned to her with a look of dread and frustration building in his eyes.

"I'm a tourist not a chronal expert. Look at me—" Bart threw his hands up in the air, "—I'm stuck in the stupid past. I'm so moded!"

"Hey," Arley said as she stepped up, away from Wally, "It's okay, let's just breath alright." Arley turned to Dick, "Who do we have on world right now that's familiar with time travel?" Dick shrugged,

"No one, all the League members who know anything about time travel are on their way to Rimbor right now." Bart turned to to masked hero,

"So let's call them!"

"Can't" Dick replied with a shake of the head, ""Rimbor's across the galaxy, it takes two months to get there and even if they could turn right around they can't, the Leaguers going to Rimbor need to stand trial so that they can clear their names."

"So I'm stuck here?" Bart asked rhetorically.

"Bart," Barry said, "It's okay, we'll figure something out, we'll get you home." Bart shifted his weight from foot to foot and nodded, "Until then, in the meantime we need to figure out where you're staying."

"You can stay with me and Joan, we have a spare room," Jay said. Bart looked up at Jay with a small smile,

"You're sure?"

"Of course I am, you're family after all." Barry nodded at Jay's words; the speedster looked at his future grandson who slowly nodded himself.

"Okay," Bart said, "I-thank you."