Outside were the people who had vanished from inside the Time Sphere.
"This... Is definitely awkward." said the boy in a Batman-esque costume.
"You said it, bub." replied the other boy.
"Whoa..." Drell whispered as he took a look with the others.
"It's those kids." Atticus told the others.
"From our vision." Patch added.
"Major deja vu." Lionel remarked.
The boy and girl seemed to look at Lionel and Cherry in recognition.
"Um... Hey..." Cherry said as she came to the kids. "You're kinda parked in my buddy's yard, so if you could move your... Uh... Orb thing, whatever it is... That would be great."
The boy blinked. "...The time sphere..." he realized. "My apologies, Mom-... Um, citizen, but my allies and I were helping to capture THIS devious criminal!" he held up Maîtresse des Ténèbres triumphantly.
"Gasp!" Thor yelped as the others looked surprised. "It's... It's... Wait... Who is that...?"
"I am Quad-Star," explained the boy. "These are my allies: Batman Beyond, and Energex."
"Uh, well, it's good to meet you three... I suppose..." Cherry replied.
"Where are we?" Batman Beyond asked.
"My house." Atticus replied.
"I guess we really did go a bit far back." Energex said to Batman Beyond and Quad-Star.
"Batman Beyond... Must be a fanboy..." Cherry mumbled to herself.
"Wrong," said Quad Star. "He's the son of the original Batman."
The others looked to each other from that.
"Batman has a son?" Atticus whispered to Cherry.
"I guess I must've missed the memo." Cherry whispered back.
"Indeed... Though our parents worked with the original Batman in his prime," explained Quad Star. "They were like family to him... And Catwoman."
The others looked to each other before calling out. "DRELL?!"
"I'm right here." Drell glared at them.
"Oh! Sorry..." Cherry said sheepishly.
"All right... I better check these kids out for you guys..." Drell said as he brought out a special device, plucking some DNA from the strangers to find out who they were.
"Aggravating as always..." Quad-Star growled.
"So, what does it say?" asked Mo.
"Well, for one thing, this kid is Batman of the Future." Drell informed about the newer Batman.
"So... They're from the future...?" Cherry asked.
"No, he just calls himself that to look cool." Drell said as he stood by.
There was then a beat of silence.
"Of course they're from the future!" Drell then said.
"Yeah, I think we established that," replied Quad Star. "Anything else...?"
"Your friend is Terry McGinnis." Drell said.
"Uh, yeah." The future Batman replied.
"And you two... Oh-ho, you two..." Drell chuckled at Quad Star and Energex.
Energex looked a bit nervous about that. "Uh, okay, I think you proved your point, sir! No need to go any further."
"Well... And this one?" asked Quad Star, holding up Maîtresse des Ténèbres.
"Oui, oui, you must be French..." Drell chuckled.
Maîtresse des Ténèbres growled a bit from her capture.
"You're busted, girly girl," Drell said as he checked his device. "You thought you could get away with it."
"I have my reasons." Maîtresse replied.
"Maybe I should reveal you this way..." Drell said, reaching out to take off her mask to show everyone and not just the group with him, but the group from the future.
Quad Star gasped. "...Felicity?! But... But why?!" he exclaimed, shocked. "To think... I almost killed my own sister! I'm no hero... I'M A MONSTER!"
"Felicity...?" Energex asked with surprise.
"Dude, you were gonna kill your own sister?" Cherry asked. "That's pretty sick."
"She was working with villains!" Quad Star sobbed. "I never wanted it to get this bad... I didn't even know it was her under the mask until now!"
"Oh... Ohh, kid..." Cherry replied.
"All this time... We thought she was a low-life criminal..." The new Batman said as he lowered his mask a bit to show his face which came with silky black hair. "You all must be so confused."
"I know I am." Atticus mumbled as he held his head.
"Well... We could get inside," suggested Energex. "Maybe then our sister will be willing to explain just WHY she was working with supervillains."
"Please... I'm sorry you had to find out this way..." Felicity pouted.
"Well, all right..." Cherry and Atticus replied with only slight agitation.
They came into the living room where there would be enough room for all of them to talk.
"You better have a good excuse," Energex glared at Felicity. "I don't wanna have to hurt you."
"I promise, I didn't mean to hurt any of you." Felicity said as they sat down to get comfortable.
"Do you want some hot chocolate?" Atticus asked.
"If you don't mind, that would be great." Felicity accepted.
"All this time... I was fighting my own eldest sister..." Quad Star moaned. "I could have hurt you... I don't deserve to be called a hero...!"
"Oh, Quad Star..." The new Batman called to him softly.
Energex frowned with deep concern.
"Felicity... I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry..." Quad Star sniffled as he removed his mask, revealing the face of a young man with brown hair. "But WHY? Why did you do this?!"
"I should be sorry," Felicity sighed. "I was doing undercover work."
"That doesn't sound so bad." Thor shrugged.
"I know what I was doing looked bad for you guys, but I was trying to actually stop the Fatal 5 and a cruel, dark ally of theirs." Felicity soon explained.
"...Enlighten us," said Quad Star. "If we must know... Then Mom and Dad will be most pleased, as well as Uncle."
"Who are they talking about?" Cherry asked.
"Their family of course." Drell smirked.
"Argh! Will you stop being such a pain in the ass?!" Cherry complained.
"Can't help it," Drell smirked. "Now, uh, you were saying, Felice?"
My name is Felicity," Felicity corrected with a sigh. "Very well..."
We are soon shown clips of Felicity before she donned her new guise as Maîtresse des Ténèbres.
"It was a normal evening... The rest of the family went out, so I stayed behind because I was going through personal struggles around that time..." Felicity narrated until she saw a glowing blast from a back room and went to go check it out. "There, I saw something a bit amazing."
A black-cloaked figure was shown in the backroom as Felicity cracked the door open with a gasp to see this figure before it looked back at her with beady red eyes.
"Who are you?" asked Felicity, a bit curious in addition to being somewhat nervous.
"Oh, I'm sorry, dear, did I frighten you?" The figure smiled with a bit of a smirk.
"A little... Now... Who are you?" Felicity repeated, a bit firmly as she tried to be brave.
"Ah... They call me Black Velvet..." The figure replied.
"Interesting... But what are you doing in my home?" Felicity asked her unexpected visitor.
"Is your name Felicity?" Black Velvet asked her.
"Erm... Yes..." Felicity replied.
"I came for you..." Black Velvet smirked. "I sense a greatness deep down inside of you."
"Inside of me?" Felicity asked. "Wow... I am flattered, really... But what do you want with me?"
"Why don't you come with me?" Black Velvet smiled, wrapping her arm around Felicity as they walked toward the window together. "You can trust me."
"I felt quite unsure of this stranger," Felicity's voice narrated. "She sounded and looked interesting alright, but still... I didn't know what to think."
"And you never once bothered explaining things to us... Why?" asked Quad Star. "We could've helped in some way."
"I was forbidden to," Felicity replied. "For a while, she was training me like a little apprentice."
"...Ah." Quad Star replied.
"She left me notes of where to meet her and when," Felicity said. "She would teach me how to fight... How to embrace the darkness like she could... Eventually, once I was ready, she gave me a new outfit and a new name. I never meant to hurt you guys, but... I really had a great time with her... Like probably how Lady Gothika and Catwoman used to bond."
"...I never meant to hurt you either," Quad Star sighed. "I suppose we could both use some forgiveness."
"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you," Felicity replied. "It was meant to be top secret."
"...I forgive you," replied Quad Star. "And I'm sorry I attacked you all those times."
"I'm sorry I had to fight back to keep up appearances some of the time." Felicity added softly as she held out her arms for a hug.
Quad Star gladly accepted the hug with one of his own, crying tears of joy. "I'm just happy you're not dead!" he exclaimed.
"Nothing will ever happen to me," Felicity whispered softly. "I promise you."
Quad Star enjoyed the hug for a few more minutes before breaking away.
"Alright then... How come you infiltrated the Fatal 5?" asked Energex.
"I found out that they had a dark plan with a nefarious creature who had his own dark and sick, twisted schemes." Felicity replied.
"You don't mean...?" asked Energex.
Felicity nodded.
"Not him... Not King Sombra!" Quad Star groused. "That guy is so annoying!"
"King Sombra?!" The present group gasped.
"Ugh, not that jerk!" Cherry complained. "What's he want now in the future?!"
"Well, he took our uncle's parents," explained Felicity. "And he has enlisted the Fatal 5 to make sure that they are not rescued."
"Your uncle?" asked Lionel. "But I only know about Sombra taking Atticus' parents."
"Hey, that's our uncle's name!" Quad Star exclaimed.
"Get out." Cherry muttered out.
"...You don't suppose...?" The new Batman said to Quad Star and Energex.
"No... N-No... It can't be..." Felicity said. "It has to be a coincidence."
"I don't believe in coincidences," said Quad Star as he glanced at the group before him. "In that case... It's good to see you again... Mom and Dad."
Cherry and Lionel shared a glance before checking with the warlock. "Drell?"
"He's telling the truth," Drell replied. "This kid's your guys's son."
"Hey, I guess she does open up to you more after all once you killed her inner demons once Selina let her move in." Atticus chuckled as he gave a playful punch in Lionel's arm, but did it so he wouldn't hurt him.
Lionel blushed at that. "Whoa... I can't believe it... Not only do I get to be part of a family... I get to start one of my own!" he exclaimed.
"You kids say you know me too?" Drell asked the future group.
"Unfortunately." Terry mumbled a bit from that.
"Yeah... You and Hilda have a son," replied Quad Star. "Ambrose. Surprisingly, he's not as obnoxious as you."
"He must take after... Uh... Um... Yep..." Cherry remarked.
"I have a son with Hilda Spellman?" Drell gushed. "Oh... Oh, that makes me feel so happy!"
"Anyways... I'm Lionel Schwartz, Jr, though I prefer 'LJ'," explained Quad Star. "This is my second sister, Zofia Schwartz, and my first-born sister, Felicity Schwartz... As well as our cousin, Terry McGinnis Wayne-Kyle."
"...I need some water..." Cherry said a bit shallowly.
Drell magicked her up a glass of water.
"Oh... Thank you..." Cherry said as she drank it right away as she looked to the group. "McGinnis-Wayne-Kyle? Bruce must really get around or something."
"Actually, McGinnis was the name he was given when he was adopted," explained LJ. "See, Bruce and Selina realized that if word got out about them having a child, every crook in the city would be after him. So they had you and Dad take Terry to the orphanage and watch over him from afar."
"Oh... I guess that makes sense..." Cherry replied. "Like that one Sonic the Hedgehog cartoon with Sonia and Manic."
"Or that show Futurama!" Lionel added, and LJ nodded.
"We're prepared to do whatever we can to help in your mission." LJ then stated.
"Well, okay," Cherry replied. "Lionel had an idea, but Mr. Head of the Council here says he's gotta wait for his friend to come back from Manhattan for whatever season."
"You sure we're not keeping you from work?" Atticus asked Drell. "I imagine you'd have your hands full with your job."
"As long as you do not disturb me on Wednesday evenings." Drell said sharply.
"Dare I ask why?" Cherry asked.
"That's my Bowling Night." Drell said with crossed arms.
"...Right." Lionel replied, impatiently drumming his fingers on the table.
"You bowl?" Cherry asked.
"There's a lot you guys don't know about me." Drell replied.
Eventually, everyone tried to wait patiently for Drell's friend to come over, and eventually fell asleep as the sun was almost coming up for a brand new day. There was a light rumble from upstairs as Drell hugged a pillow on the couch as someone came downstairs for him, though his clothes were a bit messe up with his hair and his tie looked loose and his face was covered in lipstick smooch marks. He came to Drell and tried to shake him awake.
"Mm... Hilda... You're so soft..." Drell said in his sleep.
The man sighed and poofed up a pail of water before dumping it on Drell's head.
"Gah!" Drell yelped as he woke up. "Huh? Who's there?"
The man waved to him with an innocent look.
"Oh, Skippy!" Drell smiled. "It's about time you got back."
Skippy nodded.
"Well, we might as well get everyone awake so we can begin." Drell suggested.
Skippy nodded and went to the kitchen to make some breakfast for everybody.
"Good boy..." Drell nodded to that as he came to wake up the others.
Jessica yawned very tiredly as she came to cook breakfast, but gasped as she saw Skippy there. "Uncle Skippy, is that you?" she asked with a beam.
Skippy beamed at her before they shared a hug.
"You gonna make your famous pancakes?" Jessica asked.
Skippy beamed before he did some gestures at her.
"Sure, I'll help!" Jessica smiled. "I've been helping out ever since I found my baby brother again." And so, she and Skippy entered the kitchen, leaving Drell with the others, who were dead asleep.
"WAKE UP!" Drell yelled at them all.
The group groaned as they woke up.
"Ugh... What time is it?" Mo asked.
"6:00." Drell replied.
"We slept all day?!" Cherry gasped.
"In the morning." Drell clarified.
"What the hell is your problem?" Cherry groaned as she buried her face in her pillow.
"I told you we had to wait for Skippy." Drell replied.
"Why so early in the morning though?" Atticus groaned as he was on an air mattress with Mo as they were both huddled under a blanket.
"Because gargoyles turn back to stone at sunrise." Drell said like it was obvious.
"What the hell does that have to do with anything?!" Lionel exclaimed.
"Because last night Skippy was with his new girlfriend," Drell replied. "Her name is Angela of the Manhattan Clan. They're very sweet on each other, so when he can, he visits her and they spend the night together. I'm just surprised Goliath is cool with her seeing a pixie brain like Skip. Ah, Skippy... We've been friends since the times of Merlin back when Zelda had a schoolgirl crush on him."
"Fascinating, but we can reminisce later," replied Lionel. "We must begin work on the protective suits."
"Right," Thor said as he pulled off Atticus and Mo's blanket. "Time to get movin'! Daugh!"
Atticus and Mo blushed as they were exposed in cuddling positions under the covers.
"Can't keep it to yourself, can't ya, Atticus?" Drell smirked teasingly. "I thought Clark would raise you better than that."
Atticus coughed sheepishly. "Well... How about those protective suits, huh, guys?" he asked, trying to change the subject.
"Right; we've wasted enough time," replied Lionel. "Time to begin."
And so, they began to work on their suits with a bit of montage music playing in the background as they all shared pancakes in the process.