Hey, guys. Domino5555 here, uploading the next chapter today. Might have had a little too much fun writing this chapter, and if the sex scenes were a little too frisky, I apologize. But I did warn that there would be "mild sexual content". You can read it in the description. It's up there. See? You can't say I didn't warn you. Thanks to Ozai37 and LOTSLOVER for beta testing. Anyways, happy reading!
Gotham, New Jersey; November 11, 2077 11:30 PM EST
Almost an hour ago, Terry had left Wayne Manor to let various people know where he was going, such as GCPD commissioner Barbara Gordon, Wayne Enterprises tech specialist Maxine Gibson, and his remaining family Mary and Matt, his mother and younger brother, respectively.
Now, he was flying towards his and Dana Tan's shared apartment, as they moved in together when they had gotten engaged about two weeks ago.
This was what was going to make telling Dana so hard, because if he changed the past in a way that Darkseid's invasion would never happen, what if he and Dana never met?
Then again, what if they did meet?
Some years ago, Bruce had told Terry that some things were meant to happen, and that those things would eventually correct themselves via quantum physics, or whatever bullshit it was. Neither man was a physicist after all.
What if Terry was meant to be the Batman? What if his father Warren had to die after all? What if he and Dana were always meant to be together?
God, time travel was so complicated. If none of this worked, he would just blame Max for sharing her copies of the Terminator, X-Men, and Back to the Future movies with him.
Nah, he would just blame Max for sharing the Terminator sequels after Judgement Day anyway, regardless if it worked or not.
Finally arriving at the twentieth story of the apartment complex, he set foot on the veranda of the upscale but not extravagant condominium.
Dana was likely asleep at this point, and she was due to be working in less than six hours, but she had to know.
Terry would be unable to live with himself if he failed his mission, which would result in Dana having no idea where he went for a very long time.
Although, if he failed his mission, he would more than likely be dead anyway, so perhaps that would be a mercy.
Quietly walking in the apartment, he reached the bedroom, where Dana was, big shock, still asleep, the blankets and sheets covering her body.
Still wondering how he was going to give her the news, Terry was thankful that tonight's crime rate was relatively low, compared to most nights.
He tiptoed towards the left side of the bed, the side where Dana was sleeping.
Once he reached that area, he slowly moved his hand towards his sleeping fiancé to gently poke her.
Slowly, Dana woke up to see her lover still wearing his black mask.
"Terry?" The still sleepy early-thirties woman asked.
"Yep, it's me." Terrence answered. "I need to talk to you about something."
"What is it?" Dana responded as she began rising from the bed, revealing a cyan nightdress as the covers fell.
"Do you ever wonder if Darkseid's invasion never happened and if we would ever meet?" Terry asked.
"Well, my parents moved to Gotham after the invasion, but I never figured out if it was a reactionary action to said invasion, or if it was unrelated. Why are you asking me?"
"Well, to be frank, my dear..."
If Terry finishes this sentence with "I don't give a damn", I'm going back to sleep. Dana thought.
"... I don't want to raise our family in a world where schoolchildren have to read about the devastation of Earth every day." Terry answered. "I want to go back in time to prevent it from ever happening. Can you imagine a world where Earth was never destroyed and we would be married?"
"I've thought about it, but I never invested anything serious into it." Dana responded. "I think it's a possibility that everyone has thought of, but no one has ever been able to do it."
"Three years ago, I tried to send the Flash back in time to 2027, but an error in the time machine led Bart to arrive three years too early." Terry said. "There's a chance that I could go back to help Bartholomew, and most of the events that led the Earth to hell could be undone. In case I failed, though, I just wanted you to know where I went."
There was a pause for a while, as it took Dana some time to take in what Terry said.
"Terry, your mask is still on," The black eyed woman finally said. "Please take it off."
"Oh, right." Terry said, as he apparently just realized he had been wearing the cowl this entire time.
Removing the hood, Dana was finally able to look into his handsome, determined blue eyes. He did inherit Bruce Wayne's traits after all.
As they moved in closer, their lips started to touch.
Pulling away gently, Terrence reminisced of the time when he tried to pull the upside down kiss from the 2002 Spider-Man film with Dana, but had failed because she was kissing leather. Not exactly the best taste for lips.
"Terry, no matter what happens as a result of you changing the past, know that I will always love you." Dana comforted, as they moved in for another kiss.
The kiss quickly became far more sensual than the previous one, as one of Dana's hands was now on the Batsuit's zipper, and said zipper was being moved down.
For his part, Terry's hands were now on Dana's back, trying to remove the straps on her dress.
Suddenly, the police scanner inside Terry's brain rang, a cybernetic enhancement that would keep him up to date on emergencies.
"Shit." Terry swore, as he pulled away and knew that it was time to return to work.
Even though Dana could not hear the internal scanner, she knew just from the look on Terry's face that it was time for him to return to work.
"Go get 'em, Tiger," Dana encouraged as she gave him a gentle peck on the lips, quoting the final line from Spider-Man 2.
Terry pulled his zipper back up, retrieved his mask and jumped off the veranda, gliding towards the new emergency.
Dana watched her hero leave as she stood, and then returned to bed.
Watchtower, Orbit; February 19, 2027 19:35
Richard put his cellphone back in his pocket, as Bruce basically left them ten grand to order food.
Normally, if they needed food, they would check out the commissary or canteen. But there wasn't exactly enough food stored there for the assembled group of party goers, especially since the staff were on break, and wouldn't want to be anywhere near partying superheroes.
So far, Wally was being kept under control. He wasn't speaking in innuendos, or making inappropriate advances onto Linda.
Dick saw Roy walk by him as he grabbed a soda to down, but the latter looked more like he needed someone to talk to.
Nightwing decided to be that someone.
"Roy, you okay?" Dick asked.
"Haven't really talked with Donna for the past seven years. Never really came to terms with it, to be honest." Roy admitted. "I was on heroin during that time, argued with her over my addiction, and then I accidentally hit her in my attempt to murder Wally. Of course she would have left me."
"You feel guilty about hitting her? Or maybe also nearly killing Wally?" Dick asked.
"The only reason that West and I can work together is because we respect you." Roy answered, not really answering the question. "After the debacle where it was revealed that he was two-timing my sister and Jinx, he filled the gap between that time and meeting Miss Park by being infatuated with you."
Again with the "prettiest dude alive" comment. Could people not accept that maybe Wally was stating facts?
Oh, shit. That was the ego alert. "Prettiest dude alive" wasn't exactly a fact.
"As for me, I respect your leadership and strength." Roy declared. "I don't know what you see in that womanizing douchebag to convince you to make him your executive officer, but I will go along with your decision."
"Thanks, I guess." Dick awkwardly said. "I think it's time that you reconcile with Donna. It may not be the same it was before, but from my conversations with her, I think that she's forgiven you. You just need to forgive yourself."
Dick and Donna had never been lovers, as their relationship was more similar to that of Ethan Hunt and Ilsa Faust from Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and Mission: Impossible – Fallout. Their bond was based on emotion, but was not romantic.
"I suppose that you're right. She's moved on to Kyle, but even though her injury has been healed, every time I see her face, I see that black area around her right eye that I had punched." Roy contemplated.
"Wally was able to restore his friendships with Artemis and Jinx after the incident. Granted, it took a lot of time, but you can make things right, too." Dick encouraged.
"Two-timing your girlfriend for six months is one thing. Accidentally giving her a black eye is another." Roy quietly retorted.
"I'll be the judge of that." Dick responded, as he signaled for Donna and Kyle to join their table.
The former Wonder Girl and the newest addition to the Green Lantern Corps did so.
Roy knew that he had zero chance of rekindling his relationship with Donna, not that he wanted to.
From what he read in the personnel records, Kyle was a really nice guy, and would be a far better boyfriend for Donna than Roy ever was.
Granted, Roy's relationship with Donna was nowhere near as abusive as the former would have one believe, as he only hit her the one time, but was sadly unable to let it go.
"Hi." Roy awkwardly greeted.
"Hello, Roy." Donna responded, with almost no hint of bitterness towards what happened so long ago.
Kyle looked a little protective of Donna, which was understandable, considering that Roy was her ex, and he didn't want Donna to be hurt again.
"Kyle, calm down, please." Donna requested.
Kyle did so, and stopped looking tense.
"Donna," Roy started, with a moderate pause in between. "I am so sorry for hitting you all those years ago. I'm sorry I yelled at you regarding my heroin addiction. I wish that none of this happened."
"What's done is done." Donna said. "I already forgave you long ago. I know that you never meant to hurt me."
"So you say, but I still feel guilty." Roy said. "No matter how many times I'm forgiven, I will always feel the guilt of what I've done."
Almost on cue, the Linkin Park song What I've Done started playing on the loudspeakers.
"Damn it, guys." Nightwing swore on his communicator. "How many times do I have to tell you not to hijack the loudspeakers?"
Roy, at least, was able to chuckle at the irony of that song playing right after his sentence.
"Wally did it!" Cyborg accused.
Soon, even Kyle and Donna joined Roy in laughing.
Dick now sighed in relief that Donna and Roy would now be getting along. Mission accomplished.
Watchtower, Orbit; February 19, 2027, 19:25
It was peculiar that Linda Park was sitting at the same table as Artemis Crock and Jinx, as the latter two were Wally West's ex-girlfriends, and there was the worry that they might break out into a fight.
Fortunately, and strangely enough, all three young women were amiable enough to chat about Wally himself, without worry of jealousy.
As of right now, they were talking about their various "misadventures" with Wally.
"You know, the first time we got it on was after he played matchmaker for Conner and Megan." Artemis recalled. "He was surprisingly blunt about thinking that I needed to get laid, regarding my disguise as a coldhearted bitch. I agreed with him, and his words post-sex were 'just like the simulations.'"
The trio of females laughed at how Wally referenced a Star Wars: Battlefront II meme to describe his thoughts about sex.
"I imagine that he had quite the sense of pride and accomplishment that night." Linda wondered.
"Whoa, sister." Artemis explained. "Don't go there. I don't like that game referenced."
"Alright, how about this? 'Sector is clear.' Roy walks in on Wally and Artemis getting it on. 'Not clear! Not clear!'" Linda thought up.
The triplet burst out laughing so hard that it hurt their stomachs.
"Okay, that was a pretty good one." Artemis admitted, as she downed a Coke.
"Here's another one: Wally gets a text message from Linda saying 'THEY SENT IN THE SUPERS!' This causes Wally to speed towards her dorm." Jinx suggested.
Artemis accidentally spit out the drink onto Linda she was having and laughed.
"Oh my God. Has that ever happened?" The blonde archer asked Linda.
"Haven't tested that yet. I'll do so the next time I get the chance." Linda stated, wiping the soda off her yellow jacket.
"Where's Wally now?" Jinx wondered.
"Being a good boy." Linda answered. "He's promised to wait until after the Korean dinner and movie."
"Hopefully it works out better for you than it did for us." Artemis wished, referencing the infamous two-timing incident.
"Well, he's straight now. He practically has a sign that reads 'dick closed.'" Linda expressed hopefully.
"I wouldn't go that far." Artemis warned. "During our relationship, I heard Wally moan in his sleep about how he wished that he had Superboy's manhood."
"And there was that… unhealthy admiration for Tom Cruise." Jinx added. "Need I remind you of his 'prettiest dude alive' comment describing Nightwing?"
"He did claim that he was 'just stating facts.'" Artemis defended. "Leave him alone about that."
"Yeah, you're right." Jinx agreed. "You're right."
Watchtower, Orbit; February 19, 2027, 19:40
Conner walked around the party area, trying to get a good signal for his phone.
Just hours before the party started, Wally had called in an eight-year old favor that came from him playing matchmaker for Conner and Megan.
The favor was being wingman for Wally and Linda's date on the Watchtower.
Conner was a little creeped out by the fact that Wally, who was in his late twenties, was dating a college student. Granted, Linda was a senior in journalism, so the age difference wasn't as creepy as it could have been. And it certainly wouldn't be as creepy as it would be between, say, Batman and Batgirl.
And besides, Conner was a ten year old half-Kryptonian clone who would never age, and he was in a relationship with a White Martian who was, at the very least, centuries old, so who was he to judge?
He was currently trying to call a Korean restaurant for their dinner, as Linda was a third-generation Korean-American, and Wally thought that it might be fitting for them.
Of course, it was kind of hard without knowing the Korean language or diet.
He'd ask Linda about a traditional Korean meal, but she was currently chatting with Wally's exes about various "misadventures" with Wally.
Wally, meanwhile, was hacking the loudspeakers because he was bored, and didn't want to get too fresh with Linda.
Conner did find it interesting that many of the women that Wally had been attracted to happened to have Asian ancestry.
Giving up, he switched the frequency to Director Inverse to help put in an order for Korean food, knowing it would result in Conner owing D.I. a solid.
"Don't worry. I'll take care in it. I'm fluent in dozens of languages. Don't ask me how I had time to learn them." D.I. promised.
"Thanks." Conner muttered before cutting the signal.
If Superboy couldn't organize dinner, he could at least find the proper movie in the cinema catalog.
While public funding comprised most of the Watchtower's budget, Wayne Enterprises and Queen Industries also had a crucial role in keeping the space station fully operational.
As no one in their right mind would use their public funding for a private cinema, sauna, or sports stadium, and Bruce and Oliver were far too honorable to resort to embezzlement, they used some of their personal fortunes to build those facilities for personal use by the superheroes on station.
Bruce evidently kept the best care of the films in his catalog, as they were available in the highest resolution in which they were distributed in.
And if the films in the catalogue were not available in IMAX or 4K, his archivists did the best job in remastering them, not merely doing a half-assed effort.
So, if, say, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith was shot entirely using 2K digital cameras, Bruce's archivists would upscale it to 4K resolution.
Bruce was partial to the films of Christopher Nolan for some reason (possibly because he revived the Gray Ghost movie series back in 2005), and so every one of them was available in IMAX.
On the other hand, Wally was a big fan of Tom Cruise movies, and had copies of Top Gun, every Mission: Impossible movie, Jerry Maguire, Born on the Fourth of July, Rain Man, Tropic Thunder, the 2005 War of the Worlds remake, The Last Samurai, Minority Report, Oblivion, Edge of Tomorrow, and even that crappy 2017 The Mummy remake.
Maybe Conner could switch it up, by screening Edgar Wright's most underrated film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, even though one of Ramona's exes, the one played by Brandon Routh, reminded him of Superman, and by extension himself, a little too much.
Then again, Henry Cavill in Mission: Impossible – Fallout reminded him of Clark even more. Yeah, he would choose Scott Pilgrim for the movie to be played after dinner, since Wally wanted the movie to be a surprise.
Conner's phone began ringing as soon as he inserted Scott Pilgrim into the projector. Evidently, D.I. had succeeded in ordering Wally and Linda's dinner.
"Mission accomplished, Superboy." D.I. affirmed. "You better get to the commissary."
"On my way," Conner responded, trying to cover his tracks. "They better not be expecting a French Bruce Campbell, because I am not participating in a failed date breakup."
"Hey, I didn't like Spider-Man 3 that much either." D.I. said. "But props for Bruce for trying to get Peter and Mary Jane together."
"True. I'm on my way." Conner said as he deactivated the signal.
Please, God, let this date go smoothly. Conner hoped.
Watchtower, Orbit; February 19, 2027 20:15
The Korean food had now been teleported into the commissary, and a table was quickly cleared for Wally and Linda's dinner.
The pace that the crew were going would lead one would think that it was a medical emergency.
Then again, if Wally didn't use a condom later tonight, they might have to make an emergency delivery in nine months.
Wally was no longer hijacking the radio out of boredom, and was instead wearing a cerulean golf shirt and jeans at the table with Linda, who had sent her yellow jacket to the laundry, esposing her black tank top and skirt.
Conner, being their waiter, was given a tuxedo and faux-moustache, clearly frustrated by the circumstances. But Megan had encouraged him to be a good sport, promising him another great night if he didn't sabotage the date.
Wally was unusually polite in eating his dinner, as normally he consumed large quantities of food to supply him with energy.
Since this was a date, however, he refused to engage in such rudeness, and Linda appreciated that.
"So, how have been classes?" Wally asked, trying not to make this an awkward eating fest.
"Finished tests today." Linda answered. "If it weren't for the gossip about you seeing me, it would be the same old generic news."
"Well, pretty soon, you'll be able to report on more interesting things." Wally promised. "Bruce is thinking of assigning civilian reporters to Justice League units, but he wants to test this on mercy missions instead of combat missions."
"Yeah, that would make sense." Linda remarked. "Combat situtations aren't exactly the safest place for reporters, as they are often the targets of insurgents."
"Someone has to do them, but I'm glad it won't be you." Wally said. "Wouldn't want anything to happen to you."
"You're right." Linda said. "I'll be safe as long as a certain speedster is there to protect me."
Conner internally groaned at their flirtation. Was his and Megan's flirting this unbearable for everyone? Or was it just the inevitable shaking of the Watchtower?
"Actually, you really should report on humanitarian missions." Wally stated. "The Justice League just don't fight bad guys. We also help out third-world countries so we can make a better tomorrow."
"And you've been doing all this since 2016." Linda said.
"Stop it. You're reminding me of how old I am." Wally requested, jokingly ashamed.
Linda chuckled at how self-deprecating Wally was being.
"Besides, if you tried to be an intern under Aunt Iris, there would be instant accusations of nepotism." Wally pointed out, knowing that people would accuse Linda of sleeping with Wally to get the job.
By this time, they had already finished their food, and Conner was collecting the dirty dishes.
"By the way, the movie shall be playing in ten minutes, so I'll give my regards to the chef." Conner informed.
"Make sure that you don't use Google Translate." Wally advised.
Conner chuckled at how Wally jabbed at the frequent inaccuacies of the translation service.
Wally and Linda got up from their seats, and headed towards the internal cinema.
Conner, for his part, headed to his and Megan's shared quarters once he put the dishes in the washer.
Watchtower, Orbit; February 19, 2027 20:30
The party was winding down by this point. Roy and Donna had reconciled, and the former was going home with Jade and Lian, who had somehow remained asleep on Jade's back the entire party. Jason was covering patrol in Gotham tonight, albeit in a less lethal way than usual. Wally and Linda were watching Scott Pilgrim in the theater, as opposed to seeing it on a 4K television in Wally's quarters. D.I. was still covering for Conner in being the couple's steward. Several of the remaining members on station were now taking work shifts.
Conner was not one of them, as he was retiring to his quarters for the night to see what Megan had waiting for him.
He reached the door, and gently knocked.
M'gann, it's me. Conner spoke telepathically.
Sorry, I'm still taking a shower. Just wait at the TV room, and watch whatever there is. M'gann responded.
Got it. Conner said, as he entered the code for their quarters.
Entering the room, the half-Kryptonian clone took off the black jacket and put it on the coat hangar in their closet.
He walked towards the UHD TV, grabbed the remote, and collapsed onto the couch.
Two minutes later, Megan exited the restroom, wearing a towel.
She walked toward the couch where her boyfriend was lying down.
I behaved for Wally. Conner said, barely able to keep looking at her face.
Yep, you were a good boy, and now you get your cake. Megan giggled.
She grabbed the remote, and remotely activated the zero gravity option.
As expected, Conner and Megan started to float in the abscense of gravity.
The towel no longer tied to her body, Megan was revealed to have shapeshifted in a way that her breasts and pelvis had Barbie-esque anatomy.
Excited at the invite, the couple began making out, as Megan slowly took off Conner's shirt.
The boots went off next, and then the pants, leaving Conner only in his black and red boxers.
Flying towards their magnetized bed, Conner grabbed the blanket to cover themselves as they really started getting it on.
Watchtower, Orbit; February 19, 2027 22:45
Superboy and Miss Martian were not the only couple to make love that night, as Nightwing and Starfire lay in their bed naked after three instances of sex.
They were about to go for a fourth round, when Dick's communicator started ringing.
They briefly considered ignoring this, but when it kept ringing, they decided that it might actually be important.
"Nightwing here." Richard spoke into the device.
"Thank God!" Wally exclaimed in an uncharacteristically panicked voice. "D.I. just fainted! He'll live, but I think he needs to get to the infirmary!"
"Okay, just calm down, and get him there." Dick ordered.
"I can't." Wally responded.
"Why not?" Dick asked, before instantly realizing that D.I. accidentally walked in on Wally and Linda engaging in "soap play".
Nightwing groaned before issuing further commands.
"Okay, look. Just put your clothes back on, get D.I. to the medical bay, and stop fooling around tonight." Dick spoke before cutting the signal, not caring if Wally's clothes were torn beyond repair.
Okay, it's official. I had too much fun writing the scene where Linda, Jinx, and Artemis refer to Battlefront 2 memes.
For the apartment that Terry and Dana share, just imagine Padme Amidala's apartment from the Star Wars prequels.