This Ain't the Golden Years

Chapter 20

Location: The Justice League Watchtower
Date: December 11, 2058

Dr. Fate: Who's this?

Terry: He's my kid brother, Matt. He's eleven.

Matt: I'm almost twelve.

John: He looks a lot like you.

Matt: No I don't. Terry's ugly.

Terry: (Glare)

Matt: (Glare)

Terry: You want to go home?

Matt (Sulks)

John: Why'd you bring him? I didn't think he knew about you being Batman.

Matt (grins): I found out.

Dr. Fate: Does your mother know then?

Terry: (Glares at Matt): Not yet.

John: He black mailed you, huh?

Matt: (Smirks)

Terry: (Mutters under his breath).

Terry: It's an early part of his Christmas present.

Matt: I'm going to be Robin.

John: Really?

Terry: No!

Matt: I'll tell Mom…

Terry: Tell her what, that you want to be Robin or Nightwing? She'd skin you alive before Bruce and I even had a chance to.

Terry: (Gives a Bruce glare).

Matt: (Gulps).

Dr. Fate: Perhaps when he is older he might join the League if he wishes.

John: Yeah, even if he doesn't wear a mask and tights, we still need a lot of good people behind the scenes.

Terry:…..

Terry: We'll see.

Terry: I'm not sure if the Boyscout could survive two McGinnises.

John: Good point.

Dr. Fate: By the way Terry, Clark wants to speak with you.

Matt: Is he in trouble?

Terry: (Glare)

Matt: (Innocent smirk).

Terry: Twip.

Matt: Hey!

Terry: You can't come with me, so…

John: Shining Knight and Vigilante have their grandkids here. He can hang with them until you're done.

Matt:…

Terry: (Points finger at Matt) Stay out of trouble. I don't want to have to babysit you. And believe me, if you cause trouble, you'll have worse to deal with than me.

John: Like Diana.

Matt: Why? Is she scary?

Terry, John, and Dr. Fate: ……

Matt: I'll take that as a yes.

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A little later:

Arthur (Shining Knight's grandson): Batman's your brother?

Matt: Yeah. Someday I'm going to be Nightwing.

Sally (Vigilante's granddaughter): Ah'm goin' t'become Vigilante.

Arthur: And I'll be Valiant.

Sally: Why not Shahnin' Knaht like yer Granddad?

Arthur: Because Valiant sounds cooler.

Matt: Was he really a Knight of the Round Table?

Arthur: Yeah. He still talks really old fashioned.

Matt: Schway. Hey, how old are you guys anyway? I'm almost twelve.

Sally: Thirteen.

Arthur: Ten.

Sally: Hey! We all oughta form ah group ah somethin'!

Matt: Huh?

Arthur: Eh? You mean like the GAS?

Sally: Ah've course! We kin all be ah three man fightin' team!

Matt: We need a cool name.

Arthur: The Three Knights?

Matt: Lame.

Sally: The Three Buckaroos?

Matt: Lame!

Arthur: Then you think of one!

Matt:….

Matt:…

Sally: See? He was just talk.

Matt: Shut up! I'm thinking.

Matt:….

Matt: I've got it! Let's call ourselves the VVN Corps!

Arthur: VVN?

Matt: Valiant, Vigilante, Nightwing

Sally: Hey! That's great!

(And thus an unholy alliance is forged.)

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The Justice League Daily Service Announcement
December 11, 2058

Fellow Leaguers:

We need volunteers for our annual holiday charity drive.

Also, Batman, Shining Knight, and Vigilante, please come and retrieve a certain trio of youngsters. They are terrorizing some of the help.

Have a nice day.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

A Short Time Later:

Terry:…

Matt: Uh oh.

Terry: What did I say about staying out of trouble?

Matt: Umm…

Terry: Shayera said that you guys were ganging up on Orion.

Matt: Uh…

Terry: With fake lightsabers?

Matt: He had it coming! He called us a bunch of stupid little kids and told us to get lost!

Terry: He said that?

Matt: Yeah.

Terry: Well then, good job. Orion probably deserved it.

Matt: Really?

Terry: Yeah, I've never really liked him much any way. Just don't tell Clark I said this. I'm supposed to be punishing you.

Matt: So can I be Nightwing in the future?

Terry: That's up to Bruce.

Wally: Hey guys, what's up?

Matt: When he'd get here!

Wally: I'm the Fastest Man Alive.

Terry (suspicious): Are you eating J'onn's Oreos?

Wally (munching): Of course not! Would I do such a ghastly deed?

Terry: You want me to answer that?

Wally: Er…probably not.

Terry: Um…Wally? I don't think you should be eating those…

Wally: Why not? I stole them fair and square.

Terry: Uh…Bruce put something in them.

Wally (Stops chewing):…

Wally:…

Wally:…Like what?

Terry: Er…some kind of hormone. He's trying to break J'onn of his Oreo dependence by making them "Disagreeable to his system." I'm not sure what it'll do to humans.

Wally:…

Wally: Stupid Bruce!

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Excerpt from the Journal of Bruce Wayne:
Date: December 11, 2058

I'm going to kill Wally. I had to make an antidote for the drug he had eaten. Now J'onn has discovered my plan. Damn West. He ruined everything. I now have to think of something else. I could give up, but that of course is beneath me. I now have to succeed for the sake of my pride.

However, it will now be more difficult as J'onn is now on his guard.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

December 12, 2058

Stupid Bruce! He tried to trick me and I fell for it! He and Terry claim that he was trying to get J'onn, but I know better.

Damn it. I was sick for the rest of the day! I couldn't stop throwing up. I still feel a little nauseous.

On a slightly better note, Matt McGinnis has a lot of potential. Ollie said that he was thinking about recruiting the VVN Corps to work for the GAS. I wonder what they'll be like when they grow up.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Flash Forward to the Future (Fifteen Years):
December 12, 2073

Matt (Nightwing): Since when do knights wear shades?

Arthur (Valiant): I'm projecting my image.

Sally (Vigilante): What image?

Matt: Where's the helmet?

Arthur: It didn't look cool. I'm a New Age Knight.

Sally:…?

Sally: That's dumber than ah rattlesnake in winter.

Arthur: Shut up!

Matt: Well…at least the shades look good.

Arthur: Hey Nightwing, let's go pick up some women.

Matt: Sure…

Sally: Hey! Ah'm ah woman!

Matt and Arthur:….

Arthur: Oh yeah.

Sally: (Glares).

Matt: I guess we'll need to find a guy for her.

Arthur: Unless she secretly goes for women…

Sally: (Glares).

Sally: (Unholsters her guns).

Matt: Uh oh…

Arthur: Retreat!

Matt: Knights aren't supposed to retreat!

Arthur: Well I am!

Sally: Get back here!

Arthur: Run McGinnis!

Matt: Ahh!

Bang! Bang!

Matt: Why'd you have to go and piss her off again Valiant?

Arthur: Me? It was you!

(Yes, the future is in good hands.)