To understand better where they are please read Kid Flash's Not so Easy Path 8 and 9. And to see what Robin and Superboy will do read Becoming Superboy 16
The Flight of the Blue Beetle 13
He picked Bart and threw him over his shoulder. He started flying towards the Reach base where the Metas were being kept. Over the past two years he had made so many friends who were Metas, he wondered if he would see any of them. He remembered what Tye told him of his time with the Reach. They experimented with them trying to find the true source of their powers and it was incredibly painful, but he never went into detail. He knew his friend was not the same after that experience, and it had only been for a few months. These people had been at their mercy for forty years.
He was ready to turn there and then. He couldn't risk Bart going through the same. He had already gone through so much. It just wasn't fair. But he knew his friend would never forgive him if he backed away now. Not when Tim and Conner were out there in space looking for the League and trying to return as soon as possible to help them. His self from that time was out there too trying to fix the situation as much as possible. He hadn't been short on telling him how much hate he felt for himself for what the Reach forced him to do.
He spotted the base and stopped in midflight. What if they placed him back in the mode?
"Ordinary resetting techniques will no longer work with the new programming," Khaji-Da told him.
That was right, they had their own programming. He had already beaten the Black Beetle when he tried that. He continued flying towards the base and followed the plans the Jaime of that time gave him. No one questioned him as he passed from hall to hall going deeper and deeper into the base. He was sure he was underground by the time they reached tightly sealed doors.
"Open," he told the guards who looked at each worriedly in the language of the Reach, "I said open the damn door, I want off this dirtball as soon as possible."
"Yes Khaji-Da sir," they said before they punched a code into the wall and the doors opened.
He held his breath or otherwise he would have gasped. He had thought they had reached the lowest level, but the place shaped like a cylinder went so far down he couldn't see the bottom.
"Should we advise to start the Magnetic Field Disruptors sir?" one of the guards asked.
"Not yet," he as he started flying down, "I must confirm this is the same meat bag. He has changed in a short period of time. That is not natural," he said as he flew down, "I don't want anyone interrupting me."
"Understood sir," they said before closing the door behind them.
As he flew down, he saw more soldiers of the reach guarding over the many levels of Metas in stasis. As he went down he tried not to look too hard, but even so spotted a few familiar faces. When he reached the bottom, he found the scientist examining a Meta at top of a table. The said Meta was no other than Kaldur.
"You!" the Atlantean sneered at him furious, "traitor!"
"What are you doing here Khaji-Da? Wait, is that who I think it is?" the scientist asked wide eyed as he turned Bart so he was holding him in his arms. The scientist moved his hair off his face to have a better look. "He looks different from your last report."
"That is correct scientist. The boy has changed too much in a short period of time, which makes it questionable that it is the same kid. Humans, even in this phase of their lives don't change so fast," he said the words Khaji-Da was feeding him. "Protocol mandates we-"
"Traitor!" Kaldur shouted again.
"Close your mouth before I sew your lips together!" the scientist shouted at Kaldur who settled for just glaring at them with all his hate.
"Protocol mandates we assure this is the-"
"I know the protocol Khaji-Da, now leave. You know the chancellor does not approve of your being here," she said glaring at him.
"The boy is too much of a risk to leave unchecked," he said not even considering on leaving.
"You know you can't be here Khaji-Da, leave," she said as she started going over the results of her examination.
"I want the host to see the last of his kind perish as to establish complete control over his psyche," he couldn't leave Bart with her.
"That human is very stubborn. Fine, just don't touch anything." She gave up knowing Reach soldiers were stubborn.
He placed Bart on another table as she instructed as she went to gather the necessary tools. She was muttering to herself about being glad to leave the planet and never coming back.
"Kaldur, do you know where the rest are?" Jaime asked the man tied to the table.
"What?" Kaldur looked at him in pure shock.
"Is a long story, I am here to help," he said wondering if he should free him to show him.
"Khaji-Da, no touching also meant no speaking to the subjects," the scientist called to him from her workstation as she pulled some rather scary looking objects. Worst was, he knew what they were for.
"Understood," then he whispered as low as possible, "Please, believe me. They are planning to destroy the planet as soon as they confirm that boy is Bart Allen and he is. We don't have much time."
"Down that hall," Kaldur said tilting his head so Jaime would look down a long hall, "the Team and the remainder of the League are there."
He hurried down the hall and was met with so many familiar faces he was dizzy for a moment.
"Khaji-Da, you shouldn't be here," the scientist said from the entrance of the hall pointing a weapon at him, "You know what that does to your directive."
"Scientist," he said turning to face her, "any weaknesses should be eliminated as soon as possible. When will you dispose of them?"
"When I am done studying them," she sneered at him but lowered the weapon. It was just like Reach soldiers to try to cut off anything considered a weakness.
"Understood," he said as he continued to study them. When he didn't move, she merely rolled her eyes and went back to her work.
He placed his hands over one of the controls. Khaji-Da was fast to access all the panels in that level. The moment he wanted, they would all open. He walked back to the main room and watched as the scientist strapped Bart down. He stood near Kaldur and placed his hand near the controls of the table ready to free him.
"I wouldn't worry about those Metas if I were you. The moment we find the way to tap into the speed force we will go back in time and defeat the Lanterns. That's a battle you should ready for Khaji-Da. It will be the most glorious day for the Reach," the scientist said as she examined of osseous structure of Bart's head. "Is incredible such unevolved creatures possess such abilities and yet they don't even realize it. What a waste."
Jaime waited for her to say more. So that was what they wanted to do with the speedsters. Finally, he decided it was time to act. He freed Kaldur quietly and signaled him to stay quiet.
"It will indeed be a great day for the Reach," he said as he approached her and placed his hands on her shoulders.
She tensed immediately. He hoped the Jaime of that time was right about this.
"You will receive the recognition you deserve for the discovery, after sacrificing so much precious time in this forsaken backwater world," he turned his head to signal Kaldur to move to the hall where the rest were found. The Atlantean moved stealthily into the hall where he would prepare the rest for their escape.
"I will be recognized, won't I?" she said lost in her own fantasy world. She would take the place of the head scientist, her dream since she was a little larva. She would have all the free range she wanted. No more chancellor or soldiers telling her what to do.
"Yes you will," he said wrapping his arms around her waist. He leaned forwards and whispered in her ear, "You might even find someone to finally settle with."
"I… I…" the idea was not foreigner but her kind rarely ever did things of that sort because of their very long lives. Actually, there was someone chosen for her, but no one really cared to follow that protocol as it could distract from others with higher priority. But here and now one of their soldiers thought of her that way. All of her three hearts accelerated, which she realized meant she didn't mind the idea.
He had Khaji-Da release the locks on the capsules as he leaned down "maybe with an honorable warrior. You would live like royalty and be free to do the experiments you wanted while he went on to conquer more worlds."
"What are you doing Khaji-Da?" she asked snapping out of her stupor. She had studied some human behavior and many times questioned Khaji-Da on it. This was what they called flirting; a ritual of sorts.
"Not everything about humans was backward. Some ideas are worth exploring, don't you think?" he said tightening his hold on her. He hoped not to have nightmares about this later.
"You are not following your directive," she gasped.
"But I am. The greatness of the Reach depends on individuals like you. Making you happy is a priority" he wrapped her with those sweet words.
"Really?" she asked as that was the most romantic think a female belonging to the Reach could hear.
"My directive does not allow me to misguide my comrades, scientist," he said wondering how everything was going back in the hall.
Bart groaned on the table.
"Leave my personal space Khaji-Da. This takes priority," she said returning to her work.
"That's a shame," he said before she froze and turned to stare at him.
"You are not Khaji-Da," she said eyes wide as she reached for the gun again.
"I am Khaji-Da," where were they! He knew she was ready to bolt and sound the alarm.
Her eyes narrowed before she walked up to him and then said in a hissing voice, "I knew I shouldn't have let you stay. The psyche of that human is affecting yours."
"You are likely correct scientist though I don't believe this is a disadvantage. Having a different perspective can help at times."
"Don't let the chancellor hear you say that," she laughed cruelly, "you know what a Glorg he can be."
"Understood," he laughed having no idea what a Glorg was.
"But you might be right. A different perspective can't hurt," she said before heard movement from the hall, finally.
"You aren't so bad scientist, too bad things won't go your way," he said before she stood back and saw the Metas exiting the hall.
"No, what have you done?" she asked before he removed his helmet, "no…" that was not the Blue Beetle she knew.
"It's over," he said before using the stable gun on her and attaching her to a wall.
"Blue? Is that really you?" he heard a familiar voice call. He turned and saw M'gaan and the rest stare at him warily.
"Long story," he told them un-bulking the armor. "Help me get everyone out; the rebellion will be attacking soon."
"Do you really expect us to believe you?" Lagoon boy said stomping towards him.
"I don't care!" he snapped making Lagoon boy jump back. "Just make sure no one falls behind!"
He unstrapped Bart and then shook him awake.
"Hermano, that was not crash at all. That hurt," he said sitting up and rubbing his head.
"That was the point. If they detected you were awake they would have done something worse," he told his friend as he got off the table. He looked up and asked "ready?"
"Are you kidding?" and he was gone and started knocking out the guards all the way to the top.
"Who is that?" asked Superboy walking up to him, "and why do you look so different?"
"I told you it was a long story, now let's get moving," he said as also started freeing Metas. As they moved up, they kept asking what happened. Finally, he gave in and asked Miss Martian to share his memories with them. By the time they reached the top they were shocked and also heart broken. They had never thought forty years had passed. The Reach took them out a handful of times from their stasis, but as the scientist remained unchanged, that didn't think much time had passed.
"Listen, the rebellion is probably distracting the Reach forces by now, we have to make the most out of this and get out of here," Bart said a second after knocking the guards from outside the doors. The Metas started pouring out. Jaime watched as his friend stopped Miss Martian, "have you seen Wally? Or my father and aunt?" he created the clearest pictures of them in his mind for her to see.
Jaime felt terrible at not realizing Bart's family was not among those they freed.
"Give me a moment," she said closing her eyes. Her eyes snapped open, "follow me." She had told them before they started following her through a different set of halls. Not far the sound of explosions began. The rebellion was attacking.
888 Somewhere in Space 888
(read Becoming Superboy 16 to understand better where the future Blue Beetle is)
He tore through the hull of another ship and used his energy cannons to blast away anyone who dared oppose him. He had been locked for so long unable to feel anything but grief. He wanted them to feel despair at the sight of him, just like those of his home world had. He wanted revenge. He entered the engine room and started blasting everything away. He left before the explosion of the place could catch him. The ships shot at him relentlessly, but none could hit their mark. He was the Blue Beetle, recognized as one of the top fighters of the reach in what they considered a short time. They didn't stand a chance.
He boarded a ship that tried to follow the others. He was not going to let it happen. Superboy, Robin, Damian and the Justice League were on another ship fleeing directly to Earth. He had programmed it to go to the base where everyone was fighting. They were their only chance.
"What are you doing Khaji-Da!" the chancellor shouted over the intercom, "desists this treachery at once!"
"I am no longer your puppet," he said as he hacked into the ships system. Though not as satisfying, he could also make them auto destroy. "The reign of the Reach will be no more."
"Blasphemy!" shouted the chancellor. But his answer was met with the destruction of ten ships. "You will pay for crossing the Reach, mark on my words human."
And he sensed them before they even made it to him. They sent reinforces after him; Djo Sut, Djo Mek, and Djo Zha. As a Khaji, infiltrator, he was not expected to be a challenge, but those past forty years had shown his capacity for a host to be priceless. Khaji-Da made constant use of his knowledge and instincts which placed him on par with the Black Beetle.
"Stand down traitor," he flew up just in time to evade a blast. He turned and saw the Reach was indeed very upset at him. Khaji Tal, Khaji Kai, and Khaji Ro had snuck behind him. They were some of the top infiltrators.
"Six against one, that doesn't seem fair," he said as the three Djo arrived.
"Khaji-Da," spoke Khaji-Ro, the one and only female infiltrator that he knew, "your control over the host once again deems your design obsolete. You will be terminated."
"Didn't you hear Khaji Ro? Some classics never die!" he tackled her before the rest could react. He had to get away from them as fast as he could. His only chance was to fight each one on one. He crashed Khaji Ro into a planetoid with all his strength. Her back cracked and he heard her gasp as her armor tried to heal her as fast as possible. He prepared his energy cannon and pointed it at her head. That was something not even the latest model could heal.
"Please kill me," he heard her distraught voice. It seemed the hit had loosened the Khaji Ro's hold on the host. The mask came off and the female alien with green skin and dark stared back him horrified, "please before I get put on the mode again."
"Death is too good for us," he said removing his cannon. The others were close behind. He had to hurry, "don't fight it." He had said before the pincers of his armor extended and then anchored on her shoulders. "Remember all those you lost, those you can still save, and don't forget," he said closing his eyes, "we don't get to go until we repay all the pain we caused."
As he started to replace the Reach programming, he was able to get a glance at what had become of the Coluan's life. Once, she had a lover and whole life planned ahead of herself. She was at the highest point of her life. Then the Khai Ro attached itself to her and she like him watched her world crumble around her. She became their hero, they adored her, but she knew what would happen next and she was powerless to stop any of it. She beheaded her own lover when he found out. He knew she had been acting strangely and was considered a threat to the Reach. Then it was her family, and anyone who mattered to her. Her world was taken over by the Reach and sold in pieces. Their advanced technology to that day was still being exploited by them. Every time she saw a fleet evaporating any opposing forces she blamed herself.
He kept telling her through their link, as he shared his own memories with her, that they could right all the wrongs. They could save others. They could make sure the Reach never did this to another poor soul again. Then he showed her the message his family sent him from the past.
"Ehm… Jaime. This is your mother," Bianca Reyes started a bit unsure.
"Dear, he knows," Alberto Reyes said placing a hand on his wife's shoulder.
"Right, right…" she shook her head slightly before giving her husband a thankful smile. Then, she turned back to the camera, "mijo we know things are far from the best where you are right now. But remember what we taught you. Even in the greatest darkness, there is always a ray of hope. We know you know what to do to help them. We know that you know what the right thing to do is. We ask you, please don't give up," Bianca said lastly before her husband brought her to his arms and held her tightly.
"Son," his father started, "I am not good at this type of stuff, and you know that. But I want to ask you two things. First, become the man you were meant to be. Even before you got that armor, we knew you were meant to do great things. The armor was just a reassurance. Second, is to please look after your sister. We heard she is still there. I know it might sound selfish with all the things you are going through, but I know you will be able to do it." Mr. Reyes gave a tired smile at the camera before saying, "now mija."
"DON'T GIVE UP JAIME!" Jaime's little sister, Milagro shouted at top of her eight-year-old lungs with her fists raised in the air. "Beat the bad guys and! And!" the little girl's eyes started to water as she brought her little fists to her chest, "please make sure my brother comes back home!"
Khaji Ro felt as Khaji Da, or better known as Jaime was pulled away from her and thrown into the ground where Djo Mek placed a cannon to where his heart was. She acted on pure instinct as she formed her own gun and blasted Djo Mek away from him. The rest stared at her trying to make sense of what had just happened. She came to the realization that she was free. She covered her face with her mask before they could see her tears. She was free. Jaime's memories of his family became her own; her parents and siblings always giving her grief but more love than anything. Her father telling her she was too young to marry and that she could still do so much with her bright mind. Then there was her lover never stopping his praise on her mind and beauty. They had believed in her.
"Khaji Da, stand up," she said walking to where he laid still dazed from the hit of the Djo; physically they were stronger than infiltrators. She could feel the other scarabs watching her every movement, evaluating what had happened. "We can't do this alone," she said offering him a hand to help him stand.
"Traitors!" shouted the rest of the scarabs before they launched at them.
The next one was Djo Mek, who almost crumbled from the pain. Their homes were completely destroyed and their people sold as slaves. Their children, his children, were sold too. Rage filled him as he launched at Djo Sut and started hitting him with all he had. The Blue Beetle pulled him back before he could kill Djo Sut and instead had him crash his mode. Djo Mek then saw Djo Sut's pain was no different than his.
Khaji Ro took on Khaji Tal while Jaime took on Khaji Kai. It was painful and freeing. They were all victims of the same evil. It was heavy and consistently tried to drown any light left on them. Still, as they shared, they found the burden was not their own. They could carry on together. Right the wrongs until the end of their time.
"He is getting away!" Djo Mek had shouted before they spotted Djo Zha trying to escape.
He opened his blasters and went after him. The Reach was going to pay and it would be by the hands of every single one of the lives they had twisted and turned inside out. He didn't have to look back to know Khaji Ro, Khaji Tal, Khaji Kai, Djo Mek and Djo Sut were following close behind. No scarab would be left untouched by their grief.
"Khaji Da!" he shouted.
"KHAJI DA!" the rest shouted in unison.
He tackled Djo Zha against on the ships before taking a firm hold of his skull and started the transfer of the program, but as he saw Djo Zha memories he stopped and moved back before pointing his cannon at him.
"What are you doing Khaji Da?" Djo Sut asked him.
"He is no good," he told them, "he enjoyed betraying his people and working for the Reach."
The rest didn't take them long to understand and they too pointed their energy cannons at Dja Sut. They all blasted him at the same time until there was nothing left. It would not be perfect but at least he would get a chance to try.
"We might fail," Khaji Tal said.
"As long as I get to kill those bastards, I don't care," Djo Mek said.
"We must go to Earth," he told them, "they are in grave danger."
They didn't question him. He had become their leader without meaning to. They destroyed the ships until one was left. As they climbed aboard he realized they made quite an odd bunch. He started the ship and then set their course for Earth. He begged time to stop. He was bringing help. They would be the first to feel their liberation and a newfound will to right the wrongs. There was still hope as long at least one start shone. He would become the man he was meant to be and make his father proud. Milagro and her son came to mind. He would protect them and he would get his younger self back home.
888 About forty years ago in that time line 888
Milagro Reyes was only six years old as she stood on her backyard looking up at the sky. She wondered if her big brother was up there. He hadn't been home for a month and her parents were terribly worried. They had tried calling the phone number the League had given them, but no one was answering. They saw Jaime in the news being a hero from time to time, but there was something odd about him. Milagro didn't understand this. She only saw her big brother helping people and defeating bad guys. He smiled and waved at the camera. She smiled and waved back. He was such a dork.
Usually when he returned home he did so through the back yard. That was why she was outside. It was well past her bed time but her parents were more worried about finding their son. She believed her brother was very busy helping others. She decided to tell him he was her favorite hero when he came back, not Wonder Woman like she told him the morning she last saw him. Maybe he would come back more often if she did that. She stretched her little hands to the sky and started recalling the constellations her brother had taught her.
She wondered if she could be a hero too someday and go with her brother. She imagined herself dressed in a suit just like her brother's but instead of blue it was pink. She started laughing as she imagined her brother fretting over every single thing she did. She imagined him telling her the best way to tie down a bad guy or how to best stop a bank robbery. She imagined until she no longer saw the stars but herself among them with her brother as they helped others.
Tears started running down her face as she continued to laugh. She couldn't lose hope, so she continued to watch the stars.
TO CONTINUE ON Kid Flash's Not so Easy Path 10