I own nothing.
----
It was night-time, and Bruce Wayne was asleep. This was not a usual occurrence, considering Bruce Wayne's secondary (some would say only) occupation, but, having been sedated by his butler, he had no choice but to rest and let his body heal itself. Tonight, this was rather dangerous.
The window slid open noiselessly, admitting a slender person dressed entirely in black. Just as noiselessly, the person slid the window back in place and melted into the shadows in the corner of the room closest to the sleeping billionaire. Nothing happened for a minute. Two minutes. The waiting person breathed in synchronization with the sleeping man. Five minutes. Fifteen minutes. Finally, thirty minutes after the first intruder had entered the room, the window broke, due to a gas grenade being tossed through it. The gas grenade was followed by a pale, grinning man with green hair and a purple suit, who sprayed the words "I Know" on the wall with red paint. The purple-suited man then left the premises.
The slender person walked over to the sleeping man, who had not yet breathed in any of the toxins, and placed a gas mask over his mouth and nose. After that, a box was put on the foot of Bruce Wayne's bed, a box that started emitting the sounds of a man dying of Smilex poisoning. On top of this was placed a note. That done, the person headed for the window, only to disappear in a haze of light.
"Schnauzer," said the person, a girl, upon rematerializing in the Watchtower satellite. "I'd hoped to get a chance to shower first."
----
Bobby Black-and-Blue knew something was wrong before opening his eye. How, he couldn't tell - except that it was a little too quiet. It wasn't really noticeable, though; it was more of a subtle feeling developed through years of living on city streets. "Gen?" he said. There was no response. He rolled over to look at her bed. She wasn't in it. In fact, it looked as though she hadn't been in it all night. That could be good - or it could be bad. He picked up the folded piece of paper she'd left on his nightstand - "In case I'm not there in the morning," she said.
She had outlined why she had come back in time when they had been traveling to Gotham. She hadn't given him very much detail, and here there was little more, but the detail she gave him was horrifying. There was a car key included with the note. She'd signed with her name - her full name - Genevieve.
"Another war," Bobby said. Was the world really headed for another war - fought here, in the streets of Gotham and Metropolis? He looked out his window at the only car in the lot. It was blue and beat up, but it looked fast. Not if I can help it, he thought, and left to stop a war.
----
Gen shaded her eyes from the light in the interrogation room. "Is that really necessary?" she asked. "It's not like I even committed a crime."
"Breaking and Entering isn't a crime where you come from?" said Shayera.
"Okay, so you've got me there. But it's hardly unheard of for a mask."
"True," Question murmured.
"Not helpful," Shayera ground out. "Let's get started, okay? What do you call yourself?"
"Gen."
"Just Gen? No back story? No gimmick?" Question asked.
"I don't have a face. That not gimmicky enough for you?"
"What were you doing in Bruce Wayne's room?"
"Saving his life. Somebody posing as the Joker released a Smilex grenade. I merely gave him clean air to breathe. Somewhat of a novelty in Gotham, I suppose, but hardly sinister."
"Somebody posing as the Joker?" Shayera said, startled. "What do you mean, posing as the Joker? When we swept the room for evidence we found trace elements of his DNA."
"If you review your tapes of the incident you will notice that Mr. Wayne's attacker didn't gloat. The real Joker would have at least stopped to ensure his victim was awake to suffer." Gen turned her blank face to look at the Question. "Surely you remember at least one enemy with the ability to replicate and overwrite DNA."
Question tensed. Shayera noticed. "Are you implying that Cadmus had something to do with this?"
"Only in that they invented the technology," Gen said, still not breaking her eyeless gaze at the Question. "The cadre in charge of this incident is much worse."
Shayera looked at the Question. He tapped his fingers on the table and then looked up at Gen. "I don't believe you," he said.
Gen recoiled as if struck. "What?" she said.
"I don't believe you. You're either lying or leaving something very important out. I see no reason to trust your information, your intentions or your implications."
Shayera heard a low growl and looked at the soft-spoken girl in shock. That sound was coming from her? "This isn't a game of guess-the-connection. This is the prevention of a war. A war between you and the conspiracy!"
"The Cadre would never reveal themselves for something so mundane as a war. They plan too well-"
"Has it occurred to you that they've been planning? We're the only ones strong enough to break their puppet strings - do you imagine they're unthreatened by that? I'll tell you everything - I'll even let the Martian into my head if I have to - but I won't let this war start again, Daddy! There is far too much to lose!"
There were a few moments of silence. Then Question said, "Daddy!?"
Gen put her hands over where her mouth would be. "I didn't mean to say that part," she said guiltily. "Don't be mad. I didn't change things. Mamma doesn't know yet."
"I- Daddy!?"
"Did your father send you back?" Shayera asked, waving her hand in front of Question's face.
"No," said Gen. "He died months ago. I was the only Roach we could afford to send."
"Roach?"
"Some politician called us Roaches on TV. It stuck."
"I see," Shayera said.
"I don't know how to deliver a baby," Question said, sounding faint.
"Oh, is that all you were worried about," Gen said, suddenly relieved. "You've got nine months to figure it out, and anyway Dr. Thomas is qualified. I thought you were upset about me existing."
"Why would I be upset about that?"
"Oh, I don't know. I was hardly planned."
"Planned pregnancy is-"
"Enough!" said Shayera. "Gen, you claim you're here to stop a war. How can we trust your information?"
"I saved Bruce Wayne's life."
"Lex Luthor saved many lives, if his plans demanded it."
"I thought you trusted her, Question."
"It never hurts to check."
"If you consider it necessary," Gen said, "I can let a psychic into my mind. Only, please decide quickly. My information is time sensitive."
"It seems that you were correct, Question," said J'onn, walking into the room. "My help is needed here." His eyes glowed red... and then he gasped. "Shayera, transport to Metropolis at once. Steel," he said, touching his earpiece. "Get to the Daily Planet building. Superman is going to be killed!"
----
"I am uneasy. I do not like being unaware of their movements."
"Relax. They are never long outside of our purview. And what can they do from their tower, anyway?"
"Plan."
"You can't be serious. The only ones who could plan anything of even limited effectiveness are too distrustful to do anything about it."
"I am still uneasy. Something about this business disturbs me. Not the genocide, of course, but... I feel as though we are going about this the wrong way."
"Do we not have your compliance?"
"You do have my compliance, as always. But I cannot shake this unease."
"Rest assured, brother, you needn't feel uneasy for long. It will all be over soon."