The Once and Future Thing, Part Two: Time, Warped
"This is a little weird for everybody," he says, holding out his hand. "I'm Warhawk. Rex Stewart."
John stares at him, dazed, and takes the handshake. "Your mother…" he replies, "who is she?"
It's not like he can't figure it out for himself. The metal wings spell it out, but still…
Rex raises an eyebrow and glances behind him. "Kind of obvious, don't you think?"
Smartass, John thinks. Then he pauses, barely hearing Bruce caution him about learning too much about the future. His thoughts are on a woman with green eyes, just like Rex's.
Damn it, this complicates things.
He doesn't notice it at first. In the dim light of this dismal place, it is hard to see much of anything.
Then her form grows fainter. For crucial seconds, Bruce freezes. Her voice grows warped and distant, and he can barely make out her final words. "… undo the deaths of your friends."
It is enough to shock him into action. He quickly throws himself forward, trying to reach her, to ground her to reality. Her insubstantial form merely slips through his fingers, leaving him with nothing. His mind shuts down. His heart howls in denial. She's gone.
"Diana!"
Terry's pretty sure that Bruce had a death wish in his younger years. He's also even less inclined to listen to people who know more about the situation than he does.
"Are criminals still superstitious and cowardly?" He demands.
Bruce answers before Terry can open his mouth. "Yup."
"Good enough for me."
Terry groans, and starts after him. The Jokerz already killed Mom and Matt. Bruce's all he has left that's really family, and he's not about to lose him because his younger self got pissed over losing his princess, ran off, and got himself killed.
Stubborn bastard, he thinks.
Bruce stares at him and can't help but wonder if he really was ever that young. Though, to be honest, his counterpart's no spring chicken, looking to be in his late-forties.
"What?"
Bruce doesn't look away. He speaks, says the things that he knows the other man wants to know, but won't ask.
"We married three years before the Watchtower went down. We honeymooned in Paris. The morning it happened, her last words to me were 'I love you.'
"I don't regret a single moment. Will you?"
The other man doesn't answer, but Bruce doesn't care. He's made his point.