Alright...Let's see how this chapter goes.
Sorry this took so long but I'm graduating in a week, I had three projects to do (got 'em done though!), and have an AP test for tomorrow...Sorry about the wait.
FYI: I've done some wikipedia surfing for this chapter so yes...there are refferences to other comics or other story lines that have nothing to do with (or may have nothing to do with) Young Justice. Also...I'm ashamed to admit I'm behind on watching the episodes even though this story is so far off base it may not even matter. I got irritated checking to see if they'd updated and let it sit for a while. Naturally, half a dozen or so episodes came out and a second season has begun. Alright...I know what I'm doing this summer.
We'll see if I can get to it between Florida, Japan, and getting ready for college. (does anybody else hear the gang singing 'Lions, Tigers, and Bears Oh my'? No? Alright...Tin Man! Help me find my brain!)
Savage hadn't aged at all since they'd seen him. Robin could hardly believe he was in the future when he looked at the man but then there was Nightwing standing right next to him. That was not mentioning Kon-El who stood behind Conner like a shadow of what was to come for them all. It was a strangely comforting sight actually to know that Conner was always going to be that big and that strong and that protective.
"Well," Savage sighed with an odd hint of boredom that didn't seem to fit him. There was a collar on his neck that reminded the teenagers distinctly of Belle Reeve. This one however didn't blink red – it blinked blue. "This is a surprise."
Kon-El and Nightwing rolled their eyes – well…Nightwing scoffed loudly enough to accentuate Kon-El rolling his eyes almost as loudly. The teenagers tried to not flinch at the perfectly unison actions but it was a bit difficult. Even if Conner was somewhat sure that Nightwing may be Robin in the future, he'd never thought they were that close of friends.
"That's crap and you know it," Nightwing snarled as he stepped in front of Conner, Kon-El stepping in front of Robin as he did. They stood in ready to fight stances, hands bunched, muscles tensed, knees bent, and their eyes fixed on the man before them.
"Really?" Savage asked in mock shock. "Do I now?"
"How about not yammering on, acting stupid," Kon-El snarled. "You know as well as we do that you're over a million years old, a genius that makes most prodigies look like idiots, and heavily trained in combat, history, science, and – let us not forget – warfare. I could only wish I could call you an idiot and strike gold."
"True; all very true," Savage smiled smugly.
"Too bad we don't have the Immortal Man with us huh Vandar Adg?" Nightwing sneered.
Savage glared at him in a warning but there was a slight spark of fear in his cold eyes. Nightwing smiled a wicked smile, his back relaxing as he straightened a bit. Kon-El gave an equal sneer as he did the same.
"Don't even joke like that," Savage growled. "Just because this collar inhibits my strength, it does not inhibit my intellect. Besides, after so many years, I know your moves like I know that back of my hand; as well as your identities. I do believe I have the winning hand here."
"Not really," Nightwing sneered. "You're just allowed to look at the alternate dimensions so we don't get caught by surprise with whatever their little issues are. Last time that happened…"
Conner couldn't believe Savage moved that fast. He glanced at Robin whose mask was as white as the snow. Kon-El looked almost relieved.
"Past-selves are present," Savage hissed. Nightwing glared at him darkly and he let his hand drop from Nightwing's mouth. "The last thing you all need are the Linear Men on your tails."
"Whatever you say Savage," Nightwing hissed. "How about kicking that old bucket of bolts into action and let us get them to where they should be?"
"Sounds wonderful," Savage sighed in slight irritation – like he felt underappreciated. "Give me a moment or two and I'll have it working in what you all would call a jiffy." He disappeared down the long hall of what equaled a warehouse full of computers and so forth. Of course, most of the technology looked too far over even Robin's skills as a hacker.
Nightwing plopped himself into a seat as Kon-El leaned against a consol. Both seemed to be out of their element as they waited, watching and listening for Savage to do something stupid or dangerous. Conner and robin tried to ignore the niggling feeling that they'd walked into a trap somehow and had to figure out how they'd done it.
After what seemed to be forever, Savage returned with a smug look on his face. Nightwing's lip curled as Kon-El rolled his eyes in response to the expression.
"That damned thing working or not?" Kon-El asked in a hostile tone. Savage gave him a dark look before nodding and marching off with a straight back.
"And I'm suddenly reminded of the World War Two videos on the Nazi's," Robin muttered.
"Not surprising," Nightwing growled. "He's probably one of the few people who told Napoleon not to invade Russia during winter after all."
"Let's not go into Savage's history," Kon-El groaned. "Please…we don't have the time."
Nightwing gave a defeated sounding sigh as he waved them off in a shooing motion, Kon-El beckoning them to follow him. A familiar whirring noise caught their attentions as they turned around a corner of humming computer cages and they tensed in an understandable fear. It had been unpleasant the first time going through that vortex; they weren't looking forward to doing it again.
"At least this time I had enough of a warning to calibrate it so it would not send people to the wrong time," Savage said proudly as he stared at it in what looked like wonder.
"Wrong time?" Robin yelled in irritation. "Isn't any time that's not your own the wrong time?"
Savage looked at him like he had three heads. "Not at all; especially not if you are immortal like myself. What I meant was wrong time frame. I wanted to go into the past but it wasn't calibrated when you two fell into it. This is why you were sent to this time. Thankfully, due to my capture," he sounded irritated by that fact, "I have been staring at the timelines for ages, been able to do calculations off the alternate dimensions, and also go over what these two felt free to tell me to get this all ready."
"Please don't thank us for what we gave you," Kon-El snarled.
"Given reluctantly…" Nightwing muttered softly more to Kon-El than the others in the room. He sounded irritated about it too. Kon-El managed to also hold the look that mirrored his tone perfectly too which made the boys feel a bit uncomfortable. Even Savage had enough tact to look away from them.
"I do thank you for it," was a smug sounding reply that managed to still sound sincere.
"Right…Is the stupid thing calibrated completely yet or do we have to wait another day or something?" Kon-El asked with a bit of a snarl in his tone. Savage had some decency to look chagrined.
"It's ready for you," Savage repeated.
Nightwing scoffed, turning his head to stare at a distant computer screen that had images flashing over it. He watched it for a moment before turning his eyes away in revulsion. Kon-El happened to catch the movement, glanced over, and ended up looking away like he was sick too. Conner was about to follow their gazes when Savage cleared his throat, giving the teenagers a meaningful look, their seniors matching it with their own renditions.
"Trust me when I say that I don't want to know everything the future has to offer," Batman had once said. "I don't really want to know whether I'm truly making a difference since I already feel I am and having at least one delusion is enough for me at the moment. I don't really want any more clarity. Actually, I don't think I could stand having any more."
There are things that others probably shouldn't know about right? There were plenty of reasons to not ask questions about what was going on in this time since if they knew too much they could potentially mess it up. Maybe it wouldn't have been an injured Grayson who they'd run into, or maybe it wouldn't have been Conner's future-self who helped them. Maybe that Mallory guy would have gotten a lucky shot into them rather than a cop with a scary partner.
To tell the truth, there were too many possibilities to even try to list.
"They can go through whenever they feel ready to," Savage stated easily, waving them on to the swirling portal before them. Instead of having to fall through it, they'd be able to walk it through it this time. Robin felt his throat close up as he swallowed thick bile.
"Where's it going to dump us?" Conner asked cautiously.
"In Gotham," Savage stated. He gave another wave and the boys shared a look with each other before glancing at the elders.
"What should your report say?" Kon-El asked. They nodded.
"Say you dropped into another time, met your future-selves, and then say that we said to not say anything more since it is the future and you don't want to change it more than this little trip of yours already did," Nightwing muttered. "Now, go through will you?"
Robin pouted but Conner had enough sense to grab him by the arm and gently pull him to the portal. He tried to ignore the fact that it was Savage helping them, tried to ignore the fact that at least his future-self was watching them do this and brought them to Savage for the help, and tried to ignore the whole thing about it being the future he was standing in and because of it he'd have to omit things to his mentors and friends.
"Watch out for the drop though," Kon-El said quickly before shoving them both into the vortex before Conner could ask what he meant.
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