Flashback Chapter 26 All Over

Jason typed quickly as Bruce composed his report from several reams of notes. Scribe duty wasn't exactly his favourite chore, but it beat trying to make sense of several dozen accounts.

"The Crisis started on an undesignated Earth – side note: see file 'extinct Earths' – which was subsequently destroyed. A scientist, now known as Pariah, conducted an experiment into the origins of the universe and accidentally degraded the barrier between the multiverse and an antimatter counterpart. This unleashed the Antimonitor and his counterpart, the Monitor. The Monitor channelled a portion of the energy into Pariah, which allows him to traverse the multiverse to the place of greatest danger, and to leave before he himself could be consumed. The Antimonitor unleashed a tide of antimatter in an attempt to annihilate the Multiverse. Side note: unless otherwise specified, all Earths should be considered destroyed with no survivors."

Jason kept typing as Bruce outlined each stage of the Crisis. The Monitor's recruitment of defenders for his interdimensional 'tuning forks' and the creation of the new Dr Light. The Monitor's death, saving the Earths designated One and Two. The introduction of Lyla, aka Harbinger, Lady Quark, also a survivor of an unknown Earth, and Alexander Luthor, survivor of the Earth designated Three, the home of the Crime Syndicate. The plan, and the rescue of Earths Four, X and S, at the cost of Lyla's Harbinger powers. The mission to the Antimonitor's base; the loss of Supergirl. It was suspected that shortly after, Barry Allen had destroyed a secondary disrupter of the Antimonitor's at the cost of his own life, causing the vision Bruce had seen earlier, but that was according to the incomplete, deranged testimony of Pyscho Pirate. After that, Brainiac had attempted to take over the multiverse, was stopped by the Spectre, and the joint time-travel missions were launched. There was, indeed, some success.

Everyone had woken up at home. Superman and Wonder Woman from Earth Two had been very discouraged to learn that they were now without a home, or anyone remembering them except those who'd been at the dawn of time. For everyone else, the five universes had folded together into one, New Earth. The Justice Society were now the predecessors of the League. Central City and Keystone City were twins. There were whole new aspects of history to catch up on. Luckily, it looked like most people who hadn't been at the dawn of time had folded into their Earth One counterparts, except for those deeply linked to those who were unaffected.

Jason remembered when they'd still been trying to work out all that had happened. He, Bruce, and Alexander had gone to see Lex Luthor, back in the prison Brainiac had rescued him from. Lex hadn't known what had happened and thought Bruce's thanks for the assist was a ploy to damage his reputation. Selina, when they called for confirmation, was also at a loss.

Of course, the problem was that they'd only had a partial victory. Krona's experiment had gone ahead, creating the Antimonitor, but due to the 'villains' shutting it off early, and the 'heroes' distracting the Antimonitor, the multiverse had stayed a universe.

But the Antimonitor had one last gasp. Alexander used his antimatter powers to send a final team to take care of him once and for all, while everyone else stayed behind to fend off the creatures.

The team came back without Alexander, Superboy Prime or Superman-Two, but the Crisis was finally over.

"Bruce, the files have changed," Jason called out, halfway through saving the report.

"Let's see," Bruce said, hurrying over. The old Multiverse files were shunted into an inactive file, and instead were replaced by dozens of new files; Alan Scott, Jay Garrick, Billy Batson, Ted Kord and all the others. "Call Dick," Bruce sighed.

Jason fished his cell out of his pocket and selected one of the speed dial options.

"Jay? 'Sup?" Dick asked morosely.

"We've a lot of new files to memorise," Jason reported. "Shall I send them to the Tower or your apartment?"

"Fan-bloody-tastic," Dick said bitterly. "Anything else his pointed-ear-ness wants?"

"Watch that attitude," Bruce growled towards the phone.

"Easy for you to say; all your Outsiders made it through," Dick retorted. "We lost Kole. Did you know that? Do you care?"

"I'm sorry," Jason whispered. "Will there be a memorial?"

"I'll let you know," Dick sighed.

"Are you okay?" Bruce asked.

"Fine," the older teen dismissed. "Bit tired, bit sore, missing my friend…"

"At least you're alright," Bruce interrupted. "And Jason, and Babs."

"Now that sounds like survivor's guilt, B," Dick commented. "You're relieved your clan is safe, and that makes you just a little guilty".

Bruce grunted, which Jason knew was a tacit admission.

"I get it, I get it," Dick said. "Just send the files over."

"There's no Supergirl file," Bruce said abruptly. "It's vanished from the active list. I can't find any trace of her in the media."

"What happened to her?" Jason asked.

"I'll ask around," Dick said shortly. "Later, Li'l Wing."

"Yeah, later," Jason muttered as the line went dead. He watched over Bruce's shoulder as he scrolled through the new files. "That's a lot of changes," he murmured. "Guess the world will never be the same again."

AN: Next week will see the return of the Wayne family in Jason and the Argonauts.

Also this week: Little Bird's Vengeance, Rise of Harry Potter.

Next week: Jason and the Argonauts, Black and Red, Time, Space, Magic.

Please review!

Katara