An Apprentice's Future
By: Malaizjan Dejesus & Reina Grayson
Author's Note: This is the climatic installment of the Batman Beyond Saga. Everything is coming together and this is the crossover fic. If you're a fan of either this series or Young Justice, than you will enjoy this! I am going to list the theme songs to various DC tv series and most of the theme songs can be found on Music of DC Comics: 75th Anniversary, which is available now, and the YJ Theme song is on its own album titled: Young Justice, which is also available. So if you don't have them, I suggest you go and buy them both!
Also, I had lots of help with this story. Reina Grayson deserves half the credit in getting 80% of this fic done.
Chapter 6
Music playing: Legion of Superheroes Theme Song
Watchtower, 2040
The Boom Tubes opened up and the aged heroes were coming through.
"Mom!" cried Siren as she hugged her mom.
Hector launched himself into his dad's arms as soon as Jaime Reyes came through. Wildcat nodded at the reunion.
The others were soon through, and Dick, Jason and Cassie were the last ones before the Boom Tube closed. Jason brushed past everyone to get to his room.
"What's wrong with him?" M'gann asked.
"Starfire...she died..." Raven said, her voice as stoic as ever. But she was anything but.
"…..in his arms." Dick added.
Donna Troy bowed her head in respect.
Bruce went to find him.
All the older heroes that had been rescued were happy to be free, but also sad as they lost three of their own in the escape.
"So, you're Wally's cousin. It's nice to meet you Impulse." Areina said as she realized that the red haired 'boy' had Wally's eye color.
"Yea; but…" Impulse said. Bart knew he was getting older and he thought he knew all the kids.
"I'm Flamebird's daughter, Areina." the young fire controller said.
"Should have known you were a bat by the way you knew who I was." Bart said as he removed his goggles.
"Thanks for giving my family time to get out of the Batcave." Areina said as she hugged the speedster.
"Hey; they needed to get out of there, and the bots would have followed if I hadn't stayed behind." Bart said, knowing the batfamily's history and their strong connection AS a regular family. "By the way, you really seem to embody your mom."
"I've heard it all before, but thanks Bart."
The hug soon broke up and the reunion with the captured heroes continued. One reunion between mother and son wasn't going to be so happy though. Cassie looked through all the young heroes, and that's when she found her son.
"EOLUS SANDSMARK! I thought I said I didn't want you near Nightwing!" Cassie shouted at her son as she walked up to him.
Donna Troy, the current Wonder Woman, knew this wasn't going to end well.
"I had NO choice mom; the Slade Bots found the cave; and getting here to watchtower was the only way." Eolus said, anger showing in his voice.
"What if he had done the same thing to you that he did to my generation's team." Cassie said.
"What if I had stayed in the Batcave?! I would either be DEAD or CAPTURED! Impulse gave us time to get to Watchtower and I met the team. I like it here and I like being around the other kids. We've started to get along and I'm staying with the team."
"Absolutely NOT!" screamed Cassie. "We're leaving!"
"And go where!?"
Dick knew he had to intervene. "Cassie..."Dick started out softly.
"You! You aren't going to put MY son in danger for any mission!"
"Cassie...I'm not like that. That was only one time. I won't ever do that again. I've never done it again!"
"You made us all think that Kaldur really was a traitor and he killed Artemis. M'gann was captured after YOUR lie made her do to Kaldur what she did to that Krolotean. Sure I fought by your side the whole time, but after some time I realized what that could have done to us as a team." Cassie remarked, getting into Dick's face.
"I'm sorry…..after Tula's death, Kaldur and I figured out a way to get inside the Light, so we took the chance." Dick said as he let his head hang in shame at what he did at the age of 19.
Eolus knew he had to do something. Blaming Nightwing for something that happened decades ago while they were all young was being ridiculous. "Mom…Jaime never forgave him either, but Dick sent Impulse to get them and Jaime trusted that Dick would protect Hector." Eolus said as he got between his mother and the second gen team leaders' father. "I got to train with this new team and even met my match. I still have much to learn about teamwork. So I want to learn. Go if you want, just remember this: the LOD has the earth. Me- I want to help this team win back the freedom of the planet; so I'm staying. This team needs a demi god and I'm up for the challenge…"
In the past…
Meygan was all alone in the Infirmary. She fished out her Legionnaires ring. She missed the Legion. Earlier, she felt so much death but Uncle Wally was saved. So why did she feel like this wasn't over yet?
20 Minutes later…
Superman watched as the pair from the future got ready to go. He noticed the rings on their fingers. He KNEW those rings. There was no way they were leaving until he knew why they had those rings.
Meygan and Vincent were ready to go. Everyone was there to see them off. But Vincent didn't really want to go. It was in his body language.
"Thanks..." Wally told them. His future self was gone, back in his own time and with him, his memories. Wally didn't remember what he had learned; which was a blessing to the future team.
"No thanks are needed. When we get back, I am so going somewhere cold." Meygan looked flushed, like she could faint at any moment. But she didn't.
That worried Dick. His daughter needed rest. No way she recovered that fast. There was something else up with his daughter but Vincent was very tight lipped.
"Wait. Those rings…" Clark said.
Both looked at their Legionnaire's rings and their eyes got wide. "Yeah?" Meygan said, hesitating.
"Where did you get them?" Superman asked.
Batman stared at Clark oddly. What was the Man of Steel saying?
"We…uh, we found them," Vincent answered.
Reiena used her batglare on Roy's son. "Come on, we may have only met recently, but you're so lying."
"Damn it, Bruce; did you have to train them so well." Vincent said under his breath
"What was that?" Batman said.
"Damn it!"
"Why is Superman asking about your ring?"
"No reason," Meygan said.
Dick glared at his daughter. She was hiding something; both were
"What does the ring mean?" he asked Vincent.
Vincent was quiet.
"Ok. Vincent, Meygan, Reiena, Dick, Roy and Batman stay. Everyone else goes." Superman folded his arms.
Vincent knew they was caught.
With protests and grumbles, everyone not part of the discussion was soon gone. Batman never left, but that was ok.
"So...why did you want us here?" Dick asked.
All the children that stayed were curious, but what would Superman know about these rings.
Superman reached into his own belt and held up his own ring. "There's a team in the 31st century like the Justice League called the Legion of Superheroes. I was once asked to help them in their future. So I am part of their team too."
Meygan and Vincent's eyes were impossibly wide.
"So Meygan & Vincent are part of this team?" Dick asked.
"Those rings are the symbol of the Legion."
"Brainy asked you too?!" Vincent asked, shocked. He never knew that.
"The records of the 21st century are incomplete," Superman told them.
"You're on 2 teams!?" Roy asked, shocked.
Dick then realized something. "The bracelets Meygan started up when she went to save Wally," Dick stated.
"Those plans!?" Reiena cried. "They came from the future!?"
"Yeah," Vincent said knowing that he was defeated.
"She knew the risks and still did it," Dick said in awe.
" When we get back, I'm calling in a favor. They owe me and Meygan 6 more."
"You're going to ask them to help take back the Earth," Superman assumed.
"You two are reckless! You guys are doing things that..." Reiena said.
"I forbid you to do that!" cried Roy.
"Even if it helps us save Earth!?" Vincent argued back.
"Yes!"
"Sorry dad. History says we do this for years to come."
Something got everyone's attention as a pitched noise hurt everyone's ears. A green shield came between Meygan and Vincent and the heroes of the past. The shield became a dome, keeping the future heroes from the past heroes.
Superman punched it on instinct but he got bounced back.
Behind the future heroes came a tearing in the space-time continuum. An Ax-wielding man came through, followed by others; five in all. One was a tall being with its brain encased in a dome; another was half organic, half bot; one was a red, orange and yellowed being engulfed in flames; and the last was a woman wearing black leggings and a green corset with a cape and a floating eye behind her shoulder.
The woman in green smiled. "Found you two at last. Time to pay up, kids."
"How'd you find us!?" cried Vincent as he and Meygan went into battle stances.
"It doesn't matter; The Legion is preoccupied so you two will die today. Surrender and we'll make it painless!" said Flare, the one engulfed in flames.
The heroes of 2040 made their decision. Meygan & Vincent slipped on their Legionnaires rings, and they tapped the L on those rings, and their costumes changed to their 31st century ones. The Vincent launched a smoke arrow at the Fatal 5, his heart pounding.
Meygan raced right for Validus, the tallest member of the Fatal 5, the one with the domed brain, knowing taking him down was always a priority. A kick to his domed brain took the giant down, a crack in his domed brain. Landing, Meygan took Tharok and blasted him into Flare, who was trying to stop Vincent from using his arrows on the Emerald Empress and Persuader. Both Flare and Tharok, the half organic being and half bot, were out cold.
Persuader left the Empress to deal with Archeron as he charged at Meygan, axe staff ready to cut her to ribbons.
She dodged to the left but the blunt end of his axe staff hit her in the stomach. Meygan doubled over but she kicked him over her head to his chin, which threw him at the rising Tharok.
At the same time, Archeron fired arrow after arrow at the Emerald Empress but her Eye of Ekron made a shield to protect them both. But Vincent rushed Cara Kesh and both began a flurry of punches and counter punches that were both ferocious and swift in delivery.
At the same time as the fight began, Dick was furious, as only a father could. "She can't wear that!"
Reiena couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was furiously trying to burn a hole in the shield to break the shield and THAT was what he was upset about!?
Superman slipped on his Legionnaire's ring.
Batman narrowed his eyes, even as he threw batarangs into the shield with no progress.
While that was going on, Meygan threw Persuader into the Emerald Empress, knocking them down.
Vincent took to the air, shocking Roy. Vincent wasn't a meta...how was he flying!? And with such ease!?
He aimed two arrows at the rising Validus and fired. Both hit the giant and cable like ropes sprang free of the arrows, tying up Validus and he fell on top of Flare. Tharok steered clear and formed his mechanical arm into a cannon and fired, nailing Meygan in the back. She fell to her knees.
Tharok then started blasting at Vincent, who dodged with ease.
Meygan then had Persuaders axe handle pressed hard against her throat, the villain trying to choke her out.
Superman made his way to the shield, to enter it. The kids were taking a beating and HE faced the Fatal 5 more often than they did. He was sure that the ring would let him enter it.
"You're going in, aren't you?" Batman said quietly.
"Have to. I know how the Fatal 5 works."
"Think about this, Uncle Clark, they know how you work, but what about me." Flamebird asked
Superman hesitated.
"You've fought them, but they've probably only HEARD of me."
"AAAHHH!" Vincent got nailed by Tharok and fell face first into the floor. He struggled to get up.
"CLARK!" Reiena hollered.
He took the ring off his finger and tossed it to her. "Destroy the Eye of Ekron. Then the shield will fall," he told her.
"Be careful sis, and if you can, yell at Meygan about her outfit."
She just glared at her brother.
While all of that was going on outside, seeing Vincent fall made Meygan angry.
Meygan powered the axe staff away from her throat and she pushed back into Persuader, surprising him. She then ripped the axe staff away from the villain, and she swung it at Tharok, cutting off his cannon arm.
Reiena put on the ring as Tharok screamed.
Flare threw a fireball at Meygan. She defended with Persuaders axe staff, sending the fireball back at her.
Persuader picked up Vincent by the back of his neck and punched him in the face, sending him into Meygan, knocking them both down. Persuader reclaimed his axe staff and Validus was standing. Emerald Empress grinned happily. They all were in a semi-circle around the young heroes.
Reiena entered the sphere dome, launching fireballs at them all. "Get away from them!" she cried.
"I'm the only flame in this universe! You need to die for taking my power!" Flare threw fireballs of her own at Reiena.
The fireballs didn't hit, but were redirected right at Emerald Empress. Flamebird then went right after Flare. The fight was pretty one-sided; and soon, Flare was out of the game.
Validus grabbed Reiena as she took out Flare, squeezing her with his large hands.
A dark blast of power hit Emerald Empress as Meygan & Vincent got to their feet.
Reiena grinned; she had a feeling someone would try to do this. The fire controlling heroine then heated up her whole body. It wasn't long before Validus was screaming in pain. He threw her down and she landed gracefully on her feet.
"Aw, Validus, let me see your hands," Meygan cooed as Vincent took on Persuader.
Validus began to drool as he focused on Meygan.
"You fool, stop that!" cried Emerald Empress as she blasted Meygan in the back.
She merely turned and smiled. "Azarath...Metrion... Zynthos!" Meygan fired at Empress. Their power beams met in the middle, bathing everything in green and dark purple.
"I'll destroy you yet, demon!"
"You first!" Meygan yelled back.
Dick was ready to fight but to see any villain staring at his future daughter was grating him.
Vincent was still fighting Persuader, but Reiena knew they needed the others' help, so she started toward the Eye of Ekron. Validus came for her, but all she did was backflip over him; and as she landed close to the Eye; she created a fire bow and launched a fire arrow right at the item keeping the rest of the heroes of the past out of the fight. The arrow hit its mark, and the eye was destroyed.
Empress lost the bulk of her power and she screamed when she got hit with Meygan's powers and soon enough she was out.
The shield dome went down. Superman flew right for Persuader.
The villain saw the heroes and grinned. As Superman came at him, he swung his axe and it nailed Superman, cutting him in the chest.
He then whistled and a bunch of Scavengers showed up.
Flamebird had to get some interference in, so she went to fight of Persuader for a few minutes, but soon enough, she too was cut, right down her left leg.
"Aw, for fuck's sakes!" cried Vincent. The Scavengers pissed him off royally. He fired all his arrows, trying to help out everyone.
"Reiena!" Dick ran to his sister's side.
Meygan raced for Persuader, and just punched him in the jaw.
"I'll be alright. Just help them." Reiena said.
Dick did a roundhouse kick to Persuader as the ax-wielder came at them.
That was when a lightning bolt came and took out 3 Scavengers near them.
The Calvary had arrived.
"Superman!" cried Super Girl as she rammed 4 Scavengers into a wall.
Reiena and all the past heroes there were now confused.
Scavengers were now afraid to attack the newcomers.
Meygan got up. "It's about time you guys showed up!"
"What were you waiting on?! An invite!?" cried Vincent.
"Rokk was hesitant at first."
"Sorry; the Scavengers were holding us up," Lightning Lad rushed in, glaring at Saturn Girl. "You still look hot in that Rave," Lightning Lad added.
Dick was ready to go after this new boy for talking to his future daughter like that.
Meygan rolled her eyes. "Brainy, let's do this."
"Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, Rave. Mega Storm. Timberwolf, Super Girl, Phantom Girl, run interference."
Lightning Lad struck all the bad guys with his lightning as Meygan reinforced it with her dark powers. Cosmic Boy mumbled but lifted them up and created a whirlwind of all the bad guys.
Persuader was not going out like that. He used his axe staff to pierce the whirlwind, freeing himself and went for Batman.
Roy wrapped his arms around Persuader's waist.
Persuader angled his axe staff and caught Red Arrow's arm, and cut upward.
Roy let go and grunted as the blood flowed freely.
Persuader then was lifted up by Saturn Girl's Telekinesis and thrown into the whirlwind as Brainy opened a time bubble, sending them all to jail...in the future.
Cosmic Boy merely glared as Meygan stared back at him. "Only you could make a mess of this," he told her.
Vincent was quick to his face. "Say it again and I'll ram my fist down your throat."
"Vincent." Meygan said gently.
Clark got to his feet.
"What the hell!?" cried Dick. "Who are you guys!?"
"The Legion of Superheroes, from the 31st century," Meygan told him. "The other team."
"Sorry. We tried to keep them in our time but someone in your time contacted the Fatal 5," Brainy explained.
"And it's not even lunchtime yet," Meygan joked. "Hey, can you get Alexis to swing by this afternoon?"
"WHAT!?" cried Clark. She was still trying to take down the Legion!?
Kara then hugged her cousin, mindful of his injury. "Kal!"
"Hey Kara. I miss you." Clark held his cousin tightly.
Cosmic Boy and Meygan refused to break eye contact.
"C'mon guys," said Phantom Girl.
"Did we miss something?" Batgirl asked.
"That's too strong of a word," Saturn Girl said gently.
"Not strong enough it seems." Reiena said as she saw that Meygan was about to go demon on the boy.
Brainy sighed. "Rokk, Meygan, please don't," he urged.
"I told you she and the archer should not be Legionnaires," Cosmic Boy spat.
"They've more than proven themselves, so one more word and you'll get punched," Timberwolf told him.
"You shouldn't have run to the other end of the universe without a second in command. Then Brainy wouldn't have to call in new blood," Meygan countered.
"They nearly got taken out by all your bad guys," Vincent added. "And what were we going to do, just stand there?!"
Superman folded his arms as his chest began to heal. "Again Rokk?" Clark asked. "I thought you learned from last time."
"Who else is lost?" Roy asked.
"There was a distress call and I was the fastest to get there," Rokk explained.
"Now I'm starting to see why Meygan hates him." Reiena stated.
"You were gone for 9 months. Meygan and Vincent saved us time and time again." Phantom Girl butted in. "And we tried getting a hold of you. YOU never replied."
"You don't deserve to be leader, not ever again. Brainy's done a good job and quite frankly, how can the Legion trust someone who keeps leaving?" Meygan asked.
The top just blew. Rokk used his gravity powers and threw Meygan into the I-beams at the top of Watchtower and held her there with her ribs breaking under the pressure.
"Rokk!" Lightning Lad shocked Cosmic Boy, making him let go. He caught Meygan as she fell.
Before Cosmic Boy could recover from the lightning, Reiena flew over and started punching the crap out of the so called hero, forgetting her own injured leg. "You mess with Meygan and you mess with me. If you do anything like that to her agian, trust me, you won't LOOK so pretty."
Supergirl flew over to restrain Rokk and to get him away from Reiena.
"Listen to my sister, Rokk," said Dick.
"Wait...you're Flamebird!?" cried Phantom Girl. "I HAVE to get a pic of you! Brainy, take it!"
"Am I missing something?" Roy asked.
"No, they can't know," Brainy told his team. "Sorry Phantom Girl. I can't do that."
"Brainy, take the team and go," Meygan said. "I want to hurt Rokk and you know no one here could stop me before I make his heart burst."
"Meygan..." Kara said, warning her.
"I dare you." Rokk said.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Superman boomed and everyone grew quiet. When everyone was silent, he turned to Brainy. "I thought I was the only one you ask help from."
"Sorry Superman, but the Fatal 5 had Kryptonite. I couldn't put you in danger, not like that." he said.
"You always looked out for me; thanks."
"You never told us Superman was part of the Legion." Meygan said; hands on her hips.
"Now you look sexy." Garth said out loud. Then he whistled.
"That's it!" Vincent loaded his bow. "I warned you," he told the lightning wielder.
"It wasn't necessary to tell you." Brainy told her.
"Someday, I'm going to hack Computo." Rave said half-heartedly.
"Good luck with that," smiled Brainy.
"Was that a challenge?" Meygan asked.
"We better go." Saturn Girl announced.
"Do we?" Garth asked. "We can hang with Superman for a bit!"
"Aw, can't you guys wait until I shoot Lightning Lad in the ass?" Vincent asked.
"Hey!" cried Garth. He flew behind Timberwolf when he realized that Vincent had aimed at his rear end.
"Meygan, Vincent; you two going to be okay?" Timberwolf asked them.
"We can deal," Vincent answered for them both.
"Just seal the time tear." Meygan asked.
"Deal," said Kara. She smiled at her cousin before standing next to Brainiac 5.
Brainy activated something on his belt and a time bubble showed up.
"Superman...you going to need some healing." Brainy reminded the Man of Steel.
"I'll survive." Clark smiled. "Keep the team together."
Then the Legion left, and the heroes in the past were confused….totally confused.
Meygan leaned into the nearest wall and slid down it to sit. She was done. Tired.
Clark felt the cut in his costume. The skin was healed.
"That axe has to be powerful if it can cut your skin." Bruce stated as he wrapped Reiena's leg.
"It cuts anything and everything. But my skin can heal just as quick."
"What about Roy?" Dick asked, worried that his best friend's arm would never be the same.
Vincent felt his nose. It wasn't broken but it hurt.
"As long as it didn't rip bone and muscle, he will be fine. But you two..." Clark glared at Rave & Archeron.
"What about us?" Vincent asked.
"You've….. been given a rare gift. To know Brainy and the rest of the Legion..."
"Gift?" Dick said. "My daughter is bruised up and looks like a stripper!"
"DAD!" cried Meygan.
"I forbid you to ever wear that again!"
"Good luck with that." Reiena whispered.
"Nightwing...Brainy is the smartest being I know. To call in help is something he understands. And he's one of my closest friends."
"Dad, it distracts the bad guys. I like it."
"Yea, it works to my advantage so I can sneak up on them." Vincent said
"And that Lightning Lad?" The original boy wonder asked.
"He does that all the time." She grinned.
Meygan closed her eyes. She so needed to sleep. But she couldn't, not in front of everyone.
"We got time sis. Go rest," Vincent said.
Meygan smiled as she closed her eyes. It looked like their trip home would have to wait.
**Well, looks like all heroes from all different periods of time will have to band together if they want to fix the timeline. But who contacted the Fatal 5? That answer will be known shortly... ***