CHAPTER TWO
THE CALIFORNIA HOME OF TONY STARK. TONY'S WORKSHOP.
"All right, let me see if I have this straight, because it's a lot to unpack," Tony said, running his hand over his face in exasperation. "This armband, which was given to you by a woman who you've never met before, is actually a super-advanced storage disk containing files that are allegedly from the future. And in these files there are recordings that paint the picture of some kind of doomsday event where the heroes of the world are killed off by someone or something called Darkseid. And in this future I'm somehow part of the team that fights back. This 'Justice League Avengers.'" Tony looked over at Batman, who had been standing stoically in the shadows with his cape cloaked around himself. "And all of this is without even addressing the elephant in the room, which is the fact that you're wearing a bat costume and talking in a 'Doctor Claw' voice," Tony concluded.
"I'm Batman," Batman snarled.
"See, you say that like you think it explains everything but it really doesn't," Tony said. "You know who I am but I don't know who you are."
"I'm not the one who held a press conference revealing my identity," Batman grunted.
Tony sighed. He walked over to a large translucent table in the center of the room. He made a sweeping gesture with his hand and a holographic version of a file directory appeared in midair above the table. "Fortunately JARVIS was able to use the decryption key you provided to unlock most of the files on this thing. They do have future-dated file creation stamps but those can be faked." Tony waved his hand up and the virtual directory began to scroll through all the files. "There is a hell of a lot of data on this thing. Audio files, videos, journals…. If this is a hoax someone sure went to a lot of trouble here." Tony made a pinch-and-expand motion with his fingers, causing the holographic directory to zoom in. He scratched his chin. Then after a moment he touched one of the files with his index finger.
The directory faded away and a video clip took its place.
In the video, a man in a red and blue suit with an "S" emblem on his chest was locked in brutally violent combat with a behemoth of a man whose skin looked like it was carved from granite. They were battling in what seemed to be a laboratory full of high-tech machinery.
"You cannot hope to win, Kal-El!" the big brutish being bellowed.
In the foreground, a bald man wearing a sleek green battlesuit was making adjustments on an enormous control panel that wrapped around one side of the laboratory. "They're going to tear this place apart!" the bald man shouted.
"Friday, how are we looking?" came a voice on the video from someone who was out of frame.
Tony Stark gasped in surprise at hearing the name "Friday." He raised his hand, freezing the video.
"That sounded like my voice," Tony said. "And did he say 'Friday'?"
"Yes," Batman growled. "Does that have significance to you?"
Tony sat down in a nearby chair. "When I was first developing the JAVRIS, I had a couple of other prototypes in the works." He rolled his chair over to another desk and pulled open a drawer. Inside were a couple of data disks. He grabbed one and held it up for Batman to see. The slim cartridge had a label in Tony's own handwriting which read "FRIDAY."
"How sure are we that this isn't someone playing a very elaborate prank on us?" Tony asked after a long silence.
Batman slowly approached the paused holographic video. He studied it carefully.
"The answer may lie in finding out more about the other individuals in this video," Batman replied.
Tony put the disk back in the drawer and closed it. He leaned back in his chair and rested his chin on his fist. He raised a finger with his other hand and gently moved it from left to right, scrubbing the video forward a bit. He lowered his finger and the video resumed.
"Lex, are you in position?" came Tony Stark's voice in the video.
The bald man was standing in front of the main console with his hand on a lever.
"I'm ready!" he yelled back.
"Superman, it's now or never!"
The man in the blue and red costume grabbed the monstrous goliath and, in a burst of speed, dragged him onto a platform in the middle of the laboratory.
"Superman! Get out of there!" the bald man yelled.
"Just do it!" the man called Superman grunted. "I can't hold him for long!"
"Lex, we have to do it now!"
"Clark! Please, you have to get out of there!"
"Lex, it's all right! Just do it!"
"Aarrggh!" The bald man pulled a lever.
There was a huge blast of light in the video which caused it to flicker and fizzle for a moment. It seemed to freeze for a few seconds on what looked like Superman and the dark being inside a large flat pane of glass like a window. The video resumed and caught up as a red beam of light flashed across the platform for a few frames. Then Superman and the big brute were gone. The video ended here.
Tony raised his finger again and waved it back in the other direction, scrubbing the video backwards. He stopped and let it play again.
"Lex, we have to do it now!"
"Clark! Please, you have to get out of there!"
Tony raised his hand and paused the video again.
"Lex. Clark." Tony repeated the names. "Mean anything to you?"
"Lex Luthor," Batman grumbled. "His name was mentioned in one of the other clips as well."
"JARVIS," Tony called out to his AI assistant. "Search the internet for any mention of someone named Lex Luthor."
"Searching," the disembodied voice of JARVIS replied. "Most recent record found is from 2001."
The video shuffled into the background and a holographic representation of a newspaper came to the forefront. The October 16th 2001 edition of the Smallville Ledger featured a headshot of Lex Luthor on the front page, accompanied by the headline "LuthorCorp Heir Dies in Tragic Accident."
"Summarize this for me," Tony said.
"The young Mister Luthor drove his Porsche off of Loeb Bridge in Smallville, Kansas, after seemingly hitting some debris in the road," JARVIS stated. "He was declared dead at the scene, having drowned in the river beneath the bridge."
Tony stood up from his chair and took a few cautious steps toward the image of the newspaper. With a gesture of his hand he zoomed in on the picture of Lex. With his other hand he pulled the video footage forward and virtually placed it side by side with the photo. He used his index finger to scrub the video to a still frame of the bald man in the battlesuit.
"Sure looks like the same guy to me," Tony remarked.
"Facial comparison analysis indicates a 97% match," JARVIS chimed in.
"Except he's about 20 years older in the video," Batman growled.
"How does a guy get older after he's dead?" Tony asked.
He moved the images around some more. He landed on a screenshot from the video of the man who had been called both "Superman" and "Clark." By pinching and opening his fingers Tony was able to zoom in on the "S" logo on his chest.
"JARVIS," Tony said. "Search the web for this symbol, especially in conjunction with anyone called 'Clark' or 'Superman.'"
"Searching," JARVIS said. Then, after a few moments, he said, "I can find no matches for this symbol."
"Search the data on the armband drive. Same query," Tony replied.
"Searching," JARVIS said again. "Two matches found. One match in connection with the names 'Clark' and 'Superman.'"
The other holograms disappeared. In their place was a towering virtual image of the man in the red and blue costume with his long red cape billowing behind him, his dark hair sweeping down over his forehead. A block of text appeared beside the heroic image.
"Name, Superman," Tony read aloud. "Real name, Kal-El. Also known as Clark Kent. Powers include flight, strength, speed, heat vision, x-ray vision, super hearing… wow."
"Weaknesses," Batman read in his low rumbling voice. "Kryptonite and magic."
Tony gave Batman a suspicious side-eye. Why had the weaknesses jumped out to him among all of this other information? He cleared his throat.
"Survivor of the destruction of the planet Krypton," Tony read on. "Sent to Earth in a rocket as a baby. Landed in Smallville, Kansas in 1989 during a meteor shower. Wait a second, Smallville… isn't that where it just said that Lex Luthor died?"
"Hh," Batman grunted in affirmation.
"He was raised by Jonathan and Martha Kent and given the name Clark Kent," Tony read aloud. "JARVIS, are you sure there's no mention of a Clark Kent anywhere on the web? Search for the names Jonathan and Martha Kent as well please."
"Searching," JARVIS said again. "Sir, the results I am finding for Jonathan and Martha Kent are… unsettling," the AI assistant replied after a moment.
"Well, everything so far has been sunshine and rainbows," Tony replied sarcastically. "Just tell me."
"Jonathan and Martha Kent were found dead in Miller's Field after the 1989 meteor shower," JARVIS stated. "Martha was found burned to death and was identified only by her dental records. Jonathan's head was bashed in by an extreme blunt force trauma. Their vehicle was found overturned and abandoned not far from where their bodies were discovered. Officially their deaths were declared to be the result of injuries sustained during the meteor shower, but, this seems to me to be… incongruous."
"Everything about this seems incongruous," Tony said, perturbed. "I don't know what to think about any of this."
"JARVIS," Batman spoke up and addressed the artificial assistant directly. "You said there were two matches for the 'S' symbol?"
"Yes, sir," JARVIS replied. "Here is the second match."
A new hologram appeared. This was of a tall blonde woman wearing a red skirt and cape, and a blue top sporting the same S-shield logo. A block of text appeared next to her as well.
"Name, Supergirl," Tony Stark read, eyebrows raised. "Real name, Kara Zor-El. Also known as Kara Kent. Her power set seems nearly identical to that of her cousin. Was discovered in a state of suspended hibernation after the destruction of Reeves Dam in… you guessed it… Smallville, Kansas." Then, to JARVIS, he inquired, "JARVIS, Reeves Dam?"
"Is still standing sir," JARVIS replied. "I see nothing indicating that it was damaged in any way."
"JARVIS," Batman said suddenly, thinking of something Mary Jane had said in the hotel lobby. "Can you search the data on the armband for anyone who wears a costume with a spider insignia?"
"Searching," JARVIS replied.
"A spider?" Tony asked.
"The woman who gave me the armband," Batman explained. "She said she got it from someone wearing a tattered costumed with a spider on it."
"I believe I've found him," JARVIS responded.
A new holographic image appeared, this time of a man wearing a red and blue costume with a full facemask. The costume sported a black webbing design running from the mask down the arms and torso, and a black spider emblem on the chest.
"Name, Spider-Man," Tony Stark read the text that appeared beside the image. "Real name, Peter Parker. Powers include strength, agility, the ability to stick to walls, a pre-cognitive 'spider sense' that warns him of impending physical danger, and the ability to generate webbing from organic 'web-shooters' in his wrists. Notable early appearances include a battle with the Green Goblin at the World Unity Festival in 2002… JARVIS you have anything on that?"
"No sir," JARVIS said. "My records do not indicate the 2002 World Unity Festival in New York City being marred by any such altercation. I don't find any references to this Spider-Man on the web, either, if you'll pardon the expression."
"What about Peter Parker?" Tony asked.
"I did find a record of a Peter Parker currently residing in Manhattan, New York. He is a student at Columbia University and freelance photographer for the Daily Bugle," JARVIS replied. "Some of the biographical information that I can find does align with what is on the data disc, such as being raised by his aunt and uncle. However the biography begins to diverge around the time that Mister Parker finishes high school. Nothing that I can find about this Peter Parker would suggest that he has powers or abilities similar to this Spider-Man individual."
Tony turned to Batman and raised his arms in frustration. "So what have we got here? A bald billionaire who drove his car off of a bridge. A superhero who was supposed to have been raised by a kindly couple who died decades ago. A leggy blonde who was found in the wreckage of a dam that was never destroyed. And now a Spider-Man who seems to just be an ordinary dude. Who else is supposedly in this Justice League Avengers?"
The question had been rhetorical, but JARVIS answered it anyway. A grid with row upon row of headshot photos now appeared, showcasing the roster of the JLA. Under each picture was a codename. Batman and Tony Stark stared at the expansive database.
An Asgardian god labeled "Thor." An Amazonian warrior princess dubbed "Wonder Woman." A not-so-jolly green giant called "Hulk." A scarlet-garbed speedster labeled "Flash." An African woman with white hair and the moniker "Storm." A hooded archer, "Green Arrow." A man wearing a sleek visor over his eyes, appropriately called "Cyclops." A woman with short yellow hair and a domino mask, "Black Canary." A sorcerer called "Doctor Strange." A half-man, half-machine known as "Cyborg." A soldier sporting patriotic colors and a letter A on his helmet, "Captain America."
The list went on, but Tony shook his head upon seeing the profile of the super soldier.
"I'm at a loss. Captain America is on this list, and he's been missing since the 1940s. What are we dealing with here? I mean, photos and videos can be doctored. We heard my voice in that one video clip, but we never actually saw me in it. It could have been someone doing an impression. Everything on this armband could just be, for lack of a better term, some elaborate fan fiction. We have no way to validate any of this content for accuracy."
"Yes we do," Batman said grimly.
Tony looked at him quizzically.
"JARVIS," Batman said. "Search the armband for an entry on Batman."
"Searching," JARVIS replied. "I believe this is what you are looking for…"
The JLA roster grid disappeared and was replaced with an image of Batman himself.
"Name, Batman…" Tony read slowly from the text beside the image. "Real name… Bruce Wayne…?" He looked up at Batman in astonishment.
Batman reached up and slowly removed his cowl, revealing the face of Bruce Wayne underneath. Tony stared at him in shock and disbelief as he fell dramatically back into his chair.
"This file is correct. Which leads me to one of two possible conclusions," Bruce said. "Possibility number one is that one or more of our enemies has uncovered our secrets and put together this disk as an elaborate ruse. The only purpose I could surmise would be to distract us, leading us on a wild goose chase and diverting our attention away from some other upcoming crime. There is a problem with this possibility. You just revealed your identity publicly as Iron Man days ago, and I've only been operating as Batman for a few weeks. The time and effort it would take to fabricate something like this would be prohibitive. The sheer volume of data here is not something that could be put together in such a short period of time. Also, this doesn't explain how someone could've known about your AI prototype Friday, or how they could've had access to Lucius Fox's encryption algorithm. So this leads me to possibility number two, which, as improbable as it may seem, I am beginning to think is correct. Someone has tampered with time. The data on this armband is the last remaining record of how events originally unfolded. Somehow history has been altered, and several of Earth's major heroes have been removed from it. The fact that it was so vitally important that this armband make its way to me means that someone, probably Spider-Man, most likely at the cost of his life, was clinging to the hope that something could still be done to set things right. That somehow this could all be undone. I believe the only way we have any chance of succeeding is if we review the files on this disk and learn everything that we can about how history was supposed to play out. We try to locate Superman and Spider-Man if they do still exist at all in this new timeline. And we prepare for a fight where history quite literally hangs in the balance."
Bruce turned to Tony to gauge his reaction to what he had just said, only to see that Tony was still staring at him wide-eyed with his mouth agape.
"Holy shit…" Tony exclaimed at last. "You're Bruce Wayne!"