Chapter 2: Vacation to Earth-1

This picked up from A New Life: Finding Normal about one week later…

~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~

EARTH-38, NATIONAL CITY, KARA'S APARTMENT (one week before wedding)

"Well, that happened," Kara remarked sarcastically as she walked into her apartment with her sister Alex. Kara and Alex had just come from the DEO.

After the attack at the waterfront, the DEO had been examining the shoreline for more munitions or terrorist tactics. During their investigations, they had come across a spaceship buried in the coast. Turns out, the spaceship had been buried for thousands of years… and was occupied.

Apparently, Mon-El and quite a few of his new Legionnaire friends from the future had been in stasis on the spaceship. They had become lost in time. They couldn't fix their ship until humans had evolved enough to provide the technology they needed.

The same Mon-El that she had sent to the future to keep him safe. The same Mon-El that had been decidedly not-safe in the future… and technically in the past. The same Mon-El who had returned from the future with a wife. Yeah, him.

My life isn't weird enough, Kara thought in irritation.

"And I thought that ending my engagement with Maggie would be the most exciting thing that happened this week," Alex replied in sarcastic frustration. Mirroring the frustration of her sister.

"I wouldn't call that exciting," Kara replied gloomily.

Kara had been disappointed that Maggie and Alex had tripped and stumbled over a major relationship issue. Kids. Alex wanted them. Maggie didn't. They couldn't compromise. Alex and Maggie had pulled the plug… and Kara lost the one good thing that had happened since the Daxamite Invasion. Because Mon-El coming back is decidedly NOT a good thing. That's why Alex was staying at Kara's place for now. That and she had been a bit clingy since the whole escapade with Cadmus.

"Disappointing. Frustrating. Aggravating. Depressing," Alex elaborated as she thumped down on the couch.

"At least you were both able to walk away amicably," Kara replied. She may have been disappointed that her sister didn't get happily ever after… but Alex was devastated. Kara tried to think of a positive spin. She couldn't. Never mind. Change the subject. "I finally met with Oliver and William last week," she offered. It was a change in topic. She hoped it would help her sister to push aside her feelings over the loss of her relationship with Maggie.

"Oh," Alex replied. She perked up a bit. "How did it go?" she asked.

"Not bad," Kara replied with a slight smile. "They couldn't talk long. Oliver was taking William to the woods to bond. It was cute."

"Yeah," Alex replied. "I was freaking out when I met William at our secret lair. But then Lena pointed out that Oliver needed to ensure Williams' safety while he was operating in the field. It was one of his conditions for Lena staying at the base too. He is very protective of both of them."

"I can see that," Kara replied. "After what they both went through… yeah."

"So how did it go?" Alex asked.

Kara was gratified to see her sister effectively diverted. "Not bad," Kara said. "We couldn't talk long. But… it was nice meeting William." Then she turned a scheming eye on her sister. "William was quite vocal about the lack of security at the DEO… refused to call me Supergirl outside of the lair."

"Really," Alex replied. "I…kind of get that. Oliver was… VERY concerned about operational security… and our mole apparently."

"Your mole?" Kara asked surprised. "He mentioned something about a mole in the DEO. I can't believe that he would be strict with William though."

"It's not that," Alex replied. "They… Oliver's enemies found out who he was… like a lot. William was kidnapped twice. Oliver… he lost everyone. His family. His friends… or as he put it… everyone who was friendly with him." She paused as she considered his story. "I can see how that would encourage a deeper level of information management… and William… that boy has been through the wringer. If it brings them both a bit of peace of mind, then I agree with the caution… especially after I screwed up with Lena."

"You didn't screw up," Kara reassured her. "Lena is brilliant. I talked to her. She's fine. She pointed out that she was a Luthor and that her family had taken a dislike to me and all Kryptonians. She was amazed that I was her friend at all... considering Lillian and Lex."

"I know," Alex replied sadly. "I'm still sorry."

"Well, I'm glad," Kara replied to help her sister feel better. "Lena and I have no secrets between us now. It's better this way."

"You really think so?" Alex asked. She still felt guilty about spilling her sister's secret.

"I do," Kara replied. Then she sighed dramatically. "Urgh! I still have to get a dress," she whined. Her mind had raced ahead to the weekend. She had been so busy this last week that she hadn't gone out to find a dress for the wedding.

"Why?" Alex asked. "Don't you have a bunch of them?" she asked.

Suddenly Kara felt guilty. It was a wedding… and Alex had just cancelled hers. Darn it! "I do," she replied cautiously. "But nothing I have is good enough for a wedding," she said anxiously.

"You're going to a wedding?" Alex asked gloomily.

"I am," Kara replied. She suddenly turned and grasped her sister's hands. "Barry and Iris are getting married this weekend… on Earth-1. I've been invited." She tried to rally her sister. "Oliver and William are going too. We are meeting up in the lair to breach to Earth-1."

"Didn't Barry just get rescued from the Speedforce?" Alex asked. "When did he have time?"

"He did," Kara agreed. "According to Oliver, Barry thought he had missed his chance with Iris. He proposed immediately after his return. Oliver is going as a groomsman."

"He was gone for a few months," Alex said quietly. "He must really love her."

"He does," Kara replied. "Do… do you want to come with me?" she asked. She didn't want to push her sister into a deeper depression over Maggie. But seeing someone get married… that gave me hope. Maybe it will work for Alex too.

"I… yes," Alex replied. "I have been curious about Earth-1. This… this is a non-emergency event. A happy event. I think I do want to go with you."

"Good," Kara replied happily. "You will love it. It's a lot like our Central City here… and Team Flash… they are so awesome…" she rambled as her sister looked on. "I can't wait to show you…"

~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~

EARTH-38, NATIONAL CITY, CATCO

Oliver was familiarizing himself with the CatCo building. Knowing his surroundings was second nature to him. L-Corp had purchased CatCo not long ago. Lena had decided to become more involved in the management of the media empire. She was delegating the management of L-Corp to Sam. Oliver approved. Sam needed to be more confident in her decisions. By allowing her to lead and consult with Lena for advice, Sam would grow as a corporate executive. Lena was giving her the experience she needed to be able to write her own ticket in the business world.

Hence the reason Oliver was familiarizing himself with the building. He would need to bodyguard Lena here. He needed to know all the nooks and crannies of this building. All the hiding places and escape routes. National City may be brighter than Star had been, but it still had enough dubious characters in it. It was his job to find them before they could take action against Lena. He found that safeguarding one person was much easier than safeguarding a whole city.

Lena's position here at CatCo was more administrative than Cat Grant's position. But Lena acknowledged that she was not a reporter. She knew how to run a business. She would trust her consultants to advise her on the media aspects of the business. She would select an Editor-In-Chief that could advise her properly. She still had a few scientific projects back at L-Corp. She didn't plan on losing her edge in her scientific fields. She looked forward to diving back into the science aspect of L-Corp.

"Oliver?" a voice popped up behind him as he was surveying the atrium of the building for vulnerabilities.

Oliver turned and found Kara's surprised face. "Kara," he greeted. "How are you doing?" he asked with a pleased smile.

"Back at 100%," Kara replied with a grin. "What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm glad," Oliver replied. "I'm just surveying the building."

"What?" Kara asked in alarm. "Is something happening?" she asked as she scanned the whole atrium and the first few floors above her with x-ray vision.

"No," Oliver replied. He thought her reaction was cute. How she was instantly ready for action. "Lena just bought CatCo. She plans on working here. I'm just making sure that I know the building."

"Oh," Kara replied in a somewhat disappointed tone. "She's going to work here? That's awesome," she said with a smile.

"She's looking forward to it," Oliver replied. "Are we still on for this weekend?" he asked. He was still a bit anxious about returning to Earth-1. It was reassuring to have Kara there to help field the questions he was sure to get from his remaining friends on Earth-1.

"Yes," Kara replied with a bright smile. "I got a dress… finally. Alex is going to come with me… she needs to get away from here… She and Maggie broke off their engagement."

"I'm sorry," Oliver replied. "Are you sure that taking her to a wedding is a good idea?" he asked. "She might have a hard time with the happy tone of the event."

"Well…" Kara started timidly. "She has been stuck in depression mode. I want to help her move past that… like she helped me… you know… She needs to see that there is hope for the future… Even if it is someone else's future."

"If you say so," Oliver replied. "I tend to think the worst will happen. Plan for it. Then divert it to something less bad."

"You don't believe in happily ever after?" Kara asked in shock.

"No," Oliver replied grimly. "I torpedoed my happily ever after years ago. Then the wreck of my relationship died with her."

"With Felicity?" Kara asked sadly. She knew that he had been engaged before tragedy struck… again.

"No," Oliver replied pensively in a pained voice. Talking about Felicity hurt much less than talking about Laurel. "With Laurel."

"Oh," Kara replied. She knew that Laurel had died before she met him. Before the Dominators. "But I thought you were engaged to Felicity?" she asked. She thought that he had been able to move on with Felicity. To find happiness… Was I wrong?

"I was," Oliver replied with a pained expression. "I cared for her. But it was expected. I was trying to project a responsible image. The mayor shouldn't be a bachelor with no dating prospects. She was comfortable. She knew who I really was."

"Less bad," Kara remarked sadly. "That doesn't really seem like a good place to start a marriage."

"It's probably not," Oliver admitted. "But who else would I date?" he asked. "I couldn't… people I dated got hurt. Some died. No. Felicity knew what she was getting into… Hell, one of our dates was bombed. It was safer with her."

"I thought you were happy," Kara remarked sadly.

"I was content," Oliver replied. "I haven't been happy since I got on that damn boat."

"Boat?" Kara asked but was interrupted by the arrival of Lena.

"There you are Oliver," Lena said as she walked confidently over to them. "Hello, Kara," she greeted Kara with a wide grin of happiness.

"Hi, Lena," Kara replied. "Oliver was just telling me that you will be working here."

Lena smiled demurely. "I am," she replied. "I'm hoping you don't mind taking the occasional lunch with the boss."

Kara laughed. "I'm up for that," she replied. "I look forward to it. When do you start?" she asked.

"Not yet, apparently," Lena said with some exasperation. "By next week the paperwork should be finalized. I am taking a more discreet office than Ms. Grant's old office. I'll leave that office for the Editor-in-Chief. I'm told that they like to be situated near their reporting staff."

"If I'm going to be around as well, we should catch lunch as well," Oliver suggested.

"That sounds like a grand idea," Lena replied with a huge smile. "I can even promise to stay in my office while you are gone." She was smirking at them.

"I can live with you staying in the building," Oliver replied blandly. He and Lena had been exploring a friendlier balance of protection and exposure. She found his overabundance of caution to be stifling.

"In fact, you have that thing this weekend," Lena told Oliver. "You two should do lunch before then. I know how going back to Central City disturbs you."

"I think disturbed is a bit strong," Oliver replied. "I'm more unsettled than disturbed."

"That's a great idea," Kara jumped in Lena's suggestion. "We can finalize our plans for our trip."

"Plans?" Lena asked.

"Kara is going to Central with William and I," Oliver filled her in.

"Brilliant!" Lena said with a devious smile.

"We can catch up sooner," Kara suggested. "Come over to my place tonight. I want to find out what you've been up to."

"Your place?" Oliver asked in confusion. "You aren't living at that same apartment, are you?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes," Kara asked in confusion. "Why?" she asked.

"Kara, that place is NOT safe," Oliver said firmly. "You need to find a new place. One not tainted by terrorists… and their ill-gotten knowledge."

"I agree," Lena replied with a frown. She was unhappy to discover that Kara was still in the same apartment that Lillian had abducted her from. That will not do. "I didn't know that you went back to that place. My step-mother knew to find you there. Who knows who she told."

"I… really?" Kara asked in surprise.

"Really," Oliver said sagely.

"You can crash in my spare room until you find a place," Lena replied. "Oliver has already checked the security there."

"What about my sister?" Kara replied. "She has been staying with me since she broke up with Maggie."

"Alex is welcome as well," Lena replied. "Before… well, I would have had reservations before. But not now," she said firmly. "I would feel much better if you were in a secure building."

"As would I," Oliver replied.

"I can take care of myself," Kara protested. "I don't need to be coddled."

"It's not coddling," Oliver replied candidly. "It's providing you with a safe place to unwind… To let your guard down. That's how they got you last time. They attacked your safe place."

"I…" Kara started.

"I know," Oliver cut her off. "Trust me, I know."

"Okay," Kara said reluctantly.

"We will meet you after work," Lena told her. "Once you are entered in the biometrics, you can move your stuff to a safe place."

"Biometrics?" Kara asked.

"Safer than a key," Lena told her. "Private elevator. Private balcony. You haven't been to my place yet, have you?" she asked.

"No," Kara replied. "It was just easier to get to my apartment than your penthouse," she said softly.

"Then that's settled," Lena said decisively. "We…" she said with a gesture to Oliver. "…have to get back to L-Corp."

"Tomorrow. Lunch," Oliver told her as he turned to walk after Lena.

"See you tomorrow, Oliver," Kara replied as she waved them off. She gave a small huff of frustration. They were an effective combo when they tag-teamed her. Now she just had to break the news to Alex.

~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~

EARTH-1, STAR CITY, QUENTIN'S APARTMENT

"In other news, the SCPD reports that a new version of Vertigo has been sweeping the streets…" the TV blared as Quentin got comfortable in his armchair. He sighed.

Quentin was managing the mayor's office until a new election could be held in the coming fall. No one had offered to run for office yet. Even with the announcement that Oliver had stepped away from the office. Quentin had spent the day coordinating with the SCPD. They had been overwhelmed with this latest crime wave… and the surge in drug use.

Street crime was on the rise. Vertigo was only one of three new drugs on the street. Even the small gangs were expanding. Not the large ones. Those were being cautious… and had been since Bertinelli died… and Brickwell incarcerated… and China White incarcerated. All of Oliver's hard work is still helping the city.

Unfortunately, with no Green Arrow, no one investigated corporate corruption. The shady businesses were getting bolder. Quentin had to shut down several bills presented by the City Council. Bills that wanted to ease corruption restrictions on big businesses. He couldn't do anything about the ones left over from Merlyn's hostile takeover. But he could prevent new ones. Luckily, Oliver had gotten rid of the worst of them before he left the planet.

Team Arrow… as they were still calling themselves… were doing what they could. But they had been limiting themselves to street crime. They were patrolling the city like cops. Not a bad thing. But it was the job of the cops to do that. The vigilantes were supposed to tackle the hard things. The drug rings. The gangs. The corporate corruption. Quentin hated that the city felt safer when the vigilantes took down corruption and supervillains… and left the cops to do their jobs. Man, I miss Oliver. He would straighten those kids out right.

No. I can do this without Oliver. The boy needs to find peace. Quentin told himself yet again. I'll have to talk to those kids again. Straighten them out. Make them realize that they need to do something about the large crime and leave the small stuff for the cops.

Quentin admired the strength of will that Oliver had displayed. Chase had done everything he could to break Oliver. To shatter his mind and destroy his world. He had only partially succeeded. He killed many of the people in Oliver's life. His family. His friends. Poisoned his son against him. But he had failed to break him.

If it was me, I would have drunk myself to death by now, Quentin mused. I almost did when I thought Sara had died. I wanted to when Laurel died. I wonder how he and William are doing on their new world? he asked himself. Quentin was shaken from his thought by the sound of a familiar voice.

"Dad?" Sara asked as she took in the state of her father.

"Sara," Quentin replied with a smile. He stood and took her in his arms. "How are you? How long can you stay?" he asked in rapid succession.

"I'm good, Dad," Sara replied with a grin. "Some of us are taking a bit of a break."

"Nothing bad happened, did it?" Quentin asked in concern.

"It did, but we fixed it," Sara replied with a casual shrug. "I barely had time to look at the local news before I came here. What happened? Oliver? His team? Is he really gone?" she asked with more than a little anxiety.

Quentin motioned to the couch and sat with her. "A lot happened," he replied sadly. "You know about Prometheus, right?" he asked.

"Yeah," Sara said with trepidation.

"Prometheus was Adrian Chase. Oliver's DA… which was an alias for Simon Westfield," Quentin started the story. "Simon was the bastard son of Justin Clayborne… one of the men Oliver killed as the Hood. Turns out that Simon and Talia al Ghul were out to get Oliver. To destroy him. To break him. It… it got bad." Quentin paused as he pushed aside the memories. He rubbed his eye to clear the thoughts from his mind.

"Dad?" Sara asked seeing the apprehension in her father.

"I'm fine," Quentin replied. "Their elaborate plan culminated with the majority of us kidnapped to Lian Yu. But Oliver figured it out and got to us. He used that Wilson guy to get us to safety. He went after Simon. Simon had his son."

"Oh God!" Sara gasped as her hand went to cover her mouth. "Not again."

"Yes… again," Quentin said softly. "Oliver saved his son. Simon killed himself. But… he had wired a failsafe device to his life signs… The island was wired to blow when he died… Since Oliver wouldn't kill him, he killed himself."

"No!" Sara cried as she thought about the horror of seeing the island explode and not knowing if anyone lived.

"As I said, most of us got to safety…" Quentin said with regret and sorrow. "But Thea, Felicity, Diggle, and the mother of Oliver's son died in the explosion."

"They're gone?" Sara cried. "Baby Thea, Felicity, and Dig? Oh God!"

Quentin nodded sadly as he took Sara in his arms. These were the people that had welcomed her back home when she had returned shrouded in darkness. She babysat Thea for heaven's sake.

"Where's Oliver?" Sara said as she finally stopped sobbing.

"Oliver… isn't here," Quentin started. "He decided that William would never be safe on this Earth."

"Where did he go?" Sara asked as her anxiety rose. This Earth was cryptic… and huge. She felt that this was the only time she felt safe in. But it was still the same planet.

"He went to Supergirl's Earth," Quentin replied. "He… he felt that he couldn't be here in Star City anymore. That he couldn't raise William here. He figured… he thought that he could just be Oliver Queen on that Earth. They wouldn't need him to be Green Arrow… He… He said that he didn't want to leave his son an orphan."

"Have you talked to him? Or… or heard from him since he left?" Sara asked as her fear and anxiety swamped her.

"No," Quentin replied. "I don't know his friends in Central City well. I know that he tried to contact you several times before… before he left."

"I have to go see him," Sara said as her resolution firmed. "I have to… He's the only one left. I… I should have been here for him. I'm never there when he needs me… he was always there for me." She grew quiet and pensive.

"Sara, what you are doing is important," Quentin started. "It's not conventional, but it's still saving lives. You can't be everywhere… or when…" Quentin took her hand. "I will tell you the same thing I told him… It's not your fault. You are not burdened with this blame. Bad things happen everywhere to everybody."

"He's taking the blame," Sara said. It wasn't a question. It was statement.

Quentin sighed but he nodded in agreement. "Have you had dinner yet?" he asked as a change in subject.

"No," Sara replied, smiling weakly. "I came right here after I saw the news."

"Let's go out," Quentin replied. "I don't think I have much here. Where's the rest of your team?" he asked.

"Stein and Jax are supposed to attend a wedding in Central City," Sara replied. "Mick just wanted to relax on his old stomping grounds. The rest… are somewhere. Working, hopefully."

"Well," Quentin replied as he stood up to grab his jacket. "Then you can meet up with the Central Team tomorrow. Tonight, I want to hear all about your latest adventures."

"Good," Sara replied. "And you can tell me all about how things are going here. If Ollie's gone, does that make you the mayor?" she asked with a shy smile.

"Acting mayor," Quentin replied with a tired sigh. "Until the elections next year. Which can't happen soon enough… I don't know how Oliver did it all… I'm being run ragged without a nightlife…"

~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~

EARTH-38, NATIONAL CITY, RESTRAUNT

"You ready?" Kara asked Oliver as walked up to her desk at CatCo.

"Yup," Oliver replied. "We got time if you need to finish something up."

"No," Kara replied as she shut down her computer. "I've been killing time until you show up. I made reservations at a place around the corner. Lots of CatCo reporters go there for lunch."

They walked to the restaurant in comfortable silence. Oliver was trying to distract himself from his darker thoughts. He was still decompressing from the Cadmus mission. He had to channel too much of his monster for that mission. That mission had triggered most of his motives for keeping his monster close. Because of that, his monster was harder to put away. Just because his monster was trained… disciplined… Didn't mean it was pacified. Oliver was quickly finding that his monster wanted to be unleashed for certain people. It was protective of certain people. No. I am protective of certain people, he thought.

"Lost in thought?" Kara asked as she stopped on the sidewalk.

"What?" Oliver asked. Then he noticed that they had made it to the restaurant. "Yeah," he replied. "I guess I was."

"Good thoughts, I hope," Kara replied as she led him inside.

"After you," Oliver replied as he held the door for Kara, ignoring her question.

The restaurant was intimate. Small. Soft classical music filled the air. Oliver took in the general romantic air of the restaurant and raised an eyebrow at Kara.

Kara glanced around and seemed to notice the romantic air the restaurant for the first time. The candles. The table cloths. She blushed furiously. It hadn't been her intent to set this kind of mood for their lunch. She had eaten here many times before. But she had never noticed the romantic air.

"This place is… nice," Oliver said blandly.

"I… It was close to CatCo," Kara blurted out. "I've been here a million times." She smiled at the greeter.

"A million times," Oliver repeated. He was flooded with images of Kara in a romantic setting… frequently… with other people. His image of Kara morphed to one with her wearing an evening gown. A sexy slinky number.

Oliver closed his eyes and tried to purge the image from his mind. She doesn't like you like that. We are friends. You don't want that anymore; he told his rebellious mind.

"Ms. Danvers," the host greeted her familiarly. "It is a pleasure to see you again." The host, Anton, was very familiar to Kara. She had seen him often while she stopped to grab a bite to eat. He had been hosting here for years.

"Anton, it is good to see you again," Kara greeted the host.

Anton's eyes appraised Oliver. "I have a table ready for you and your guest, Ms. Danvers," he said with twinkle in his eye. "Come this way," he directed them. He let them through the restaurant to a small intimate booth in a quiet corner. "Allow me to provide you with drinks," Anton declared. "Your waitress will be right over."

"Water is fine," Kara replied.

"For me as well," Oliver added.

"Very well," Anton replied with a disappointed sigh. "It is still too early for wine." Then he swept himself away to fetch their drinks.

Oliver felt awkward. "Does he…" Oliver stopped before he completed that thought.

"…think we are together… together?" Kara clarified as a question.

"Yeah, that," Oliver replied.

"I think so," Kara said with a blush.

They scanned their menus and fell back into comfortable silence as they made their choices. Oliver was thrown by the romantic setting. All of his thoughts boiled down to all the women he had dated. The ones who had died… and the ones who were lucky enough to live… to be crippled for life. He painfully pulled his thoughts away from that dark place.

Kara's thought spiraled. She was circling her concern for him. She didn't know how to ask without getting the usual brush off. Barry had told her once that I'm fine for Oliver meant that he wasn't dead yet. She hadn't even realized that he could have been injured at the Cadmus facility… Then she watched the video. She had seen proof that he had been hit… and shot… multiple times. But he didn't show any discomfort when he had found her. He only showed concern for her.

"So…" Kara started. "This weekend," she began trying to circle to her question. "Do we have a plan?" she asked.

Oliver smiled. "We do," he replied. "I still have assets over there. Cisco booked us hotel rooms. My dime."

"You don't have to pay," Kara replied. "I have money."

"You have money here," Oliver retorted. "That money doesn't work over there."

"It doesn't?" Kara asked in surprise. "I didn't know that."

"I don't expect you to," Oliver said with a smile. "It's not like you make a habit of hopping over there."

"I don't," Kara replied with a tired sigh. "I've just been so busy… you know."

"I do," Oliver replied.

Their server arrived with their water. Her eyes widened as she took in Oliver. Her whole demeanor changed. She posed and then gave an excessively toothy smile at Oliver.

"Hello. My name is Kate. I'll be your server today," Kate greeted them with eyes only for Oliver.

Kara noticed the attitude change in the server. She glanced at Oliver to see that his expression had closed down. A patently false smile was plastered on his face. She was surprised at the complete change in him… and that she immediate identified it.

"What can I get for you?" Kate asked as she poised her pen and pad.

"The Veal Parmesan with an extra order of bread sticks," Kara ordered.

Kate wrote that down, but she kept glancing at Oliver instead of Kara. "And you, sir?" Kate asked.

"Mushroom Ravioli," Oliver replied while keeping his eyes on Kara or the menu. He closed and handed the menu to Kate without looking at her.

Kate seemed disappointed. "Let me know if you need anything else," she said with a coy smile at Oliver. One he complete missed. She took the menus and left.

"I can't believe the nerve of that woman," Kara said. Her irritation apparent.

"She was rude. But no worse than usual," Oliver replied with a tired sigh.

"This happened to you before?" Kara asked. "Women throwing themselves at you?" she clarified. Her embarrassment was making her angry.

"Unfortunately, yes," Oliver replied in a resigned tone. "Less so here in National City… but back home… all the time."

"I don't get that," Kara replied.

"Well, I consider it a curse," Oliver replied.

"A curse?" Kara asked. "How?"

"I was born rich and not ugly," Oliver replied sullenly. "That meant I was famous before I could walk. I've always had stalkers. Here… in National City… I just have to deal with the not ugly part."

"That's sad," Kara replied. "I mean. How will you ever know if you meet your happily ever after?" she asked.

"I don't plan on meeting anyone," Oliver replied sadly. "My happily ever after died. I'm not looking anymore. Expected or not."

Kara sighed sadly. The server returned with their meals. Oliver never looked at the woman. Only Kara. Kara felt the heat rise in her cheeks as he continued to look at her. She found that she liked having his attention.

"I'm looking forward to getting away from here for a bit," Kara said softly. "I always feel like…"

"You're on duty," Oliver replied for her.

"Yeah," Kara nodded in agreement.

"Like you have to take care of everyone and everything that happens… I can say that it's a hard mentality to turn off," Oliver said quietly. "I got better with masks while I was mayor… but… there were times I wanted to use my alter ego on the City Council. Instead, I just smiled and listened to their barbed comments or back handed compliments."

"I'm sure you were nice," Kara said politely.

"I tried," Oliver replied with a smile. "Being nice is very hard for me."

"I'm sure it was," Kara said with a grin.

"So… how was your move?" Oliver asked to change the topic.

"Oh," Kara replied as the smile fled her face. "It was fine."

"Your recovery going well?" Oliver continued to ask.

"Physically, I'm at 100%," Kara replied. "I'm sure I told you that."

"It's not the physical I'm talking about," Oliver replied. "It's okay to need to fix your head space."

Kara deflated. "It's not that," Kara replied. "I just… I hate pretending I'm fine. Why can't I be not fine for once?" she asked him.

"Because if you let others know that you are not fine, everyone will freak out," Oliver replied quietly. "They don't understand… and in many cases… they don't want to understand."

"How do you deal with it?" Kara asked.

"Depends on what it was and how many people know about it," Oliver replied gently. He continued after a pause. "I almost killed my mother once… I was asleep. I had a nightmare. She… she tried to wake me. She didn't know how hair-trigger I was at that point."

"No," Kara said quietly in dismay.

"After that she started to suggest counseling and medication," Oliver replied with pain in his voice. "I had to change how I acted around her. Make her believe that everything was fine. I locked my door every night after that incident."

"But Alex lives with me now," Kara replied sullenly. "I had a hard enough time diverting her to the Mon-El thing. Then the idiot comes back… I seriously hate time travel shenanigans."

Oliver raised his eyebrow at her statement. "I agree with the shenanigans," Oliver said. "But did you say that he's back?" he asked.

"Yeah," Kara replied with a tried sigh. "I sent him to the future, so he goes back to the past and gets stuck."

"Time travel shenanigans," Oliver agreed.

"But… Alex thinks that I'm hung up on him," Kara said softly. "I let her think I'm hung up on him…"

"But you're not," Oliver replied.

"I'm not," Kara agreed. "I'm hung up on the fact that I tried to wipe out my boyfriend's species."

"Ah," Oliver replied in understanding. "Your behavior changed and was noted by your well-meaning relatives. You conveniently blamed the loss of the boyfriend… not the fact that you have a monster."

"Exactly," Kara replied. "With him back, how do I hide my deception?" she asked.

"How long was he gone for?" Oliver asked. "Time travel meant that he left and came back older and, in theory, wiser. Even if he was only gone a short time."

"Ten years," Kara replied. "He got married."

"Ah," Oliver replied. "Then you can still use the lost boyfriend excuse… for now. Once you make peace with yourself, you won't need an excuse."

"How do I make peace with myself?" Kara asked as she toyed with the food on her plate.

"I don't know," Oliver replied. "It's a personal thing. I learned to accept myself… my darkness. To give my monster a face. Putting that hood on now… especially with the face mask… I can feel my monster straining to come out."

"You talk about it like it's a separate part of you," Kara replied. "How do you get to that?" she asked.

"You have masks," Oliver replied. "Kara Danvers. Kara Zor-El. Supergirl. Daughter. Cousin. Sister. This is just another mask. If you accept it as a part of you, you acknowledge that it is a needed part. Embrace your darkness."

"I don't want to embrace it," Kara replied while shaking her head. "I want to forget it exists."

"The more you hide from it, the more it will take over your life," Oliver replied. "It is a part of you. You have to accept your whole self. The good and the bad. Then you can decide how best to let your monster out."

"Minions don't deserve death," Kara quoted. "I couldn't tell, but…"

"I was reminding my monster… reminding me… that I had limits," Oliver replied quietly.

"You know," Kara started as she pushed her plate away. "I thought… before… that Mon-El and I would make the perfect couple… He changed after he got here… the first time. I liked who he had become. But now… there is no way we could work… even if he wasn't married. I don't like who I've become… I just… I don't want to be alone… Mon-El knew both sides of me… But who wants to be with a monster?" she asked sadly.

"You are more than your monster," Oliver replied. "You are a cousin, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a hero, a fighter, a victim, and a monster," he said softly. "One aspect. Not all aspects… I came here to escape my life. My monster followed. It's a part of me. Where I go, it goes… No matter how you try, it will always follow you. You have to accept it. Accept yourself… then you are free to be the cousin, the daughter, the sister, the friend, and the hero."

"I don't want to condone what I did," Kara said quietly. "I tried to commit genocide."

"You're not condoning it if you accept that you did it," Oliver replied. "By accepting it, you can decide never to do it again. Accept your responsibility for the act. Accept your flaws. Don't endorsing them. You can't change the past. But you can decide how you move forward."

"I just… I don't feel worthy of acceptance," Kara said almost too quiet to hear.

"That's not your call to make," Oliver replied. "Your friends and family decide your worth. Not you… I think that you are worth it. I came here to National City because YOU made me feel safe. Like someone else could keep my son and I safe." He smirked. "I find you worthy."

"I made you feel safe?" Kara asked. "But that was before…"

"That's now," Oliver interrupted her.

"But…" Kara started.

Oliver cut her off. "But nothing," he said. "I've been told many, many times… that it's okay to ask for help."

"But you don't ever need any help," Kara retorted.

"I do," Oliver replied. "I hate that I need help, but I do." Then he smirked, "I'm sure Barry will tell you about all the times I needed his help… Hell, the first time I met him, he saved my life… without his meta-ability… and I was totally ungrateful for it… Ask him when we go to Central."

The conversation turned to lighter topics. They spent the last of the lunch hour chatting about William and his adventures at school.

~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~

EARTH-1, CENTRAL CITY, SPA (Day before wedding)

"To Iris," Sara cheered Iris as she sat in the salon chair.

"To Iris," the other girls repeated as they all took sips from their drinks.

"Thank you, guys," Iris said with a blush. "It's nice to have you all here. I'm glad that you could all make it."

"I don't want to be anywhere else," Kara replied with a smile.

"And I had nothing but time," Sara added. "So… what are you plans for after the wedding?" Sara asked with a salacious grin.

Iris grinned at Sara. "Nothing you wouldn't do," she replied cheekily. "We are departing for our Honeymoon next week. I can't believe that Oliver has a resort house in Corto Maltese. I thought he lost all of that."

"Yeah," Sara replied sadly. "He lost the company… but the Estate was tied up in court for years thanks to that viper and Palmer's death. But he also inherited everything that Thea owned… from the Merlyn Estate... That place was one of the properties."

"So, he's still loaded," Caitlin said with a cautious smile. "That must be nice. He doesn't come home often."

"He doesn't seem to be hurting financially on our end," Alex replied. "It's not like he could take it with him." She sighed. Alex come with Kara to learn more about this Earth. She had not known that their finances didn't cross. Oliver had put them both up in a very ritzy hotel and given them an expense card. A card with no limit. Alex was more than a bit overwhelmed at his generosity.

"Well, enough about me," Iris said as she quickly changed the topic. "Who else is working on happily ever after?" she asked with a rosy smile.

"Not me," Caitlin immediately replied. "I am happy being alone. After Ronnie… yeah. I need more time."

Iris looked uncomfortable for a moment. "Take all the time you need," Iris replied tactfully. Before she took in the other women.

"I'm grieving," Sara replied smartly. "I would hook up with a teammate. He died. I'm trying to get past it." She paused. "Be nice to Mick. Snart was his best friend. He's not taking the loss well."

"Wait, Leonard Snart and Mick Rory?" Caitlin asked in surprise. "Captain Cold and Heat Wave?" she demanded in an offended tone.

"Yeah," Sara replied. "They got better."

"Better?" Iris asked. "They're criminals."

"Were," Sara replied with a cheeky smile. "Everyone deserves a chance to be better. Snart… he really came through in the end… did something very heroic. Mick is trying to live up to his example… It's not easy for him."

"Like the boy who stole the purse," Alex replied almost too softly. "Oliver said that the boy turned his life around."

"Roy?" Sara replied with a grin. "He did. That kid was awesome. He was good to Thea and Ollie too…" Her face shadowed as she remembered the loss of Thea. "I think he's still around."

"I thought he died in prison," Iris said with a frown.

"Oh," Sara replied with a coy smile. "Yeah… he did… my mistake…"

"Prison?" Alex asked. "I thought he turned his life around."

"He did," Sara replied with a smirk. "He went to prison for being the Green Arrow."

"But he's… not…" Alex replied in a stutter.

"Yes, he was," Sara replied as her smirk got bigger. "The Green Arrow died in prison years ago… That's my story and I'm sticking to it…"

"What about you two?" Iris asked. "We don't get to see you as much."

"Me?" Kara asked with a deer-in-the-headlights look. "I'm fine."

"Kara's just getting over a bad break up," Alex replied unhelpfully.

"…and Alex is just getting over the end of her engagement," Kara replied irately.

"Oh," Iris replied. The other girls had been struck speechless. "Um… I know that it's cliché. Trite even… But there is someone out there for you… all of you… Love… Love isn't about lack of conflict… It isn't about happiness… It's about forgiveness. It's okay to retreat when you are in pain… but when you find the right person… they will help you heal. Help you grow. You will be stronger with that person…" She looked at Caitlin. "Don't close yourself off from everyone. You can't heal alone. Risk loving someone… it is worth it."

~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~

EARTH-1, CENTRAL CITY, TUX STORE

"I just don't know what to write for my vows," Barry complained as he examined himself in the full-length mirror in the tux shop. He tugged at his sleeves as he tried to imagine Iris standing next to him. "I've written like ten pages… single spaced… and I mean every word. But I can't cut anything out…"

"You're over thinking it," Oliver replied as he exited the changing room. His tux fit like a second skin. He looked comfortable in it… which Barry envied.

"Wow," Barry said as he examined his friend. Seeing Oliver like this… yeah, it's not too hard to picture him as the Mayor… or rich… Barry shook his head. "You clean up nicely, my friend," he said with a smile.

"You do too," Oliver replied as he took Barry's place in front of the mirror. "Shoulders are still a little tight," he complained as he adjusted the tux. He finally turned to Barry. "You will know what to say when you stand up there and look into her eyes," Oliver told him.

"I don't know," Barry replied as he stressed over his vows again.

"Summarize your ten pages into one word… the one word that means Iris to you," Oliver continued.

"How do I shorten that… She means everything to me," Barry replied despairingly.

"Then that is your word… Everything… Now you have to stand there and tell her that…" Oliver replied. He got pensive. "When I was on the island, one woman came to mean home to me. I survived to come home to her… even as I knew that she would hate me… You and Iris share that kind of connection. Even when you couldn't make sense of the world… you knew Iris. She brought you home…"

"She did," Barry replied as he reflected on his recent experience. His face pensive. "She was my lightening rod. Calling me home."

"Dad, do I have to wear this thing?" William asked as he stalked forward with a pout on his face. He was wearing a child's tux. Even with his unruly hair, it seemed to fit him well.

"You are definitely your father's son," Barry told the sullen boy. He didn't have Oliver's shoulders, but he had his height and he wore the tux well.

"Yes, William," Oliver replied in a slightly patronizing tone. "As much as I would love to wear jeans, Iris would be opposed to the idea of a casual wedding… most women are." He walked over and straightened the tux on William's shoulders before he guided him to the mirror. "Now we just have to do something with our hair." Oliver told him as they made an impressive image in the mirror.

"Fine," William grumped. "But I want to hit the toy store after," he declared.

"We have plenty of toy stores back home," Oliver chided.

"But they don't carry the action figures for our superheroes," William whined. "I want to get some for Ruby."

"Ruby?" Barry asked. "Are you sweet on a girl already?" he said in amazement. "You Queen men work fast."

"It's not like that," William replied. "Ruby is my best friend."

"They bonded over superheroes," Oliver clarified. "She's a sweet kid. Bold and strong. She's been a great friend to William." He turned back to his son. "If that one fits well, go change back."

"Sure, Dad," William said with relief as he practically ran back to the changing room.

"He seems to be doing well," Barry commented as he watched William disappear.

"As well as can be expected," Oliver replied as he examined his image in the mirror again.

"What about you?" Barry asked. "How are you doing with all of this?" he waved his hand at the city outside.

Oliver looked pained and pensive before he replied. "I'm fine," he said softly and went back to adjusting his tux.

"Well, you're alive… of course, you're fine… That's not my question," Barry remarked.

"I'm… moving forward," Oliver finally replied.

"That's good," Barry replied. "I'm glad you found someone after Felicity."

"I'm not dating," Oliver replied with a glare at Barry. "I won't risk it again. I need to be here for William."

"Then what did you mean about moving forward," Barry asked. "Because that seems like dating to me."

"It means… that I'm surviving," Oliver told Barry. "I want to live someday… and I'm getting there… and I don't want to just survive for William. He deserves more."

"That's… not healthy," Barry told him anxiously.

"No," Oliver agreed. "It's not."

"But… your home…" Barry tried to get Oliver to acknowledge that another person was important to him once.

"Died," Oliver cut him off. "Laurel died. Thea died. My mom died. I'm surviving for William… Someday… I can live for him too."

A look of horror crossed Barry's face. He had known Oliver was having a hard time. But to say it like that… Barry could read between the lines. He had learned Oliver-speak. Without William, Oliver wouldn't see the point in surviving anymore. Of living anymore. He needed to fix this. He need to give his friend hope.

"I'm here for you, my friend," Barry said as he turned to examine himself in the mirror one last time. "You will get there… back to living… I know it."

~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~

EARTH-1, CENTRAL CITY, JITTERS CAFÉ

CC Jitters was packed full of the friends and family of Barry Allen and Iris West. The whole floor space, even the balcony was packed full of family and friends. Joe was hugging Iris and Cecile on the main floor in his joy at Iris' wedding. Barry was talking to everyone. Making the rounds. Making everyone feel welcome and included in their big event. Mick and Jax were having a friendly chat in one corner of the main room. Kara snagged Iris in a hug as she tried to share Iris' joy. Oliver was chatting with Cecile on his policies as Mayor of Star. Curtis was chatting with several friends of Barry on the main floor. The Steins were seated with baby Ronnie being passed around the table. William was close by getting to know the toddler. He seemed fascinated with the child. Lily was beaming down at the cuteness of the boys. The whole atmosphere of the Rehearsal Dinner was happy and joyous. Even with the mix of people, it was polite and pleasant.

Cisco found Mick by the buffet picking at the food with a bottle in one hand. "I didn't peg you as a wedding guy," Cisco started the conversation. He was trying not to be intimidated by Mick. But he kept flashing back to when he and Snart terrorized Central City.

"I never pass up a free buffet," Mick replied in a bored tone. He didn't even look over at Cisco… until he noted that Cisco had a full beer. "Or an open bar," he said sardonically as he plucked the beer from Cisco's hands and walked away.

Cisco didn't watch him. He just closed his empty hand. Sad that it was gone.

Mick was walking away from the buffet when he noticed Caitlin. He hadn't paid too much attention when the Legends had helped to fend of the Dominators. But she looked familiar. An event sparked in his mind.

"Didn't I try to kidnap you once?" Mick asked her suddenly.

Caitlin stopped suddenly in her walk. She eyed Mick disdainfully. "Yes. I wouldn't try that again," she told him imperiously, before she resumed walking away.

Behind them at the bar, Alex was slamming shots down. She only paused long enough for the pain to return to her face before she poured another drink and slammed that one.

"Someone who drinks like that is trying to make something go away," Sara said as she pulled up next to Alex at the bar. She poured herself a shot.

"Yeah… well…" Alex dissembled as she watched Sara slam down a shot. "What are you looking to make go away?" she asked in astonishment and admiration.

"Memories," Sara replied. "Death seems to follow me everywhere."

"Memories of your teammate?" Alex asked. She remembered that Sara had said she was grieving a lost teammate.

"My teammate, my sister… Oliver…" Sara trailed off as she took another shot.

"Oliver isn't dead," Alex replied in drunken confusion.

"No… Oliver is stubborn like that…" Sara replied with a sad smile. "But mostly, I'm trying to forget my regret… I wasn't there for them. I couldn't be there for Snart. I wasn't here for my sister. I wasn't here for Oliver… I… keep running away from people who care for me." Sara slammed down another shot. "Now my sister is dead and Oliver…" she trailed off.

"Yeah," Alex replied as she could feel the pain radiating off of Sara. "I get that… I… just called off my engagement," she announced in a false happy tone.

"You said that this morning," Sara replied as she turned to face Alex.

"No," Alex replied in an aggrieved tone. "Kara said that this morning."

"What?" Sara asked. "Did you catch him cheating?" she asked.

"Her," Alex replied boldly. She was done apologizing for her preference in women. "It… It wasn't anything like that… We just wanted different things… You know… I wish I had realized that sooner. I'd have made the break before later came around." She took a deep breath and poured herself another drink. "Being here really brings up a lot."

"So… let me guess…" Sara replied with a somber tone. "Being at the Rehearsal Dinner for the world's most perfect couple is probably the last place you want to be."

"Yeah," Alex agreed. "It stings a little."

"To making things go away," Sara toasted with her full shot glass.

"To making things go away," Alex toasted back. The both threw back their drinks at the same time.

Barry passed the two drinking women. He showed a concerned face for a moment before he continued on his search. He nodded to Joe as he passed and finally spotted Kara standing on the balcony of the upper level.

"Hey," Barry greeted Kara.

Kara turned and returned Barry's smile. "Hey," she greeted him in return. "This is really nice… Thanks for having us."

"Of course," Barry replied with a smile. "Actually, I wanted to ask you a favor."

"Oh," Kara replied with a smile.

"The last adventure that we had together," Barry started. "I learned about a very cool, non-superpower ability that you have… I was wondering… if you don't mind… if you wanted to break it out?" he asked hopefully.

"You want me to sing?" Kara asked with a huge grin. She remembered Barry's excitement when she sang after the Dominators were defeated. She loved it when people desired her non-superpowered skills. She was very proud of her ability to sing.

"I do," Barry replied. "We want you to sing at our wedding tomorrow."

"I would love to sing for you and Iris," Kara beamed at him.

"By the way," Barry said casually as he looked down at Alex and Sara slamming drinks at the bar. "Your sister seems to be tipping the elbow pretty heavy."

"Oh, that's fine," Kara replied as she looked down at her sister. Keeping watch over her. "No one can drink Alex under a table… She's just had a rough go of it lately."

"She's not the only one, I'm guessing," Barry commented. "I just noticed that you don't have your plus one with you."

"Oh," Kara replied incredulously. Kara's mind raced. How? Oh! Mon-El. That's who he means. "I am plus zero these days."

"Sorry," Barry replied immediately. "What happened with Mon-El?" he asked.

"What didn't happen?" Kara replied with snark. "The end of the world…" she paused as the painful images of her triggering the device to send lead in the atmosphere. Making Earth uninhabitable to Daxamites.

"Faced that three times," Barry replied casually.

"…Time travel…" Kara continued as she tried to divert her dark thoughts back to Mon-El.

"Oh, I've been there… a lot," Barry replied with his own pained expression.

"…He's married to someone else," Kara finished sadly. She found that last one still hurt. It was expected. But it still hurt.

"Oh." Barry's reply stalled. "Well, that's… I got nothing for that… I'm sorry."

"I mean, it's my own fault," Kara started. I should know better. I'm a monster. Mon-El wouldn't want to be tied to me. "I keep forgetting that my life should only be about Supergirl. But then… you know… life keeps finding a way to remind me." I don't deserve happiness… Cadmus was right. I am a monster. A monster of chaos and destruction.

"You know," Barry told her sagely. "Oliver tried to tell me that same thing… years ago. It didn't take."

"What did he say?" Kara asked. See Oliver agrees with me.

"That guys like us… we never get the girl… that I should keep my distance… from everyone," Barry replied. "But even Oliver made connections… and I got the girl," Barry said with a smile.

"Barry, it's different with you," Kara said in exasperation. "You're human." Her mind stalled. You're not a monster. Barry, you wouldn't understand. Not like Oliver does.

"And you're what?" Barry asked skeptically. "…other than an alien."

A monster. "Alone," Kara said firmly. It's better this way.

Barry was shocked into silence. He glanced down to see Alex still slamming drinks with Sara.

The soft tinging of someone calling the venue to attention with a glass and a fork. Barry hurried down the stairs to join Iris in front of Joe as he prepared to give his father-of-the-bride speech.

"Attention everyone," Joe said with a grin on his face. "I have a few words to say…What can I possibly say about Barry and Iris, that everybody in this room doesn't already know…" He paused as he let his words sink into the people in the room. "How they are special… and kind… and brave… But we all know that."

A few soft chuckles echoed in the room.

"So, I'm going to talk to y'all about somebody you might not know… me…" Joe said pointedly. "For the longest time, I have been happy to just be dad to these two. Then Wally comes along… and I've been watching them face what they have in the last few years… with grace… and trust… and love. So much love… To see two people who love like that… you want it too…"

"So… Barry, Iris," Joe raised his full champaign glass to the happy couple. "Thank you for showing me how to love again… For showing me that love is the most important thing we have… I love you guys… To Barry and Iris!" he toasted.

"To Barry and Iris," the room repeated the toast.

"That was a lovely speech," Oliver commented to Curtis as they both turned away from Joe.

"It was," Curtis replied. "Hey, Oliver, I was wondering when you planned on coming back."

Oliver turned and glared at Curtis. "What exactly makes you think I would ever go back?" he asked pointedly.

"Well," Curtis wilted under his gaze. "It's just that… you wanted us to call you if we ran into problems… and we have… The drugs and the gangs are taking over the city… even the more respectable parts…" He paused. "We thought it would be easier if you… you know… lived in the right universe."

"I'm not going back," Oliver told him harshly. He started to push past Curtis.

Curtis stopped him with a hand on his arm. Oliver stopped. He sent a scathing glare at Curtis. Curtis immediately dropped his hand.

"We need you, Oliver," Curtis pled.

"I'M NOT GOING BACK TO THAT GRAVEYARD!" Oliver shouted. Silence filled the venue. Oliver pushed past Curtis and exited the back door.

Curtis' shoulders slumped. He became aware of the silence and then an angry little boy standing in front of him. Curtis gapped.

William Queen had a very Green Arrow look on his face. The boy couldn't look more like his father than he did right then. Full of anger and fury.

"Is the world ending?" William demanded of Curtis.

"No," Curtis replied in confusion.

"Then you don't need him," William replied disdainfully. "Ask for help if you need it, but leave him alone unless the world is ending."

"It's not that," Curtis tried. "The team just worked better with him there."

"Figure it out," William replied. "You should be smart enough. Ask for help. Just leave us out of it."

"Us?" Curtis replied more confused than ever. William was never involved with Green Arrow.

"Us," William replied. "I refuse to let you suck him back into that mess." Then William turned and strode out the back door to find his father.

"Curtis," Barry said gently. "Do you guys need help?" he asked.

"Not like…" Curtis swore softly. "We need our team leader back."

"I don't think he's coming back," Barry replied. "It's probably better if he doesn't come back."

~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~

EARTH-X, GATEWAY FACILITY

The Gateway Facility was alive with activity. Nazi shock troops lined up in the open space before the portal. Many of the scientists were nervous and anxious under the eyes of the Uber Fuhrer as he hovered over the command station.

Ubergirl hovered at the front of the assembly. The Fuhrer was on the ground at her feet. Prometheus by his side. Reverse-Flash had been allowed to don his mask and uniform once more. The meta dampening collar had finally been removed.

"It is ready, Uber Fuhrer," a nervous scientist declared in the command station.

"Good," Kal-X replied as he drifted to the front of the formation. He turned to face the assembled troops. "Today is a new milestone for the Fatherland," Kal-X started. "We will conquer this new world. This Earth. We will crush our opposition. This is a momentous day. For the Fatherland! For the Regime! HAIL VICTORY!"

"HAIL VICTORY!" the assembly replied with precision salutes.

"General," Kal-X told his cousin Ubergirl. "I leave this conquest in your competent hands."

"Uber Fuhrer," Kara-X said with a nod. "Our troops should have a foothold within one week. News will be sent at that time. We will expect the Draugr two days from now at the staging area with additional troops to solidify our foothold. We expect to contain the majority of the local defenders on the morrow. We will send the living here for execution…. Activate the device," she ordered. Then Kara-X gave Kal-X a salute. Once the breach come to life she shouted. "HAIL VICTORY!"

"HAIL VICTORY!" the assembly repeated as the started to surge forward towards the breach. Thawne sped ahead through the breach. He was followed almost immediately by the Ubergirl, Fuhrer, Prometheus, and a dozen officers. Then the shock troops marched through in formation.

~AU~AU~AU~AU~AU~