Tartarus

The heat of this fetid place combined with the unsettling chill of the restless dead made Freddy feel numb at the core of his heart. As he sat upright on Black Adam's back, they advanced through garish sights, many of which towered above the two living anomalies in the Underworld of the Greek myths. Freddy saw two faces which reminded him of his parents. "Adam, is that…" "Were they Hellenists?" Adam interrupted. "No," Freddy answered. "Then no," the Kahndaqi champion said with a confidence belying years of being deceived himself in the past, "This place is designed to entrap wandering mortals. Sisyphus deceived Hades so much, he will never forgive any human being cheating him of their due. He always hated the idea of heroes coming down here. Whoever these phantasms appear to be, ignore them, Freddy, or you could be down here forever." "Right…duly noted," Freddy sighed in both relief and disappointment. Stepping onto a canoe on the nearby River Styx, Adam punted towards a behemoth in an island on the distance. That behemoth was Atlas, one of the last Titans, imprisoned beneath the foundations of the Earth by the Olympians once his generation was overthrown and condemned to make sure the world continued turning. In reality, neither the Olympians nor the Titans had that much power over the Earth. They did with Atlas what they did with Sisyphus. Created an illusion for him that suggested he was this important to the Earth, thereby appealing to the Titan's selflessness. Atlas had realised the falsity of what surrounded him aeons ago but attempts at escape invoked the wrath of the manticores. And that was something neither Titan or mortal wished to incur.

The canoe came to the island where Atlas stood above them. A hundred feet tall with a bottomless pit leading to Ares and Achilles below him. He seemed to be straining under the weight, though neither Freddy nor Adam had a doubt that was purely psychosomatic. A subconscious way of justifying his continued punishment. "Atlas!" Adam shouted up at the behemoth. He didn't seem to notice and why would he, the two of them must have been like insects. Many souls must have screamed at him over the millennia, and been similarly rejected in their overtures. "Wait here a moment, Freddy," Adam said before flying up to Atlas and punching him in the septim, "That got your attention. No one could have thrown a punch like that without your stamina, could they?" "Why do you breach my struggle, mortal?" came the booming voice of the cowed deity. "The only struggle you face is choosing whether to hold up this weight or be carrion for the manticores," Adam reminded his opponent, "Truly the epitome of a rock and a hard place. But that is not why I am here. My friend here has come to entreat with you, great Atlas!"

"I see no friend."

"He is down below. Smaller than myself and without the use of his legs. Try not to stand on him."

Atlas peered down to Freddy and snorted derisively. "You expect me to speak with a cripple," the Titan scoffed. "Well, Queen Persephone herself has deigned that you do," Adam spoke through gritted teeth. "Hades' wife?" the Titan asked with bewilderment. "My you have been holding this for a while," the ruler of Kahndaq drolly observed, "Hades died, then Ares came along and now Persephone's in charge. Do try and keep up." Atlas looked confused. "I try not to think too much about what that younger generation get up to," the Titan said with disinterest. Adam keenly laughed at the forthright reply. "Alright then, Atlas," he finally said, "We must mean nothing to you. Us? The Champions of the Rock of Eternity. You should be honoured that you're the only Titan we draw strength from. At least half of them are Olympian." Apoplexy flared before Black Adam in the veins of Atlas' eyes. "Olympian curs!" the Titan spat, "They know nothing of the world, that is why they have me carry it!"

"No, they don't."

"What?"

"They don't have you carry the world. You've been lying to yourself just as Sisyphus has, rolling that boulder of his up a hill. You don't need to be here, Atlas. Like I said, you just don't want those flying carnivores to rip you apart."

"Who are you?"

"Teth-Adam, King of Kahndaq. And my friend, Freddy, here requires your stamina."

"Well then, friend of Teth-Adam. Implore me for my gift."

Freddy stumbled a little over his words, amazed at the depth of this creature's voice. He knew the Titans were meant to be giants but this was ridiculous. Atlas' voice had the strength of an earthquake. "I…I…I was once the hero known as Captain Marvel," came the tiny reply of the mortal, "The wizard who gave me that power has taken it from me. I've been travelling the world to find the gods who make up the power he gave me. You, Atlas, are one of those gods. Your stamina made me a formidable opponent in battle and allowed me to withstand even the most merciless of villains. What say you?" Atlas' laugh felt like several tremors at once. "A weakling like you thinks he can just ask me to give him some of my power," the arrogance of his cousin, Zeus, was apparent in every word, "You are a benighted fool, my lad. Take your cause elsewhere. A Titan is not in the habit of granting charity."

"No, you listen to me, Atlas. I am Freddy Freeman. I am the rightful Captain Marvel. That old dullard on the Rock of Eternity doesn't know what he's missing! And with your stamina…I can take your load whilst we help you fight off Persephone's forces."

"What?"

"You heard me, Titan. Give the weight of the world a rest and help me and Adam out of a tight spot. Consider it a favour long owed on our part."

"I…I…"

"I swear on my honour as a champion of the gods of many pantheons."

"I…very well, mortal. I accept your proposition."

Freddy suddenly found himself being levitated onto Atlas' shoulder. "Lift your arms up," the Titan instructed as Black Adam positioned Freddy just under the load. "Um, sure," Freddy said, surprised he had managed to convince the god so easily. "I give you my stamina then, boy," his carrier announced. Atlas's eye, which was larger than three of Freddy looked directly at him and a yellow light seemed to engulf the young lad. Freddy suddenly found that while the weight above him remained heavy, he could withstand it for longer than he expected. "Now I will have my revenge," the Titan screamed, "Come and claim me, spawn of Zeus! See if you can stomach the might of the great Titan!" The manticores had already begun flying in their direction. Persephone saw and heard all in Tartarus through her well, and she had anticipated this betrayal by both mortals. Atlas began swiping all the manticores away now that his arms were free. One of them leapt on his chest, and then another and he began shrieking in pain. Freddy couldn't take the weight, since he forgot to mention to Atlas that he may want his stamina but he didn't have the strength to go with it. Winking at Adam, Freddy relaxed his muscles and the rocks fell upon them all. Adam sheltered Freddy from the rubble as they both fell into the bottomless pit Atlas had stood over.

Metropolis

The powerless Clark Kent was in the kitchen with his mother who was still trying to process the news he had given to her and Lois not long ago. "You gave them up, Clark," Martha shook her head, "But your powers are important, your father and I always told you that." "Not more important than keeping people safe," Clark said sipping a very milky cup of coffee, "which is the reason I use my powers in the first place, Ma." "But you can't know you're keeping people safe by not having them," his mother reminded him. Clark placed a hand on his eyes and furrowed them slightly in frustration. "You don't get it, do you Ma?" he replied exasperatedly, "You saw what Power Girl did. She killed two people we loved along with many others." "Well, according to the news Conner is alive," Martha rejoined, "Though he hasn't bothered to come visit." "Yeah, that's a funny one, alright," Clark mused.

"And I thought my boy was a journalist. Be a skeptic for once in your damn life."

"I'm not saying it's not fishy...and I'm not sure it's even Kon. Oh, I don't know how to feel Mom."

"Well, you've been goddamn naïve, that's one thing I can tell you. And I'm not normally one to curse, but this warrants it. At a time when the world needs heroes the most, the best of them gives up his powers. All I'm saying is, how is Lois going to handle it when your two little 'uns are flying around the place and she doesn't have a father who can do the same to help them out?"

"You and Pa managed fine on that one."

"We did, but it's different living in the country, Clark. You and Lois don't have open pastures for them to go flying in. And you can't take them to that Fortress of yours now, can you? Not without taking months to travel there."

"Alright fine, Ma. But somehow I care more about my children's safety than them having a flying buddy."

"That's not what I meant and you know that. You know, my boy would learn to listen to his wife and his mother. But know, you just listen to that demagogue."

"I thought you liked him, Ma."

"I did when he gave me a chance at having grandchildren after everything that just happened, but now…he's robbed my son of who he is. He's robbed you of being something more and helping the world."

"So, you're saying I'm not worth being your son if I'm not Superman."

"No! I couldn't care less if you were Superman or not, because you're my son. But Superman matters Clark. And you've done a damn fine job of it. I don't care if you think you're dangerous, if you hadn't disbanded that League of yours that wouldn't be a problem in the first place. They'd have been able to help you. I'm so disappointed in you."

"What could possibly disappoint you about having a son without superpowers?"

"Nothing. I just thought Jon and I hadn't raised a fool."

That hurt Clark. Deeply. His mother had never spoken ill of him like that before. She walked out of the kitchen to bring a cup of coffee to her daughter-in-law who was sitting on the couch watching the news. "Smallville, you coming?" Lois shouted from the other room, seemingly oblivious to the conversation beyond, "We might get an update on the stuff in Gotham." "Yeah," Clark said rubbing tears away from his eyes as he began to realise the harsh truth of his mother's words. Sitting down beside his wife he kissed her on the head as she snuggled up to him. Lois had heard every word of Martha's exchange with her son, and decided Clark needed to know he was loved, even if he had done something mindbogglingly stupid. Her gorgeous, uniquely violet eyes looked up into his inhuman, blue ones and they kissed passionately while Martha smiled through a few tears.

"This is GCN. I'm William Finger. The studio feels even more grateful to have moved to Metropolis a week ago as our city collapses. War on the streets has broken out as the terrorist threat of Jonathan Crane, known popularly as the Scarecrow, made itself apparent today. As if things couldn't get worse, former Police Commissioner, James Gordon, led a coup against Mayor Elmore Niland and seized the reins of civic government at 7pm this evening. Shortly after, Crane's forces gassed the city with severe amounts of his infamous fear toxin, creating riots even worse than last night's. The vigilante known popularly as Nightwing, formerly defender of Bludhaven, was witnessed leading two other vigilantes, believed to be Batwoman and the Question into battle this evening. The gang seemed to celebrate him as he beat down brutally with apparent bloodlust their former leader, suspected to be the metahuman criminal known as Amygdala. This gang, the Mutants, is noted for being behind recent attacks around the city. However, Nightwing's vigilantism has only stirred them into even more violent activity, as they began attacking looters throughout the city unaffiliated with gangs. Not to mention, our anonymous sources suggest that Victor Zsasz, noted for his mass killings, was witnessed being shot dead by Nightwing himself in a mock execution. Gotham seems to be going back to the old days after the earthquake when we became what we in the business call 'No Man's Land'. The police saved the city that time, with barely any help from the once again missing vigilante, the Batman. Now it seems the vigilantes with the help of police disrespecting democracy have captured the city for themselves, taking advantage of the chaos brought about by the Scarecrow's terrorism. For this reporter it seems that America's most crime ridden city has avoided 'No Man's Land' once again by becoming a tyranny."

"Yeah," Lois snorted, "and he can't apply that logic to the whole country under Eiling now can he?" Clark ignored her and just began staring intently at the image on display of Nightwing apparently making a speech to the Mutants. "We now go live to the White House where President Eiling is holding a press conference in response to the events in Gotham." The screen changed to depict President Eiling standing on a podium bearing the national emblem of the United States. "My fellow Americans, it seems that Gotham City has fallen. Mayor Niland, my Vice-President's appointed successor, is dead. Murdered in a coup by disgraced Police Commissioner Jim Gordon who now rules the city alongside depraved vigilante Nightwing. Tonight, this vigilante was responsible for the murder of ex-convict, Victor Zsasz. Now Mr Zsasz was not a savoury individual, nor is it wrong for any of us to think he'd be better off dead. But that's a matter for the law, ladies and gentlemen, not for self-appointed superheroes. Now this government celebrates the righteous, but an unauthorised vigilante like this Nightwing, who is not registered with the Justice League, taking a life is unconscionable. Now a policeman known for his protection of such vigilantes in the city has led a coup d'état. We cannot abide such a flagrant disregard for the rule of law. Not to mention neither Commissioner Gordon nor this Nightwing character were successful in protecting the city from Dr Crane's bombings. Therefore, under my executive authority, I hereby strip Gotham of city status as well as remove it from the jurisdiction of the state of New Jersey, until this crisis can be abated. Until we can route our enemies from the city, it is to be considered a no go zone...and any who enter it, will not receive the protection of our military. May God bless you all."

The atmosphere in the Kent apartment at Metropolis could be cut with a knife. "He's been planning this," Martha said to herself. "What do you mean, Ma?" Clark asked putting his hand on her knee. "First Karen, Conner and Kara die, then you lose your powers," Ma Kent shook her head, "Now he has some impostor at the head of this team of his. Clark, you could have helped save Gotham, if you hadn't listened to that man. Look at him now!" The news had shifted back to the Washington Monument, where Thawne stood on his podium with bonfires all around him. "My children, it seems the sixth seal must soon be opened," the manic preacher announced, "New Babylon, the cesspit we all know as Gotham, must be destroyed. The righteous there have forsaken their path and turned against the government who supports them. They have failed their people and their God! Therefore, I have decided to send in righteous allies to destroy the Gotham quislings. Then the sixth seal shall be opened. Rejoice, my children!"

"So, Clark," Lois said curtly, "still think you should have given up your powers?" "Yes, I do," he empathically answered. "The man you trusted is going to kill Dick Grayson and his family," Lois shouted in disbelief, "They're our friends, Clark." "He never said he'd kill him," Clark shook his head. Lois scoffed, still amazed these words were leaving his mouth. "I think 'destroying the Gotham quislings' speaks for itself!" she shouted. "He hasn't killed anyone, Lois," her husband reminded her, "It's just rhetoric." "Rhetoric to incite violent cultists!" she rebutted, "We don't know who these 'righteous allies' are. They could be any manner of supervillain."

"Lois, shut up! I gave up my powers for you and our children. I did it because I'm scared of myself. Do I still want to be Superman? Of course! But this is my life, and I made an executive decision for myself."

"I'm your wife, Clark. You should have asked me. What if Luthor comes back from the Phantom Zone and tries to murder us or something? You won't be able to fight back."

"That's pure hypothesis, Lois."

"So is the idea you could have freaked out and killed us at some point!"

"You didn't see my dreams!"

"We all have nightmares, Clark. God, this is like talking to the wall. Good night!"

Lois stormed straight into their bedroom and slammed the door behind her. Clark looked to his mother expecting some kind of compassion but all he got back was another look of disappointment. "Clark, neither of us agree with you, and we just both want you to be happy," she said, trying to betray no sign of emotion. "Yeah, but Ma, even if you're right, there's nothing we can do to change it," her son shook his head, "Lois and you should accept me as Clark Kent." "We will Clark, when we know it's you who accepted you shouldn't be Superman," she told him, with deep sincerity, "Not that liar."

The Dreaming

"Is everyone alright?" Rip Hunter asked everyone on the bridge of the Waverider. "Nothing broken except your prides," John Constantine said indicating everyone else having fallen over during the turbulence from the Randomiser before getting violently sick himself, "And mine at that. Never drink and randomise." Hal Jordan composed himself and ran a diagnostic on the ship. "There doesn't seem to be any damage despite the fact we basically crash landed," he said surprisedly, "We depleted a lot of fuel with that randomisation. Haven't got many more trips left in this thing." "Great," Michael said rubbing his head, "we've lost before we've barely even begun." "Alright, calm down, Booster," Hal said, in a can do and cocky manner, "we still have enough for a few trips before heading back home. We'll just need to use the time more wisely."

"So, where are we?" Ray Palmer asked as he applied a bandage to Oliver Queen's head. "We don't know, hence the Randomiser," Rip answered, "Hal, what's the coordinates reading?" "Uh, it says we're in our own time by the look of it," the former Green Lantern informed him, "But not on Earth. I'll check out the scanner." A large, dark gothic realm appeared on the windscreen of the Waverider before them all. It seemed to be like something Terry Pratchett would have cooked up, with winding turns and castles but no apparent light except a half moon in the sky. "Doesn't look like we're even in our own universe," Vixen pondered as she entered the room with Steel and Firestorm. "We're not quite," Constantine said looking a little afrai,. "Lads, ladies…I think it best we all get the fuck out of here. Hal, get the engines going."

"We can't leave yet, not until the engines stabilise," Hal told the Englishman. Rip then turned to Constantine. "Sorry, John, but we can't just randomise except in emergencies," their host shrugged, "And in emergencies things tend to not go according to plan." "But we can't stay here, Rip," the wizard said with great anxiety, "Otherwise, she'll get us." "Who will?" Rip asked, genuinely curious. "Death." As Constantine said that, the ship jerked a little and they saw two figures down the road from them. "Is that Dr Fate?" Hal asked, squinting at one of them, who distinctively bore the golden Helmet of Nabu. "Looks like it," Batman replied, "And a blonde woman who looks familiar." "Fury," Dinah said to herself, recognising the couple without missing a beat, "That's Hector and Lyta Hall." "They're dead," Bruce replied to his old colleague. "Yeah, but conveniently frozen to death not long after they were reunited," she reminded him.

"They went to be with their son," Constantine said with a hint of scorn tinged with dread. "Their son?" Batman asked his new friend. "Yeah, son," Constantine nodded, still looking in disbelief out the viewscreen, "He was never real. Name was Daniel. He was born in the Dreaming for a time when Hector was dead but Lyta wasn't. Hector's ghost fathered the son he'd already wanted with an illusion of his wife. When Hector came back and reunited with Lyta, their son had succeeded Dream as Lord of this place. He wanted his mother and father to be with him. And so, they went. It's kind of twisted in a sweet sort of way. Bit like the Endless in general." Zatanna then turned to Batman to remind him of what they were experiencing. "You see, Bruce, we met Dream before," she reminded him, "He was the personification of illusions within slumber, if you want to be poetic. Well, he died in battle a few years ago. Against something called the Kindly Ones. But Daniel Hall replaced him. He became the first of the Endless to have a mortal origin."

"So, you're telling me we're all at the mercy of Carter Hall's grandson, right now?"

"And Princess Diana's if it's any consolation," Constantine chimed in, "from another universe. It's a long story." "Brilliant," Bruce said brusquely, "that oaf Hall's spawn rule another dimension." "Bruce Wayne, you needn't be so gauche about me," an echoing, sonorous and caring voice rang around the Waverider, "You are all my guests, and as much as you may dislike my grandfather…I don't think I've ever had the pleasure…I am as much Dream as I am Daniel Hall. Please, come outside and meet my parents. They would like to meet some of you again." Dinah bit her lip in anticipation of Batman or some of the sterner members of the team saying no. "Hector's a friend, Bruce," Black Canary spoke before anyone else could, "I'd like to see them again, and we're not doing anything." "Trust me, love," Constantine said to Black Canary looking the most afraid he had since he discovered he had lung cancer years ago, "We don't want to fall into Dream's traps. I'm used to outwitting guys like this, and with the Endless it's gonna' be difficult. There's no way we ended up here by accident. Dream, or worse, his sister, wants to see us."

"His sister?" Bruce said, "Don't tell me there's a granddaughter of Carter's running around here." "No, Dream's sister," Constantine replied as he lit a cigarette with his hands trembling, "Death. All the Endless are personifications of life. They've existed as long as the universe and will die with it. Destiny, Death, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair and Delirium. Now what does that tell you?" "That their parents were very fond of the letter D," Ollie chimed in, which got a laugh from Hal and a groan from everyone else. "It means that all these creatures are part of us, smartarse," Constantine said, the absence of his sense of humour vanished, "We're Ephemerals, not Eternals like them. We generate their existence as do all others like us. Mortals for want of a better term. When you meet one of the Endless, they know everything about you. A demon is difficult, but at least most of them can be straight up slain or just tricked by their own vanity. One of the Endless? No chance. Just run." The team were all surprised to see how defeatist Constantine was. That was when Dream's voice chimed in again.

"John Constantine is right. You have no reason to trust me, Legends of Tomorrow, but…I give you my word in honour of my parents and grandparents and the bonds they had or have with you. I swear on my status as Lord of the Dreaming, that none of you will come to harm. I merely need to speak to you all urgently about the situation on your world."

Batman and Constantine both looked uncomfortable before speaking, while everyone else seemed to trust Dream judging by their expressions. "I think we should head out," Rip said. "Are you flaming mad?!" Constantine screamed brandishing the hand he had his cigarette in towards the time traveller extraordinaire. "You said it yourself, John," Zatanna rebuffed him, "We're as doomed in here as we are out there, if you're right. So, if you haven't got anything useful to say, just shut up!" Constantine took a drag from his cigarette and shrugged, "Your funeral, mate." The doors opened and they went outside. Heading through a gaggle of voices speaking through dreams, the Legends seemed a little uneasy as they approached the figures of Dr Fate and Fury. Lyta hugged Dinah first. "It is good to see you, old friend," she said, acting as though this weren't an otherworldly reunion, but one at a party, "And you must be Cassie Sandsmark?" Wonder Girl seemed a little perplexed as this tall woman came up and hugged her. "Um, do we know each other?" she asked, genuinely baffled. "No, but my mother is Diana Prince," Lyta startled the girl with that revelation, "At least she was. It's complicated." "Yeah, I heard something about that," Cassie slowly said, trying to wrap her heard around the multiversal implications, "Sounded confusing. You were on the JSA with Dinah?"

"I was," Hector interjected, "Dinah and Lyta were teammates in their original universe. When she was…gone, Dinah and I worked together on the JSA." "Ah, alright. That clears everything up," Cassie said stumblingly. "Does it?" Lyta asked her. "Not at all," was Wonder Girl's sincere reply. "Living on this plane of existence and wearing a carbon copy of the Helmet of Nabu doesn't make my perception of reality in anyway alike to your own, Miss Sandsmark," the former Doctor Fate gently answered her, "It's fine, just try and believe what we tell you." Cassie just started nodding and looked at Dinah who shrugged her shoulders. "I don't get it either, love," Constantine reassured her, "and I met my twin brother from a universe where he never died and was a better version of me. Still don't get it, but it happened."

"So, I take it your son is responsible for bringing us here?" Batman queried with that same coldness he always had on the case. "Yes, he did, Bruce," Hector said removing the Helmet of Nabu to show how much he resembled Carter Hall underneath, "He urgently needs to you to meet with his sister." Constantine then turned to run back to the Waverider only to be grabbed by Vixen. "Not a chance, John," she said, "We need to see what this Dream has to say before we leave." "But you don't get it, Mar'i," he said in a panic, "There's only one sister he cares about and that's Death. She and I…have a history." "What gothic woman do you not have history with, John?" Vixen asked disapprovingly. "In my defence," he admitted, with not a hint of sarcasm, "only one of them is the Grim Reaper."

The team all walked up the hill towards a castle overlooking all of the Dreaming. Inside was a throne room, upon which sat a handsome, young man, with white hair, white eyes and a grey cloak. Not to mention his skin was as pale as all those colours, yet there seemed to be a warmth to him. A human warmth showing that he was different to other cosmic beings they'd met. "You're getting that vibe off him, aren't you?" Constantine whispered in Bruce's ear. "Suggesting he's friendly?" Bruce knowingly asked, "Of course." "And you're ignoring it?" the warlock wondered. "I'm Batman, of course I'm ignoring it," was the glib answer. "Good lad," Constantine nodded, "Shows you've got a head on your shoulders." Bruce noticed that this was indeed a different man to the Dream he had met before with the Justice League. That Dream had dark hair and seemed less warm than this individual.

"Hello, Legends," came that ethereal and sonorous voice once more, "I have waited many years for your coming." "We've been together less than a week," Oliver said skeptically. "Yes, but I have known since each one of you was born that your dreams would lead you to me," he cryptically replied, generating further skepticism among the heroes, "When I saw you all in distress, I took you here. To my domain, where you are the most welcome of guests. You should all know that your mission has no hope of success. Eobard Thawne is far more attuned to the timeline than you are, Rip Hunter, or your father for that matter." The team turned to Rip at this damning confirmation that his crusade could not work. "So, you're here to tell us to give up?" Rip defiantly asked. "No, not at all, Theodore Carter," Dream sincerely replied, "In fact, your mission is necessary for his eventual defeat. But you will not succeed in reforming him. And I have to tell you that not all of you will make it back to your own times alive." Dream then walked among them and looked first to Ollie and Dinah. "Your dreams dwell on the love you have both lost," he said, curling Ollie's beard in one hand and a lock of Black Canary's blonde wig in another, "Both of you are still beholden to my sibling, Desire. And yet you both Despair because you are afraid that by stopping Eobard Thawne, your grandchild will be lost to you both." Black Canary lowered her head in shame, while Ollie put his hand in hers. For the first time since their reunion at the wedding, she reciprocated. "Take courage," the Endless monarch said with a smile, a hand now on a shoulder of either, "The Entity would not be so cruel to you. But also take care. For Eobard Thawne would."

Then he looked to Vixen. "My lady, you have the souls of many a beast within you and your dreams speak of a Desire to go to a more primal state," he stated, trying to estimate her mettle with piquant curiosity, "You will need to in order to save this team before the end. Do you accept that burden, Mar'i McCabe?" Mar'i just looked into his eyes and nodded sternly, showing how she would take his words seriously and with honour. "John Henry Irons," he turned to Steel and all but bowed out of respect for this self made hero, "Your dreams dwell on Metropolis and the seizing of metahuman children you have tried to investigate. Your actions in time will lead to their liberation. Know that, please. For me." Steel took his helmet off and nodded back in respect. "John Constantine, your dreams surround your sins do they not?" Dream looked to the warlock with a knowing statre, "You cannot help but feel the sting of my sister, Despair once again, but choke it with my other sister, Delirium. Such a man with dangerous habits cannot help but be torn between the two." "Get out of my head, bitch balls!" the warlock shouted back in confrontation. "And Destruction always manifests in you when confronted," the Lord of Dreams laughed, "You're more like an animal than Mar'i here. The Hornblower chose well." Constantine just gave a deathly stare to Daniel Hall who giggled a little before moving on to the Batman.

"Bruce Wayne, your dreams dwell on your children as they have for so long, while you wish you still fixated on your parents. The fact is you have accepted their fate and yet you stubbornly refuse to acknowledge that. Your crusade is something more than that and you know it. You will see the worst of the sons you worry for before you see their best, and the Legends will lead you there. Merely acknowledge how you have failed them, and they will come back to you."

"You know nothing of my sons or me, Daniel Hall."

"Ha, ha. Oh, Bruce, I know everyone better than they know themselves. I am Dream itself. I have seen inside their 'sub-consciences," as you would call it. I know all their lusts, their vanities, their obsessions, even that which they hide from themselves. And that is why I know what you want above all else."

"And what is that?"

"To be loved. Know that you are, Bruce Wayne, and do not question the man who knows you best again." Raven then moved over to him angrily. "You can't just start talking to us like we're children," the half-demon sorceress said with resistance. "But you are children, daughter of Azarath," Dream said bringing his face closer to hers, "All of you are infants compared to me and my siblings. Even Eobard Thawne. Talking to you is like conversing with a newborn who can scream and wail. You'd know all about being a child though, wouldn't you? The child of a demon. Heiress of Trigon." Beast Boy turned into a gorilla and grabbed Dream by the neck. "Shut…up," came his angry words. Dream laughed to himself at this pathetic display. "Your dreams are not too dissimilar to Vixen's, Mr Logan," he said when his laughter abated, not breaking eye contact with Gar, "All primal rage, but you are more driven by Desire, than she could possibly be. You both Desire to see your team again. You mourn for Victor Stone, not because you know he's alive but because you know what's been taken from him. I can tell you that you will see him again, but you will have to leave him."

"All this dream talk is oh so fascinating," Rip Hunter said a little impatiently, "but—" "Your dreams of your wife and son are touching, Theodore Carter," Dream startled everyone as he appeared behind Rip, no longer in the grip of the shapeshifter, "But your concern for the damage you might inflict overrides it. Know that you will change the future for the better, but you must walk through Hades itself to do so. And no, you won't." "No, I won't what?" the time traveler asked. "See them again," was the casual and honest reply. "Now, hang on," Michael butted in seeing his son was struck with grief at hearing that, "You interpret dreams, you can't know the future." "But I am one of the Endless," Dream remarked, "I have seen how the time stream has been damaged, like you dream of, Michael Jon Carter, and how that must be remedied. And no, mending it won't bring him back." "Bring who back?" the hero formerly known as Booster Gold questioned. "Ted Kord, of course," Dream noted, before his gaze came to meet the girl missing an eye.

"Rose Wilson, know that despite your dreams of death, your father's actions are not your fault," Dream stated with compassion, "But also realise that he still needs you. You need to save him." "I am not saving that piece of shit from anything except the weight his head puts on his shoulders," Rose scowled. "Understandable," Dream acknowledged, "But Slade Wilson is not pure evil. Merely amoral. But he does love you in his own twisted way. And to save yourself and him when you return home you need to help him. For yourself if not for his sake." Rose lowered her head in contemplation as she knew he was drawing from a deep knowledge of her psyche. The Lord of Dreams' penetrating gaze looked to the Atom now.

"Ray Palmer, the man whose guilt weighs on him more heavily than even the Batman," Dream tutted, "You haven't even looked Bruce in the eye since you entered the Waverider, have you? And why is that?" Ray was about to correct the immortal, but though better of it, and looking to his feet, admitted in a small voice, "Because I can't." "Precisely," Daniel Hall nodded, "You dream of everything wicked Jean Loring did in her insanity, including killing the father of one of Batman's charges. Have you ever met the young lad since? What would you say to him?" "You know what I'd say," Ray replied, looking into the man's blank eyes with tears in his own, "I have that same dream every night. I see Tim and Ralph…so many people's lives ruined because my ex was jealous. And I say I'm sorry, and they say it's not my fault. It could never have been my fault. But then I insist it was, and I just feel even more guilty knowing how understanding they all are. They might forgive me for something beyond my control, but I never can. The woman I loved murdered people they loved with my technology. I can never accept that. Never." "And yet you will have to," Dream sadly noted, wiping a tear from the man's eye. "I know," Ray wept, "And that terrifies me."

"Zatanna Zatara," Daniel Hall now turned his attention to the witch, who seemed to be trying to avoid him throughout all this, "You dream so much of the time you wiped the memory of a man you loved. The Batman. The day all of the League failed except him, and he was the one you punished. Know that you will redeem yourself soon and make your father proud. And know that your father loves you." Zatanna smiled awkwardly at that, knowing this Endless monarch of the mortal mind spoke true. "Thank you, Dream," she smiled sadly, "That is very comforting." She gave him a signature Zatanna kiss on the cheek for that and for the first time since they had arrived Dream seemed truly pleased.

"Cassie Sandsmark," Dream floated towards Wonder Girl and held her in his arms in a hug, which she then reluctantly recriprocated, "So much loss for one so young. All your dreams these days seem to dwell on the wellbeing of the people you love, all of whom are in great peril as we speak. Know that you will all see one another again, but some of you will all have been forced to grow up too quickly once more by the machinations of Eobard Thawne. And I am sorry for that. But first you must save your brother's father." "My brother's father?" Cassie said with bewilderment, "Who's that? Only brothers I have are by my Dad. And he's got a lot of kids." "I mean your brother in arms, Tim Drake," Dream reminded her, and Cassie knew he spoke with knowledge of heart, "You were once given guidance by the great Wonder Woman. An Amazon warrior with their amazing capacity for kindness. Show that same kindness to his father when he needs it. And he will need it soon." "I…think I understand," she nodded, breaking the embrace and avoiding eye contact, "But how?" she asked, trembling. "I only know your sub conscious, my dear," he shook his head, "I can only forewarn not advise I am afraid. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that Diana is not mistaken in hers."

Hal Jordan was a little befuddled when Dream simply walked past him and headed towards a nearby door. "Uh, excuse me?" he shouted arrogantly, "I'm here too, you know. I'd like to know the significance of my dreams, as well. Hey! I'm talking to you!" Dream turned to Hal and showed the first sign of disdain he ever had for any of them. Even when being critical of Raven his visage had been ambivalent. Now, all that lay on his face was hatred. "I have nothing to say to you, monster!" the immortal's voice thundered all around them and the realm that played host to them shook, "The Butcher of Oa and Stealer of Dreams! I name thee Parallax, for you are not fit to be known by your mortal name!" "I am not Parallax!" Hal shouted back fearlessly. "Yes, you are, fool," Dream cowed him then with his resolve, "You always have been and always will be. Parallax is your soul sent back to the Dawn of Time." The team were all stunned into silence. "So, I was right, Jordan," Batman said a little too smugly, "You were in control of your actions." "No, he wasn't," Dream interjected, calming himself, "But he will be. What creature could better embody fear than a man lacking it? The greatest of all Green Lanterns will one day be killed and have his soul sent back to the beginnings of our universe. He will become Parallax, the embodiment of fear." Hal just stood there, mouth agape.

"But if I'm Parallax…then who are all the other entities."

"I will not reveal the dreams of others to one who gains succour from their terror."

"Alright, fine. But from the way you're talking the embodiments were all mortal once. All of them. Connected to us. That must mean that the Entity…is someone we know."

"That I cannot tell you. For if you realise that they are your friend…you will be incapable of defeating them. As to your dreams, Hal Jordan, I have inflicted as many nightmares as I can upon you for the carnage you wrought. Know that I am ensuring that even when you don't know it, your psyche will forever feel the pain of the lives Parallax took. The only thing that irks me about this whole affair…is that you will survive this trial in order to one day die and become Parallax. Try and be a hero until then. But no matter how hard you try you can never make up for your crimes."

Hal's legs gave way beneath him in shock. He felt the most helpless he had been since Hank Henshaw had destroyed Coast City. Ollie ran over to him with Dinah and picked him up. "We'll get him back to the ship," Green Arrow told the others, "Get something strong in him. You guys go on ahead." As they left, Dream merely frowned. "He will have to get used to that," the dream lord spoke frankly, "I have told him more than any mortal should know. That is a shame indeed. Mother, Father, help them on their way." Lyta and Hector nodded and headed to follow Green Arrow and Black Canary as they escorted their old friend to a more comfortable environ. "Was it necessary to tell Hal all that?" Bruce asked brusquely. "Absolutely," Dream bowed solemnly in mock apology, "Otherwise he will never try and be a hero again. I have said too much as is. Now, I would like you all to meet my sister."

Opening a door behind him, Dream led all of the Legends into a room of darkness with cages all around. In the centre, there seemed to be a light with a pale, young girl sitting in the middle of it clawing at the ground with her fingernails and keeping her head on her lap. Her hair was a mop of black not unlike that of her late brother, the original Dream. Her clothes were dark like a gothic teenager though her disposition somehow seemed sunnier despite her evident distress. She raised her face to see the newcomers. Dangling from her neck was an ankh, the ancient Egyptian symbol of life. She was a very pretty girl. For the immortal personification of mortality, she seemed fairly normal. That was of course because death is nothing to fear. Death is just a young woman who comes to see us when we're lonely and cold, and about to leave this world.

"Dream…who are these?" she said in a voice which sounded nothing like the Death some of them had met before. Not to mention as the Legends drew closer it was obvious there were lines around her eyes as if she hadn't been sleeping and a mania in them which suggested the same. "They are the time travelers, sister," he carefully and calmly spoke, deliberating every word, "I wished to show them to you…see if they could help." "The only help I need is for that monster to be dead," she screamed, then buried her head in her hands, crying like a child, "But no one can do that. Not even me." "Who does she mean?" Zatanna asked Dream. "She means Eobard Thawne, of course," he replied, "Tell them, sister. Tell them what he did to you." Death shook her head for a minute, and seemed to regain her composure, realising the information she was about to impart was vital.

"It began months ago. I felt a life being snatched from me. A life I had long ago claimed. The life of Nora Allen. Time was changed so that a woman I had claimed never passed. We Eternals are not subject to the vagaries of causality like you Ephemerals. A change, any change, will hurt us...Any change. With that, the world died and was reborn. I felt violated. I was angry. Her life was mine. I am not against resurrection, but she had died and then it was as if she had never died. Can any of you imagine what that is like? For you Ephemerals it is nothing. You either cease to be or change yourselves with history. For me, it was like having a child ripped untimely from my womb. One of my souls had never been mine. I felt violated. I reached out to our mother, Time, who long ago deserted our halls. She told me there was someone immune to her power. When the natural order of things was restored and Nora returned to me, I felt violated again. The lives of so many others were no longer mine once more even though Nora was back. Lives…like yours. Bruce Wayne."

Batman removed his cowl and walked towards the cage. Pressing the light, he could see it was some kind of forcefield. The young girl was looking into his eyes as if she was going to eat him. "You belong to me, Batman," she snarled like a mad beast, " You are—" Then she screamed and convulsed. "What's happening?" Bruce queried Dream. "Thawne is doing it again," the Endless being stated, a tear running down his cheek, "He's defying the Laws of Time. How do you think he managed to make Lian Harper and Robbie Long pre-teens? He stretched causality like a prisoner upon the rack. He's not just resurrecting people he's making it like they never died in the first place, and twisting their timelines to suit his new state of affairs." "But I can remember both those children dying," Batman said perfunctorily, "And the others who were resurrected. Their original deaths still happened." "Undoubtedly," Dream spoke with no passion, just a cool, surrendering tone, "But their deaths were ripped from time and undone, so that none of them could really remember dying. Think of Thawne's words which have haunted you about Stephanie Brown and her…unnatural, timeless return. Or how Jason Todd dragged himself from his own tomb. Most resurrections are done taking a soul back from the beyond. Their souls never went to Death in the first place, because they were fated to be reborn. But as my sister explained she can feel them being ripped from her now by the Light of Life. When he does this…he hurts her. It is quite the horrific sight to watch Death writhe in agony like this. She has become a mockery of who she once was. And I fear that if Thawne persists, she will die. He has already driven her mad, I locked her in here to prevent her suicide. But each new use of the Entity's power by Thawne damages her physically as well. I estimate she has only a few more months to live even under my care."

"But what do you want us to do?" Rip said with an air of impatience, "Undo the resurrections?" "No, absolutely not," Dream earnestly told them, "To do such a thing would be as much playing God as he is. But you need to stop him from doing any more of them. The power of the Entity is not to be so perversely used." "But how did Thawne get the Entity in the first place?" Rose asked genuinely curious, "I mean, he's just a speedster." "Because his connection with the Speed Force makes him near immortal," Dream coolly answered her, "As he lay between life and death, about to enter my sister's loving embrace, he felt another presence. A presence tempting him. A presence which would have had no contact with him if a reckless fool with a Power Ring hadn't simply imprisoned him. Your ally, Parallax's fault yet again. Krona is a Malthusian, an immortal. My sister is not easily able to contend with the likes of them. That and he knew how to manipulate the embodiments of the Emotional Spectrum already. The problem was the Entity is more than just an embodiment of the Emotional Spectrum. It is Life itself. So, Krona, could not be the thing's host, only given a portion of its power by a host. He found Eobard Thawne, a man who had died twice and whose whole life was a cascade of paradoxes for just that. Using their combined will, they attacked my sister and freed themselves from Death. The swine Thawne beat the location of the Entity out of her. He also took from my sister a spell which can allow one to absorb the powers of others. They found the creature on Earth in the body of Alec Holland. With the spell and Krona's prior experience in harnessing the creatures, the Entity became Eobard Thawne's puppet. And since then, he has been hurting my sister."

"Do you think he knows that he is?" Ray asked. "No," was the frank answer he received. "Do you think he'd care?" Ray probed. "Not in the slightest," Dream told him, his eyes having never left his suffering sister this entire time, "Brother…Daniel…" Death murmured to herself as she lay on the floor drooling in the aftermath of her fit. "Yes, sweet sister," he asked, showing a sense of desperation "Not my brother…not Morpheus," she screamed angrily, "Where's Morpheus?" "Morpheus is dead, but I have his memories, Death," Daniel's distress was apparent to all as he knelt to the forcefield, placed his hand upon it and looked pleadingly at the woman, "I am your brother reborn in the body of another, but yet I am also Daniel Hall." She raised her head, the drool still spilling from her mouth and screamed, "Not my brother!" "Oh really," Daniel's face was full of tears now, but he was angry too, "Well who could do this but your brother?" Dream then blew some sand dust from his hand and it floated towards his sister who fell asleep instantaneously.

"We're sorry this happened to you," Michael told Dream as he stood up, "And we'll try to stop it." "You cannot save them, Michael Jon Carter," the Lord of Dreams shook his head. "No," Rip replied on his father's behalf, "but we can save your sister." "That I am certain of," Dream said with a smile. He then beckoned Constantine and Zatanna before him, whispering 'Magi' into the aether. He then traced a rune into either of their hands. "Impart this to anyone you come across," he told them with a sense of urgency, "It is a rune my sister carved to protect those who long for her embrace from resurrection. It can be used to protect the living from Thawne's powers. Now go, all of you. Go and save my sister and your world." "But what happens if we fail?" Ray asked walking up to Dream, "I mean apart from your sister dying. What happens to our world?" "He cannot hold the Entity forever," Daniel sighed, "Nor will he be able to win his war with the peoples of Atlantis and Themyscira. If Eobard Thawne is not stripped of the Entity, he will lose his mind. If he keeps its power, he will die. And so, shall human civilisation."