Adrift in Time
- Thread starter A Curious Stranger
- Start date
Terry's next week was a blur of bumps and bruises. The miserable old taskmaster had taken Terry's bragging to heart. He'd been forced to remove his costume, and keep on an old cloth mask that stung terribly through all of his lessons. Bruce apparently thought he needed to make up for all the years Terry had not spent training to fight, and so attempted to cram what had been an eight year regime to a matter of weeks.
'Pick this lock in 15 seconds.'
'10 minutes to run 2 miles, go!'
The old bat had hurled rocks whenever he felt Terry had slacked, and forced knowledge down Terry's throat until his daydreams were filled with endless chemical formulas and their effects. When Terry shut his eyes, all he could see were countless tumblers falling into place.
On one memorable occasion, after ensuring that Terry could pull himself free of handcuffs, Bruce had just hurled the teenager into the waters next to the boat, forcing Terry to try to slip away while precious oxygen slipped away. Bruce's only response after a choking Terry swam up? Again.
And so it went, with Terry's only point of relief when Tim Drake had finally returned from meeting his Titan friends to Gotham.
---
"Hey Batman, I'm- whoa!" Robin yelped as he shifted to avoid Terry's thrown form.
"Uh, who's this?" he asked.
Batman gave Robin a nod of greeting before saying "My successor. From the future apparently."
Terry's body chose that moment to throw up the bits of fruit he'd managed to choke down.
"Uh huh," Robin said, giving Terry's prone form an unsure look. "This is going to be one of those weeks isn't it?"
"What weeks?" Bruce snapped.
"The ones where Superman comes over and we have to stop aliens or something," Robin said cheekily. "So anyway! What's up?"
Terry looked up from his position on the floor. "Hopefully I will as soon as the cave stops spinning."
Thankful Bruce had decided on a helmet today, Terry wiped a bit ofà well it was something nasty, off his face and gi before turning to face Tim. "Robin huh? Nice to meet you Tim."
Tim smiled at being called his name. "Oooh, so you know me huh? I must famous in the future," he said, striking a heroic pose.
Terry hesitated before getting up. "Something like thatà you're shorter than I thought."
Tim shot Terry a scowl before dropping to a more normal form.
"My growth spurt is coming in," he defended.
"Uh huh, sure it is twip," Terry said easily, still too disconcerted by Tim's behavior. It was hard to believe that the kid in front of him was going to be brainwashed by the Joker, before suffering decades of mental torture, coming out a broken shell of a man.
Robin raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar word before cheerily saying "Well, it's better than Boy Wonder I guess. Anything is better than that. Here, let me help you up."
Terry batted away the hand before picking himself up. "Sorry, it's justà"
"Yeah yeah, strong stubborn type. I got you," Robin shrugged off.
"It's not that, it'sà"
Robin cocked his head to the side. "Cat got your tongue?"
'I don't trust you, I can't trust you. You killed hundreds with that satellite, you nearly killed Bruce, you were everything I feared and hated. You were my enemy and I wished you were dead,' Terry did not say. But no, that had been the Joker hadn't it? Tim had just been the unfortunate carrier, forced to see the madman carve up Gotham with no real control.
Soà he had to at least try to get to know Tim. The real one, not the old man of his time, but the lively one of the past.
Terry raised his hand, "Terry," he said.
If Tim was surprised at how easily Terry had said his real name, he doubted it was a fake, he did not show it. Instead, he just put his laughably small hand to Terry's, and shook it firmly.
Terry couldn't help but shudder at the contact, half-expecting a surge of electricity from some hidden joy buzzer, but still held tight, taking in the boy's grip before letting go.
Bruce watched the two greet each other silently before finally entering the conversation. "Now that Robin's arrived, you have a new sparring partner. Go, and don't stop until I say so."
"What now?" Terry complained. "He just got here, and he's completely fresh while I've been your personal punching bag for the past hour."
"Tough." Batman glowered.
"Heh, don't let it get you down," Robin tried to assure. The gesture might have been a lot more comforting if Robin hadn't followed up with a side kick, hoping to catch Terry off guard.
Terry just barely got a block in time, and instead hurled a punch as retaliation.
"Oh shut up."
Terry was tired, sore, and aching in places he hadn't even known, but he still had power and reach over the sidekick. And slaggit all, he was the goddamn Batman. He'd never let himself lose to a Robin.
---
The next few weeks passed by without incident, as Terry continued to train. However, his exasperation at Bruce rose. After all, as appreciative as he might have been to being trained by the Old Man in his prime, Bruce hadn't done anything to help him get home. One day, his frustration finally reached it's limit, and he lashed out at Bruce while all three heroes ate breakfast.
"Why?"
Bruce didn't look up from the light meal Alfred had prepared as he asked "Why what?" fully aware of just what Terry was wanting.
"Why haven't you helped me go back?"
Robin's keen danger sense told him to back away while there was still time, and he hastily grabbed his bowl of cereal before leaving the dining room.
"I have."
"Bullshit," Terry snarled. "All you've been doing is beating me up whenever you're not on patrol. You haven't helped at all. What, are you expecting me to stay so that you can be Batman just a bit longer? Hoping that if I don't go back, that heart attack won't cripple you? Newsflash, I earned your name from you, and the Old Man needs my help. You aren't a lone wolf okay?"
Bruce didnÆt even flinch as Terry revealed just how decrepit he must have become to rely on Terry.
"Dealing with Time Travelers is problematic. The trouble that comes with trying to find one is that they have all of time to hide in."
"Speaking from personal experience? Is that how you know my name?" Terry dug.
"Yes. And believe me, I hope that you'll never see me young once you go back home. I try not to remember those memories"
Terry's mind raced as he tried to figure out what Bruce meant by that. If the two Batmen had met each other in a time so bad, he never wanted to think about it, something big was happening in his future. "That bad huh?"
The smell of Terry's flesh cooking beneath electrified whips flowed across Bruce's nose before he said. "Worse. But with any luck, you won't see that future. Trust me on that."
The two were silent, leaving a ridiculous scene. A quiet billionaire playboy working his way through a grapefruit, and a cybernetic Batman taking sips of water, with only his chin and mouth uncovered.
"I do think it's time we tried other methods to get you home. We'll have to rely on," and here Bruce grimaced. "Magic."
"Huh, never had to deal with that. ESP sure, but never magic."
"You're lucky then," Bruce admitted before switching gears. "We'll go see a practioner here in Gotham."
"We? I'm coming with you?"
"Yes. But only if you follow my directions. And do not let your guard down around him. This man is dangerous."
"Where are we going? Arkham? This guy an enemy of yours?"
"Enemy. Friend. Something in between. His name is Jason Blood.
---
Chapter 5 done. Will post Chapter 4 on FFnet later.
Tired now...need sleep.
'Pick this lock in 15 seconds.'
'10 minutes to run 2 miles, go!'
The old bat had hurled rocks whenever he felt Terry had slacked, and forced knowledge down Terry's throat until his daydreams were filled with endless chemical formulas and their effects. When Terry shut his eyes, all he could see were countless tumblers falling into place.
On one memorable occasion, after ensuring that Terry could pull himself free of handcuffs, Bruce had just hurled the teenager into the waters next to the boat, forcing Terry to try to slip away while precious oxygen slipped away. Bruce's only response after a choking Terry swam up? Again.
And so it went, with Terry's only point of relief when Tim Drake had finally returned from meeting his Titan friends to Gotham.
---
"Hey Batman, I'm- whoa!" Robin yelped as he shifted to avoid Terry's thrown form.
"Uh, who's this?" he asked.
Batman gave Robin a nod of greeting before saying "My successor. From the future apparently."
Terry's body chose that moment to throw up the bits of fruit he'd managed to choke down.
"Uh huh," Robin said, giving Terry's prone form an unsure look. "This is going to be one of those weeks isn't it?"
"What weeks?" Bruce snapped.
"The ones where Superman comes over and we have to stop aliens or something," Robin said cheekily. "So anyway! What's up?"
Terry looked up from his position on the floor. "Hopefully I will as soon as the cave stops spinning."
Thankful Bruce had decided on a helmet today, Terry wiped a bit ofà well it was something nasty, off his face and gi before turning to face Tim. "Robin huh? Nice to meet you Tim."
Tim smiled at being called his name. "Oooh, so you know me huh? I must famous in the future," he said, striking a heroic pose.
Terry hesitated before getting up. "Something like thatà you're shorter than I thought."
Tim shot Terry a scowl before dropping to a more normal form.
"My growth spurt is coming in," he defended.
"Uh huh, sure it is twip," Terry said easily, still too disconcerted by Tim's behavior. It was hard to believe that the kid in front of him was going to be brainwashed by the Joker, before suffering decades of mental torture, coming out a broken shell of a man.
Robin raised an eyebrow at the unfamiliar word before cheerily saying "Well, it's better than Boy Wonder I guess. Anything is better than that. Here, let me help you up."
Terry batted away the hand before picking himself up. "Sorry, it's justà"
"Yeah yeah, strong stubborn type. I got you," Robin shrugged off.
"It's not that, it'sà"
Robin cocked his head to the side. "Cat got your tongue?"
'I don't trust you, I can't trust you. You killed hundreds with that satellite, you nearly killed Bruce, you were everything I feared and hated. You were my enemy and I wished you were dead,' Terry did not say. But no, that had been the Joker hadn't it? Tim had just been the unfortunate carrier, forced to see the madman carve up Gotham with no real control.
Soà he had to at least try to get to know Tim. The real one, not the old man of his time, but the lively one of the past.
Terry raised his hand, "Terry," he said.
If Tim was surprised at how easily Terry had said his real name, he doubted it was a fake, he did not show it. Instead, he just put his laughably small hand to Terry's, and shook it firmly.
Terry couldn't help but shudder at the contact, half-expecting a surge of electricity from some hidden joy buzzer, but still held tight, taking in the boy's grip before letting go.
Bruce watched the two greet each other silently before finally entering the conversation. "Now that Robin's arrived, you have a new sparring partner. Go, and don't stop until I say so."
"What now?" Terry complained. "He just got here, and he's completely fresh while I've been your personal punching bag for the past hour."
"Tough." Batman glowered.
"Heh, don't let it get you down," Robin tried to assure. The gesture might have been a lot more comforting if Robin hadn't followed up with a side kick, hoping to catch Terry off guard.
Terry just barely got a block in time, and instead hurled a punch as retaliation.
"Oh shut up."
Terry was tired, sore, and aching in places he hadn't even known, but he still had power and reach over the sidekick. And slaggit all, he was the goddamn Batman. He'd never let himself lose to a Robin.
---
The next few weeks passed by without incident, as Terry continued to train. However, his exasperation at Bruce rose. After all, as appreciative as he might have been to being trained by the Old Man in his prime, Bruce hadn't done anything to help him get home. One day, his frustration finally reached it's limit, and he lashed out at Bruce while all three heroes ate breakfast.
"Why?"
Bruce didn't look up from the light meal Alfred had prepared as he asked "Why what?" fully aware of just what Terry was wanting.
"Why haven't you helped me go back?"
Robin's keen danger sense told him to back away while there was still time, and he hastily grabbed his bowl of cereal before leaving the dining room.
"I have."
"Bullshit," Terry snarled. "All you've been doing is beating me up whenever you're not on patrol. You haven't helped at all. What, are you expecting me to stay so that you can be Batman just a bit longer? Hoping that if I don't go back, that heart attack won't cripple you? Newsflash, I earned your name from you, and the Old Man needs my help. You aren't a lone wolf okay?"
Bruce didnÆt even flinch as Terry revealed just how decrepit he must have become to rely on Terry.
"Dealing with Time Travelers is problematic. The trouble that comes with trying to find one is that they have all of time to hide in."
"Speaking from personal experience? Is that how you know my name?" Terry dug.
"Yes. And believe me, I hope that you'll never see me young once you go back home. I try not to remember those memories"
Terry's mind raced as he tried to figure out what Bruce meant by that. If the two Batmen had met each other in a time so bad, he never wanted to think about it, something big was happening in his future. "That bad huh?"
The smell of Terry's flesh cooking beneath electrified whips flowed across Bruce's nose before he said. "Worse. But with any luck, you won't see that future. Trust me on that."
The two were silent, leaving a ridiculous scene. A quiet billionaire playboy working his way through a grapefruit, and a cybernetic Batman taking sips of water, with only his chin and mouth uncovered.
"I do think it's time we tried other methods to get you home. We'll have to rely on," and here Bruce grimaced. "Magic."
"Huh, never had to deal with that. ESP sure, but never magic."
"You're lucky then," Bruce admitted before switching gears. "We'll go see a practioner here in Gotham."
"We? I'm coming with you?"
"Yes. But only if you follow my directions. And do not let your guard down around him. This man is dangerous."
"Where are we going? Arkham? This guy an enemy of yours?"
"Enemy. Friend. Something in between. His name is Jason Blood.
---
Chapter 5 done. Will post Chapter 4 on FFnet later.
Tired now...need sleep.
I'd like to point out that Terry training with Tim just feels like a reaaaaally bad idea.
When the joker chipped Tim, he gained access to all of Tim's training/memories. It's why when he takes over he considers Terry such a joke, he knows he doesn't have the training and is relying on a suit, while Joker has Tim's body in it's prime (or near-prime anyhow) and with so much training.
If Tim fights Terry, one who's gotten some training in fighting already...how the hell would a less experienced Terry have beaten the Joker then? And why would the Joker treat Terry as such a joke, since he -knows- Terry has either had the training by the time they fight, or survives fighting him so he can travel back in time and get that training. He's crazy, not stupid.
This leads to one of two cliches:
1) Less experienced Terry is more chaotic/unpredictable and won only because of that and his taunts (and that's just stupid).
2) Tim gets brained with a rock at some point and gets amnesia that conviniently blocks the knowledge of training with Terry. Which not stupid, just cliched enough that I'd feel like hitting you with a rock in the head. =p
Plus, I just have trouble believing that Terry would be more concerned with separating Tim from Joker than, oh I don't know, preventing the damn trauma from occuring? That just seems so incredibly... petty?
I'd actually find it more interesting if he was sparring with Dick (as was one of the plans mentioned earlier) or heck, Barbara. Barbara would be awesome considering he's got a mental picture of her as an old lady instead of a hot young redhead and that could throw him off his game without that awkward/petty interaction with Tim and just generally the cliche problem mentioned above.
We also know that at some point between B:TAS and Mystery of the Batwoman, Barbara starts crushing on Bruce hard. What if the crush starts because of Terry? Since Terry -is- his son and all, maybe she starts seeing Terry's more positive traits in Bruce once he's gone? I dunno.
When the joker chipped Tim, he gained access to all of Tim's training/memories. It's why when he takes over he considers Terry such a joke, he knows he doesn't have the training and is relying on a suit, while Joker has Tim's body in it's prime (or near-prime anyhow) and with so much training.
If Tim fights Terry, one who's gotten some training in fighting already...how the hell would a less experienced Terry have beaten the Joker then? And why would the Joker treat Terry as such a joke, since he -knows- Terry has either had the training by the time they fight, or survives fighting him so he can travel back in time and get that training. He's crazy, not stupid.
This leads to one of two cliches:
1) Less experienced Terry is more chaotic/unpredictable and won only because of that and his taunts (and that's just stupid).
2) Tim gets brained with a rock at some point and gets amnesia that conviniently blocks the knowledge of training with Terry. Which not stupid, just cliched enough that I'd feel like hitting you with a rock in the head. =p
Plus, I just have trouble believing that Terry would be more concerned with separating Tim from Joker than, oh I don't know, preventing the damn trauma from occuring? That just seems so incredibly... petty?
I'd actually find it more interesting if he was sparring with Dick (as was one of the plans mentioned earlier) or heck, Barbara. Barbara would be awesome considering he's got a mental picture of her as an old lady instead of a hot young redhead and that could throw him off his game without that awkward/petty interaction with Tim and just generally the cliche problem mentioned above.
We also know that at some point between B:TAS and Mystery of the Batwoman, Barbara starts crushing on Bruce hard. What if the crush starts because of Terry? Since Terry -is- his son and all, maybe she starts seeing Terry's more positive traits in Bruce once he's gone? I dunno.
You also have the possibility that the entire timeline may end up changing simply by Terry going back. In JL/JLU time got messed with a few times with various time shifts. Such as when Superman got sent to the far future and the already mentioned one involving the Beyond Era.
If Terry finds that he can't just go home, then he's probably going to be changing things.
If Terry finds that he can't just go home, then he's probably going to be changing things.
<a href='http://www.fanfiction.net/s/6610264/4/' target='_blank' rel='nofollow'>Chapter 4 is up.</a>
And I really can't say much about the future (Dohoho) but Time is always kinda wonky in DC. Hopefully my explanation later won't get too many cries of 'Bullshit!' or 'According to Issue 47 of Action Comics, as backed up by Geoff Johns and Bruce Timm, etc...'
And I really can't say much about the future (Dohoho) but Time is always kinda wonky in DC. Hopefully my explanation later won't get too many cries of 'Bullshit!' or 'According to Issue 47 of Action Comics, as backed up by Geoff Johns and Bruce Timm, etc...'
Well, time in DC in general is pretty messed up just because of all the time travelers, different rules per stories, revamps/retcons, alternate earth continuities, etc.
DCAU in general, tended to go with the destiny/meant to be approach and that you can't really change time in major ways. Unless of course, you were meant to, and then it's arbitrarily decided that it was meant to be if it's a hero changing a post-apocalyptic setting.
While they have their alternate universes/futures, the general DCAU-timeline is 'destined' to head towards the Batman Beyond/Zeta Project future.
Also, while Geoff Johns can write neat stories, he's one of the biggest bullshitters/retconners in all of DC. I wouldn't trust his word as far as I could throw him. =p
DCAU in general, tended to go with the destiny/meant to be approach and that you can't really change time in major ways. Unless of course, you were meant to, and then it's arbitrarily decided that it was meant to be if it's a hero changing a post-apocalyptic setting.
While they have their alternate universes/futures, the general DCAU-timeline is 'destined' to head towards the Batman Beyond/Zeta Project future.
Also, while Geoff Johns can write neat stories, he's one of the biggest bullshitters/retconners in all of DC. I wouldn't trust his word as far as I could throw him. =p
Disclaimer: You know the drill, not my crap.
---
Chapter 6 (Insert Witty Title Here)
---
"So Doctor, what can you tell me about this man?"
"As I told you before Madam Director, a single still image of poor quality is hardly enough to get an accurate description. There is no movement, no body language to decipher, nothing," Hugo Strange said patiently.
But Amanda Waller was a stubborn woman, and she persisted before Strange reluctantly said "Well, I can tell you that is not Bruce Wayne. Even in his youth, the man had bulked up considerably, partly due to genetics, and partly due to his diet and training. This one is too skinny. If anything, I'd prefer to say that it's Dick Grayson."
"A clone of Grayson then? A Nightwing is to become Batman?"
"We still have no way of knowing the truth. With Cadmus' expertise in genetics, I would wager it is a clone. But that's still only one of several possibilities. We had planned out other ideas."
"Only as a thought provoking exercise. This was never meant to be a reality," Waller said. "And if it was, it was to take place years later. Long after now at any rate."
"There is, of course, the likelihood that this is just a random man, who's history had been unlucky enough to suffer the tragedy of becoming the Batman," Strange tried to persuade.
"But unlikely," Waller said firmly.
"At any rate, it is incredibly difficult to get a full psychological profile of a man with such little information. How go your efforts on that front by the way Director?"
"Well enough, I have several men placed on Arkham staff, and more running surveillance on several of the more prominent members of the Gotham nightlife. Penguin, Catwoman, that Blood man, and so forth. If this new one makes a move, I'll see a report," confided Waller.
"We can only hope," Strange smiled.
Amanda Waller left the office shortly after, leaving Hugo Strange alone. The Doctor kept up his little smile, and covered up his mouth, chuckling into it.
His serum was working better than he thought.
---
The two Batmen rode in near silence, with Bruce only having on the police radio playing, though he appeared to ignore any petty crimes for the night, too focused on the man they would visit. That all changed when Terry asked, "So where's Robin tonight?"
Batman's eyes flicked over to Terry's before he said "On patrol."
Terry fought down the slight panic attack, "You let him go out by himself?"
"He has his bike, a GPS beacon, and a direct link to the Watchtower. Robin can handle himself. Though the same can't be said about you."
Terry let Bruce think the jibe had pierced his skin, only wondering where those wonderful tools had been when Tim was taken by the Joker. Or would be. Gah, Time Travel was confusing.
The two came to a nondescript building, and Bruce drove to a quiet and almost hidden corner before stopping the car.
"I've called ahead, so Blood should be expecting us. How good are you at remaining hidden?" Bruce asked as he turned around.
The only thing he saw was empty space, before Terry's voice floated out from thin air. "This good enough for you?"
"It will do. How long will it last?"
"2 minutes, give or take," Terry answered as he faded back into the visible spectrum.
"How are you at wall-climbing?"
The Tomorrow Knight patted a grapple gun in answer, and the Dark Knight thought over the plan.
"I'll go first, and I'll signal you when ready. Here," Bruce said as he tossed a small device. "It'll blink when we'll be ready for you."
Terry fiddled around with the device while Bruce looked on disapprovingly. Shaking his head, Bruce left, leaving Terry alone, happy that he could irritate Bruce so much.
Bruce arrived at Jason Blood's apartment, and rapped on the glass balcony doors after rappelling up, waiting for admittance. He did not wait long, as the man's blood red hair appeared and unlocked the door.
"Enter freely and of your own will," the disgraced Knight said.
Bruce raised an eyebrow asking "Dracula?"
"A favorite of mine. I reread it every year and make sure to watch the films often," Blood explained.
Bruce gave a nod before signaling to Terry below.
Unbeknownst to the two men, they were being watched by a man across the street.
---
John Smith, a man so painfully nondescript as his name, looked across his window with a patience that bordered on the absurd. He'd spent the last seven hours, firmly locked into one position as he looked through a set of binoculars that was pointed at the home of Jason Blood stopping only to go to the bathroom once.
He left only to relieve himself at 8:00 in the morning and 5:00 in the afternoon, living on a few TV dinners during his time of assignment. He did not complain about his position, and was considered the perfect man for long term surveillance.
He barely raised an eyebrow at the sight of Batman rappelling onto Jason Blood's balcony, instead only speaking into his recorder.
"Secondary Target spotted. Awaiting Primary Target," he whispered.
His sharp eyes spotted a flash of silver in darkness, though he could see no figure anywhere near. Biting his lips, he took out a set of infrared binoculars before his lips curled into a smile.
"Primary Target spotted. Target Location: Gotham Confirmed. Use of optical camouflage; confirmed. All predicted factors matched. Confirmed use of advanced technology."
He logged in his findings before his eyes flashed. The well hidden bionic eyes glowed a startling blue for a moment, before a nearby printer sputtered to life, and left behind a series of photographs.
Realizing that he hadn't blinked in over an hour, Smith carefully closed his eyes, letting the highly efficient machines soak in moisture before opening them and started to pack up. He had what he came for. It was time to report back.
---
Terry blinked at the sight of Blood's furnished apartment. The various magical knick-knacks the man kept were grossly unsettling. He eyed a particularly vicious looking dagger that had been stained red. Probably from blood, Terry decided.
"Like it? Ancient Mayan artifact used for Ritual Sacrifice. Nice isn't it?"
"It seems expensive," Terry said carefully.
"Yeah, makes a great letter opener," Blood said with a grin.
Terry looked at the man not sure if he was being serious.
"Ignore him, Blood's drunk," Bruce rapped out.
"Yes well, forgive me for indulging a bit. When it comes to time travelers, I find it keeps the edge off the difficulties they bring."
"Hnng, if you're not being much use, how about your other half? How does it go again? Gone, gone, the form of man" Bruce started.
"Enough!" Blood nearly snarled. "Not tonight, and not for a long while. I won't have it."
"Are you alright?" Terry asked.
"No," Jason Blood admitted, "He's excited. It's all I can do to keep that monster in check right now. Almost as bad as Halloween."
"So Etrigan is keeping you occupied? No way to help us?"
"Batman, I deal with Ritual magic and auguries. You find me a killing done by magic, I can find out what did it. Black Magic? Not a problem. Time Travel? Go see Doctor Fate. He'll be the one most knowledgeable about matters like that. I'm an immortal. I travel through time in a single direction just like you."
"No luck finding le Fay?" Bruce asked.
"Not since we met that damnable whelp of hers," Blood snarled.
"Careful friend, you're sounding like him."
"I know, I know," Blood moaned, palming his face. "This damned curse. He becomes like me, and I become like him, but all that monster takes from me is cunning and guile. All he takes is 'sophistication,'" Blood mocked.
"And all that he gives me is hate," he finished bitterly. His eyes lifted themselves from his hands.
"I am so sorry Batman. But I can not help you the way you wish. All I can offer you is obvious advice. Be careful with Magic. Everything has its price, and Magic will take more than its fair share," Blood said as his eyes glittered darkly.
Blood's shoulders drooped, as though the weight of all his years caught up to him. Looking terribly old, he waved the two Batmen out.
As Bruce shut the balcony doors, Terry could only say "Well that was worthless."
Bruce looked ready to argue before deciding it too costly, only saying that it would take time to arrange a meeting with Dr. Fate.
"Let's go back."
Terry could not argue with that.
---
Yeah, Johns really wasn't the best example was he? All of his Secret Origins stories kinda piss me off. Amazes me when fanboys rave about Blackest Night and curse Infinite Crisis at the same time.
Also, Superman Secret Origin sucked total monkey balls.
---
Chapter 6 (Insert Witty Title Here)
---
"So Doctor, what can you tell me about this man?"
"As I told you before Madam Director, a single still image of poor quality is hardly enough to get an accurate description. There is no movement, no body language to decipher, nothing," Hugo Strange said patiently.
But Amanda Waller was a stubborn woman, and she persisted before Strange reluctantly said "Well, I can tell you that is not Bruce Wayne. Even in his youth, the man had bulked up considerably, partly due to genetics, and partly due to his diet and training. This one is too skinny. If anything, I'd prefer to say that it's Dick Grayson."
"A clone of Grayson then? A Nightwing is to become Batman?"
"We still have no way of knowing the truth. With Cadmus' expertise in genetics, I would wager it is a clone. But that's still only one of several possibilities. We had planned out other ideas."
"Only as a thought provoking exercise. This was never meant to be a reality," Waller said. "And if it was, it was to take place years later. Long after now at any rate."
"There is, of course, the likelihood that this is just a random man, who's history had been unlucky enough to suffer the tragedy of becoming the Batman," Strange tried to persuade.
"But unlikely," Waller said firmly.
"At any rate, it is incredibly difficult to get a full psychological profile of a man with such little information. How go your efforts on that front by the way Director?"
"Well enough, I have several men placed on Arkham staff, and more running surveillance on several of the more prominent members of the Gotham nightlife. Penguin, Catwoman, that Blood man, and so forth. If this new one makes a move, I'll see a report," confided Waller.
"We can only hope," Strange smiled.
Amanda Waller left the office shortly after, leaving Hugo Strange alone. The Doctor kept up his little smile, and covered up his mouth, chuckling into it.
His serum was working better than he thought.
---
The two Batmen rode in near silence, with Bruce only having on the police radio playing, though he appeared to ignore any petty crimes for the night, too focused on the man they would visit. That all changed when Terry asked, "So where's Robin tonight?"
Batman's eyes flicked over to Terry's before he said "On patrol."
Terry fought down the slight panic attack, "You let him go out by himself?"
"He has his bike, a GPS beacon, and a direct link to the Watchtower. Robin can handle himself. Though the same can't be said about you."
Terry let Bruce think the jibe had pierced his skin, only wondering where those wonderful tools had been when Tim was taken by the Joker. Or would be. Gah, Time Travel was confusing.
The two came to a nondescript building, and Bruce drove to a quiet and almost hidden corner before stopping the car.
"I've called ahead, so Blood should be expecting us. How good are you at remaining hidden?" Bruce asked as he turned around.
The only thing he saw was empty space, before Terry's voice floated out from thin air. "This good enough for you?"
"It will do. How long will it last?"
"2 minutes, give or take," Terry answered as he faded back into the visible spectrum.
"How are you at wall-climbing?"
The Tomorrow Knight patted a grapple gun in answer, and the Dark Knight thought over the plan.
"I'll go first, and I'll signal you when ready. Here," Bruce said as he tossed a small device. "It'll blink when we'll be ready for you."
Terry fiddled around with the device while Bruce looked on disapprovingly. Shaking his head, Bruce left, leaving Terry alone, happy that he could irritate Bruce so much.
Bruce arrived at Jason Blood's apartment, and rapped on the glass balcony doors after rappelling up, waiting for admittance. He did not wait long, as the man's blood red hair appeared and unlocked the door.
"Enter freely and of your own will," the disgraced Knight said.
Bruce raised an eyebrow asking "Dracula?"
"A favorite of mine. I reread it every year and make sure to watch the films often," Blood explained.
Bruce gave a nod before signaling to Terry below.
Unbeknownst to the two men, they were being watched by a man across the street.
---
John Smith, a man so painfully nondescript as his name, looked across his window with a patience that bordered on the absurd. He'd spent the last seven hours, firmly locked into one position as he looked through a set of binoculars that was pointed at the home of Jason Blood stopping only to go to the bathroom once.
He left only to relieve himself at 8:00 in the morning and 5:00 in the afternoon, living on a few TV dinners during his time of assignment. He did not complain about his position, and was considered the perfect man for long term surveillance.
He barely raised an eyebrow at the sight of Batman rappelling onto Jason Blood's balcony, instead only speaking into his recorder.
"Secondary Target spotted. Awaiting Primary Target," he whispered.
His sharp eyes spotted a flash of silver in darkness, though he could see no figure anywhere near. Biting his lips, he took out a set of infrared binoculars before his lips curled into a smile.
"Primary Target spotted. Target Location: Gotham Confirmed. Use of optical camouflage; confirmed. All predicted factors matched. Confirmed use of advanced technology."
He logged in his findings before his eyes flashed. The well hidden bionic eyes glowed a startling blue for a moment, before a nearby printer sputtered to life, and left behind a series of photographs.
Realizing that he hadn't blinked in over an hour, Smith carefully closed his eyes, letting the highly efficient machines soak in moisture before opening them and started to pack up. He had what he came for. It was time to report back.
---
Terry blinked at the sight of Blood's furnished apartment. The various magical knick-knacks the man kept were grossly unsettling. He eyed a particularly vicious looking dagger that had been stained red. Probably from blood, Terry decided.
"Like it? Ancient Mayan artifact used for Ritual Sacrifice. Nice isn't it?"
"It seems expensive," Terry said carefully.
"Yeah, makes a great letter opener," Blood said with a grin.
Terry looked at the man not sure if he was being serious.
"Ignore him, Blood's drunk," Bruce rapped out.
"Yes well, forgive me for indulging a bit. When it comes to time travelers, I find it keeps the edge off the difficulties they bring."
"Hnng, if you're not being much use, how about your other half? How does it go again? Gone, gone, the form of man" Bruce started.
"Enough!" Blood nearly snarled. "Not tonight, and not for a long while. I won't have it."
"Are you alright?" Terry asked.
"No," Jason Blood admitted, "He's excited. It's all I can do to keep that monster in check right now. Almost as bad as Halloween."
"So Etrigan is keeping you occupied? No way to help us?"
"Batman, I deal with Ritual magic and auguries. You find me a killing done by magic, I can find out what did it. Black Magic? Not a problem. Time Travel? Go see Doctor Fate. He'll be the one most knowledgeable about matters like that. I'm an immortal. I travel through time in a single direction just like you."
"No luck finding le Fay?" Bruce asked.
"Not since we met that damnable whelp of hers," Blood snarled.
"Careful friend, you're sounding like him."
"I know, I know," Blood moaned, palming his face. "This damned curse. He becomes like me, and I become like him, but all that monster takes from me is cunning and guile. All he takes is 'sophistication,'" Blood mocked.
"And all that he gives me is hate," he finished bitterly. His eyes lifted themselves from his hands.
"I am so sorry Batman. But I can not help you the way you wish. All I can offer you is obvious advice. Be careful with Magic. Everything has its price, and Magic will take more than its fair share," Blood said as his eyes glittered darkly.
Blood's shoulders drooped, as though the weight of all his years caught up to him. Looking terribly old, he waved the two Batmen out.
As Bruce shut the balcony doors, Terry could only say "Well that was worthless."
Bruce looked ready to argue before deciding it too costly, only saying that it would take time to arrange a meeting with Dr. Fate.
"Let's go back."
Terry could not argue with that.
---
Yeah, Johns really wasn't the best example was he? All of his Secret Origins stories kinda piss me off. Amazes me when fanboys rave about Blackest Night and curse Infinite Crisis at the same time.
Also, Superman Secret Origin sucked total monkey balls.
Chapter 6, edited in it's entirety with added suggestions.
---
Disclaimer: You know the drill. Don't own anything but the clothes on my back. And my laptop. And my... you know what? I own a lot of stuff. Forget it, but not DC.
---
"So Doctor, what can you tell me about this man?"
"As I told you before Madam Director, a single still image of poor quality is hardly enough to get an accurate description. There is no movement, no body language to decipher, nothing," Hugo Strange said patiently.
But Amanda Waller was a stubborn woman, and she persisted before Strange reluctantly said "Well, I can tell you that is not Bruce Wayne. Even in his youth, the man had bulked up considerably, partly due to genetics, and partly due to his diet and training. This one is too skinny. If anything, I'd prefer to say that it's Dick Grayson."
"A clone of Grayson then? A Nightwing is to become Batman?"
"We still have no way of knowing the truth. With Cadmus' expertise in genetics, I would wager it is a clone. But that's still only one of several possibilities. We had planned out other ideas."
"Only as a thought provoking exercise. This was never meant to be a reality," Waller said. "And if it was, it was to take place years later. Long after now at any rate."
"There is, of course, the likelihood that this is just a random man, who's history had been unlucky enough to suffer the tragedy of becoming the Batman," Strange tried to persuade.
"But unlikely," Waller said firmly.
"At any rate, it is incredibly difficult to get a full psychological profile of a man with such little information. How go your efforts on that front by the way Director?"
"Well enough, I have several men placed on Arkham staff, and more running surveillance on several of the more prominent members of the Gotham nightlife. Penguin, Catwoman, that Blood man, and so forth. If this new one makes a move, I'll see a report," confided Waller.
"We can only hope," Strange smiled.
Amanda Waller left the office shortly after, leaving Hugo Strange alone. The Doctor kept up his little smile, and covered up his mouth, chuckling into it.
His serum was working better than he thought.
---
The two Batmen rode in near silence, with Bruce only having on the police radio playing, though he appeared to ignore any petty crimes for the night, too focused on the man they would visit. That all changed when Terry asked, "So where's Robin tonight?"
Batman's eyes flicked over to Terry's before he said "On patrol."
Terry fought down the slight panic attack, "You let him go out by himself?"
"He has his bike, a GPS beacon, and a direct link to the Watchtower. Robin can handle himself. Though the same can't be said about you."
Terry let Bruce think the jibe had pierced his skin, only wondering where those wonderful tools had been when Tim was taken by the Joker. Or would be. Gah, Time Travel was confusing.
The two came to a nondescript building, and Bruce drove to a quiet and almost hidden corner before stopping the car.
"I've called ahead, so Blood should be expecting us. How good are you at remaining hidden?" Bruce asked as he turned around.
The only thing he saw was empty space, before Terry's voice floated out from thin air. "This good enough for you?"
"It will do. How long will it last?"
"2 minutes, give or take," Terry answered as he faded back into the visible spectrum.
"How are you at wall-climbing?"
The Tomorrow Knight patted a grapple gun in answer, and the Dark Knight thought over the plan.
"I'll go first, and I'll signal you when ready. Here," Bruce said as he tossed a small device. "It'll blink when we'll be ready for you."
Terry fiddled around with the device while Bruce looked on disapprovingly. Shaking his head, Bruce left, leaving Terry alone, happy that he could irritate Bruce so much.
Bruce arrived at Jason Blood's apartment, and rapped on the glass balcony doors after rappelling up, waiting for admittance. He did not wait long, as the man's blood red hair appeared and unlocked the door.
"Enter freely and of your own will," the disgraced Knight said.
Bruce raised an eyebrow asking "Dracula?"
"A favorite of mine. I reread it every year and make sure to watch the films often," Blood explained.
Bruce gave a nod before signaling to Terry below.
Unbeknownst to the two men, they were being watched by a man across the street.
---
John Smith, a man so painfully nondescript as his name, looked across his window with a patience that bordered on the absurd. He'd spent the last seven hours, firmly locked into one position as he looked through a set of binoculars that was pointed at the home of Jason Blood stopping only to go to the bathroom once.
He left only to relieve himself at 8:00 in the morning and 5:00 in the afternoon, living on a few TV dinners during his time of assignment. He did not complain about his position, and was considered the perfect man for long term surveillance.
He barely raised an eyebrow at the sight of Batman rappelling onto Jason Blood's balcony, instead only speaking into his recorder.
"Secondary Target spotted. Awaiting Primary Target," he whispered.
His sharp eyes spotted a flash of silver in darkness, though he could see no figure anywhere near. Biting his lips, he took out a set of infrared binoculars before his lips curled into a smile.
"Primary Target spotted. Target Location: Gotham Confirmed. Use of optical camouflage; confirmed. All predicted factors matched. Confirmed use of advanced technology."
He logged in his findings before his eyes flashed. The well hidden bionic eyes glowed a startling blue for a moment, before a nearby printer sputtered to life, and left behind a series of photographs.
Realizing that he hadn't blinked in over an hour, Smith carefully closed his eyes, letting the highly efficient machines soak in moisture before opening them and started to pack up. He had what he came for. It was time to report back.
---
Terry blinked at the sight of Blood's furnished apartment. The various magical knick-knacks the man kept were grossly unsettling. He eyed a particularly vicious looking dagger that had been stained red. Probably from blood, Terry decided.
"Like it? Ancient Mayan artifact used for Ritual Sacrifice. Nice isn't it?"
"It seems expensive," Terry said carefully.
"Yeah, makes a great letter opener," Blood said with a grin.
Terry looked at the man not sure if he was being serious.
"Ignore him, Blood's drunk," Bruce rapped out.
"Yes well, forgive me for indulging a bit. When it comes to time travelers, I find it keeps the edge off the difficulties they bring."
"Hnng, if you're not being much use, how about your other half? How does it go again? Gone, gone, the form of man" Bruce started.
"Enough!" Blood nearly snarled. "Not tonight, and not for a long while. I won't have it."
"Are you alright?" Terry asked.
"No," Jason Blood admitted, "He's excited. It's all I can do to keep that monster in check right now. Almost as bad as Halloween."
"So Etrigan is keeping you occupied? No way to help us?"
"Batman, I deal with Ritual magic and auguries. You find me a killing done by magic, I can find out what did it. Black Magic? Not a problem. Time Travel? Go see Doctor Fate. He'll be the one most knowledgeable about matters like that. I'm an immortal. I travel through time in a single direction just like you."
"No luck finding le Fay?" Bruce asked.
"Not since we met that damnable whelp of hers," Blood snarled.
"Careful friend, you're sounding like him."
"I know, I know," Blood moaned, palming his face. "This damned curse. He becomes like me, and I become like him, but all that monster takes from me is cunning and guile. All he takes is 'sophistication,'" Blood mocked.
"And all that he gives me is hate," he finished bitterly. His eyes lifted themselves from his hands.
"I am so sorry Batman. But I can not help you the way you wish. All I can offer you is obvious advice. Be careful with Magic. Everything has its price, and Magic will take more than its fair share," Blood said as his eyes glittered darkly.
Blood's shoulders drooped, as though the weight of all his years caught up to him. Looking terribly old, he waved the two Batmen out.
As Bruce shut the balcony doors, Terry could only say "Well that was worthless."
Bruce looked ready to argue before deciding it too costly to argue, only saying that it would take time to arrange a meeting with Dr. Fate.
"Let's go back."
Terry could not argue with that.
---
As soon as Amanda Waller had the report in hand, she called a priority meeting of all department heads. After the last had taken their seat, and she was sure the room was clear of all bugs, she started the meeting. Not even bothering to beat around the bush, she dropped her bombshell.
"For those of you who have been uninformed, there has been a rumor of a Batman coming here from the future. An actual Time Traveler. This has just been confirmed."
The assembled group began to whisper to each other, curious as to where Waller was going with this, wondering what the affairs of the League had to do with Cadmus after the Braniac Disaster.
"It is also my firm belief, that this Batman is Cadmus property. Certain facts have convinced me that in the future, Cadmus picks itself up from our current state to rise from the ashes gentlemen. We are the Phoenix of myth. If Cadmus had made a Batman for Tomorrow, what else could we accomplish? What have we accomplished in all those decades our Batman had come from? The key lies in him of course," Waller smiled.
Her audience was captivated by her spiel. "If Cadmus is to be great once more, we must have that Batman."
Professor Rossi of Cybernetics spoke up, "With all due respect Director Waller, the status quo is more than acceptable right now. Our capacity may have been diminished, our military might has been downsized, but the government is pouring gold into our coffers. Science is progressing at rates we'd never thought possible before. Do we really need him?"
"Yes," Waller clarified. "We are strong, but with the new Batman, history will vindicate us. Batman never outfits himself in anything but the best. That suit must have riches we can't even imagine, and the historical records it must contain will guide us in ways that we thought impossible."
The board seemed mollified at this, but Waller was not comforted. She still had one more bombshell to drop, and quickly too before these brilliant minds dug too deeply at her words.
"So I am ordering the activation of Plan Omega-39."
"Director, you can not do this!" shouted Emil Hamilton. His face was flushed with horror as he gripped his PDA hard enough to crack the casing.
More than a few heads looked confused, never having heard of this so called plan, and as one, the entire Board of Directors of Cadmus pulled up the relevant file on the laptops in front of them while others looked at Hamilton quizzically.
"T-this is absurd!"
"Insanity!"
Waller waited for the Board to get over their outrage. As one, the disturbed group turned to Emil Hamilton to answer for them.
"Director Waller, surely you can not be serious? I was there when we made the plan yes, but it was never more than a contingency. Something to be done in case of a tragedy or if the Batman failed in his duties. We can't-"
"You are wrong Emil," Waller stated. "Omega-39 was always meant to occur. The timetable has just been pushed up. That madhouse is too dangerous, and this plan is the only way the new Batman will reveal himself. The old one would keep him inside otherwise. Only in case of a catastrophe like this is there the slightest chance he would come. And for something like this, something that could shake the world so, I would move mountains, I would destroy cities."
The cold look in Waller's eyes made Professor Hamilton nervous. There was a glint he didn't like, but there was no chance he could overrule her. Cadmus was not a democracy, and was never meant to be one. There was a clear cut chain of command, and Waller stood at the very top.
"By this time next week, Jeremiah Arkham is to have vanished, with over 2 billion dollars missing from the Arkham fund, the entirety of place's reserves for all its maintenance and upgrades, with a mass breakout of all its inmates. Gotham will panic, criminals will run amuck, and in the end, after Batman can not stop the flood, Cadmus and the government will come in and finally lock those psychotics away in a place so dark, the light of God will never shine down on them."
"Are there any questions?" the Director asked.
Doctor Emile Dorian of Genetics seemed ready to speak up before he folded his hands. Thisoutburst was unlike Director Waller. And she'd spoken her plans so quickly, one after the other. Was she trying to divert attention away from something? He'd recently been approached by a coalition of countries, trying to take him away to a new Organization. Careful probing had given him evidence enough to know that Hugo Strange, former fellow inmate of Arkham was taking the bait, but had Waller decided to abandon ship as well? That was unlikely unless
"No? Then get to it gentlemen."
As the group hesitantly rose, exchanging nervous looks, Dr. Strange and Dr. Emile Dorian glanced at each other, sharing nearly imperceptible nods.
The two men made their way to Strange's office, where a chess game was well underway. It had evolved to midgame, and the two took their spots.
"Interesting isn't it? I had no idea the director was so full of fire."
Strange didn't even look up from the board, only saying "Very."
Impatient, Dorian tapped a pawn repeatedly against the glass table, annoyed at the man in front of him before asking "How long have you been working on her?"
"Month after month. So much preparation," Strange said.
"How did you do it? Was it some kind of toxin? A pheromone?" Dorian asked. "I may be a geneticist, but I'm still quite knowledgeable in chemistry you know."
Strange lifted a Knight and carefully moved it before saying "I'm much more than an inventor and psychiatrist than you think. I helped design some of the super-soldier serums we'd been experimenting with. I received some help from Dr. Crane a while back, but while he was helpful after all the trouble I took to get him to focus on something besides fear, he didn't really provide anything new. But the initial compound we created was very successful. After that, it only took a few implanted suggestions. I won't say much more than that."
Dorian hemmed and hawed, as he considered his move, "Is she aware? You and I both know that she feels that the League is doing good work these days. This fanaticism is out of character for her."
"In some isolated corner of her mind, most likely yes, but as you know, Waller always put up a dedicated front whenever she dealt with people. This is only a small step forward really in their hearts. They have no clue of her true personality. Ironic that her own stonewalling proves to be her defeat"
"But still, all this trouble couldn't we just infiltrate the cave? Take this Batman directly without all this violence?" Dorian asked.
"Ah, but you see, Bruce Wayne is smart enough to know when to swallow his pride. Or so he thinks. If his inner sanctum is breached, he would think nothing of calling on the League. There is a reason his cave possesses a direct line to the Watchtower. But Gotham? Batman is a greedy toddler who wants to keep his sandbox to himself. More problematic, but much easier. Trust me," Strange explained.
Dr. Dorian finally made his move, slamming a single piece to take the Rook Strange had left vulnerable musing "I suppose once we move in to take control of the city, our benefactors will be quite pleased."
Strange nodded. "The international community has been quite active you know. Washington isn't the only place concerned about metahumans. They've finally begun to merge all the groups together, hoping a united front will work. Cadmus will be discredited and most likely dissolved while a select few of us will rise."
"And America is the last piece of the puzzle," Dorian chuckled. "Or perhaps the final gear to get the machine moving. I think Hamilton's been approached you know?"
"Oh? That is surprising. How did he respond?"
"The man's too loyal and whipped by fear now. The League's scared him with the wrath of angry gods. Bah, a man of science brought so low. Shameful," Dorian tutted.
"Omega-39 it should make quite a splash don't you think? But I think I can improve the plan a bit. And Waller can't complain. Her men will only be doing her job to their utmost. Excellence above excellence. That's the sort of quality she's been wanting no?"
Both scientists gave dark chuckles as the game went on.
---
The magic portal to Dr. Fate's realm led to a quaintly parlor Terry was honestly surprised by. The decorum didn't match anything Terry thought an all powerful Magician would use. In a lone corner, 2 towering men were hunched over a small table engrossed in a game. Bruce had told Terry about the two in advanced. Aquaman and the Android, the rarely used team in the League.
"Checkmate," the gold-colored robot said cheerfully. "Shall we play again?"
The blonded-haired man brushed a lock of hair with a dangerous looking claw, seemingly unaware of how close he'd come to slicing open his scalp before saying "What's the point? I always lose."
"But your skills always improve with every game," the Android complimented.
Aquaman sneered before turning to face the guests.
"Batman, Fate's waiting for the kid in the room," he waved. "You want to take the tin man off my hands for a bit?"
"I'll pass Arthur."
Rebuffing Aquaman, Bruce followed Terry in where Dr. Fate was standing."
"You've arrived," the powerful Sorcerer noted.
"You know why we came here Doctor. Can you get him home?" Batman asked, foregoing the pleasantries.
Fate steepled his hands together before admitting that it was certainly within his capabilites, though he warned the two that the spell was dangerous and comprehensive.
"It will take me several weeks to gather the ingredients. However, it would be best if we wait until a Blue Moon can be found. The extra power granted by the Lunar Forces would make the journey far less perilous."
"That's two years from now, we can't wait that long!" Bruce exclaimed.
"That is the safest time to perform the spell Batman. Otherwise there is a great chance that your successor here might find that if he gets home, he will have left a limb 20 years back. That is the risk with magic," Fate said as he cocked his helmet to the side. "And as he is time travelling, he would only arrive minutes, if not seconds, after his initial travel. An extra year or two of wait is not so much to ask is it?"
"Yes it is!" Terry blurted. "I-I have a life outside of Batman. My friends, my-"
"Don't finish that sentence!" Bruce roared. "I don't want to hear anything about the future. The slightest detail is too dangerous."
Dr. Fate glanced at Bruce before asking him to leave the room. With a fierce glare, Batman fought Fate before silently acquiescing to the magician's order, swirling his cape as he left.
"Inza will get you some refreshments," Fate said.
Bruce almost slammed the door behind him as he came face to face with the amused superheroes outside.
"Chess?" The Android asked.
Bruce let by a strangled snarl at the question before the entertained android went to a shelf and began pulling out various games.
"I also have Monopoly if you would like. And Chutes and Ladders is very popular I'm told."
Fully aware of the Android's cosmic power, Batman reluctantly sat at the game table while Arthur looked on amused.
"I must warn you Batman, that if we are to play Monopoly, I insist that the vintage automobile be my avatar. If it must come to blows, then so be it," the Android said solemnly.
That was the last straw for Arthur as he burst into laughter, the King of Atlantis reduced to clutching at his sides as the great Batman was brought so low.
---
"Look, I'm sorry Doctor, but I have to go home."
"I understand that Batman," Fate soothed. "And I will try my utmost to get you home as quickly and safely as possible. If it can be done before the Blue Moon, I will let you know."
Terry was still not comforted by the Magician's assurances, but did not let it show on his face.
"But that is not the main reason I sent your predecessor away. I must warn you."
"What? That magic is dangerous? I've already been told that," Terry snapped.
"That is sage advice," the old man said. "But not what I wanted to tell you."
Terry sat down rudely on a nearby armchair, waiting for the man to continue.
"Time is tricky. You see, there are some who believe that Time is a river to be changed at will, others believe it immutable," he began, searching for his words carefully. "I realize how impossible it may sound, but there are being far above the likes of you and me. Above even the gods we know to exist, and they are called the Endless. They are unbeatable concepts who were here when the Universe was born, and will be here until the last speck of anything burns away. Among their number is one named Destiny."
Fate spoke the name with reverence and a hint of fear.
"Destiny has with him a book, an ancient tome as old as he that has within it the history of the Universe, from its beginnings to its end. And from the book of lore, Destiny forever reads from it, and seeing all of history as he does. It is due to this that many believe Time is something set in stone."
"So you're telling me I've been here in the past already? First time I've ever heard it," Terry mused.
"And yet history itself can be altered you see? Once, several years ago Superman was sent to the future where man had died under the heel of an Immortal named Savage, and yet once he came back, the future was changed. History was changed."
"So Destiny's little book was wrong."
"No," Fate said. "You see, nothing in the Universe happens until Destiny reads from his tome. It is like the famed Schrodinger's Cat. The book may have within it all the possible future in the world, and when Destiny reads from it, the tome itself alters to match the history being read. Of course, this is all conjecture."
Terry clutched his head to ward off the pain, "I got to say Doc, you're not really making anything clearer."
"My apologies, but the story was needed for you to get the context of what it is I was going to say. After hearing all this, and even seeing Destiny in person-"
"You met the guy in the flesh?" Terry interrupted.
"Once. It was terrifying beyond measure, but after seeing him, I concluded that Time is fluid, and able to be changed in small ways. But of course, the problem is that we have no way to know what small changes consist of, or whether or not you've already changed your past."
"So, anything I do here, might work to change the future?" Terry asked as his mind raced to uncover the possibilities. He could save Tim Drake. He could stop Barbara Gordon from becoming the angry woman he knew. He could save Superman. He he could do anything!
"Yes" Fate whispered. "But you see, that may no longer be the case. The Helm of Nabu I wear now gives me a certain amount of prescience. And it showed me time being fractured."
"What?" Terry asked, unsure just what Fate meant.
"There was a man calling himself Chronos. He fancied himself a god of Time after his power drove him mad. He ruined time with his own whims as he collected trophies for himself. Ships, armies, palaces, and so much more became his private collection, and spacetime trembled under the strain And then he did the impossible. He went to the beginning of Time, perhaps even before the Endless. Had he accomplished his goal, the whole of time would have been his, compared to the relatively petty accomplishments he'd made before."
"So what happened?" Terry asked, actually intrigued by the story.
"Your mentor and Green Lantern stopped him just seconds away from total victory. It is due to their efforts that Time is stable. Relatively that is," Fate answered.
"Wow," Terry whispered, craning his head to the door as though he could see Bruce through the mahogany frame. "He never told me about that."
"That would be because he never did it," Fate said.
Terry sighed, "And now we're back to being confusing again."
"The Batman of your time at the instant you remember had never done such a thing, however, when the current Batman stopped Chronos, time shifted to accommodate the change. Henceforth, Destiny's reading revealed that the Batman and Green Lantern stopped the madman forever, after which it became true history. After that pivotal instant, the future changed the past, and vice-versa. Everything affects each other, do you see?"
"No," Terry admitted. "This is way beyond me."
Dr. Fate smiled under his helmet before saying "At any rate, the important thing is this. By coming here, you have the potential to change the future, and may have already done so. However, Chronos' meddling has caused the timeline to become fragile and weak. Nothing is concrete. Although History has a tendency to correct itself, it's own immune system of sorts," Fate explained, "It is now incredibly stretched, and any further actions by you may alter things drastically. So it is my advice that you do nothing. For all you know, even the slightest meeting between a mailman or waitress might erase you from time. Or say perhaps you remove a mob boss from power? What happens if a worse and more bloodthirsty one rises in his stead? It is a fine line you are crossing Batman. Before there was a certain amount of leeway. Unless people acted directly to alter the timeline irrevocably, they had a form of protection against Time's currents. A bubble of sorts which left them existing, only changing the slightest of events. Now after Chronos that protection is non-existent."
Terry's eyes narrowed before he forced Fate to explain. "You want me to stay here where I can't damage anything."
"It would be most preferable yes," the Doctor said.
"I can't do that."
"That is always your choice Batman. I am just here to illuminate your path."
Fate opened the door to the parlor, and led Terry outside where the young Batman couldn't help but snort at the sight of Bruce intently focused on what looked like a children's board game.
"Having fun?"
"Hardly," Bruce responded. "Did you get what you wanted?"
"Didn't get what I wanted, but got some stuff I needed apparently," Terry said cryptically.
At that moment, Doctor Fate's wife Inza entered the room with a loaded tray.
"Leaving so soon?" she asked. "Why not stay for some food?"
Terry had to admit it was a tempting proposition. The food looked great. He was just about to reach over and grab something when the Android suddenly interrupted.
"Batman. Both of you, stop. There is something you need to see," he said without any of the childlike wonder he could display sometimes.
He raised an arm and as though by magic, a series of images popped up. Terry recognized it as a news screen when with a wave of the Android's arm, the screens multiplied a good dozen times. He and Bruce both stared in horror as snatches of the anchormen and reporters voices came through.
"-plosion at Arkham Asylum confirmed."
"Mass Breakout has been spotted, our helicopter is on the scene now."
Terry focused on the one that said that, grimacing at the low quality video as he stared at hundreds of madmen, dressed in the garbs of inmates streamed out of the burning Asylum.
"Tom, we believe that the generators powering the asylum were destroyed, and that all power lines from the city were cut. As you can see even the backup generators, meant to power the cell doors of the inmates were wiped. As we speak, the inmates are rushing out of oh no. God no! What is that? It's- is that? Mr. Free-"
The screen was awash with static and Terry feared the worst.
"Folks, I'm sorry, but we've had to cut the feed now we-"
"Scattered reports indicate that the vast majority of the legendary Batman's 'Rogue Gallery' has escaped. The current list includes, but is not limited to: The Joker, The Riddler, Two-Face, Killer Croc, Clayface, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Firefly, Mr. Freeze, Killer Moth, Maxie Ze-"
"This just in, a website never known before has just gone viral with these series of images. Viewers, these images may be too graphic and I advise caution."
Terry fought the urge to throw up as a bloody lump of meat he vaguely recognized as human showed up. He recognized straw colored hair, but through all the bloody organs that shone in the lighting made it difficult to tell. The vague shape of a skull could be seen, but that was only possibly to know by the eyes lying several inches away from the caved in face. The image blinked a bit before the next image flashed in.
Jeremiah Arkham dressed in red
Got too greedy, and now he's dead
Where's the money we don't know
But in the city of Bats it's sure to show
The words had been painstakingly rendered in blood, and the odd poem ended with what seemed like a signature. A lone Question Mark.
"Everyone, we've just heard unconfirmed reports that a sum totaling 1.93 billion dollars, the entirety of the funding that goes into Arkham's high-tech maintenance and upkeep has been found missing from the accounts and private vault used by the Asylum. If the images are correctly interpreted, the money is assumed to be here. In Gotham."
Terry looked to Fate only to see him shake his head sadly. He checked this historical archives, looking for that date of the Asylum's fall. The place was shut down for decades, so was this already prior history?
No. Mismanagement had finally allowed the Asylum to gasp its dying breaths before the Government stopped its funding. This breakout never happened. It was never supposed to happen.
It is now incredibly stretched, and any further actions by you may alter things drastically. So it is my advice that you do nothing.
Too late for that. Something, somewhere had gone terribly wrong and Gotham City was paying its price.
Terry and Bruce both exchanged glances before turning to Fate.
"The cave! Now!"
---
The Chess match had entered endgame now. The two scientists of Cadmus focused only on the board, though the TV in the background continued to display its macabre news.
"Well done," Emile Dorian congratulated.
"Thank you," Strange acknowledged with a regal tilt of his head.
"I assume the money isn't in Gotham of course," Dorian said.
"Only fools would believe that the Riddler wrote something that clear cut. No, the money is safe with us. Though I can't say the same for Nygma! The entire city must be out to get him."
"The good thing about fools," Dorian murmured, "Is that there are so many of them ready to believe anything they see. Never a shortage haha, Waller must be beside herself."
"No doubt," Strange smiled, "After all her agents just excelled in their duties. Nothing she can say anything bad about. And the news hasn't reported this, but the mobs well they're reacting quite spectacularly. There have been group breakouts before of course, but nothing on this scale. Every single boss with enough money is grabbing ahold of any mercenary and down-on-his luck soldier he can find. Total war is just hours away."
"To Gotham!" Dorian toasted with a Rook, "To the Asylum's utter fall, and our ascension!"
"Yes, Cadmus will be revealed to have been behind it all, and everyone here is going to be rendered jobless and destitute. Which leaves them easy pickings for our new group once we swoop in and save the day. Or night rather."
"Hmm, you know it occurs to me that simply calling it 'The Group' isn't quite the best of names. Do you have any in mind?" Dorian asked.
"Oh I'm sure one will come to me in time," Strange said as he raised his last Bishop.
"Checkmate."
---
Disclaimer: You know the drill. Don't own anything but the clothes on my back. And my laptop. And my... you know what? I own a lot of stuff. Forget it, but not DC.
---
"So Doctor, what can you tell me about this man?"
"As I told you before Madam Director, a single still image of poor quality is hardly enough to get an accurate description. There is no movement, no body language to decipher, nothing," Hugo Strange said patiently.
But Amanda Waller was a stubborn woman, and she persisted before Strange reluctantly said "Well, I can tell you that is not Bruce Wayne. Even in his youth, the man had bulked up considerably, partly due to genetics, and partly due to his diet and training. This one is too skinny. If anything, I'd prefer to say that it's Dick Grayson."
"A clone of Grayson then? A Nightwing is to become Batman?"
"We still have no way of knowing the truth. With Cadmus' expertise in genetics, I would wager it is a clone. But that's still only one of several possibilities. We had planned out other ideas."
"Only as a thought provoking exercise. This was never meant to be a reality," Waller said. "And if it was, it was to take place years later. Long after now at any rate."
"There is, of course, the likelihood that this is just a random man, who's history had been unlucky enough to suffer the tragedy of becoming the Batman," Strange tried to persuade.
"But unlikely," Waller said firmly.
"At any rate, it is incredibly difficult to get a full psychological profile of a man with such little information. How go your efforts on that front by the way Director?"
"Well enough, I have several men placed on Arkham staff, and more running surveillance on several of the more prominent members of the Gotham nightlife. Penguin, Catwoman, that Blood man, and so forth. If this new one makes a move, I'll see a report," confided Waller.
"We can only hope," Strange smiled.
Amanda Waller left the office shortly after, leaving Hugo Strange alone. The Doctor kept up his little smile, and covered up his mouth, chuckling into it.
His serum was working better than he thought.
---
The two Batmen rode in near silence, with Bruce only having on the police radio playing, though he appeared to ignore any petty crimes for the night, too focused on the man they would visit. That all changed when Terry asked, "So where's Robin tonight?"
Batman's eyes flicked over to Terry's before he said "On patrol."
Terry fought down the slight panic attack, "You let him go out by himself?"
"He has his bike, a GPS beacon, and a direct link to the Watchtower. Robin can handle himself. Though the same can't be said about you."
Terry let Bruce think the jibe had pierced his skin, only wondering where those wonderful tools had been when Tim was taken by the Joker. Or would be. Gah, Time Travel was confusing.
The two came to a nondescript building, and Bruce drove to a quiet and almost hidden corner before stopping the car.
"I've called ahead, so Blood should be expecting us. How good are you at remaining hidden?" Bruce asked as he turned around.
The only thing he saw was empty space, before Terry's voice floated out from thin air. "This good enough for you?"
"It will do. How long will it last?"
"2 minutes, give or take," Terry answered as he faded back into the visible spectrum.
"How are you at wall-climbing?"
The Tomorrow Knight patted a grapple gun in answer, and the Dark Knight thought over the plan.
"I'll go first, and I'll signal you when ready. Here," Bruce said as he tossed a small device. "It'll blink when we'll be ready for you."
Terry fiddled around with the device while Bruce looked on disapprovingly. Shaking his head, Bruce left, leaving Terry alone, happy that he could irritate Bruce so much.
Bruce arrived at Jason Blood's apartment, and rapped on the glass balcony doors after rappelling up, waiting for admittance. He did not wait long, as the man's blood red hair appeared and unlocked the door.
"Enter freely and of your own will," the disgraced Knight said.
Bruce raised an eyebrow asking "Dracula?"
"A favorite of mine. I reread it every year and make sure to watch the films often," Blood explained.
Bruce gave a nod before signaling to Terry below.
Unbeknownst to the two men, they were being watched by a man across the street.
---
John Smith, a man so painfully nondescript as his name, looked across his window with a patience that bordered on the absurd. He'd spent the last seven hours, firmly locked into one position as he looked through a set of binoculars that was pointed at the home of Jason Blood stopping only to go to the bathroom once.
He left only to relieve himself at 8:00 in the morning and 5:00 in the afternoon, living on a few TV dinners during his time of assignment. He did not complain about his position, and was considered the perfect man for long term surveillance.
He barely raised an eyebrow at the sight of Batman rappelling onto Jason Blood's balcony, instead only speaking into his recorder.
"Secondary Target spotted. Awaiting Primary Target," he whispered.
His sharp eyes spotted a flash of silver in darkness, though he could see no figure anywhere near. Biting his lips, he took out a set of infrared binoculars before his lips curled into a smile.
"Primary Target spotted. Target Location: Gotham Confirmed. Use of optical camouflage; confirmed. All predicted factors matched. Confirmed use of advanced technology."
He logged in his findings before his eyes flashed. The well hidden bionic eyes glowed a startling blue for a moment, before a nearby printer sputtered to life, and left behind a series of photographs.
Realizing that he hadn't blinked in over an hour, Smith carefully closed his eyes, letting the highly efficient machines soak in moisture before opening them and started to pack up. He had what he came for. It was time to report back.
---
Terry blinked at the sight of Blood's furnished apartment. The various magical knick-knacks the man kept were grossly unsettling. He eyed a particularly vicious looking dagger that had been stained red. Probably from blood, Terry decided.
"Like it? Ancient Mayan artifact used for Ritual Sacrifice. Nice isn't it?"
"It seems expensive," Terry said carefully.
"Yeah, makes a great letter opener," Blood said with a grin.
Terry looked at the man not sure if he was being serious.
"Ignore him, Blood's drunk," Bruce rapped out.
"Yes well, forgive me for indulging a bit. When it comes to time travelers, I find it keeps the edge off the difficulties they bring."
"Hnng, if you're not being much use, how about your other half? How does it go again? Gone, gone, the form of man" Bruce started.
"Enough!" Blood nearly snarled. "Not tonight, and not for a long while. I won't have it."
"Are you alright?" Terry asked.
"No," Jason Blood admitted, "He's excited. It's all I can do to keep that monster in check right now. Almost as bad as Halloween."
"So Etrigan is keeping you occupied? No way to help us?"
"Batman, I deal with Ritual magic and auguries. You find me a killing done by magic, I can find out what did it. Black Magic? Not a problem. Time Travel? Go see Doctor Fate. He'll be the one most knowledgeable about matters like that. I'm an immortal. I travel through time in a single direction just like you."
"No luck finding le Fay?" Bruce asked.
"Not since we met that damnable whelp of hers," Blood snarled.
"Careful friend, you're sounding like him."
"I know, I know," Blood moaned, palming his face. "This damned curse. He becomes like me, and I become like him, but all that monster takes from me is cunning and guile. All he takes is 'sophistication,'" Blood mocked.
"And all that he gives me is hate," he finished bitterly. His eyes lifted themselves from his hands.
"I am so sorry Batman. But I can not help you the way you wish. All I can offer you is obvious advice. Be careful with Magic. Everything has its price, and Magic will take more than its fair share," Blood said as his eyes glittered darkly.
Blood's shoulders drooped, as though the weight of all his years caught up to him. Looking terribly old, he waved the two Batmen out.
As Bruce shut the balcony doors, Terry could only say "Well that was worthless."
Bruce looked ready to argue before deciding it too costly to argue, only saying that it would take time to arrange a meeting with Dr. Fate.
"Let's go back."
Terry could not argue with that.
---
As soon as Amanda Waller had the report in hand, she called a priority meeting of all department heads. After the last had taken their seat, and she was sure the room was clear of all bugs, she started the meeting. Not even bothering to beat around the bush, she dropped her bombshell.
"For those of you who have been uninformed, there has been a rumor of a Batman coming here from the future. An actual Time Traveler. This has just been confirmed."
The assembled group began to whisper to each other, curious as to where Waller was going with this, wondering what the affairs of the League had to do with Cadmus after the Braniac Disaster.
"It is also my firm belief, that this Batman is Cadmus property. Certain facts have convinced me that in the future, Cadmus picks itself up from our current state to rise from the ashes gentlemen. We are the Phoenix of myth. If Cadmus had made a Batman for Tomorrow, what else could we accomplish? What have we accomplished in all those decades our Batman had come from? The key lies in him of course," Waller smiled.
Her audience was captivated by her spiel. "If Cadmus is to be great once more, we must have that Batman."
Professor Rossi of Cybernetics spoke up, "With all due respect Director Waller, the status quo is more than acceptable right now. Our capacity may have been diminished, our military might has been downsized, but the government is pouring gold into our coffers. Science is progressing at rates we'd never thought possible before. Do we really need him?"
"Yes," Waller clarified. "We are strong, but with the new Batman, history will vindicate us. Batman never outfits himself in anything but the best. That suit must have riches we can't even imagine, and the historical records it must contain will guide us in ways that we thought impossible."
The board seemed mollified at this, but Waller was not comforted. She still had one more bombshell to drop, and quickly too before these brilliant minds dug too deeply at her words.
"So I am ordering the activation of Plan Omega-39."
"Director, you can not do this!" shouted Emil Hamilton. His face was flushed with horror as he gripped his PDA hard enough to crack the casing.
More than a few heads looked confused, never having heard of this so called plan, and as one, the entire Board of Directors of Cadmus pulled up the relevant file on the laptops in front of them while others looked at Hamilton quizzically.
"T-this is absurd!"
"Insanity!"
Waller waited for the Board to get over their outrage. As one, the disturbed group turned to Emil Hamilton to answer for them.
"Director Waller, surely you can not be serious? I was there when we made the plan yes, but it was never more than a contingency. Something to be done in case of a tragedy or if the Batman failed in his duties. We can't-"
"You are wrong Emil," Waller stated. "Omega-39 was always meant to occur. The timetable has just been pushed up. That madhouse is too dangerous, and this plan is the only way the new Batman will reveal himself. The old one would keep him inside otherwise. Only in case of a catastrophe like this is there the slightest chance he would come. And for something like this, something that could shake the world so, I would move mountains, I would destroy cities."
The cold look in Waller's eyes made Professor Hamilton nervous. There was a glint he didn't like, but there was no chance he could overrule her. Cadmus was not a democracy, and was never meant to be one. There was a clear cut chain of command, and Waller stood at the very top.
"By this time next week, Jeremiah Arkham is to have vanished, with over 2 billion dollars missing from the Arkham fund, the entirety of place's reserves for all its maintenance and upgrades, with a mass breakout of all its inmates. Gotham will panic, criminals will run amuck, and in the end, after Batman can not stop the flood, Cadmus and the government will come in and finally lock those psychotics away in a place so dark, the light of God will never shine down on them."
"Are there any questions?" the Director asked.
Doctor Emile Dorian of Genetics seemed ready to speak up before he folded his hands. Thisoutburst was unlike Director Waller. And she'd spoken her plans so quickly, one after the other. Was she trying to divert attention away from something? He'd recently been approached by a coalition of countries, trying to take him away to a new Organization. Careful probing had given him evidence enough to know that Hugo Strange, former fellow inmate of Arkham was taking the bait, but had Waller decided to abandon ship as well? That was unlikely unless
"No? Then get to it gentlemen."
As the group hesitantly rose, exchanging nervous looks, Dr. Strange and Dr. Emile Dorian glanced at each other, sharing nearly imperceptible nods.
The two men made their way to Strange's office, where a chess game was well underway. It had evolved to midgame, and the two took their spots.
"Interesting isn't it? I had no idea the director was so full of fire."
Strange didn't even look up from the board, only saying "Very."
Impatient, Dorian tapped a pawn repeatedly against the glass table, annoyed at the man in front of him before asking "How long have you been working on her?"
"Month after month. So much preparation," Strange said.
"How did you do it? Was it some kind of toxin? A pheromone?" Dorian asked. "I may be a geneticist, but I'm still quite knowledgeable in chemistry you know."
Strange lifted a Knight and carefully moved it before saying "I'm much more than an inventor and psychiatrist than you think. I helped design some of the super-soldier serums we'd been experimenting with. I received some help from Dr. Crane a while back, but while he was helpful after all the trouble I took to get him to focus on something besides fear, he didn't really provide anything new. But the initial compound we created was very successful. After that, it only took a few implanted suggestions. I won't say much more than that."
Dorian hemmed and hawed, as he considered his move, "Is she aware? You and I both know that she feels that the League is doing good work these days. This fanaticism is out of character for her."
"In some isolated corner of her mind, most likely yes, but as you know, Waller always put up a dedicated front whenever she dealt with people. This is only a small step forward really in their hearts. They have no clue of her true personality. Ironic that her own stonewalling proves to be her defeat"
"But still, all this trouble couldn't we just infiltrate the cave? Take this Batman directly without all this violence?" Dorian asked.
"Ah, but you see, Bruce Wayne is smart enough to know when to swallow his pride. Or so he thinks. If his inner sanctum is breached, he would think nothing of calling on the League. There is a reason his cave possesses a direct line to the Watchtower. But Gotham? Batman is a greedy toddler who wants to keep his sandbox to himself. More problematic, but much easier. Trust me," Strange explained.
Dr. Dorian finally made his move, slamming a single piece to take the Rook Strange had left vulnerable musing "I suppose once we move in to take control of the city, our benefactors will be quite pleased."
Strange nodded. "The international community has been quite active you know. Washington isn't the only place concerned about metahumans. They've finally begun to merge all the groups together, hoping a united front will work. Cadmus will be discredited and most likely dissolved while a select few of us will rise."
"And America is the last piece of the puzzle," Dorian chuckled. "Or perhaps the final gear to get the machine moving. I think Hamilton's been approached you know?"
"Oh? That is surprising. How did he respond?"
"The man's too loyal and whipped by fear now. The League's scared him with the wrath of angry gods. Bah, a man of science brought so low. Shameful," Dorian tutted.
"Omega-39 it should make quite a splash don't you think? But I think I can improve the plan a bit. And Waller can't complain. Her men will only be doing her job to their utmost. Excellence above excellence. That's the sort of quality she's been wanting no?"
Both scientists gave dark chuckles as the game went on.
---
The magic portal to Dr. Fate's realm led to a quaintly parlor Terry was honestly surprised by. The decorum didn't match anything Terry thought an all powerful Magician would use. In a lone corner, 2 towering men were hunched over a small table engrossed in a game. Bruce had told Terry about the two in advanced. Aquaman and the Android, the rarely used team in the League.
"Checkmate," the gold-colored robot said cheerfully. "Shall we play again?"
The blonded-haired man brushed a lock of hair with a dangerous looking claw, seemingly unaware of how close he'd come to slicing open his scalp before saying "What's the point? I always lose."
"But your skills always improve with every game," the Android complimented.
Aquaman sneered before turning to face the guests.
"Batman, Fate's waiting for the kid in the room," he waved. "You want to take the tin man off my hands for a bit?"
"I'll pass Arthur."
Rebuffing Aquaman, Bruce followed Terry in where Dr. Fate was standing."
"You've arrived," the powerful Sorcerer noted.
"You know why we came here Doctor. Can you get him home?" Batman asked, foregoing the pleasantries.
Fate steepled his hands together before admitting that it was certainly within his capabilites, though he warned the two that the spell was dangerous and comprehensive.
"It will take me several weeks to gather the ingredients. However, it would be best if we wait until a Blue Moon can be found. The extra power granted by the Lunar Forces would make the journey far less perilous."
"That's two years from now, we can't wait that long!" Bruce exclaimed.
"That is the safest time to perform the spell Batman. Otherwise there is a great chance that your successor here might find that if he gets home, he will have left a limb 20 years back. That is the risk with magic," Fate said as he cocked his helmet to the side. "And as he is time travelling, he would only arrive minutes, if not seconds, after his initial travel. An extra year or two of wait is not so much to ask is it?"
"Yes it is!" Terry blurted. "I-I have a life outside of Batman. My friends, my-"
"Don't finish that sentence!" Bruce roared. "I don't want to hear anything about the future. The slightest detail is too dangerous."
Dr. Fate glanced at Bruce before asking him to leave the room. With a fierce glare, Batman fought Fate before silently acquiescing to the magician's order, swirling his cape as he left.
"Inza will get you some refreshments," Fate said.
Bruce almost slammed the door behind him as he came face to face with the amused superheroes outside.
"Chess?" The Android asked.
Bruce let by a strangled snarl at the question before the entertained android went to a shelf and began pulling out various games.
"I also have Monopoly if you would like. And Chutes and Ladders is very popular I'm told."
Fully aware of the Android's cosmic power, Batman reluctantly sat at the game table while Arthur looked on amused.
"I must warn you Batman, that if we are to play Monopoly, I insist that the vintage automobile be my avatar. If it must come to blows, then so be it," the Android said solemnly.
That was the last straw for Arthur as he burst into laughter, the King of Atlantis reduced to clutching at his sides as the great Batman was brought so low.
---
"Look, I'm sorry Doctor, but I have to go home."
"I understand that Batman," Fate soothed. "And I will try my utmost to get you home as quickly and safely as possible. If it can be done before the Blue Moon, I will let you know."
Terry was still not comforted by the Magician's assurances, but did not let it show on his face.
"But that is not the main reason I sent your predecessor away. I must warn you."
"What? That magic is dangerous? I've already been told that," Terry snapped.
"That is sage advice," the old man said. "But not what I wanted to tell you."
Terry sat down rudely on a nearby armchair, waiting for the man to continue.
"Time is tricky. You see, there are some who believe that Time is a river to be changed at will, others believe it immutable," he began, searching for his words carefully. "I realize how impossible it may sound, but there are being far above the likes of you and me. Above even the gods we know to exist, and they are called the Endless. They are unbeatable concepts who were here when the Universe was born, and will be here until the last speck of anything burns away. Among their number is one named Destiny."
Fate spoke the name with reverence and a hint of fear.
"Destiny has with him a book, an ancient tome as old as he that has within it the history of the Universe, from its beginnings to its end. And from the book of lore, Destiny forever reads from it, and seeing all of history as he does. It is due to this that many believe Time is something set in stone."
"So you're telling me I've been here in the past already? First time I've ever heard it," Terry mused.
"And yet history itself can be altered you see? Once, several years ago Superman was sent to the future where man had died under the heel of an Immortal named Savage, and yet once he came back, the future was changed. History was changed."
"So Destiny's little book was wrong."
"No," Fate said. "You see, nothing in the Universe happens until Destiny reads from his tome. It is like the famed Schrodinger's Cat. The book may have within it all the possible future in the world, and when Destiny reads from it, the tome itself alters to match the history being read. Of course, this is all conjecture."
Terry clutched his head to ward off the pain, "I got to say Doc, you're not really making anything clearer."
"My apologies, but the story was needed for you to get the context of what it is I was going to say. After hearing all this, and even seeing Destiny in person-"
"You met the guy in the flesh?" Terry interrupted.
"Once. It was terrifying beyond measure, but after seeing him, I concluded that Time is fluid, and able to be changed in small ways. But of course, the problem is that we have no way to know what small changes consist of, or whether or not you've already changed your past."
"So, anything I do here, might work to change the future?" Terry asked as his mind raced to uncover the possibilities. He could save Tim Drake. He could stop Barbara Gordon from becoming the angry woman he knew. He could save Superman. He he could do anything!
"Yes" Fate whispered. "But you see, that may no longer be the case. The Helm of Nabu I wear now gives me a certain amount of prescience. And it showed me time being fractured."
"What?" Terry asked, unsure just what Fate meant.
"There was a man calling himself Chronos. He fancied himself a god of Time after his power drove him mad. He ruined time with his own whims as he collected trophies for himself. Ships, armies, palaces, and so much more became his private collection, and spacetime trembled under the strain And then he did the impossible. He went to the beginning of Time, perhaps even before the Endless. Had he accomplished his goal, the whole of time would have been his, compared to the relatively petty accomplishments he'd made before."
"So what happened?" Terry asked, actually intrigued by the story.
"Your mentor and Green Lantern stopped him just seconds away from total victory. It is due to their efforts that Time is stable. Relatively that is," Fate answered.
"Wow," Terry whispered, craning his head to the door as though he could see Bruce through the mahogany frame. "He never told me about that."
"That would be because he never did it," Fate said.
Terry sighed, "And now we're back to being confusing again."
"The Batman of your time at the instant you remember had never done such a thing, however, when the current Batman stopped Chronos, time shifted to accommodate the change. Henceforth, Destiny's reading revealed that the Batman and Green Lantern stopped the madman forever, after which it became true history. After that pivotal instant, the future changed the past, and vice-versa. Everything affects each other, do you see?"
"No," Terry admitted. "This is way beyond me."
Dr. Fate smiled under his helmet before saying "At any rate, the important thing is this. By coming here, you have the potential to change the future, and may have already done so. However, Chronos' meddling has caused the timeline to become fragile and weak. Nothing is concrete. Although History has a tendency to correct itself, it's own immune system of sorts," Fate explained, "It is now incredibly stretched, and any further actions by you may alter things drastically. So it is my advice that you do nothing. For all you know, even the slightest meeting between a mailman or waitress might erase you from time. Or say perhaps you remove a mob boss from power? What happens if a worse and more bloodthirsty one rises in his stead? It is a fine line you are crossing Batman. Before there was a certain amount of leeway. Unless people acted directly to alter the timeline irrevocably, they had a form of protection against Time's currents. A bubble of sorts which left them existing, only changing the slightest of events. Now after Chronos that protection is non-existent."
Terry's eyes narrowed before he forced Fate to explain. "You want me to stay here where I can't damage anything."
"It would be most preferable yes," the Doctor said.
"I can't do that."
"That is always your choice Batman. I am just here to illuminate your path."
Fate opened the door to the parlor, and led Terry outside where the young Batman couldn't help but snort at the sight of Bruce intently focused on what looked like a children's board game.
"Having fun?"
"Hardly," Bruce responded. "Did you get what you wanted?"
"Didn't get what I wanted, but got some stuff I needed apparently," Terry said cryptically.
At that moment, Doctor Fate's wife Inza entered the room with a loaded tray.
"Leaving so soon?" she asked. "Why not stay for some food?"
Terry had to admit it was a tempting proposition. The food looked great. He was just about to reach over and grab something when the Android suddenly interrupted.
"Batman. Both of you, stop. There is something you need to see," he said without any of the childlike wonder he could display sometimes.
He raised an arm and as though by magic, a series of images popped up. Terry recognized it as a news screen when with a wave of the Android's arm, the screens multiplied a good dozen times. He and Bruce both stared in horror as snatches of the anchormen and reporters voices came through.
"-plosion at Arkham Asylum confirmed."
"Mass Breakout has been spotted, our helicopter is on the scene now."
Terry focused on the one that said that, grimacing at the low quality video as he stared at hundreds of madmen, dressed in the garbs of inmates streamed out of the burning Asylum.
"Tom, we believe that the generators powering the asylum were destroyed, and that all power lines from the city were cut. As you can see even the backup generators, meant to power the cell doors of the inmates were wiped. As we speak, the inmates are rushing out of oh no. God no! What is that? It's- is that? Mr. Free-"
The screen was awash with static and Terry feared the worst.
"Folks, I'm sorry, but we've had to cut the feed now we-"
"Scattered reports indicate that the vast majority of the legendary Batman's 'Rogue Gallery' has escaped. The current list includes, but is not limited to: The Joker, The Riddler, Two-Face, Killer Croc, Clayface, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn, Firefly, Mr. Freeze, Killer Moth, Maxie Ze-"
"This just in, a website never known before has just gone viral with these series of images. Viewers, these images may be too graphic and I advise caution."
Terry fought the urge to throw up as a bloody lump of meat he vaguely recognized as human showed up. He recognized straw colored hair, but through all the bloody organs that shone in the lighting made it difficult to tell. The vague shape of a skull could be seen, but that was only possibly to know by the eyes lying several inches away from the caved in face. The image blinked a bit before the next image flashed in.
Jeremiah Arkham dressed in red
Got too greedy, and now he's dead
Where's the money we don't know
But in the city of Bats it's sure to show
The words had been painstakingly rendered in blood, and the odd poem ended with what seemed like a signature. A lone Question Mark.
"Everyone, we've just heard unconfirmed reports that a sum totaling 1.93 billion dollars, the entirety of the funding that goes into Arkham's high-tech maintenance and upkeep has been found missing from the accounts and private vault used by the Asylum. If the images are correctly interpreted, the money is assumed to be here. In Gotham."
Terry looked to Fate only to see him shake his head sadly. He checked this historical archives, looking for that date of the Asylum's fall. The place was shut down for decades, so was this already prior history?
No. Mismanagement had finally allowed the Asylum to gasp its dying breaths before the Government stopped its funding. This breakout never happened. It was never supposed to happen.
It is now incredibly stretched, and any further actions by you may alter things drastically. So it is my advice that you do nothing.
Too late for that. Something, somewhere had gone terribly wrong and Gotham City was paying its price.
Terry and Bruce both exchanged glances before turning to Fate.
"The cave! Now!"
---
The Chess match had entered endgame now. The two scientists of Cadmus focused only on the board, though the TV in the background continued to display its macabre news.
"Well done," Emile Dorian congratulated.
"Thank you," Strange acknowledged with a regal tilt of his head.
"I assume the money isn't in Gotham of course," Dorian said.
"Only fools would believe that the Riddler wrote something that clear cut. No, the money is safe with us. Though I can't say the same for Nygma! The entire city must be out to get him."
"The good thing about fools," Dorian murmured, "Is that there are so many of them ready to believe anything they see. Never a shortage haha, Waller must be beside herself."
"No doubt," Strange smiled, "After all her agents just excelled in their duties. Nothing she can say anything bad about. And the news hasn't reported this, but the mobs well they're reacting quite spectacularly. There have been group breakouts before of course, but nothing on this scale. Every single boss with enough money is grabbing ahold of any mercenary and down-on-his luck soldier he can find. Total war is just hours away."
"To Gotham!" Dorian toasted with a Rook, "To the Asylum's utter fall, and our ascension!"
"Yes, Cadmus will be revealed to have been behind it all, and everyone here is going to be rendered jobless and destitute. Which leaves them easy pickings for our new group once we swoop in and save the day. Or night rather."
"Hmm, you know it occurs to me that simply calling it 'The Group' isn't quite the best of names. Do you have any in mind?" Dorian asked.
"Oh I'm sure one will come to me in time," Strange said as he raised his last Bishop.
"Checkmate."
Okay, technological riches, sure. Historical records? That's a stretch by hell and a half of imagination to assume.
Sure, it's actually true in your story, but there's no reason for them to assume the suit would have historical files. It feels out of place.
The Dorian cameo seemed odd, though outside of his being a former Arkham inmate, it's hard to picture him bantering/conspiring with Strange (and why -did- Strange involve him anyhow?). Plus, the 'I may be a geneticist but I still know chemistry' line felt more like a throwaway explanation.
Any particular reason for that choice?
As for rest of chapter, I don't quite entirely like the direction you're going with things, something about it rubs me the wrong way, but it's still interesting too, and I approve heartily of the ending/foreshadowing.
Checkmate indeed.
Sure, it's actually true in your story, but there's no reason for them to assume the suit would have historical files. It feels out of place.
The Dorian cameo seemed odd, though outside of his being a former Arkham inmate, it's hard to picture him bantering/conspiring with Strange (and why -did- Strange involve him anyhow?). Plus, the 'I may be a geneticist but I still know chemistry' line felt more like a throwaway explanation.
Any particular reason for that choice?
As for rest of chapter, I don't quite entirely like the direction you're going with things, something about it rubs me the wrong way, but it's still interesting too, and I approve heartily of the ending/foreshadowing.
Checkmate indeed.
Waller is making shit up essentially. She may be top dog, but she still needs to convince the people under her that yes, the Future Batman is indeed someone worth trying to capture.
Cadmus at this point, though a still notable research organization, is a shadow of its former self. Sure the scientists are making progress, but they used to have so much more. The suit is more than likely to be technological, but IF that suit really does have historical records on Cadmus, their future accomplishments, they would be all over that shit.
The progress of 50 years in one small package for them to dissect? Hell yes they would love that.
I mean sure, the idea that it even has historical records is a bit of a stretch, a far off dream, but it still sounds really delicious to them. Besides, the suit was the real important thing, any records, if they even exist at all, would be just a bonus.
Also, I keep feeling like I left stuff out of the Time Travel explanation... I might go edit that later.
Edit: Kayeich, though it seems like I may be disregarding your advice, I heartily welcome all your criticism and comments. It wants me to improve and impress. Even if the ideas you give don't make it in, I still think over them and try to fit them in.
Also, about Dorian, really I admit that's a bit of a weak point. I mean, I was going to use Milo, but then I remembered that Doomsday killed him. And the rest of the scientists are no-names really. Hamilton is there, but he's kind of a non-entity in this right now. I just needed someone to ask the questions, and Dorian was in the right spot.
And yeah, that line did seem like a throwaway didn't it? I needed someway to explain why Waller was acting so strange there. She might be a hard liner, but after Luthor, she accepted the League's presence well. If you can figure out a way to make it less awkward, I'm all ears.
Cadmus at this point, though a still notable research organization, is a shadow of its former self. Sure the scientists are making progress, but they used to have so much more. The suit is more than likely to be technological, but IF that suit really does have historical records on Cadmus, their future accomplishments, they would be all over that shit.
The progress of 50 years in one small package for them to dissect? Hell yes they would love that.
I mean sure, the idea that it even has historical records is a bit of a stretch, a far off dream, but it still sounds really delicious to them. Besides, the suit was the real important thing, any records, if they even exist at all, would be just a bonus.
Also, I keep feeling like I left stuff out of the Time Travel explanation... I might go edit that later.
Edit: Kayeich, though it seems like I may be disregarding your advice, I heartily welcome all your criticism and comments. It wants me to improve and impress. Even if the ideas you give don't make it in, I still think over them and try to fit them in.
Also, about Dorian, really I admit that's a bit of a weak point. I mean, I was going to use Milo, but then I remembered that Doomsday killed him. And the rest of the scientists are no-names really. Hamilton is there, but he's kind of a non-entity in this right now. I just needed someone to ask the questions, and Dorian was in the right spot.
And yeah, that line did seem like a throwaway didn't it? I needed someway to explain why Waller was acting so strange there. She might be a hard liner, but after Luthor, she accepted the League's presence well. If you can figure out a way to make it less awkward, I'm all ears.
Oh, I didn't feel like you were disregarding my comments, don't worry. I understand taking and choosing the criticism you feel is constructive to your story, I may disagree here and there, but at the end of the day it's your story, and I'm still enjoying it enough to read and comment on. =)
Anyhow, the suit thing still feels kind of an odd leap in logic. I would actually imagine someone would either have commented on it (they -are- all supposed to be pretty smart men and women all things considered), or there'd be a few uncomfortable/unsure looks between people, wondering where Waller got this info from.
Two things to help with this:
1) You could make it more obvious that Waller specifically times the follow-up comment about the omega plan just to distract people from thinking too much on it. You did go into it almost right after, so it'd be a shame not to take advantage of it somehow.
2) Perhaps that could have been the bit that gets Dorian to ask Strange questions, rather than just her 'fire', he specifically catches on to both the fact that Waller seems to be stretching things -and- that she very much tried to distract them from such thoughts as well as that Strange hadn't reacted to the plan like the rest of the division heads.
If you're unhappy about Dorian and he was just the best fit you could get, why not go with Dr. Moon, the guy who tortured Question? I also believe his field is behavioral science to boot. Dorian could still work though, but dance more around the idea of chemicals and arkham, rather than outright saying it and implicating the scarecrow. It helps tie the two men's connection to Arkham and Bats, while also making it feel more ominous and less throwaway.
Two more things I just noticed on second read:
Would Bruce's identity -really- be common knowledge amongst Cadmus? It's fairly certain that Waller knows, and Strange definitely knows, but unless it IS common knowledge, I would imagine that Waller would have threatened Strange regarding dropping the name, as it's hard to use it as a weapon like she did that one time when Bats dropped in on her if everyone knows. Strange dropping the name isn't quite so strange by itself, particularly if he feels he controls Waller now, but the lack of reaction from Dorian did.
Also, people turning to Emil just for no reason feels awkward. You do point out that he was part of the plan and aware of it, so I would suggest having him give an immediate disagreement with it.
Thought: Move the "Director, you can not do this!" line up two paragraphs, emphasizing it with some physical action like slamming his hands onto the table or standing up, or some such. Then expand the line about the confused division heads looking at their files to see why Emil's reaction was so strong, at which time they chip in with their own reactions. Rather than turning to Emil, they all loudly start to voice issues with it at the same time, and Waller emphasizes her authority then, telling them to shut up -and- being the one who prods Emil to go first, he starts to voice his and their concerns.
When the line about this not being a democracy comes up, you then have a very obvious show that Waller stands at the top just moments earlier with her making everyone shut up and making Emil their spokesperson.
Anyhow, the suit thing still feels kind of an odd leap in logic. I would actually imagine someone would either have commented on it (they -are- all supposed to be pretty smart men and women all things considered), or there'd be a few uncomfortable/unsure looks between people, wondering where Waller got this info from.
Two things to help with this:
1) You could make it more obvious that Waller specifically times the follow-up comment about the omega plan just to distract people from thinking too much on it. You did go into it almost right after, so it'd be a shame not to take advantage of it somehow.
2) Perhaps that could have been the bit that gets Dorian to ask Strange questions, rather than just her 'fire', he specifically catches on to both the fact that Waller seems to be stretching things -and- that she very much tried to distract them from such thoughts as well as that Strange hadn't reacted to the plan like the rest of the division heads.
If you're unhappy about Dorian and he was just the best fit you could get, why not go with Dr. Moon, the guy who tortured Question? I also believe his field is behavioral science to boot. Dorian could still work though, but dance more around the idea of chemicals and arkham, rather than outright saying it and implicating the scarecrow. It helps tie the two men's connection to Arkham and Bats, while also making it feel more ominous and less throwaway.
Two more things I just noticed on second read:
Would Bruce's identity -really- be common knowledge amongst Cadmus? It's fairly certain that Waller knows, and Strange definitely knows, but unless it IS common knowledge, I would imagine that Waller would have threatened Strange regarding dropping the name, as it's hard to use it as a weapon like she did that one time when Bats dropped in on her if everyone knows. Strange dropping the name isn't quite so strange by itself, particularly if he feels he controls Waller now, but the lack of reaction from Dorian did.
Also, people turning to Emil just for no reason feels awkward. You do point out that he was part of the plan and aware of it, so I would suggest having him give an immediate disagreement with it.
Thought: Move the "Director, you can not do this!" line up two paragraphs, emphasizing it with some physical action like slamming his hands onto the table or standing up, or some such. Then expand the line about the confused division heads looking at their files to see why Emil's reaction was so strong, at which time they chip in with their own reactions. Rather than turning to Emil, they all loudly start to voice issues with it at the same time, and Waller emphasizes her authority then, telling them to shut up -and- being the one who prods Emil to go first, he starts to voice his and their concerns.
When the line about this not being a democracy comes up, you then have a very obvious show that Waller stands at the top just moments earlier with her making everyone shut up and making Emil their spokesperson.
The sad part is I actually like Waller's character despite the steps she ended up taking in the name of Cadmus.
Best one in my book was that argument she had with Batman about the JLU satellite laser pointing down.
Emille on the other hand? Super gets taken over once by Darkseid and the guy's a douche for any future series.
Terry as Cadmus property huh? I don't expect physical dissection but Strange playing psychological games on Terry to the eleven? Hmm.
Best one in my book was that argument she had with Batman about the JLU satellite laser pointing down.
Emille on the other hand? Super gets taken over once by Darkseid and the guy's a douche for any future series.
Terry as Cadmus property huh? I don't expect physical dissection but Strange playing psychological games on Terry to the eleven? Hmm.
zeebee: The whole metahuman issue isn't the main problem for Cadmus when it comes to Gotham. The problem is, that its people are bugfuck insane with ridiculous technology and/or superpowers they got through science. The plan is when Batman proves himself too slow to handle his Rogues Gallery, Cadmus releases all of them, lets them damage the city, then comes in with an army or whatever, takes the psychos away and shoves them in the deepest darkest pit they can find.
Cadmus comes out looking like heroes after they single-handedly save Gotham, they get a ton of credit and prestige, etc...
Because let's be honest, when say... Mr. Freeze just froze your entire family and has his gun pointed at you, you don't really care if he was born with the metagene, or that he's just crazy with science. All you care is that he goes the hell away.
And Kayeich, great suggestions on that. It'll probably help the story flow a lot better. I'll edit that when I have time.
Cadmus comes out looking like heroes after they single-handedly save Gotham, they get a ton of credit and prestige, etc...
Because let's be honest, when say... Mr. Freeze just froze your entire family and has his gun pointed at you, you don't really care if he was born with the metagene, or that he's just crazy with science. All you care is that he goes the hell away.
And Kayeich, great suggestions on that. It'll probably help the story flow a lot better. I'll edit that when I have time.