Chapter 8: Descendants

Disclaimer: I own nothing

"Your descendants shall gather your fruits." Virgil

Chapter 8: "Descendants"

(Wednesday-February 28, 2046)

Wally nodded to his companions in the future, "I'm going to head back now. I'll meet you in Central City. Are you ready to put on a show?"

Bart adjusted the yellow tinted goggles. His red and white suit clung to his body like a second skin, "Yeah. Speedster loudmouth. I can do that."

"It helps that you're already halfway there," Luna slid her green sunglasses on the top of her head. "I don't know about me. Happy go lucky teenage girl isn't exactly my thing."

"Sorry, but Nightwing will immediately know that the tourist backstory is bullshit if you act like a cynical asshole the entire time," Wally looked to her. "It's important that you do this if you want to move around somewhat freely. It also means that you have to pretend that everything is fine in this time. Even with Dani. If you can't do it, then we're going to have to wait so you can get some more practice."

Luna stared at him for a moment before giggling. She gave a wide smile while tilting her head cutely to the side, "Don't worry! I can totally do this! It's going to be so much fun seeing all the old heroes before they became total legends!"

"Good," Wally looked around to see that the ashen land of Earth. Sighing, he turned to Box Lunch. "I'll come back when everything is set into motion so that we can see if anything needs adjustment."

"Will we remember you?" Box Lunch questioned.

"No. None of you should remember anything except for you. As long as you're holding that," Wally pointed to the Clockwork medallion in her hand. "Are you sure that you want to be the only one to bear the weight of knowing the truth?"

"She won't be alone," a large, muscular man with crimson hair stepped up next to Box Lunch. He took her hand in his so they were both holding the medallion. "We went through everything together. That won't change now, love."

"Collin," Box Lunch's usual hardened features softened as she looked at her husband. "Thank you."

"Alright. Let's get started," Wally turned away from them. "See you in the past."

Before anyone could say anything, the speedster began to run. Even Bart couldn't keep up as he was covered in electricity and disappeared into the time stream. With the current master of time gone, Luna turned to the machine that he helped create, "Let's go."

"Not looking forward to getting in there," Bart grumbled. Before he could take a step forward, the bald prisoner that they tried to kidnap months ago jumped in front of him.

"Do you have the pill?"

"I do, Neutron," Bart held up the tiny capsule.

Neutron flinched, "Please don't call me that. I did so many things during my time as Neutron."

"Don't worry," Luna spoke up. "Stopping you is step one. Just wait. As soon as we're gone, everything will be fixed."

(Sunday-February 28, 2016)

"I still don't buy it Chesh," Red Arrow glared down to the Tibetan compound at the bottom of the hill. He and his wife stood amongst the cold snow with only winter coats covering their uniforms. "It's too easy. The good guys have been looking for the real Roy Harper for years. And suddenly you just—"

"I go to places the good guys don't," Cheshire spoke up. "And stop calling him the real Roy Harper. You may be his clone, but I need you to be real. Our daughter needs you to be real."

Red Arrow reached over behind his partner to pull up the bag on her back. His giggling daughter looked at him with eyes of pure love. Even amongst the bitter cold, he couldn't keep a warm smiling from drifting over his lips.

"You can't be the father Liam deserves until you get your 'original Roy' guilt out of your system," Cheshire glared back at her husband. "So let's get it done."

"Well, I'll be damned! They did actually have a brat! I thought that you were yanking my chain!"

Red Arrow whipped around with his bow ready. He paused when he saw Black Bat and Ravager approaching them, "What are you two doing here?"

"Making sure that this goes smoothly," Black Bat moved to look over the compound. "I invested a lot into this. I wouldn't have for you two to sneak out of owing me a favor on a technicality."

"Or if they died. Couldn't help ya if they died," Ravager titled her head to get a better view of the baby. "She's precious."

"Thanks," Cheshire muttered dryly. "No offense, but I don't want you around my daughter."

"None taken," Ravager giggled. "I'm a terrible influence."

"What did she mean by invested?" Red Arrow hissed at his wife. "I thought that Danny was the one that passed on the info."

"And where did you think he got it from? He was the middle man," Cheshire explained. "While he was doing it out of the kindness of his heart, they…"

"We want allies when the time is right," Black Bat turned to them. "I've been observing the Shadows for years in order to get to Ra's. If I'm going to kill him, then I need proper help. I'm working on building a force that can bring down the Demon Head and keep him there."

"Ah. So that's why I've seen all those reports of you helping Dusk," Red Arrow nodded. "Good luck convincing him to help, though. I'm willing to make this kind of deal for the real…original Roy. Him, though, I doubt there's any price he'll accept to take a life at this point."

"He doesn't have to," Black Bat cracked her knuckles. "He's the part of the effort to keep him dead. I want Ra's. One-on-one. I'll enjoy watching the light fade from his eyes."

Ravager let out a low whistle, "That's hardcore. Even for me. With everything settled, though, I got to ask. Why bring the kid? You training her young or something?"

"No. Everyone I would trust to babysit her is busy today," Cheshire moved a finger to tease her daughter. "So it's take your baby to work day~ Yes it is~ Yes it is~"

Red Arrow groaned when Liam giggled, "There's no hope for her to grow up normally, is there?"

"None at all."

"You okay, Dani?" Victor looked over to his girlfriend.

"Huh?" Dani looked away from the painting that she was observing. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"You just look…" Victor sighed. "Conflicted."

"I guess I'm just thinking," Dani sat down on the bench behind her. They stood at the edge of a large art show. Dozens of different art pieces covered the wall in front of her. She had been talking with people for hours, but the event was dying down so she allowed herself to rest.

"What are you thinking about?" Victor used Fenton disguise technology to hide his metal appearance. He now looked like a normal almost fully grown young man.

"Nothing, I just…" Dani sighed. She blinked up to him with wide pleading eyes. "Get me a soda? I'm parched."

"Err…Yeah. Of course," smiling, Victor turned to get his girlfriend a drink.

With him gone, Dani allowed herself to deflate. Ignoring the people around her, she turned to her painting. A man without any features was holding up the world on his shoulders. The vastness of space swirled around him. All the weight of the world pressed down on the man's shoulders to the point that he was completely cracked and broken. The world seemed to be slipping away from the man. It began to break without the man to support them. Pieces from the planet drifted away, past the moon, and into the void of space.

"Well done getting him to give you space. It was perfect manipulation."

Dani blinked as a woman sat beside her. She hissed, "Thorn?!"

Thorn raised a finger over her lips. Unlike in the desert, the ghost wore a far more subdued outfit. A strapless long, green dress covered her body. While the skin of her shoulders were exposed for everyone to see, every piece of skin below that was covered. Despite being covered, though, very little of her curves were left to the imagination. The dress almost acted like a second skin.

"No need to get upset. I'm not here to fight," Thorn crossed her legs.

Dani's eyes narrowed, "Then why are you visiting my human persona? Are more members of the Light around?"

"Don't worry. I didn't tell them about your double life," Thorn gently patted Dani's leg. "A woman has to have her own secrets. And I did tell you that I would be in touch. What better time than to visit you than when you show off your first piece in months. It's lovely by the way."

"Thanks," Dani's eyes darted around to make sure that Thorn was telling the truth.

"Relax. This is just a friendly visit," Thorn smiled. "Did you follow my advice with your little blonde friend?"

"If you mean that I made up with her, then yes," Dani frowned.

"Oh, I can see that you did exactly what I said," Thorn giggled. "And you're learning how to manipulate your man. Fantastic. You're getting the hand of using your words. Now for lesson two. It's time to learn how to use your looks to your advantage."

"My looks?" Dani shook her head. "What does that mean?"

"It's twofold," Thorn stated. "One, it refers to properly conveying what you want through your expression. A quick pout. Wide eyes. Tilt of the head. Like what you did with your boy toy, but enhanced tenfold. Like an actress. Try practicing in the mirror."

Dani couldn't hold back her intrigue, "And what's the second part?"

"Your body," Thorn stood and gestured for Dani to do the same. "My sweet, you are stunning. Men would roll over for you. Women would kill to look like you, yet you're acting like a nun. Strut your stuff."

Dani looked down to her clothes. A large plaid shirt covered her white tank top and the top portion of her jeans, "What's wrong with this? It's comfortable."

"I'm not saying that you should change your style. The girl next door times one hundred is a fantastic look for you. A little thought into the small details can go a long way, though," Thorn gestured to herself. "Look at me. This is a very comfortable outfit. Much more than my battle attire. Yet in some ways, it's more seductive than a miniskirt. It lets people's imaginations run wild. Let me tell you, a man's fantasies will explode with the right amount of hints. Here. Let's do a few adjustments."

Dani's eyes were wide when Thorn pulled at her shirt, "W-What are you doing!? We're in public."

"Don't worry," Thorn flashed a knife into her hands. No one around them reacted. "They won't notice what I don't want them to. Now hold still."

Gulping, Dani allowed Thorn to do what she wanted. Within a few minutes, her work was done. Dani now stood in a familiar yet different outfit. Thorn had used her reality warping ability to alter the jeans so that they hugged Dani's legs perfectly. A few tears in the pants showed slivers of the flawless skin underneath. Her plaid shirt had been removed from her shoulders so that it could be firmly tied around her hips to emphasize the explosion of curves below her waist. One strap of her tank top had been cut off as the shirt shifted to emphasize the swell of her chest.

Thorn stepped away after fixing her hair and moving her beanie to the right position, "Perfect. Take a look."

Dani blinked in shock as Thorn held up a tiny mirror. A few strands of her hair fell around her eyes to lead attention to how soft her lips were, "I-Is that me?"

"Yes, darling," Thorn pulled the mirror back before snapping her fingers. "Now watch."

Dani felt eyes burn against her back. As subtly as possible, she stole looks towards the crowd. While Thorn took some attention, most people focused on her as one of the artists in the show. She felt somewhat uncomfortable at the looks of desire by the men. The jealous eyes from the women were even worse, though. Despite feeling self-conscious, though, the feeling of pure power over people overshadowed the discomfort.

"Fashion is art too, you know," Thorn mentioned. "Done right, and a woman's beauty will be unrivaled by anything. As an artist, you should appreciate it. You have refined taste after all. Your painting is beautiful. Is it based off your brother?"

Dani turned to her art, "Err, kind of. I was more thinking of my entire family, but he was a big part of it."

"I see," Thorn smiled. "Don't worry, my lovely. The world won't end. We're going to keep it alive."

"We? You mean the Light?"

"No. You and me," Thorn giggled.

"Just because you gave me a few fashion tips doesn't mean that there is a 'you and me'," Dani stated. "You're the enemy."

"For now," Thorn turned to leave. A knowing smiled covered her face as she moved to the exit. "But you'd be surprised how things and people can change. The path to a new world is already in motion."

Dani watched as she left. Part of her wanted to stop her, but this wasn't the time to start any fight. Too many prying eyes and innocents that could get hurt. Still, she had a bad feeling about what Thorn said. Before she could call after the woman, Victor returned, "Hey, sorry it took—Woah!"

She turned to see her boyfriend staring at her in awe. A shiver of delight ran up her spine at the near worship that shined in his eyes, "Um, hi."

"What happened while I was gone? You look…amazing. Not that you weren't pretty before, but…" Victor was at a loss for words. "Wow."

Feeling oddly satisfied, Dani turned her gaze back to the exit to see that Thorn had disappeared, "A stranger gave me some tips. You like?"

"I really like," Victor answered dumbly.

"Good," Dani gave a brilliant smile that made her look like the most beautiful woman alive. "It does feel nice to look my best…"

"Is that the Krolotean intel?" Robin stepped up next to Nightwing and Oracle as they examined holographic data in the middle of the Cave.

"Yes," Oracle nodded. "I've been pouring over the data that M'gann and J'onn retrieved from Malina Island for a month. We even contacted Danny for help, but translation is rough."

"From what we understand, they were looking for humans for a term which roughly translates to meta-gene," Nightwing stroked his chin. "Danny seems to think that it refers to the gene sequence that lets some humans gain superhuman abilities. Like the Flash or Black Canary. He looked into it too but didn't get far."

"What about Damon and Harriet?" Robin questioned. "They got powers from that gas from Axion Labs, right?"

"That was mostly Hotep Ra manipulating the formula with his Black Lantern ring," Oracle noted. "Even Batman looked at the chemical reaction and couldn't figure out how to replicate it with a Green Lantern ring."

"So they wanted to find a way to give humans powers," the gears turned in Robin's head. "And they are weapons dealers. You think they wanted to create living weapons?"

"After the Intergang incident, I wouldn't doubt that people would try—" Nightwing paused as red lights flared in alert. The computer's voice sounded out the danger to them.

Unknown energy impulse detected.

All three members of the Batfamily whirled around to see a ball of electricity form at the center of the Cave. While Robin and Nightwing took defensive stances, Oracle pulled out an ectoplasmic pistol in order to protect herself. They watched as the light died down to show a weird capsule appear in mid-air. It immediately landed on the ground with a crash. Smoke rushed out of the entrance as the door swung open.

"Stand ready," Nightwing growled to his companions.

Their defensiveness was not noted as two people jumped out of the pod. Bart landed with his arms out, "Tada!"

Intruder alert! Intruder alert!

"Computer, lockdown Cave!" Nightwing ordered.

"Oh, my back! I'm really feeling the mode!" Luna floated through the air while clutching her spine. "One trip was like totally not a good idea, Bart!"

"What?" Bart turned to her. "You were the one that wanted to save some cash!"

"Yeah, but you could have least let me overshadow you…"

"Not crash, Luna!"

"Yeah!" Nightwing had enough of their antics. "Surrender and identify yourselves immediately!"

"But…we kind of just did," Luna blinked at them. "Well, whatever. I'm Luna Masters, and this is Bart Allen."

Oracle blinked, "Masters? Allen?"

"Legacy!" Bart moaned. "Codenames, remember? Keep up the tradition!"

"Hey, you broke it too, Bar—Impulse!"

"Yeah, but you did it first!"

"Wait," Robin stared wide eyed at Luna. "She's definitely a ghost!"

"Yeah, we're both super powered rock stars! Not that not having powers is terrible. You three do awesome without them," Impulse disappeared in a blur. He reappeared in between Robin and Nightwing. "Tim Drake. Dick Grayson. Barbara Gordon."

"Impulse!" Legacy stomped her feet in the air. "You just got onto me about codenames!"

"Right! Right!" Impulse nodded. "Robin the Third. Nightwing. Batgirl…nope! Oracle! Sorry, we're in post Joker phase. I got my lore wrong. Didn't mean to open up that old wound. By the way, we're the rest of the Team? Cyborg. Spirt. Blue Beetle?"

"You know us," Oracle grew pale.

"Well, duh! You're famous in the future!" Legacy giggled. "Total heroes! It's crash!"

"And crash is…good?" Robin questioned.

"Definitely. A lot better than being on mode," Impulse explained.

"Gah! Being put on mode is the absolute worse!" Legacy groaned.

"You never answered my question? Is Blue Beetle around? Never mind! I'll check for myself!" Impulse zoomed away at speeds that were impossible to follow.

"I'm like starving! Where's the kitchen?" Legacy floated through the wall to find the kitchen. She immediately phased a hand through the refrigerator door to pull out an apple. As she ate the fruit, Oracle rolled into the room and opened fire on the ghost. Lifting a single hand, Luna blocked the blasts with her hand. To Oracle's shock, the halfa absorbed the energy shots into her body.

Ignoring the wheelchair bound girl, Legacy fazed through the walls again to watch as her friend zoomed through the halls. He checked in every room for his goal. As he moved, he messed up every piece of paper in sight. She laughed as she watched him flood the shower room, sending a small wave to crash into Robin. Her giggling only grew as he got tripped up by metal balls spread out across the floor.

"Ha!" Legacy disintegrated the remains of the apple. "You got put on—Oof!"

It was Bart's turn to laugh as Nightwing trapped the girl with glowing green bolas which swung around her entire waist, "Like you're one to talk, Legacy."

"Oh," Luna pouted. "We both got put on mode so fast…"

"Hey!" the Parasite shouted as he banged against the metal door to his cell. "This isn't what I signed up for!"

All the other members of the Suicide Squad looked up from what they were doing. Those in cages like him quickly went back to what they were doing. Most of the few free members of Task Force X ignored the raging villain. Only one person moved to address the power absorbing man. Red X stepped across the circular metal room in order to move directly in front of the Parasite's cell.

"Is there a problem?" Red X questioned. Her helmet slid up to show her face

"I'm on deployment for months, and then when I'm done, I get shoved into a cage!" Parasite tightly gripped the bars of his door. "I thought I was signing up to be freed!?"

"You were. After we've decided that you're capable of adjusting back into society," Red X noted. "Until then, you will be kept in this holding facility. I believe that this is far better than your old cell in Belle Reve."

She was right. Parasite's room was one of luxury. He had a large bed covered by silk sheets. His wall was covered by a huge entertainment assortment. A fridge filled with the finest food available was tucked into the corner. He even had a door leading to a private restroom, "The quality of a cage doesn't make it any less of a cage. I signed up to be free."

"Unfortunately, you are far from considered rehabilitated," Red X stated. "You haven't even had a meeting with our psychologist yet."

"You really think that you can fix people like this?"

Red X began to count fingers, "The Cheetah was cured of her transformation and given a new identity. Ragdoll has a yoga school in L.A. Deadshot retired to Hawaii. Pretty good track record overall. Granted, some have been here a while, but they're special cases."

Harley Quinn looked up from her book, "She's talking about me!"

"We got her to move past the Joker," Red X whispered. "But there's no way she's ready to head back to Gotham yet."

"What about them!?" Parasite pointed out to the center of the room where five people sat around the poker table.

"Cinderblock, Silver Banshee, and Amorpho are not criminals. They're here on business," Red X shrugged. "As for Killer Frost and Harm, they chose to continue this line of work."

"I'd just get pulled into one of Icicle Sr.'s stupid plans again anyway," Frost carefully examined her cards. Her blue hair matched the sickly cold azul of her skin. "The pay and benefits are good."

"Harm has too much to atone for. He must continue to work to redeem himself," Harm ignored the card game in favor of meditating.

"Like it or not, this is your life now," Red X argued. "It was either this or be in a cage for the rest of your life. We only enlist those that have been cast off by society, the heroes, and even the Light."

"Great feeling to be used a thrown away when your work is done," Killer Frost mumbled unhappily. "Reminds me of prom night."

Amorpho snorted, "The more I talk to you, Miss Frost. The more I worry about having my nether regions frozen."

"You're fine as long as you don't make a pass at me," Frost shrugged. "I think everyone at this table is safe."

"You wish, lady," Cinderblock grumbled. His voice was the equivalent of gravel being rubbed up against each other. His massive stone body stood several feet over the rest of his companions. Glowing red eyes glared down from his square shaped head. "The men might not be interested, but Banshee could still decide that she likes playing in the snow."

The Silver Banshee elbowed him on his side. Her long flowing hair was a mismatch of black and white. The skin of her face was deathly pale with her cheekbones sunken in and black. A black stitch pattern covered her mouth. Her rather voluptuous frame was covered by a torn white dress which stood as complete contrast to the black bodysuit beneath it, "Stop giving people ideas. Harley kept flirting with me for six months because of you."

Cinderblock shrugged, "I'm just trying to open up possibilities."

Banshee scoffed, "I liked you back when you couldn't talk."

Red X turned her attention back to Parasite, "As you can see, this is hardly the worst position for you to be in. Do your work, and you'll eventually—"

Parasite silenced her by grabbing her scarred face. Once again, everyone in the room turned to look at him. This time they didn't go back to ignoring him. They watched with hard eyes. Only Captain Boomerang took it in stride as he popped open a beer to properly enjoy the show.

"What are you doing?" Red X questioned.

"Getting out of here," Parasite began to yell. "Let me go or I drain her dry."

No one moved to help her.

"Fool," Red X stepped back. Parasite tightened his hold on her face. To his shock, this didn't stop her. She continued to move back even ask the skin began to peel from her skull. Flinching in disgust, he tossed the skin away to stare at the robotic skull of Red X.

"Did you think that I was human?" Red X questioned. Her robotic eyes narrowed. "I'm an A.I. You can't drain me."

"I…" Parasite's eyes were wide.

"Perhaps we should rethink our stance on you," Red X pulled out a dart gun. She shot him in the neck with a tranquilizer before he could react. He tried to stay on his feet for a few seconds before he tumbled to the floor.

"Cinderblock," Red X turned to the poker table. "Could you take him to solitary confinement?"

Nodding, the massive stone man moved to pick up the downed villain as Red X opened the cell door. Once he had Parasite on his shoulders, he moved to take him down the exit hall. Sharing a look, Silver Banshee and Amorpho moved to follow him. As they stepped out of the room, Red X addressed the remaining members of the Suicide Squad to be careful of their choices in order to avoid ending up like Parasite or Slipknot. They made their way to a tiny room at the end of a long hall. It was barely big enough for a fully grown man to fit inside. Once he placed Parasite into the tiny chamber, Cinderblock slammed the door shut.

"I hate that room," Banshee crossed her arms. "It's cruel."

"He brought it upon himself," Amorpho slowly spun his cane. "Don't forget that we work with criminals. Any one of them would kill us if they had the chance. We must remain stern."

"Doing this kind of shit is the worst part of the job, though," Cinderblock mentioned. "How long before you think that he starts begging?"

"I give him twelve days," Banshee stated.

"He's a glutton for punishment. My data would suggest that he will get through twenty before starting to crack," Amorpho suggested.

"Twenty days in that tiny metal hole with no one to talk to," Cinderblock began to shrink. His massive form moved to a still rather large man covered in muscles. A black suit covered his thick frame. Gray hairs began to form across his dark mustache. His chocolate skin only further emphasized his age. "I don't think that I'd last a week."

"Humans are social creatures. Absolute solitude is perhaps the worst form of torture still legal," Amorpho suggested. "But if it makes you feel any tougher. My analysis of you shows that you could last a month, Damon."

Damon Gray shook his head, "I'm not that tough."

"It's not about toughness," Amorpho argued. "It's about mental fortitude. You, out of everyone I know, have come back from the darkest of depths. I know that your mind matches the durability of your stone form."

"No. The silence would kill me," Damon closed his eyes. "I can't stand it. Val's voice always comes back when it's too quiet."

"Damon," Silver Banshee's form also began to change to that of an Asian woman with long black hair. She gently rubbed her hand over his arm, but he didn't react.

"I…I'm sorry," Amorpho looked away. "I don't know how to approach this."

"Neither do I," Damon released a shuddered breath. "I thought that doing this would fix things, but I get this sickening feeling that my old family would hate what I'm doing."

"We live in desperate times, Damon," Harriet Chin soothed the man.

"Doesn't make this easier. Working with criminals. Serving the Light. Fighting and torturing people," Damon shook his head. "I'd never imagine I'd do any of this."

"You'd be surprised how quickly people can adapt," Amorpho noted. "I saw it all the time during my work in my old life of espionage. They will throw their every principle and moral away if needed. You, though, have continued to hold onto your sense of goodness. This pushes you above the rest, my friend."

"Thank you, Amorpho."

The ghost seemed ready to speak again when a beeping sounded from his coat. He pulled out his phone to see his message, "It seems that I'm needed by the boss. We can continue this later. Hopefully over some cold drinks."

"Yeah," Harriet and Damon watched him float back down the hallway. Once he was gone, Harriet turned to the man. "He's right you know. You are a good man, Damon."

"I don't know, but I can't argue with the both of you," Damon sighed.

"Damn straight," Harriet pulled him down to kiss him. After a few seconds of lip lock, she pulled away.

"Did you ever think that we would end up like this, love?" Damon whispered to the only woman he had been with since his wife had passed. "Metahumans in the most powerful taskforce on Earth? Two years ago, I wouldn't have imagined it."

"Seven years ago, I laughed at Jack Fenton's obsession ghosts. Now my closest friends are ghosts, A.I.'s and a man with a heart of stone," Harriet mumbled. "So much about my life has changed that nothing can surprise me anymore."

"It does me. I look at where we are, and I'm shocked," Damon paused. "No. I'm more sad than anything. I know that we're working for the greater good. I trust Danny, but so many things feel wrong. Tell me. Do you think that Val would approve of my life right now?"

Harriet was silent.

"Yeah. That's what I thought."

Joel glanced over Richard's shoulder to the wall of monitors in front of him. He, the blonde technopath, and Mal were all in Richard's tiny room in Dakota City. Most of the space was taken up either by computer equipment or spare parts for his tech. Not even the bed was free of metal scrap, "What do you mean that there's no record of him?"

"It's exactly what I said," Richard glared bitterly at the screen directly in front of him. "I hacked everything I could get into. Every country's records of shipment and travel. Even Bialya. Hell, I even got into Lex Corp. But there's nothing. Virgil's disappeared from the face of the planet."

"The Light has been working with aliens. Plus, he was last in a boom tube hot spot," Mal suggested. "He could be off planet."

"I've thought of that, so I activated a tracer that would track boom tube usage. Nothing has gone off planet since our Bialya raid," Richard shook his head. "I've also been keeping track of satellite footage. No unscheduled ships have crossed the atmosphere. No way he's out in space, especially if the Light wants to constantly keep track of their progress in…whatever they're doing."

"So not off planet but beyond sight?" Mal hummed. "What about a pocket dimension?"

"Not likely," Joel crossed his arms. "Any interdimensional tears are impossible after the Ghost Zone was sealed off."

"Exactly, so that only leaves two options. Either underground or underwater," Richard stated. "I've been considering ideas about using echo pulses beneath the surface in order to try to find anything, but it would take me months to build that type of tech. Even then, it would take years to properly search the planet with it."

"If it were underground, then there would be some kind of trail. Either a paper one from hiding the hole, or a physical from all the digging," Mal stated.

"Underwater it is, then," Joel nodded. "Luckily, Vlad's been working with Aquaman. We should be able to begin a search immediately."

"How long will it take?" Richard questioned. "Most of the Earth's surface is covered by water. That's a lot to search."

"Kaldur isn't an idiot. He'll figure out that if it's in his domain, it's probably somewhere outside his sight. Somewhere deep," Joel stroked his chin. "Plus, he will have a lead. If it's underwater, then Black Manta is involved."

Mal grimaced, "That's probably not going to be a pretty family reunion."

"It's one that was bound to happen eventually. Evil Dads are persistent," Joel sighed. "Trust me on this one."

"Well, it's better than nothing," Richard lowered his head. "We have to find Virgil. His family is losing their minds in worry. Hell, I'm losing my mind in worry. What if we're too late?"

"We won't be," Joel placed a hand on Richard's shoulder. "We'll save your friend and all the other hostages that they have. I guarantee it."

"So…You're both tourists from the future?" Oracle questioned the two tied up time travelers.

"Why act so surprised?" Bart smiled happily. "Half the meat at Comic Con are from my era."

"Highfather have mercy!" Legacy rolled her eyes. "Impulse! They're not supposed to know that!"

"Right! Right! My bad," Impulse shrugged.

"If both what you say is true, then you can give us info on our enemies current movement," Robin noted.

"Like no! Spoilers are the worst! Besides, that would totally mess up the timeline," Legacy snorted. "Besides, things turn out fine. Obviously. Otherwise we wouldn't be visiting."

"Still, it's hard to believe," Oracle tapped her chin. "A speedster and a ghost. Allen and Masters. Who are you related to then?"

"Isn't it obvious by my ungodly speed and dashing good looks?" Bart did his best to pose dramatically while tied up. "I'm the grandson of the Flash, Barry Allen."

"And I'm the granddaughter of Spirt, Danielle Masters," Legacy smiled.

"You do look like her," Oracle stared at Luna's face.

"Yeah. Fenton genes are strong, right? Like, people still tell me that I got my great-grandpa's face and great-great-grandma's chin!" Luna exclaimed.

Nightwing interrupted the conversation by bringing in a cup of water. He held it up to Bart's mouth, "Here. You must be thirsty."

"Thanks," Bart took a sip but paused. "Oh! Very clever! Trying to get my DNA! All you had to do was ask!"

As Impulse spat into the cup, Legacy flirtilly blinked at Nightwing, "Do you want my DNA too, handsome? If you want my spit, though, I'd prefer a kiss to a cup of water."

Oracle face palmed, "Every teenage girl. Why every teenage girl?"

Nightwing grimaced, "You're, uh, a bit young for that."

"Allfather have mercy! You sound so old!" Legacy rolled her eyes. "Don't be a little chicken fricassee."

Nightwing's eyes went wide. Impulse gasped at her, "Luna! Geeze! Watch the language! If my dad ever heard you say that, then he'd wash my mouth out to make sure that I don't run my mouth off either!"

"Fricassee…the curse word of the future…" Nightwing chuckled. "Danny and I never told anyone about that. Okay. I believe you two."

"That's great. Now that's cleared up, let's move on. We got a lot of sightseeing to do," Legacy nodded at Bart.

The speedster immediately vibrated through his chains before freeing Legacy as well. Once able to use her powers, Legacy turned them intangible so that they could run straight through the walls of the Cave. Now in the open air, Impulse broke out into his stop speed with Luna clutching his shoulders to keep hold of him as he moved faster than she ever could.

"They seem nice," Luna noted. She watched as the beautiful living world of Earth zoomed past her. This time looked so amazing. It was a breath of fresh air compared to the dullness of the future.

"Yeah, they live up to the stories," Bart nodded. "Almost called Tim, Red Robin though. Have to be careful about what we say."

"I think we did a good job," Luna smirked. "If I didn't know better, I would have assumed that you were a total airhead."

"Same with you. You pull off generic teenage girl real well," Bart looked back at her. "You even flirted with Nightwing."

Luna gained a wicked grin, "What makes you think that part was fake."

"Uh huh. Sure," Bart rolled his eyes. "It was so cringe. 'Oh Nightwing, suck face with me.' If you were flirting, you'd get up in his face, tell him to be a man, and force your tongue down his throat."

"And you were so quick to give your DNA. I remember when you freaked out on me for flicking some dandruff off your shoulder," Luna sighed. "This act is going to get tough. I'm already exhausted."

"Well get ready," Bart noted. "We're getting close. We have to make a good impression on the Flash family."

"Right," Luna nodded. Deep down, she didn't care any bit about making a good impression on anyone outside of those directly related to her. While Bart got to meet family, she wouldn't get to see hers today. She had to wonder what they were all doing. Her Grandma's notes only said that she was busy on the day that the Flash died.

Constantine took a deep inhale of the cigarette in between his fingers. Leaning back into his chair, he watched cars rushing down the busy street off to the side. The sound of a chair brushing against concrete drew his attention across the table. Zatanna whipped some of her long raven hair behind her ear. She had forgone her usual magician's attire for a black coat and jeans, "You're late."

"No. I'm on time. You were early," Zatanna's crimson lips twitched upward.

"Huh?" Constantine looked at his watch. "Nah. I got a minute past."

"You're going to call me out on a minute?"

"You used to when we were dating," Constantine took one last puff of his fig before dropping to the floor so he could snuff it out.

Zatanna's cool blue eyes narrowed, "And you know that we would still be dating if you could let things go."

Constantine chuckled, "I could say the same to you, love."

Zatanna's hand moved to clench her stomach, "I know, but I'm not willing to give up yet."

"And I get that. Respect it even. But your obsession isn't good for you or the people around you," Constantine argued. "We're not ghosts, Z. Obsessions bring us down, not prop us up."

"Speaking of which," Zatanna reached into her coat. "That's why I called you here. I got the notes you wanted."

"Good job changing the subject," sighing, Constantine took the papers. "Thanks. I'm going to need them for Johnny."

"Johnny 13…" Zatanna slowly nodded. "He's Youngblood's dad. Thorn's lover."

"Ex-lover. They haven't been together for a long ass time," Constantine looked over the notes. "That's why I figured that you would want to be brought in on this, right? You said that you were close to the kid."

"Not really all that close. We kind of just got thrown together during the Trigon stuff," Zatanna clenched her fists. "He…was the first person I told about how Klarion's magic corrupted my womb. Then he mentioned his parents and gave me some advice. His whole story is part of the reason why I want to…fix me. So that I could can have a child that I can raise to be a good person."

Constantine rubbed his forehead in thought, "There is adoption or some such shit."

"That is an option, but…" Zatanna took a shuddered breath. "is it wrong to want a baby that came from me?"

"No. No," Constantine looked away in shame. "It's only natural. Sorry I was never much help."

"It's okay. I would have been unsettled too," Zatanna gained a determined look. "Enough of that. What are you planning to do with Thorn?"

"I don't think that I can tell you," Constantine noted. "Johnny's a loose cannon kind of guy. We might have to go against the League."

"Well," Zatanna's eyes shined. "I have always been known for being a bit of a rebel."

Vlad felt like his breath was violently being pushed out of her lungs. The image of his child on the screen was the heaviest sight that he had ever witnessed. While his chest bubbled in joy, an extreme weight pushed down on his shoulders. Vision voiced his thoughts for him, "He's the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen."

He numbly turned his head to his wife. She reclined on the medical bed. Her ever growing stomach was exposed to allow the doctor to use the ultrasound on her. Overwhelmed, he could only nod, "Yeah."

"As far as I can tell, everything is going perfectly fine with the pregnancy," the doctor adjusted her glasses. Vlad didn't really trust too many people with deep knowledge in his personal life, but Doctor Leslie Thompkins was someone who was knowledgeable of the vigilante world and was highly recommended by those in the community. Even heroes needed medical attention, after all.

"What about his genetic status?" Vision questioned. "We've only been able to make theories about him. Is he a ghost, human, or halfa?"

"Well, he has a heartbeat," Thompkins mentioned. "But he might not be using his powers. Have you felt any ectoplasmic activity from him?"

Vision nodded, "I have felt some things. He's tried to float. There have been tiny ecto bursts that really hurt. But nothing too terrible."

"Then there's no way to predict it," Thompkins shrugged. "This is unprecedented. He's obviously a partial breed, but is he half ghost? Three-quarters? Does the halfa gene overtake everything? Who knows…"

"We do know that he exists between worlds," Vlad noted. "And that's my fault."

"Vlad," Vision muttered.

"It's not an easy life," Vlad mentioned. "Even when not locked in the middle of combat, there's obsessive tendencies. You need near constant diligence to keep you powers and emotions under control. Not to mention the feeling that you don't belong anywhere."

"That's not true," Vision argued. "He belongs with our family."

"Our family does not have a lot of luck in life," Vlad stated bitterly. "I don't want him to hurt like the rest of us have. Our kids have endured too much."

"A lot of it was their choice to fight for the good of the world," Vision noted.

"They shouldn't have to, though," Vlad stared at his son. It was his only child by blood, his heir, and the one thing that he always wanted. His innocent child would be born in a harsh life where he would probably have to fight aliens off while mourning the loss of his loved ones. "Things should be better. This world should be better."

"Ah, I've always dreamed of doing this," Impulse stated as he pulled the blonde haired Barry Allen in for a hug. Suddenly, he pulled away to fix what he said. "I mean when you were young and I didn't have to worry about breaking you gramps."

As her friend addressed his grandfather, Legacy glanced about the simple home. Well, it was simple for the current time. In the future, this would have been better than most people would ever see. No cracks in the walls or windows. The lighting was perfect. All the furniture was perfectly intact. While she was admiring the house, she noted a banner proclaiming a seventy year anniversary. If she had to guess, it would probably be for the older couple who were looking at them in bewilderment. Luna remembered them from history lessons. Jay and Joan Garrick were known as the most stable couple in hero history. At this point in their lives, they were in their nineties. Fortunately, she didn't remember right off the top of her head when they died.

"Hey, Grandma!" Bart rushed over to hug the redheaded Iris Allen. "Love you too!"

With that done, Bart ran over to the old couple, "You must be the Garricks. That makes you like my honorary great grandparents."

Jay went wide-eyed when Impulse hugged them as well, "Uh, Barry? Something you've been meaning to tell us?"

"What? No!" Barry shook his head in denial. "This kid is not my grandson. From the future or any…when. Heck, Iris and I don't even have kids."

"Um, Barry?" Iris fidgeted uncomfortably.

"What?" Barry looked to her.

"I'm pregnant."

"What?"

"I found out this morning. I was gonna tell you tonight," Iris glanced to the others in the room. "In private."

Impulse waved at his grandmother's stomach, "Hi Dad. Hi Aunt Dawn."

"Wait, there're two in there?" Barry's jaw dropped.

"We're having twins?" Iris's face twisted with shock.

"Spoilers, motor mouth!" Luna punched Bart in the shoulder.

"Sorry!" Impulse rubbed his now sore limb.

"You should be," Legacy smiled at the adults. "I'm Luna by the way. It's like really crash to meet you. Well, you two in your prime, but to see the famous Garricks alive and kicking is so crash."

"Hey! You just mentioned spoilers!"

"Please. Ninety year old people dying within the next forty years? Is that really a spoiler?"

"Careful, kids," Wally stepped into the house. "If you are what you say you are, revealing too much could crash the whole time stream."

"Crash…" Bart muttered.

Luna nodded, "Yeah. If only."

"Wally?" Barry turned to his old sidekick.

"Nightwing called," Wally rubbed the back of his head. "He thought I might be of some help with this mess—Oof!"

"You're Wally West!" Bart held onto the older speedster for dear life. "My first cousin once removed."

Wally shoved Impulse away, "The operative word being removed."

The strange conversation was interrupted by a cellphone ringing. Barry was the first to answer, but the call came from Iris. Bart quickly turned around, "Don't answer that! I mean why interrupt the reunion?"

"It's my boss at GBS. What's up Pete?" Iris answered the call. Her face suddenly turned grim as she addressed her husband. "They're evacuating downtown. A new super-powered lunatic is calling for blood. Your blood."

Nodding, Barry unleashed his Flash suit from the ring on his finger. In a rush of crimson, he put on the suit to appear as the Scarlet Speedster. Bart didn't seem to like this, "Let the League handle this guy. I mean how often does a relative from the future show up at your door?"

"Listen, I…" Flash sighed. "I'll deal with you later. Stay put. I'll be back in a flash."

Legacy cringed as the man disappeared out the front door, "Back in a flash? Woah. That's terrible. Already starting with the dad jokes."

"No," Iris sighed along everyone else. "That's just…him."

Wally looked to the two teenagers, "You're going? Aren't you?"

"Duh," as soon as Legacy grabbed onto his shoulders, Impulse followed after his grandfather.

Wally groaned, "This has to be some kind of karma for what I put my parents through. I should probably go too. Uncle Barry isn't the best team player, and we don't know what the kids are capable of."

Iris gave her nephew a worried glance, "Are you sure? You haven't suited up since…well…"

"I'll be fine," Wally did his best not to snap. "I haven't slacked up on my training despite how things might look. Congrats on the kids by the way. And congrats on your anniversary, Jay, Joan. You two were an inspiration when…things got rough."

Jay gave him a look of compassion, "You sure that you're up to this, son?"

"Yeah. Don't need the other half of my soul to punch a baddie in the face," not liking the worried glances that he was receiving, Wally followed after the other speedsters to leave the house in a tense silence.

Miss Martian leaned down to lay the bundle of flowers down on a tiny grave marked with the name 'Garfield Logan.' Once the arrangement of flowers were set, she stepped back to examine the small memorial. A comforting arm found its way around her waist as La'gaan stood next to her among the trees of Mount Justice.

Lagoon Boy glanced over to his girlfriend, "You okay, angelfish?"

"I'm fine," M'gann mumbled. "Thanks for coming with me. I…didn't want to be alone when I visit him."

"I am glad that I could help," La'gaan smiled. "I always liked little green. It…is a shame that this happened to him."

"Yeah," Miss Martian leaned in close to the Atlantian next to her. "The worst thing is that he's just one of so many lives lost during the Blackest Night. He's been forgotten by almost everyone but me and Conner."

"Why is he not here then?" La'gaan huffed.

"I am here, jackass," Superboy moved up to the grave. He made sure to keep some distance from the couple. "Hey, M'gann."

"Hi, Conner," Miss Martian looked away.

Superboy moved to put his own bundle of flowers next to the grave. Unlike M'gann, he didn't step down away once he placed the arrangement down. Kneeling next to the memorial, Superboy ran his fingers over the name carved into the grave, "Hey, kid. Sorry that it's been a while. Been busy with the crazy alien stuff. I'm sure that you would have been helping to make the situation less terrible. It's not the same without you around."

La'gaan forced down the biting comment that danced on his tongue. He hated the tension that existed between his girlfriend and her ex, but there wasn't much that he could do about it besides be there the best he could for M'gann. Usually, he would get a few comments off on the Kryptonian, but this was neither the time nor place, "You, uh, two were really close to him, huh?"

"He was family. Blood, in a way," Miss Martian took a shuddered breath.

Superboy grunted, "Yeah."

The Martian finally turned her gaze back to her old lover. This situation felt like a divorced couple were mourning the loss of their child, even if their relationship to Beast Boy had been more like siblings than parents. Still, she could see the raw pain behind Superboy's stunning blue eyes. Despite his rough exterior, he loved harder than anyone she knew, "Conner, I'm so—"

Ringing from Superboy's phone drew the clone's attention to his pocket. Pulling out his communication device, he saw who was calling. He unhappily answered, "Hey, you know I'm busy. This better be something big."

A few seconds of silence passed.

Superboy jumped to his feet, "What do you mean time travelers?"

Black Bat finished off the last of the guards by ramming her fist down into his face causing his skull to bounce off the hardwood floor. Down the narrow hallway, Liam giggled upon seeing the violence, "Don't laugh, brat. You caused this."

"Oh, don't get mad her. She just wants to enjoy watching the fights," Ravager wiggled a finger at the baby. "Don't you? You like to see people get punched, future serial killer?"

Cheshire turned her child away from Ravager, "I told you that I don't want you around my daughter."

"Please, she called for the guards to see us beat them up," Ravager giggled. "She's already corrupted."

Sighing, Red Arrow stepped away from the women in order to get to the large door at the end of the hall. Despite the bumpy ending, he had finally made it. After years of searching, he found the original Roy Harper. He ripped the door open to find a tube containing young teenage boy who looked exactly like him, "Finally."

The women moved up beside him. While Roy was completely distracted by the goal that he wanted to achieve for five years, they turned the other two pods in the room. One held a deformed version of Superboy. The final pod made their heart twists in fear. Even Ravager seemed shook by the sight, "What the hell is that?"

A massive creature made of pure muscle and rock floated in front of them. The thought of trying to strike the gray skinned monster made them feel phantom pain from the harshness of the stones sticking out every inch of the creature. His jagged mouth was opened to reveal razor sharp teeth. A presence of death flooded off the weird mammoth. They were so engrossed by the sight that they jumped when a voice sounded out behind them, "That's Project Doomsday."

Cheshire and Red Arrow took defensive stances. Black Bat and Ravager remained calm, "Project Doomsday?"

Nyssa nodded, "The Light found that body years ago. They've been trying to find a way to revive and use it."

"Wait," Red Arrow's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

"Nyssa. Daughter of Ra's Al Ghul. Deliverer of your original self," Nysa introduced herself with a condescending tone in her voice.

"Daughter of Ra's?" Cheshire tilted her head. "Why help us then?"

"That's a weird question coming from you," Nyssa commented. "Just because he's my father doesn't mean that I'm loyal to him."

"So…you're on our side?" Red Arrow questioned.

"No. I'm on my side," Nyssa noted. "I do what will benefit me in the end. That's why you can take the boy, but that's it. The Light won't retaliate with him, but they will with the other two. They stay."

"Not like we want to take big, gray, and ugly," Ravager shrugged. "But even I know that it's not a good idea to let the Light keep him."

"Don't worry. I have a plan to get rid of him along with a member of the Light," Nysa stated. "Now go. I have to contact my father to inform him of what happened. If you stick around for him to boom tube over, then I would be forced to kill you, which I think would be rather awkward."

Legacy took a sip of the tea that she picked up from one of the now abandoned shops. She didn't feel that bad about stealing it as the person that bought it probably was never going to finish it. Floating through the air, she watched as Impulse and Flash rushed around while dodging red energy blasts from the walking space man at the center of the crimson bursts. A new wave of energy shot off of him before the previous shield faded, meaning that the speedsters couldn't get close. At the same time, they weren't in any danger of getting hit by such slow attacks.

Normally, she'd rush in to help. Impulse seemed so happy, though, so she let them have their fun. The area was evacuated already anyway. No one was in danger right now, and she couldn't care less about property damage. Although, it was a nice city. She couldn't help but admire the clean buildings. The past generations really knew how to build things.

After a few minutes, she noticed that the speedsters had stopped running. They had moved by a stopped SWAT van to talk with a police officer. She noticed that Kid Flash had joined them in his dark yellow uniform. As she floated down to them, she noticed that Impulse and Flash were talking at breakneck speed. The police officer appeared confused, while Kid was face palming.

"You getting any of this?" the officer questioned.

"Yeah. Sorry about this. Flash always tends to do this when he gets excited," Kid Flash sighed. "And now he has someone to enable him."

Legacy decided to interrupt the conversation by landing beside Impulse and slapping him upside the head. He groaned, "Ow!"

"You know everyone hates when you do that," Legacy rolled her eyes. "You and your dad were bad enough. I'm not dealing with this in the past too."

"Sorry," Impulse rubbed the back of his head.

"So we're creating a funnel to carry him out of the city?" Kid Flash questioned.

"Yep! Let's go!"

In unison, the three speedster rushed off at equal speeds. They immediately began to run around the perimeter of Neutron's shields. Bored, Legacy sipped her tea and addressed the officer, "Hey. Great city you got here."

"Err, thanks," the officer looked to her. "Are you…a ghost?"

"Yep. I'm new around here. Haven't registered yet. I know that there's some hard feelings about us spooks in this current time, so I hope this symbol makes you feel better," Legacy pointed to the DP on her chest. "Not technically official, but I got the genes to wear it."

"Huh," the officer suddenly looked to see the speedsters lifting Neutron off the ground. "They're doing it!"

"No," Luna finished her cup. Like with the apple from before, she disintegrated the plastic cup once finished. "They're making him angry."

Not waiting for the man to respond, Legacy floated into the air. She leisurely began to move towards Neutron, who was rapidly releasing more energy. Eventually, the power build up was too much for him. Just as the explosion was starting, the speedsters began to move away. Flash noticed her heading towards the core of the danger. He would have tried to stop her, but his fellow runners pulled him along despite his protest. Ignoring them, Legacy focused on Neutron exploding into an expanding crimson dome.

Just as the explosion was about to touch her, she extended her arm out. As soon as the energy hit her palm, it began to seep into her skin. Soon the energy dome was rushing towards her like water swirling down the bottom of the sink. Not the least bit strained, Legacy continued to push forward until she was right at the center of the danger. With the entire explosion under her control, she grabbed onto Neutron by the throat and carried him down to the ground. Once landed, she pointed her free hand up to direct the energy skyward. It flew high about the city where it exploded safely where no living creature could get hurt.

"Highfather have mercy, Neutron," Legacy sighed. "It's weird seeing you on mode as the Reach's meat. Hopefully, this makes things better for you."

Reaching into her pocket, Legacy pulled out the capsule that she brought from the future. She shoved it into Neutron's chest. He immediately cried out in pain as his powers faded. With her task now down, she dropped him unceremoniously to the ground. Grimacing, she turned around in order to avoid seeing the teenage boy completely naked after the explosion tore through his clothing.

Just as she turned, she was met with the speedsters. Flash gapped at her in shock, "How did you do that?"

"Phantom Family power," Legacy shrugged. "We're all overpowered in some way. Luckily, energy burst meat is like my specialty. Now can one of you get this guy some pants? A lady shouldn't be forced to see random penis."

"W-What happened?" Neutron muttered from the ground.

"We're not sure, son," Flash covered the teen in a blanket.

"It looks like it's over," Kid Flash examined Neutron with his heat vision goggles. "His heat signature reads normal human now."

"Must have sucked the energy out of him," Legacy shrugged.

"Why didn't you do that to begin with?" Flash questioned.

"You two looked like you were having fun, and no one was getting hurt," Legacy explained. She suddenly remembered her act. "But like when the baddie was going to blow up a chunk of the city, I totally had to step in. Now, can I visit my family now? Not that you guys aren't great, but I'd love to see Grandma again. You know, before she became a hardass."

Ra's frowned as he looked to the empty tube which once held the original Speedy, "What a waste. He could have been used for leverage, but I suppose you kept Match and Doomsday safe. They were definitely the more important assets. Well done, Nyssa."

Nyssa bowed, "Thank you, Father."

Sighing, Ra's held up a holographic devise to show the image of Lex Luthor and Daniel Fenton, "My apologies for the inconvenience this makes for you. I was the one that wanted to keep him alive. There's a high probability that he will come after you, Luthor."

Danny waved him off, "Meh. It's not much of a problem. I can probably dissuade him before he even gets to Lex. And even if he does, I can sabotage him and recapture him."

"No, no," Lex shook his head. "There's no point in keeping him around anymore. But I can think of a way to make the most out of this. It could be beneficial to have someone like that on the other team to sabotage them."

"Indeed," Ra's turned to look at Doomsday and Match. "This base is compromised, though. It would be best to move these two."

Danny stroked his chin, "I really want to get to work on them, but now's not the time. Too much activity in my city. Let's wait until the heroes are properly distracted, then I can get our two greatest weapons to work for us."

"Are you alright, Jennifer?"

Jinx blinked as the voice of her adopted father drew her attention back to reality. She had been idly playing with her dinner. Looking up, she spotted the scarred face of her fifty thousand year old ancestor, "Yes, Father. I was just thinking."

As always, Vandal Savage's face remained calmed and collected. He stared across the table to look at his only remaining relative, "And what has you so deep in thought?"

"It's about Fenton," Jinx clenched her fists. "Are you sure that it's right to trust him?"

"This again," Savage sighed. He glanced around the tiny dining room. Despite his great wealth, he preferred more intimate settings when having reunions with his family. As she grew, Jinx predictably spent less time with him, so he cherished these moments with her. "I've showed you every single strand of evidence that proved his loyalty, Daughter. He's completely one with the Light now. I know that you've had a complicated past with him, but you must realize that he's not the fourteen year old desperately trying to hold onto his parent's legacy."

Jinx bit her lip. She cursed Ember's powers for keeping her lips sealed on Danny's secrets. There was no way for her father to connect the dots between Fenton and Phantom if she didn't tell her. The Reality Gauntlet had seen to that when Danny used it to create a mental block in people's minds before he destroyed the glove, "I know. Call it women's intuition."

"Well, this obviously means a lot to you," Savage nodded. "I can't forsake him on your feelings alone. If I did then Queen Bee and Thorn would never let me live it down. To ease your concern, I will be willing to ask him to take in a pawn of my choosing to watch over him."

Jinx frowned. Would that even work? Ember might just confound them, "Okay. Keep an eye on him yourself too. He's not a stupid man."

"On that we can agree," Savage took a sip of wine. "Enough of this. Tell me about what's going on in your life, Jennifer."

"Nothing's really different," Jinx shrugged.

"Oh? No new friends?" Savage smiled. "Or boyfriends?"

Jinx rolled her eyes. Not this again, "Father, I've told you that I'm not interesting in dating right now."

"I know. I know. But the value of having someone you can trust by your side is immeasurable," Savage's eyes shined in sadness. "My last wife was…something else."

Jinx deflated for two reasons. The first was the reminder of what she used to have with Danny. Her second reason was the reminder of just how much her ancestor had lost. He was a loyal man whose heart and body never strayed when he was married. Eventually he might love again, but the pain of so many lost loved ones made moving on difficult. That was the reason he didn't try to have more children now, "I know, Father, but I'm young. I have time."

"True," Savage nodded. "That doesn't mean that I have to be patient about wanting grandchildren to spoil."

"Dad!"

"What? I'm an old man. I get to say what I want."

"Woah. Woah. Wait!" Spirit pushed Luna off from hugging her to death. "You're my granddaughter?"

"It looks like it," Nightwing examined the DNA analysis. "Her DNA matches yours as much as it can for the weird half-ghost genetics. Bart's matches up with the Flash's and Iris's as well. And this thing is giving off both zeta and chronotron radiation."

"Which is, based on pure theory what you'd expect to find radiating off a time machine," Kid Flash mentioned.

Flash placed a hand on Impulse's shoulder, "Which means you are exactly who you say you are."

"This is fascinating," Plasmius examined Luna. He had been given special permission to visit the Cave due to circumstances. "Halfa genetics are only theoretical at this point, but you confirm that the gene continues. It consumes the DNA of the other partner and uses it to amplify their abilities while adding diversity to the genetic sequence. This is great. Answers just when I need them for my son."

"Right. Great Uncle Jack," Luna nodded.

"Ha! Who's doing spoilers now!?" Impulse smirked.

Legacy blushed, "O-Oops."

"Jack," Plasmius stroked his chin in thought.

"Well," Spirit gave a shaky smile. "It's a bit weird to see my future granddaughter, but you seem nice. Um, how exactly does your age match up with Bart? I mean…I'm so much younger than Flash."

Legacy giggled, "Spoilers."

"Hmm," Cyborg examined the girl. He didn't see a bit of himself in her.

"Well, I would like to stick around to meet Great Uncle Joel and Great Great Grandpa Daniel," Legacy felt her heart drop as the sight of how young and full of life the current version of Spirit looked. "But I know that they're hard to get in contact with during this time. So we better go."

"Yeah!" Impulse grinned. "It's been crash! But the future awaits! I gotta run!"

"No," Legacy declared. "You are like not starting that."

"Ah," Impulse deflated a bit.

"Bart," Flash stepped up to his grandson. "Thanks for coming. I look forward to meeting you again for the first time. And watching you grow up."

Impulse beamed, "That will be crash."

"Come on. Back into the cramped time machine," Legacy pulled Bart into the capsule.

"So long!" he waved as they both squeezed into the machine. Everyone smiled as they expected the duo to disappear. Nothing happened, though.

"Uh," Cyborg tilted his head. "Is something supposed to happen?"

The door suddenly swung open so the two time travelers could pile out. Bart kicked the machine, "Not working. The whole thing's fried."

"Can you fix it?" Flash questioned.

"We're tourists. A lot of things got passed onto us, but the Fenton tech genius gene wasn't one of them for me," Legacy shook her head.

"So we're stuck in the stupid past," Impulse groaned. "We're so moded."

"We could take it to Axion Labs," Cyborg suggested. "No promises on a timeline, but if anyone could figure it out, it would be my dad and Danny."

"I guess we don't have a lot of options," Legacy mumbled. She looked to the other halfas. "Um, not to impose, but do you think that Amity Park could use another half-ghost superhero?"

"Are you kidding?" Plasmius grinned in complete joy. "We never turn away family. You can move in immediately. Vision would love having you around. Danny will be happy too. And it will be the perfect excuse to make Joel visit."

"Yeah," Spirit smiled at the newest member of the Phantom Family. "I can't promise to act like your grandma…my future self would, but we can totally hang out. I'd love to get to know you."

"That sounds so crash," Legacy smiled wider than she ever had before. Her grandma was alive and happy. She now had a family who wants her around them. And…her parents were still alive. They were on separate ends of the battlefield, but there was still a chance for her to be with them. Despite having a lot of work still to do, Luna felt content. This was the best day of her life.

(Wednesday-February 28, 2046)

Box Lunch took a deep breath as Luna and Bart moved into the time machine. She glanced around to see the final remainders of humanity around her, from the despondent civilians, to the surviving members of the Justice League, and finally the young teenagers watching their friends leave their lives forever. The strange mix of meta-humans waved to their friends. Robin. Aquagirl. Empress. Green Lantern. Supergirl. The final generation of Earth was lined up waiting for a reality where they might not exist. She could only hope that they woke up to a world where their suffering didn't exist.

As the time machine began to spark, Box Lunch snapped her eyes shut. Her husband clenched her hands supportively. A sense of mourning rushed over her as the only people she considered her children disappeared. She and Colin never had the courage to try to bring a new child into their messed up world. With her eyes closed, she couldn't see as Luna and Bart disappeared from her life. She couldn't bear to watch them go, even if the stupid brats were usually a pain in her ass. Despite blinding herself, she still felt the energy pulse which shot off from where the time machine just was.

"What?" Colin gasped.

Box Lunch slowly opened her eyes to see that nothing had changed about the planet. It was as dead as always. Now though, the two of them were completely alone. Above them, the moon was completely shattered into millions of pieces, "But…why? I thought that things would change."

"Lady, you can't even begin to process how this time travel thing works."

Both Box Lunch and Colin twisted around to see the owner of the new voice. They were shocked by what they saw, "Who are you? Some kind of Flash super fan?"

"Hardly," the muscular man muttered dryly. "I'm just a consequence of changing the time stream. One of many. That idiot Wally West didn't think things through all that great."

"It's not like we had a lot of options," Colin argued. "This was our last chance, and it failed."

"Not exactly," the stranger gained a large smirk. "Time is like water. You can't see what's under the surface until the ripples stop. Give Legacy and Impulse some time. They haven't stopped making ripples just yet. Time's weird like that. Make sure that you don't let go of that medallion, though. Who knows where you'll end up if you do."

"And why exactly should we believe you on any of this?"

"Hehehehe. What if I told you that I'm from an even farther future than this? And that despite being a selfish asshole with a grudge against the Flash, that I'm determined to save this world in order to keep myself existing in the timeline?" the man disappeared in a yellow blur. In a show of speed which could match the Flash, he appeared right in front of them. His inverted uniform of the scarlet speedster almost made him look like a walking banana. "My name is Eobard Thawne, but most people call me Professor Zoom."