Too many ideas, not enough ways to coherently say it, but that doesn't mean I didn't manage to set down the ideas I had. Now that I managed to finally get to the 'Pilot' episode of Flash, things can start speeding up.

It doesn't mean I was happy with how the depictions of the characters turned out.

Seriously, I need beta writers. I wrote 18,847 words (42 pages on Microsoft Word) mostly in one four-hour sitting. Parts were all sort of there in the file for who knows how long but it finally clicked and barfed out of me.

Someone PM me - I am not asking for much. Someone to add to the file, throw ideas at me, call on my stupidity and stop my rants in the story. That or at least stop me from adding more cross-over material.

In any case, Happy Holidays! (I am not PC, just don't want to offend anyone. Plus I am Jewish, so can't really say 'Merry Christmas')

I don't know what surprised me – or, at least, amused me – more when I snuck into the Batcave a day after the fallout of Joker's arrest.

And boy that was a humdinger and a half. I don't know what was more entertaining, the stunned reaction of people realizing that the Joker would never be a threat to humanity again or the bidding war for the story.

Still, it was a very aesthetically pleasing cave, even had a lazy-Susan for the car.

Back to the surprise factor…

Was it Robin and Batgirl facing off against Nightwing? A bit, seeing as he was doing it from a ceiling to the ire of the younger pair. Robin had the right idea trying to throw his Robin-rangs at him, seeing as FREE BIRD was currently incognito.

Was it the nonchalance of Batman when he turned around to face me? Partially, but this is Batman we are talking about, so he is rarely caught off guard. It didn't even phase me when I spotted him closing the blood work on Joker. Guess he was trying to pin down just what the hell went into the medicine.

Was it the extra cup of tea and biscuits that Alfred happened to be delivering as he exited the elevator at the moment of my arrival via phasing?

"Thank you, Alfred."

"Of course, sir."

Say what you will, but there's being a butler, and then there's being THE butler.

"If I may ask, was this coincidence or…?"

"Serendipity, I assure you, Master Thunder," deadpanned Alfred. "But considering the circumstances, prudence dictated that you would meet Master Bruce at the next earliest convenience. Considering you and your associates… speedy nature… it was not far-fetched to assume you would arrive on the next day as soon as Master Bruce has returned from his first walkabout of the city."

I had to freeze to actually process the logical sounding deduction Alfred presented to me. It sounds insane in a real-world context, but this is DC…

I took a sip of Earl Grey tea. "You just jumped up the list to the SECOND best butler I have met in the Omniverse."

While the younger trio couldn't hide their surprise and Batman barely flinched, Alfred only raised a brow. "Only second?"

I shrugged. "Don't take it personally. The number one on my list is a literal demon who served the Queen's Watchdog during the start of the 20th century. Compared to the number three spot who is an AI, you matching Sebastian as a human – pure or otherwise – is a testament to your profession. Also, wonderful tea, no one ever says that enough."

The corner of Alfred's mouth rose, "Well, with a compliment like that, how can be insulted? Is there anything else you would like?"

"Something sweet if you don't mind. I know going up that elevator is tedious and whatnot, but I prefer not vibrating people I like through walls without possible ramifications. Not that there are any, but I have yet to try that particular trick with nonpowered individuals, and I rather not have you be the first."

"Of course, sir," Alfred nonchalantly replied as he entered the elevator. "It would, however, be rather tedious to use the lift had I not requested Master Bruce to remove the elevator music. I believe there was some rum cake I had prepared not too long ago. I shan't be long."

I watched in awe as he rose up before turning to Batman. "Can I rent him?"

"He is not for sa… wait, rent?" Robin shouted before processing that statement.

I sipped the tea again. "Even I am not foolish enough to ask Batman if he is for sale regardless of how much money I have, and I have once won a bidding war with a man whose favorite saying was 'Screw the rules, I have money.' He did not take it well when his brother asked me for lessons dealing with him."

Nightwing chuckled. "I've met people like that before during all those galas and high society parties when I was younger."

"Yes, but this is a man who gave a blank check to a car salesman for a sports car since he was in a rush and felt insulted when the man only wrote the selling price. He returned later to buy another car just so that he could give the man a BIG tip just for having the balls not to steal from him. Side note, it was that very man who started his obsession with that particular brand and helped him gather said collection."

Robin looked at Batman before at the Batmobile before looking at a further off the wall where past models were displayed.

I interrupted his train of thought. "Bruce doesn't count; he literally has no one to sell the cars off to without questions being asked."

"So, you really do know our identities."

"Indeed I do, Barbara Gordon. Was my quip about the Omniverse not a clue? I felt like I wasn't blunt enough. Was it blunt enough?"

"I believe it was, but the OMNI prefix may have confused her," answered Robin.

I sipped the tea. "Well, Multiverse applies to realities where the individuals and/or environments remain consistent, a want for a nail holding it down as it were. When you have visited Earths which have differentiated enough to have almost no similarities with your own home reality, I believe that the more encompassing 'Omni-'applies better."

Robin nodded in acceptance at that. "Makes sense. So…"

I raised my free hand. "Beating you to the punch here. Yes, I have visited such realities. I have lost track of how many I did, but Gideon may have kept track as she is still downloading and processing my records. I have traveled said realities for almost two decades. Yes, I am aware I don't sound that old. I look young due to a combination of my powers and some medicine from slightly more advanced Earths. Speaking of which…"

I reached into my pocket before 'teleporting' - walking really fast - up to Bruce and handing him a vial. "Low-grade microbots held together in a cohesive energy matrix called Nanotech. Give them to Alfred as an injection when he has a free day, and it will act as a high-grade cleanser. It won't regrow his telomeres, but I've seen this stuff take years off wrinkles and make a human body into a temple. Fair warning, don't try studying them and make sure he is near a toilet – the nanites usually use the waste to fuel themselves for perpetuity, but that initial spring cleaning DOES require some usage of the porcelain goddess."

Batman looked at the vial and then at me.

"Okay, there is paranoid, and then there is killing a man's butler. Seriously Bruce? I was prepared to rent out one of the best butlers in existence even for a day because of how awesome he is."

He put the vial away without breaking eye contact. "I'll give him the option, but it's his choice to take it."

"Fair enough," I replied before 'teleporting' back to Robin. "So, how did it go with Joker?"

"Well, he is going to Blackgate now – can't really hold him in Arkham now since, you know, no longer insane," shrugged the boy wonder.

"His lawyer is doing his best to prevent him from getting the death penalty, but considering how jarring his behavior is compared to before, good odds on him getting life without parole."

I pondered that. "Won't be low security, that's for sure. Joker was insane, but he still used the intelligence that was already available in that noggin. Morality or not, Napier is not an idiot. Still, life behind bars safely tucked away from people his psychosis has killed is better than nothing. What about the 1% who 'funded' him?"

Nightwing tipped his head in Bruce's general direction at the supercomputer. "Already looking into it. Now that we know about the breadcrumbs, we managed to follow some leads. So far, we managed to pin a few people, but the smarter ones used proxies. It will take time to find the heads."

I couldn't help myself.

"Just remember - cut off one head, two more shall take its place."

Barbara chuckled. "This is a collection of socialites, not the mythical hydra."

Oh right, no Marvel comics here – such lost opportunity for money. Wait a minute – note to self, when I reveal my ability to traverse realities, find a way to publish works from creators that don't exist here.

"I would like to remind you that you know a man who is centuries old and commands a legion of assassins. Don't throw rocks in glass houses, Miss Gordon. This is Gotham, where Batman's paranoia justifiably applies. I wouldn't be surprised if some ancient cabal was behind it all."

Oh crap, forgot about the Court of Owls. Well, tempting fate already so…

"Any word if your father is looking into the disappearance of Harley and Ivy?"

Barbara tapped her chin. "Didn't know about Ivy being gone, but he did wonder what happened to Harley – he didn't tell me exactly what Bruce told him in regards to what happened at that deranged obstacle course. Speaking of which, did you or your friend – Gideon, was it? - cut off the feed?"

"She did. It seemed prudent considering the topics of discussion and to prevent the world from knowing Dick had an ace up his sleeve. Speaking of which…"

I flourished the arrow – got to love cantrips – before presenting it to Bruce. "Offer is still open."

Alfred returned with the rum cake before noting the arrowhead. "Interesting design… Mesopotamian?"

"Odds are yes since it was discovered by archeologists in Egypt. I personally favor it being from Sumer – anything powerful from that corner of the world regardless of reality is usually tied back to the King of Heroes," I stated matter of factly as I spun the arrow in my hand.

"King of Heroes?" Robin asked the room. "Never heard of that title before."

"It's a rather… interesting way to call Gilgamesh," answered Batman, having put together the pieces.

I shrugged. "Hey, even in worlds without superbeings and magics, the blond bastard always makes the history books – dammed fixed point."

"Wait, blond?" Barbara interrupted as she thanked Alfred for her slice of cake. "This is ancient Sumeria were are talking about here – godling or not, I doubt he was blond."

"Again, Omniverse traveler. But yes, he isn't USUALLY blond."

"Usually?" Nightwing asked.

I shivered. Having personally never met Archer – in justifiable fear of getting HIS attention – meant that I had to rely on 2nd and 3rd person accounts from other reality traversing individuals.

"There's a particular corner of existence, where magic and science walk a very thin line of distinction, where magicians are more akin to mad scientists then alchemists and spell slingers. In that grove of creation, the Age of Gods has passed, but practitioners of magical codes, in all their infinite wisdom, wanted to recreate the olden days and gain access to the Root of all Magic. Suffice to say – and I am spitballing all of this, mind you – they managed to create a ritual via the Holy Grail –"

Collection of surprises and gasps from the younglings.

"- as a basis. I never figured out HOW a wish-granting device gives one access to the source of magic, but that's not the point. Every few decades, the cup would spill over with magic and 'mark' seven for a tournament. Winner in this tournament would gain a wish. The catch? The participants must summon Servants, individuals in history who have become immortalized. Due to their nature and actions, heroes were called upon more often then not if an appropriate artifact, as well as magical fuel from the summoner, was provided. Gilgamesh – or Archer in this case – was considered the ORIGINAL hero and, as such, was considered the most powerful of Servants in raw power. And he happened to be blond."

"Why didn't you ever meet him? I mean, the way you describe him, it's almost like you fear him."

I chuckled at Robin's comment. "Fear him? No. As all-powerful as he is, he is no more mortal than most demi-gods or beings like Superman. He is mighty enough to justify his arrogance, but that power is tied more to his ability, one he has never truly mastered but rather hoarded."

"May I deduce that there was a David and Goliath situation involved?"

I raised a brow.

"Please sir, I am well-read in myths of heroes – it's always the kings and powerful who receive poetic justice. Gilgamesh is both."

"True, Sir Alfred – this is a delicious cake, by the way. Gilgamesh was hoisted by his own petard - or armory in this case – by someone he considered beneath him and dubbed as a 'fake' hero. Suffice to say, Tim, I could quickly deal with beings of his caliber by simpling crippling them before they get the chance to access their abilities. When the difference in speed between the combatants is great enough, the usual rules and fundamental aspects of combat are thrown out the window. Think of it like putting a small child with a knife who could move at the speed of sounds against a master assassin – it doesn't matter how much stronger and more skilled the assassin is, all the child needs to do is slit a major artery or the throat. What I can't deal with is the dimensional traveling centuries-old vampire-esque immortal magic powerhouse wielding individual - who shall not be named - who calls that horde of realities his personal playground."

Everyone noted my shiver. "I fear this 'man' so much I dare not speak his name in fear of accidentally giving him a waypoint to track me down."

I've heard others recount their experiences with Zeltrech – he is fun, but too much hassle.

Especially if you catch his interest or anger.

Or worse – both.

"Should I be concerned that you may bring this threat to this plane?" Batman asked, undertones evident and apparent.

I straightened. "Oh, not at all. At worst, he is a gigantic troll with an odd obsession with anime dealing with Lolita magical girls… who happens to be powerful enough to face most beings in all of creation like they were toddlers. I wouldn't be surprised if the number of people who can give him a run for his money in all of the creation remains in the double digits. And considering the concept of infinity – or as close as you can get to it – that's saying something."

Tim whispered to Barbara, "Lolita magical girls?"

She pinched her brow. "It's anime, Tim – what did you expect?"

Batman decided to ignore the implications of such a being and pressed on to a topic he could be more grounded on. "Are there many individuals like him who could invade?"

"Invade or enter realities like I can? There are, but nowhere near my skill level. That kind of power comes with restrictions – they can knock on the door, whisper in, or even send in an aspect of themselves, but outright entry usually requires some sort of 'key-lock' situation from the other end. Call it's a self-defense mechanism of reality if you would: someone already inside got to prop the entry. Individuals or groups like me are unique, getting our ability from one of four methods. The most common one? We bypassed the raw power required to shatter the walls by instead specializing, developing tricks to get around the issue, usually via a technique or methodology that is significantly below the power threshold to be considered a threat to said defense mechanism. Less common is by becoming patrons or serving under a significantly powerful deity or aspect. I know a particular group known as the Oogakaris who serve and entertain an elder goddess of creation, who one them describes as a 'demon dragon goddess thing.' They have only been around for a few millennia, but Zuzushi seems to like this iteration – quirks and all – so they will be around for a while. The third group is incredibly rare and is usually the cause behind fears of transdimensional nightmare beings such as Cthulu."

"Wait… Cthulu? As in the indescribable, insanity-inducing cosmic entity and basis of H. 's pantheon is REAL?!" Tim asked in shock and fear.

"Oh yes, Lovecraft is usually able to peer into the void and catch glimpses of them. Personally? They are not that bad once you get used to their rules and appearances. Little too much like the Addams Family taken to the extreme, but at that point, rules and morality becomes less of a concern. I wouldn't recommend visiting their domains though – their version of physics does a number on humanoids."

I sipped my tea as everyone tried processing that. Maybe I should make my own Flash 'Mind Blowers' segment or something?

"Still, the third category is pure power. Beings like that have gathered so much of it that even their fragments and whispers are enough to bend minds to their will and summon them into their victim's respective realities. Thankfully, there are groups and individuals out there who make sure that this… Chaotic element doesn't interfere with Existence to a damaging degree. Of all known members who fall into this category, only a sliver are a justified threat. The rest… the rest just don't care, are in hibernation, or are so above our infinitesimal presence that it doesn't even cross their minds."

Batman's glare intensified. "Are you saying that they are allowed to consume and destroy realities at a whim?"

"Where there is Creation, there is also Death. One does not allow life to propagate and continue without an end unless one desires Cancer to form, Bruce." I had to raise my voice to a commanding level. "Do not attempt to apply your beliefs and morality to someone of my level – me allowing Joker to live was a courtesy, not an action I would have avoided committing."

"And Harley and Ivy? Where they also dealt with similarly?"

This conversation was going off the rails - time to reset the tracks.

"Ivy was simply a victim of her environment. Being the closest thing to the emissary or even avatar of nature made her extremely vulnerable to pollutants and their corrupting influence. I don't know why she returned and remained in Gotham, but she should have known that its land would have been detrimental to her. Harley was in a similar situation albeit bound to an individual rather than the environment. Joker found her mental flaw, manipulated it, and pretzelled her into an abusive relationship, which he conditioned her into remaining. I have taken both of them and placed them into a nurturing and safe environment where they can recover in peace and regain their bearings."

Batman pondered that, everyone in the Bat Clan looking at him for his final word.

"May I at least know where you have placed them?"

I smirked, knowing he wouldn't find the island, the Fidelis-like magic of the gods preventing deliberate searching for it.

"Themyscira."

"Themyscira – as in the lost island of the Amazons," deadpanned Batman.

"Yeah, so no boys allowed," I smirked.

"What's the fourth method?"

I faced Tim. "Pardon?

"You said there were four methods. One is skill, one is patronage, and one is power, what's the fourth?"

I strained up. "The fourth is something that is jokingly referred to as the Joker Class, mainly because the individuals work like the card when the games began – the weakest and strongest suit depending on the situation."

"How come?"

I sighed. "The three methods I mentioned? They all involve the participant or participants 'raising' as it were beyond their mortal restrictions. Me? I got a straight link to a dimension of energy, which I honed to allow me to do what I do. Same for others like me in existence: one way or another, we bargained, coned, tricked, or sweated our way into the power to do what we do."

I raised my hand to Batman, "Before you start, no, I won't tell you about said individuals mainly because they are not your concern, and there are individuals already doing that job for you."

I turned back to face the group. "And to answer Bruce's second question, yes, the technology used to do this DOES fall into the Joker Class."

Nightwing rubbed his chin. "That… doesn't really make sense. How can using technology to do traverse existence justifies such a high position?"

"Because of two significant reasons. The first being that because said individuals aren't 'bound' to anyone or anything, their methods of travel more often than not can't be tracked and don't have as many limitations. On the flip side, however, they don't have a subconscious understanding of traversing the roads of existence, meaning that their methods are sloppy, hazards, and, more often than not, leave enough collateral residue that they are a danger to the stability to said roads. There are exceptions to this rule, but Professor Paradox and the Doctor are too rare to justify adding a provision."

I finished my tea as they processed that statement. "However, the reason only applies to those who don't understand what they have in their hands. In almost all situations, people who have access to such technologies are usually so smart that they are a threat just by existing. There is a dimensional hopper by the name of Rick Sanchez whose actions – the Prime versions and his counterparts – have caused a literal blockade around ALL REALITIES where he exists. Can you imagine how much of a threat an individuals – or individuals - must be for beings monitoring creation to put in the effort to corner them off?"

"Is it wrong to mention how blown my mind is right now?" Barbara muttered as her hands shook.

"No, no it is not. Green Arrow and his team had similar reactions when I laid down something similar a while back. BTW, you want their contact information, Bats?"

I took out a card with the special contact server Oliver developed to communicate with his team while on patrol, presenting it to Batman. "He wouldn't mind me doing this. Frankly, having someone to socialize with could do you some good."

Batman's glare softened a bit, but he didn't take the card. "I'll take your words into consideration. And do give my regards to Oliver Queen when you get the chance."

My brow rose before I snapped my fingers. "I should have known – you were rather close with Talia, so odds are she must have mentioned her sister at some point."

Batman couldn't hide his grimace. "That isn't how I knew about it, but that DOES raise more questions."

"Long story short, Ra's gets around, and he wasn't putting all his eggs in one basket," I deadpanned.

"Eww, TMI," Tim snarked.

"And for interrupting my train of thought Batman and making me go all serious – HEADS UP!" I tossed the arrow to him.

Batman, bless his reflexes, couldn't help himself as he grabbed the shaft.

"Careful, it bites," Nightwing managed to say before… well, basing everyone's reactions to the arrow going all snake-like and penetrating Bruce's arm, it must have been something.

Sans Alfred – he just stood there and sipped his tea.

Stone cold bastard… I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!

"Now, where was I?"

Barbara looked at me as I was crazy. "Are we just going to ignore what you did!?"

"The same thing I did to Nightwing already? Relax – its only some slight discomfort. People with stronger character barely feel anything as the arrow designs their power. Only those with feeble self-perception actually suffer since the arrow needs to dig deeper. Speaking of which, since I already started the fire… TRIPLE TAP!"

Never said I had the one arrow.

I caught and lied down Tim, Barbara, and Alfred on the medical cots before they hit the ground.

Nightwing stared at me in resignation. "They will be angry at you for this, you know that?"

I shrugged. "It's better to ask for forgiveness rather than permission. Besides, it's a stability thing."

Nightwing looked at me, flabbergasted.

"Consider me as the Prime Version. Every action and interaction I take must have the opposite one. In half my decisions, I do give you powers and in half, I don't. In those I do give powers, I have to run choices of who gets powers and who doesn't. Then there are actions are took before like saving the Joker or killing him, etc., etc…. and suffice to say the fractal of existence continues."

"But… why?"

"Because while most of the strings I CAN create may or will die off from who knows what reasons, those that persist will fill in for the realities that ended or have been destroyed for one reason or another somewhere else in creation. Existence keeps going via the battle between Beginning and End, and we avoid all life becoming meaningless just a little bit longer."

Nightwing processed that. "That's deep – and sounds oddly like a theory that we are entertainment for sleeping gods keeping us going."

"Similar premise, different exsecution."

It was at that point that I caught the Batarang tossed at me. Snyder Cut much?

I faced Batman, who managed to force himself up, sweat-drenched and all. I noted this reaction before hearing the rest of the group groggily wake without a hint of pain or tiredness.

"Hold up – did you actually resist the process? By the powers Bruce, what part of me 'not trying to kill you' confuses you? Are you actually so stubborn as to resist a free upgrade, no strings attached?"

"I believe it was the part where you gave him a supernatural ability without his permission, Sir," Alfred deadpanned as he dusted himself off. "Thank you for catching the china, by the way – it was part of a set."

"Just helping out. Speaking of which, what did you all get?"

I stared down Batman. "And don't even try to deny you didn't want a way to even up the field. So put down the metaphorical shotgun and just try it out."

Something must have registered to him as he sighed in resignation and was about to call his Stand…

"But because I like poking the proverbial bear, I'll start with Alfred."

I turned to spot… huh, he got a Colony.

Or at least a very small one.

"Are those gremlins?" Tim asked in confusion.

"Did Gizmo or his ilk ever wear suits? Cause if so, I have been watching the wrong movie on Columbus Day."

Alfred studied the three figures clamoring around him. "I do believe that they remind me more of the Russian Domovoi creatures."

He had a point. While their green skin and long ears did suggest Gizmo's evil cousins, they lacked the scales and clawed hands to give them that demented edge. Their pupil-less eyes and grins are unnerving as are their grossly exaggerated bulging arms giving them a gorilla build. The suit did take the edge off.

"Still, multiple numbers imply Colony, meaning that the three may not be the final tally. Combining in the fact that it must be a Long-Range and that it is a Natural Non-Humanoid, it must have one heck of an ability. Taking in what I know about Alfred, I am willing to bet the power is similar to a genius loci. What is their name?"

Alfred locked eyes with the one on his shoulder as the other two walked around, smelling the cave. A nonverbal conversation occurred between the two before Alfred nodded and smiled. The 'lead' gremlin barked at the other two before all three ran off to who knows where.

"You were spot on with their power, Master Shunkan. They go by Kanseil, and they do, in fact, allow me to become a genius loci, but only in any place that Master Bruce and his family call their own or own on paper – with preference, of course, falling on Master Bruce. Some prerequisites must be met, and I must be present for the blunt of its abilities to work… abilities that Kanseil has yet to divulge. As far as I can tell, the three have run off to study the territory and… make a big enough staff."

I nodded. "Fits in – Colony stands are always overlooked since they need to set up for their potential to be used adequately. Give them time."

"Anyone willing to tell me what a genius loci is?"

"Read more fantasy. Speaking of which, where is your Stand, Tim?"

Tim tilted his head. "Can't you see him?"

"Him?" Barbara smirked.

I chuckled. "Hold your laugh. The fact he can tell its gender is better than nothing. Many people have Stands that look like monsters or robots. Having a gender means more humanoid appearance meaning more power - usually. But no, we can't. How about you tell me what your power does since?"

"I have X-ray vision in my eyes if that helps."

OHHH… guess we are going the Rocksteady Studios route.

"Let me guess, highlighted items of interest, adjustable levels of X-ray, increasing detail and range?"

"Yeah… how did you..?"

"It's called Detective Mode, and I can take a guess as to what your Stand is."

At that moment, Tim's eyes glowed and shifted into a blue tint as a figure emerged from them.

Huh – a mechanical tweeting robin… that is the size of a falcon.

"Says his name is WTD for some reason… OH! He says he can go by Costello."

I barely managed to hold in my laugh. "While I won't ruing the joke behind those acronyms or nickname, I should have mentioned that Stands have names related to songs and bands. Anything else?"

The bird tweeted something only Robin could understand. "He says he is only Act 1."

I whistled. "Wow, well, that takes my initial estimate out the window. 'Act' indicated that it will evolve in time as you age and mature so that power isn't even its final form. Keep practicing with it, and down the road, you'll figure out its nuisances. Fair warning, don't tell any of your future female coworkers that you have X-Ray vision."

Going by Barbara's – and Bruce's glare – Tim quickly got the message.

"Um… is there any specific meaning to the FORM the Stand takes?"

"No, only the power reveals something about you. The form is irrelevant and adapts to better suit the power, not the other way around. Why?"

Barbara closed her eyes as a figure started to form by her side…

No…No… SON OF A…!

The Stand was a fucking JESTER!

Well, a jester doll. While the old court jester green-red appearance and half-half mask mix of Comedy and Tragedy was a giveaway, it mostly managed to cover up the doll sockets and joints.

What's worse, it looked like two triangles connected at one ball socket joint where the spine would meet the hip, giving it a twisted unbalanced appearance, one hanging on by a single vertebra.

And it even had the gall to cover its mouth as it mimicked whispering something Barabara before laughing.

"It… it says its name is Four Tops and that its power… "undoes what has been done but not what has occurred?"

Oh, you have got to be…

"Sounds like Event Denial, even possibly Event Negation if I am deciphering it right. That's… a rather powerful ability, even for an Artificial Humanoid Close-Range. There HAVE to be ridiculous restrictions."

"How ridiculous are we talking?" Batman asked, partly restraining his reactions from hearing that one of his protégé has the ability to control TIME, even to a minor degree.

"Contact is a must. A time limit to how far back something can be undone is a given. Doubt she can just pick and choose what never occurred or else she could undo something significant in a person's past. It's probably also restricted to non-living…"

Barbara raised her hand in interruption. "Actually, it works on all."

"What."

"It seems like I can undo any event or action that occurred to an object, others, or me. However, Four Tops can only undo an event up to 10 seconds. If say a window or door was broken more then 10 seconds ago, I can't restore it to completion. Same for injuries. Plus, either me or Four Tops have to make contact within the 10-second window. This is loosened for anything I actually break since that allows me to delay the activation of the power for up to 9 seconds."

I whistled. "Okay, I see A LOT of potential for infiltration as well as immediate medical aid… now drop the other shoe."

I did not joke on the last mater, not with the giant middle finger potentiality was giving me.

"It seems like there's a condition when used on living beings. The power LITERALLY undoes the event, taking the individual up to 10 seconds back in time, like the event never occurred to you, meaning you have no memory of it…"

"But reality keeps on moving as if it did happen. That… is a rather double-edged sword, for you or an enemy."

"I am sorry, but enemy? I can see it being detrimental to her in combat since, from what I gather, she would be able to heal from any crippling injury but be caught completely off guard as her memory would erase of HOW it occurred or where she was or doing at the given moment. In the vigilante lifestyle, such seconds matter."

"True Sir Alfred, but the same can be done to enemies – it would take someone of considerable skill to overcome such debilitating memory loss in the middle of combat. There is also the fact that the power can PHYSICALLY take her or others back to wherever they were or whatever they were doing in that 10-second window. With proper trap placement or environmental awareness, such a Recall ability is a true blessing. I can't help but notice that all your abilities have no DIRECT combat or damage applications. Would you like to finish it off, Batman?"

Bruce – his limit for appearing, threating having apparently been reached – sighed as he summoned his Stand… from his shadow.

"Oh, oh wow – we may have another Black Sabbath situation here."

Speaking strictly appearances, the similarities where rather apparent: cloaked humanoid figure, shadow based abilities, talon-like hands…

HOLD UP!

I looked at what I could see, what with the hood coring – DOES THE HOOD HAVE EDGES!?

"Umm… how does a cloak not have curves?"

"Supernatural bullshit Tim, just plain old supernatural bullshit," I muttered.

Noticing that whatever of the hand – dark chrome-colored, I may add – I could see, it clearly looked… batlike? But that didn't really fit in with what of its face I could see, which included snake eyes and tongue. But then there were its cloven jet black feet.

I mean, I get bat DNA is needed to make a stable chimera – thank you 'Fringe' for that factoid – but what does that have to do with darkness…

OH, YOU HAVE TO BE SHITTING ME!

"Batman, shot in the dark here but… your Stand name wouldn't happen to be 'Fear of the Dark'?"

The fact that he didn't react to my insinuation spoke volumes.

"SIGH… sort of fits the theme: we are all afraid of whatever monsters are in the dark, and having you, someone who weaponized his fear, have a Stand take such an appearance actually fits its chimera visage. What of the powers?"

He just smirked. "I'll be keeping that to myself now, spoilers and all."

Oh, you want to play this game?

"I was being polite, but fine, have it your way. Considering that you strictly work from the shadows, I am wagering that your Stand power is two-fold. One allows you to enter some sort of 'shadow dimension' to get around traps and enemies and the like. I don't know how that would work, but I am sticking to it. The other one probably allows you to shape your shadow and into whatever you desire like armor and whips. CAVEAT – the longer and bigger the shadow source, the more you have to work with, especially if your shadow makes contact with other shadows. But by that token, your power is useless the more light there is or if there is no light at all."

"No light at all? How would that prevent his power from working?" Tim asked, curiously.

"Because Tim, darkness and shadow are not the same things. Shadows need light to form, and darkness is the absence of light. It's rather poetic, really – Batman strifes to bring the misdeeds of those hiding in the darkness into the light, and his Stand practically demands that light be a part of him. Still, a Humanoid Close Range Stand is absolutely nothing to laugh at. How close was I?"

Oh that face, that 'I've had enough of this shit' face of surrender… FEED ME, TROLL HUMOR!

"Mostly spot on. There IS a restriction regarding the shadow usage, but there is also a loophole or two to exploit. Also, what exactly is 'Fear of the Dark'?"

"Not a fan of Iron Maiden, Sir?"

The collective neck snaps from all of us at Alfred's admission of knowing a metal band and song can not be overstated.

"Oh, but to have a day going through your layers…" I sighed before clapping loudly. "Okay, you know what, I gave you all a large info and power dump today. Barbara, Tim, how about you go talk to Dick about using your Stands for reconnaissance? Okay? Okay. Alfred, I believe that you should take a walk around the perimeter to get the gremlins situated. Bruce and I got to have a small talk about some of the stuff I am involved in just to ease his irrational paranoia of me."

The three younger members of the Bat Clan laughed it off as they walked away but Alfred was a former agent, he noticed something was off. He gave Batman when he was sure the younglings wouldn't notice before walking off.

The moment we were in the clear, all jokes were off.

My sudden demeanor change actually caught Batman off guard, especially when I took him into Flash Time.

"What did you just…"

"Not now, Bruce. All you need to know is that I took us to an accelerated timestream and caught off any possible sounds from leaving our immediate environment. There are things we need to discuss, and the little reveal of Barbara's Stand means that I don't have much of a choice."

Batman caught the gist. "What does it have to do with…?"

"Had I not been put in the unique situation of my powers developing as they did, I would not have the knowledge that I currently access. Said knowledge boils down to certain events that happen in perpetuity and in ever prevalent frequency across your lives and the lives of many other alternatives of you."

"You know our futures?"

"I know the multitude of possible scenarios that your alternatives have gotten into or will get into. I DO NOT time travel– I only observe the past or timelines further along the line than yours, and even then, I have to remain out of synch to avoid making physical contact with anything and causing a Ray Bradbury 'A Sound of Thunder' incident."

"But why don't you…?"

"Ever seen the ripples and damage from waves after a sonic boom? The hell do you think happens to events in a timeline after a time boom? Little deviations add up and snowball to cataclysmic events. I know because I have seen one of my alternatives do just that."

Well, I've seen the animated DC movie. I've never actually met any of the Flashes alternatives, more so from fear of accidentally being found out of being an SI.

The other deities and aspects never brought it up, but to be fair, we never discussed it either.

That caused Batman's eyes to bulge behind his mask, but he contained his reaction, processing that statement. "Getting rid of the Joker, rescuing Ivy and Harley.. you saw something in the other timelines. But… they are differences, the odds of them happening here are just…"

"In most iterations, Barabara Gordon is shot point-blank by the Joker, severing her spine, permanently paralyzing her from the waist down. She was depressed, but eventually, her friends and family brought her back, and she took her skills in information sciences and became Oracle, an information broker who gathered and disseminating intelligence to law enforcement organizations and members of the superhero community. You were happy that she managed to fix herself back up, but there was always guilt behind any interaction you took with her because you couldn't bring yourself to end the Joker… especially since he nearly tortured her father to madness while she was in the hospital, fighting for her life."

Bruce took deep breathes, trying to control himself as he processed that information. "Her Stand… you think something still may happen."

Well, considering there THREE fucking Jokers according to you after using that damn Mobius Chair…

"I don't know. Maybe Stands are predetermined, and me interfering with the timeline wasn't going to change that. Perhaps it's just foreshadowing, and someone else will try to do the deed. In any case, her new power will prevent her from being crippled again if she manages to fight through the pain and undo the damage in a timely enough matter."

"Harleen?"

"Harleen more often then not recovers to something close to normalcy if she is kept away from Joker. That medicine I gave him? Developed by one of her alternatives who managed to get away from him when she finally recognized how deranged he was becoming."

"Define normalcy."

I shrugged. "Anti-hero at best, mercenary for hire at worst. She still has the insanity flavoring but left on her own devices, she never goes out to ruin the lives of others on a whim. Hell, she actually goes out of her way to get rid of the red in her ledger. Managed to impress enough superheroes to at least give her a modicum of trust."

"Ivy?"

"Call up Zatanna or one of your other magic-using 'friends' and ask them about The Green and all the other elemental forces in existence. Ivy is one of the stronger avatars currently active, and she has a role to play in saving the Earth in most futures. I just accelerated her rate of recovery."

"Themyscira?"

"Spoilers. And I mean it. You'll know when you need to know."

Batman pinched his nose in exasperation. "Any other bombshells I should be aware of?"

Yeah… he isn't about to enjoy what I am about to tell him.

"Well, let's just say that both Talia AND Ra's have managed to screw you over in the past – and in exactly the ways you imagine."

"…Elaborate."

Barbara, Tim, and Dick were witnesses to their mentor finally snapping and losing his cool.

They also learned that day that shadows do, in fact, pack a punch.

"So… I know this is the wrong thing to say, but I can pay you back for that computer."

I know I should have stayed quiet, but Batman losing his cool – and his Stand going crazy and destroying his computer – was enough to spook me out of Flash Time.

"THE HELL DID YOU TALK ABOUT?! I HAD MY SAVE FILES ON THAT COMPUTER!" shouted Tim.

I looked at Batman, who was still enraged and calming himself down.

"I… may have told him some things that he was unaware of at this time – PRIVATE THINGS!"

Batman finally stilled and slowly turned away from the mangled remains of his computer terminal. "WHERE?" he growled in barely restrained fury, shadows flailing and whipping around him like octopus limbs.

"Both will make their appearance soon enough, but I will be paying visits to them anyway for… various reasons."

Batman breathed in and out, in and out. He turned to the concerned family. "Sorry for my outburst. Shunkhan told me of a possible future. I may have… overreacted. Thank you for the abilities, but I need to return to my patrol again – and order a new supercomputer."

Before anyone had a chance to respond, an aura glowed around said computer as it reassembled itself and turned back on.

"Huh," deadpanned Barbara. "So that's how that feels."

Four Tops giggling still unnerved me. "Well, in hopes of not accidentally dropping any more truth bombs, I'll be on my way now. If you have any questions, just contact Green Arrow and he will pass it on to me. FYI, I was mostly spitballing your Stands powers – odds are, they have rather glaring restrictions and weaknesses attached to them I am unaware of. Make sure to figure them out before using them openly in the field."

"WAIT!" shouted Tim, freezing me, mid-stride."Did you give the Green Arrow Stands as well?"

"Oh no, I prefer power diversity in the superhero/vigilante community. For the foreseeable future, only members and allies of the Bat Clan have the right to the Stand Arrow if they choose so. Members of the Team Arrow get the demented love child between the works of Anthony Ivo and Abraham Erskine that consumers Mirakuru for desserts."

"None of that statement made sense."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Think of a serum that enhances and perfects human physiology and mentality for the recipient, as well as emphasizes the user's key personality traits. Granted, I managed to tweek it JUST enough that it emphasizes positive traits over dominant-negative traits – Arrow still has baggage he hasn't gotten over."

Tim whistled at that. "How did they react to that?"

I froze, shuddering and laughing at the memory. "Well, safe to say, they were unaware that I dosed them without their consent. However, the three couples were not complaining when I returned the next day. Side note, apparently, increased libido constitutes a pleasant – if not expensive, due to broken beds – side effect. I had to order four different beds and gallons of burn cream to get back in their good graces."

Nightwing thought about that. "Wait, four?"

I smirked evilly. "There is a bed in the Arrow Cave. TOODLES!"

I disappeared, but not before catching the last sentence."Who broke the bed in the cave?"

Too bad for Batman, he didn't consider the whole weight of the statement regarding the arrow.

In a dingy warehouse in the middle of nowhere U.S.A

Jason couldn't believe it, he just couldn't.

Oh sure, the freak wasn't dead, but that hardly mattered since the Joker himself was no longer an issue.

His vendetta, his rage… he had done things, things that still make him sweat and scream in the night to learn the skills he needed.

But now… now he was a loaded gun without a target to shoot.

"Just because Joker is no longer the final mark, doesn't mean your plan was without merit."

Jason didn't hesitate, he quickly jumped away from the crate he was on facing the television and shot at the source of the sound.

It was only when landed and was prepared to shoot again when he saw the white figure hold the bullet in the middle of the air.

"How in the… wait, you look like those guys from Central City, Thunder and Lightning."

I nodded. "Call me Shunkan, their… 'older' sibling."

"Okay… why did you track me down then?"

"For three reasons. First, to give you a heads-up that Batman is aware you are alive."

Jason's eye bulged. "WHAT?! Why did you…"

"I only told him that Ra's had your body replaced and thrown in the Pits with… mixed results. Didn't take him much to figure out that you could have survived your fall into the river stream. Suffice to say, Bruce is set on a warpath and is making plans to get his pound of flesh from him and Talia."

"Talia? What did she do to…?"

"She drugged and raped him in Egypt while he was injured, and that encounter produced an heir. Trust me, looking for Ra's right now is the equivalent of two birds with one stone."

Jason exe stopped working. "Bruce… has a son? A real one?"

"You are all his children, but yes, he has a sired child. Still young… too young for Ra's to start teaching his successor."

A cold shiver passed through Jason. Desecrating and reviving him would be one thing to Bruce – his guilt of not saving him given form. But to take his own flesh and blood and twist it with the teachings of the League AND Ra's mentality? An antithesis to Bruce's believes?

Angels would weep tears of fear at vengeance given form for Bruce wrath would know no end.

"Okay, so coming to me was for what? A sales pitch?"

"Powers No! You've gone away from Batman's methods. Not saying he is wrong about the whole no killing or gun rule, but… well… I did find a way to remove the Joker from the game board as humanely as possible. But not every villain and criminal can be dealt with in such a way. No, sometimes, if the source of the infection can't be treated, the symptoms have to be dealt with – one way or another. Your methods are different – you have your way of dealing with crime, a way that Bruce won't agree with but knows will work. You would seek to control crime, to carol those without fear behind lines they wouldn't dare to cross because you would be able to enforce and cross lines Bruce couldn't. "

"Really? Bruce being pro-death?"

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing expecting different results. Bruce is not a dumb man, Jason. He knows his methods are at best plugging up a sinking ship, but he stands by his values because he believes in them. He is the epitome of human will, both the good and the bad. He will move mountains and end gods – this I know – but he always do it his way, pushing even his loved ones and friends away, in fear of bringing harm to them in his crusade against evil, by their hands… or his own."

Jason was about to process that statement…

"Plus, it would be too easy."

"Too easy? Too easy for what?"

"Do you really think Bruce has ignored what the Joker has done? Blindly, stupidly disregarding the entire graveyards he's filled, the thousands who have suffered, the friends he's crippled. It was never the moral code holding him back from doing the deed – it was the fear of being all too damned easy. There has never been a day till now where there wasn't a day - especially after your death – where he didn't want to kill him. To subject him to every horrendous torture he's dealt out to others and then... end him. But the thing is… if he did do that, if he allowed himself to go down into that place, he would never come back. And believe me, having seen the worlds where Batman did do just that, well, raining blood is an appropriate comparison. Batman has the skills to kill the lieutenants for all cartels in Gotham in a few HOURS. What do you think he can do when he has all the time in the world?"

Jason gulped in fear of that, the white being leaning into him to say that last phrase notwithstanding. "Okay, I see where you are coming from. So what are the other two reasons?"

"The other is this," he attached a device to his wrist. "This will provide you all the tech you need to start your crusade against humanities scum – your ultimate hacking, computer, credit providing communicating device."

Jason raised a brow in confusion after looking at the red hologram as it appeared over his forearm. "It comes with a manual, and it's called an Omni-tool. It's a multipurpose diagnostic and manufacturing tool, as well as a computer used for a variety of civilian and battlefield tasks, such as hacking, decryption, or repair. It will help you be a step or two ahead of Bruce and give you a direct line to me if anything comes up. Also, it comes with a hard light sword. Bonus, it's solar AND bio-energy powered."

"Okay… thanks for the fancy tech. What's the final reason?"

The figure drew an arrow out of nowhere. "This."

All Jason would know for the next few moments is pain.

Next day…

I rubbed my jaw in annoyance from the other side of the table as Oliver looked up from his paperwork. "Still? You would think that you regeneration, I simple uppercut wouldn't hurt that much."

I chuckled in between winces. "You laugh, but regeneration only repairs surface damage – the pain will stay for the natural duration. Hell, my accelerated perception actually makes it last longer if I don't adjust the time flow. Something you should remember from now on as well; your body reaction speeds aren't exactly human norm anymore."

Oliver's 'friendly' glare intensified. "Yes… I am still not happy you dosed up with that – what did you call it? – Super Soldier Serum."

Too easy.

"What, Sarah complained about the lack of stamina? Or was it the new goatee?"

Oliver was stoic, but I spotted the slight flinching of the eyes. "No – to both accounts. Also, how did I grow a goatee almost overnight?"

Yeah… if the resemblance to his cartoon and comic counterparts wasn't strong in the team before, I was now.

It was more evident in the more recognizable members, however.

Oliver didn't bulk up per se – he was already pretty high up there on male perfection scale – but his physique did become broader, more streamlined. The lightening of his hair to a more blondish color was hard to ignore, but that thankfully was more progressive then sudden, unlike his rapidly growing goatee.

His most significant change – which he was yet to notice – was his demeanor. Oliver in the entertainment media was always portrayed as the man of the people, less so their guardian. While he and Bruce DID commit to humanitarian causes, Oliver was always on the 'frontlines,' getting to know those he was helping and relating to the common man.

Gideon has been watching him for the last few days after the serum administration for side effects and research purposes. She ascertained based on the employs' and shareholders' reactions that Oliver gained some sort of 'aura' around him, like paladins of fantasy or priests of old. He didn't spot it yet, but even Sarah started noticing that he was becoming less grumpy and more 'true' with his persona in regards to saving the city.

Speaking of Sarah, she too changed up a bit. A body that was sex on legs, hair transitioning from platinum blond to straight-up blond, a spike in natural empathy and intuitiveness with people, as well as a commanding voice that could kill.

Literary.

Finding out she was now her namesake mid-coitus was probably not how I would want that to happen, but she wasn't complaining THAT much.

Still, funniest damn way to learn you had the Canary Cry. I chalked its emergence up to minute trices of exotic matter in her from the particle accelerator that was triggered via the serum.

Otherwise, I would have to start checking her family history for a witch's curse.

Roy didn't change much, considering he was already on Mirakuru, basically SSS-light. Well, other than the shade of orange for his hair.

Diggle, Lyla, and Thea remained mostly the same. Sure, they didn't complain about the superhuman boost – especially Roy, who was tired of being blue balled – but they were annoyed at the fact I didn't get consent.

Diggle accepted it after I got him a dozen crispy crème donuts.

Lyla sort of just went along with it. Hell, she didn't even update anyone at A.R.G.U.S about it.

Thea, well, I mentioned Roy as it.

And there were four broke beds.

Who knew that Thea had THAT in her? Not Oliver, based on his grimace when he found the broken bed later on.

Back to the topic at hand.

"So, how is it going with the company?"

Oliver jumped 'gracefully' to a different topic to avoid the current train of thought. "So far, so good. The Glades are being funded, medical and aide centers are either in development or solidifying their roots in the community. I managed to put up enough feelers to diversify the company a bit more, hopefully broadening our scope and appeasing our shareholders."

"Did Bruce reach out to you yet?"

"No, not yet. Last I heard, he went to do a check-up on his eastern divisions. I am assuming that he went to give Ra's a visit of some sort?"

"You would be correct in that assumption. You ever get in touch with Holt?"

"I did. Like you said, the guy is too smart for his own good."

I smirked. "I said that he is too intelligent to stick to one project for an extended period of time."

"Hence why I made a deal with him: he works in the Design Innovations department on projects we have interests in with a short term renewable contract, and we agree to fund his work in the future when he finally decides to leave as long as he maintains confidentiality on what he did work. There are a host of minute details as well, but those are the broad strokes."

I shrugged, "Better than nothing, I guess. That man is like a steroid shot to any companies R&D Department's bottom line. He's like a golden goose that constantly flies and rarely lands. Oh, but when he lands…"

Oliver couldn't help but laugh. "It lays freaking golden eggs that keep on giving. You should have been here when Palmer came in for the meeting."

I flinched at that. "Was he in the city when The Siege happened?"

Oliver sighed in resignation. "Was he another one of those 'can't interfere with time' situations?"

I sighed in defeat. "Frankly, with how much weakened this army was compared to its other alternatives –"

"Still don't know how you butterfly-effected THAT particular event before you got your powers," Oliver deadpanned.

Right… he still doesn't know that I stole the unfiltered Mirakuru from Slade. He just assumed that whatever I gave Roy overrode the junk in his system. Oh well, the less he knows about my research into it, the better.

"Flight of whimsy. This just happened to be the reality where I was more curious about your activities and asked the right questions. Me getting powers is sort of a fixed point in time across a big chunk of this Multiverse within the Omniverse. In any case, I figured with the weakened army, Miss Loring would still be alive."

"No, she passed. How did she die before?"

"Neck snap."

"She died rescuing people from a collapsing building, but she got stuck inside and couldn't get out. Palmer couldn't get to her in time. Hell, he could barely get his hands through the cracks."

I frowned. "Huh, that's… interesting."

"That a woman died?" Oliver asked with grim undertones.

"Oh no, that IS sad. It's just… her death is the catalyst to Palmer's path down heroics. The irony here is that THIS version's particular end would probably accelerate Ray's research into the thing that became his calling card. Typically, had the damage been worse and the team fractured, he would buy out Queen Consolidated before renaming it and try to rebuild this city for the better, a phoenix rising from the ashes as it were. He would build a suit of armor to take care of the city's vigilante problems, believing that air superiority and the suits advancements would be enough to deal with any issue. It was only later that… you know what, I am rambling. All you need to know is that Ray is a good man with good intentions who creates a suit with an underappreciated ability. A bit air-headed at times and too willing to see the good in people, but his heart is in the right place."

Oliver smile returned. "Trust me, I know. He came in hoping to work with me in developing better rescue-related technologies and devices. He practically salivated when he learned we had Mister Terrific on board already."

I raised a brow, trying to control myself. "Mister Terrific?"

Oliver shrugged. "A joke on Sara's part for Holt. A little too on the nose, though."

Oh, you have no idea.

Speaking of Ray…

"Any word from Felicity?"

Oliver looked at me in confusion. "No, not really. I mean, she left the team. It's not like we parted on bad terms, but, you know, she did say she didn't want to be contacted. Last I checked, she was in Vegas. Why, should I be concerned?"

Considering her father is The Calculator and the fact Helix is around… Note to self, look into Ricardo Diaz and the Quadrant, or at least leave enough breadcrumbs for Oliver to follow.

That or have Gideon check Bruce's files to see if he has contingencies in place.

"No, just curious. It's not like her to just find a place to hide and burrow. Especially if she is visiting her mom."

"Her mom lives in Vegas?"

"Born and raised, Jewish proud. Felicity took more after her father, though."

Oliver gave me a look.

"What?"

"You have a habit of slipping breadcrumbs into conversations that seem harmless to you but have far-reaching ramifications and revelations to anyone else."

Am I that predictable?

"I do not leave clues…"

"Savage?"

I paused. "Roy asked about that, I didn't hint anything."

"So you DO drop hints?" Oliver smirked.

Damn it.

"I avoid dropping spoilers for possible futures – I trained myself better than that. Events that occurred in the past, however, have ways of slipping through my filter. Especially when I monologue."

Oliver leaned back into his chair. "At least you know your problem." He looked at his watch, "Got to go – Laurel and I have a lunch date to keep."

"Where are you eating out?"

He shook his head. "No, I made lunch this time around."

"What did you make?"

"Chili."

Oh, Laurel's poor taste buds.

An undisclosed amount of time passes…

You know, this was going to happen eventually.

Despite keeping myself busy – going over my list and checking it twice – it's just too darn easy to get things done when you may as well have all the time in the world.

Batman Clan? Check.

Arrow Team? Check.

Themyscira? Too soon. Give the girls more time to settle before I introduce them to the greatest innovations of Man's World.

Patrol the city? My duplicate is maintaining the civilian cover, Weather Wizard Lite is going to be making an appearance sometime soon, and Gideon is still not talking to me after the whole Granny Weatherwax fiasco.

Sue me, I honestly did not think she would react to the notion of a reality where LOGIC was a superpower in such a manner.

The Black Sabbath Brigade – my robot dudes – said that it gave them ideas.

I fear the consequence of near-sentient drones weaponizing logic.

Was The Metal a thing yet? I mean, Aquaman has the Clear, Ivy and Holland have the Green, Vixen and B'wana Beast have the Red.

And wasn't that observation a trippy experience. It's one thing to see Maxwell fuse animals together. It's another to actually monitor and calculate the output of just what the hell he was doing. I am just happy he has yet to stumble into adding humans into the mix or otherwise I would have to significantly bump up his threat level, especially since he is close to figuring out how to defuse his creations.

Damn it, went on a tangent again.

At least now I can add looking into the Arcane Family in regards to the Black, find out if the White really did put an elemental spirit into Red Tornado, and whether or not the Grey was even a thing.

My god does traveling across the Omniverse give one hell of a lesson in crazy batshit trivia.

Like knowing about the fact that there also exists the Melt and the Divided.

Thank the powers I haven't slipped into the Metaverse tangent.

Small miracle that they don't have Avatars for them. All that overlooked power and aspect of life channeled through one being? Yeah, it doesn't matter how insignificant Bacteria is, its Avatar would still give the likes of Superman an ass-whooping.

Speaking of Superman…

I've been avoiding going to Metropolis for… personal reasons. This Lois Lane just left a bad taste in my mouth that I just could not shake.

It already caused me to miss some fun stuff in the previous months.

I missed meeting Lobo himself when he came to collect Superman – wanted to install 'Born to be Wild' on his hog. The only positive from that is that I now know the Fortress is in place.

The Lana Lang dating/spying on Lex fandangle also happened, as did Superman backing up Dan Turpin with the whole Intergang weapon fiasco.

I REALLY should have gotten involved when Parasite got mind screwed by Earl Garver. Police get one good idea of how to use a somewhat good-behavior maintaining metahuman's power to get information, yet get crucified by Lane's mighty pen before they can implement corrections to do it again and again.

Seriously, Rudy's power would have been the ultimate interrogation technique had they been allowed to correct the unforeseeable issues, like finally getting approval for Rudy to see a goddam shrink once in a while. Media entertainment can only cloud his thoughts for so long before he has to psychoanalyze himself and fall into the supervillain bottomless pit of lunacy.

And nothing else so far, I checked before coming into town. For example, Leslie Willis is still a shock jock, meaning that we are still firmly pre-season two of the cartoon.

Small miracles. Livewire is firmly on top of the Electrokinesis food chain in the DC Universe, and that's before we start considering beings of pure energy or gods. Black Lightning and Static have nothing on just how much sheer power she would have at her disposal.

Unfortunately, nothing would have prepared me for the bizarreness I entered into when I got near the Daily Planet.

I couldn't help but smile as I shifted my appearance.

Time to stack more dominoes

"Hey, Super, get a load of me. The ultimate smart bomb, complete with a Kryptonite warhead."

Clark was somewhat glad that as powerful as the little imp was, he clearly didn't think that much ahead.

Granted, the Kryptonite was an issue, but it gave him the smoke trail necessary to start spelling out his name backwards. He would have distracted and ignored him till his impatience snapped and cause him to go on a tantrum rage and possibly say Kltpzyxm twice.

But he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Avoiding the missile, becoming lethargic enough to bedbound him for the foreseeable day, as well as fly into the Daily Planet's planet was a small price to pay.

Shaking my head, I watched the missile transform back into Mister Mxyzptlk as he sauntered over to me, walking on air.

"I won! I won! In your face, Superman."

I couldn't help but feel a sense of schadenfreude. "No, loser. In yours."

And just as I was about to turn his head around, a red arm grabbed mine.

While the other hand was holding a bucket of buttered popcorn.

"Oh, come now, Clark, the guy was just having some fun. No need to spoil it and lock him out of this reality."

"Thunder?" I managed to state in surprise. What was he doing in town? More importantly, how was he even aware that Mxy…

"Barry? What are you doing in town? You were supposed to be here four episodes ago."

I didn't know what was more frightening: that 'Barry' knew Mxyzptlk or that he was happy to see him… What did he mean by episodes?

"You are thinking of a different continuity, time doesn't stick as strictly as it did before in this string."

Mxyzptlk tipped his head to the side. "Really?" He proceeded to make his head into a slot machine before pulling on a lever and hitting triple sevens. "Okay, got the information synch. It looks like you managed to amalgamate the universes a bit. That or I made a wrong turn at Albuquerque."

Clark watched Thunder shrug. "Come on Mxy, you are a Lord of Chaos; you're better than that. I just accidentally made THIS particular string the dominant one. You never bothered updating your anchor parameters and simply transferred when the dominancy did."

Clark raised a brow. Lord of Chaos? He said he was a 5th Dimensional Being.

"HEY! No spilling secrets here, Barry."

"You just revealed my name to Superman."

"But you know who Superman is already!"

WHAT!? Clark though in shock and fear, finally realizing that Thunder did refer to him as Clark.

"Mxy, I know everyone's name. Hell, I traveled with several fragments of you as they taught me everything I needed to know about existence. And what was the first thing you taught me?"

Mxyzptlk rubbed his chin in thought. "Never show anyone your full power?"

"Clearly not that one, but good to know you're following it. What's the second rule you taught me?"

"Always be the smartest being in the immediate environment?"

"That's the one. And having one up on Batman is a must in my book."

I watched in shock as Mxyzptlk laughed himself silly. "Oh sweet googly goo, you got one over on Bats? Oh, that's priceless! By the way, did the skywriting dissipate yet?"

I stared at him in shock. "You knew?"

Mxyzptlk gave that conman smile. "Supes, of course I knew! Like I told you, I was here for fun and games. In the year I have been visiting, have I ever left lasting damage?"

"Considering that I managed to make you leave in moments the last three times, that doesn't alleviate the tension."

"Oh, so this fragment went easy on him?" Thunder asked in confusion.

Mxyzptlk shrugged in an exaggerated matter. "This is the more calm and collected version of Superman, he isn't as arrogant as the others so I don't have to REALLY screw with him."

"Um, what?"

"Let me take over Mxy. Let's consider this a draw – Superman got you to write the name backwards twice, but you didn't visually confirm it. Just go back to Gsptlsnz, she has been nagging me the last time that you were spreading yourself too thin as it is."

I watched in mystified awe as Mxyzptlk sighed in resignation. "Fine, fine. Not like I actually need to wait three months anymore to visit my pal here."

"Hey, I did not make the connections so you could have easier access torturing your playmates."

Clark couldn't help but think he was going to need one hell of a drink after this. Small mercy that the Fortress has a station that could create alcohol that could get past his system.

"Still," Mxyzptlk smirked as he nudged my shoulders. "Doesn't mean I won't keep my deal. 'Sides, could be fun messing around with other heroes in these parts."

"Just keep in mind that I have plans as well, Mxy. That and Batmite called dibs."

Mxy raised an inflated finger. "Mite doesn't have a claim on this corner, not enough power to fragment himself in too many edges. And yeah, I've been tasting your ripples when I entered but didn't bother looking into it. But seriously, those two?"

Thunder shook his head, "Not just them – many others as well. Kind of why I was going to stop by here."

"Ah, say no more," Mxy waved his hands in good cheer. "Don't want to get in the way of you introducing more variables into the fold. Well, toodles!"

Watching everything return to normal as Mxyzptlk exploded like a balloon, but me not returning to my desk was odd.

"Don't worry about it. Mxy skipped on the vinyl as it were. No one noticed you missing nor question it. Heck, no time passed either."

Taking Thunder's comments for granted, I quickly observed the clock tower miles away for confirmation.

Him chewing and finishing his popcorn pulled me back. "So, let's start fresh – HI! My name is Barry, I know you are Clark, and we have SO much to chat about. Soda Pop?"

Clearly, being caught off guard was going to be a thing with this guy since I didn't see him hold that soda anywhere on him.

Still took the soda – like Ma taught me better than not to accept gifts with honest intentions. "Hello. If I may ask, how do you know my name? I do take efforts to keep it hidden."

Thunder shrugged. "Full disclosure? I have traveled the Omniverse and have observed and/or met other versions of you. The only time you have a different name is if you don't land in Kansas."

I couldn't resist but raise a brow. "Omniverse? Can I assume it is a step above Multiverse in its reach and spread?"

Clearly, that pleased Thunder. "Correct. You are the first to have made that connection. Kryptonians were working on that particular branch of physics before its destruction via Brainiac?"

Clark had to sigh. "This is going to be a thing with you, isn't it – holding all the cards in the conversation?"

"Yes, yes it is. Mxy taught me well."

"Yes… so, Lord of Chaos? Fragments?"

Thunder waved his hand, another drink appearing in his hand as he started to sip through his mask… somehow. "Lords of Order and Chaos are TECHNICALLY entities in the broader scheme of things that have been part of a never-ending battle between opposites and dualities. Calling it a fight between good and evil is too basic and lax depth to encapsulate it in all totality. Their agents and avatars gain access to a broad spectrum of powers and energy manipulations that fall under the general purview of magic with specific limitations and rules. They can get around it by linking themselves to items – or totems being the better term in the situation – but they have such a twisted sense of morality compared to 'lower' life forms that they prefer to keep their battels at higher planes. Don't get me started on unaligned deities and gods that led to other magics that muddle up the whole system."

"But it is a broad stroke of description, though, right? A fight between good and evil, right and wrong?"

"It is, but by the same token, even the Yin-Yang symbol has a little of the other in the larger pool, like a decent German during WWII or a corrupt man in a utopia. It is systematically wrong to hope or want this battle to end since too much of one teeters the balance and 'breaks' the board. I prefer to think of it as more of a struggle of stagnation against anarchy – there is a fine line of balance that must be maintained for life to keep going just a little longer."

Clark rubbed his chin in thought. "That… does make some sense. Life, in essence, is chaos encapsulated, but without order in it, life wouldn't have a direction and just spread without purpose. But too much chaos makes life rampant, savage, a cancer in the making. Its sort of like life without death."

"You are working on the assumption that that order is the same as purpose, but your statement is not wrong – but in the metaphor, Order would be death. In any case, Chaos and Order have their extremists and their more passive members trying to maintain balance. Mxy is a high ranking member on the SIDE of Chaos. His title of 'Lord' is earned. Doesn't mean he should be underestimated as you may have deduced."

"The fragment statement… he splinters himself since he is too powerful to make his presence not collapse the world around him."

"More so that the Toon Force doesn't break the 4th Wall but close. He splinters himself so he can be in multiple places at once, making different decisions and actions in each one. Chaos keeps the entropy of existence going, but the standard deviation bell curve has to be maintained. He may be 'Good' in this string, but to maintain counterbalance…"

Clark's eyes bulged. "He has to 'Bad' in another. How bad?"

Thunder stood still as he considered his response. "It's better that you don't know. Suffice to say, he makes JOKER look tame by comparison. Think of the most inane and insane situations and beings willed into existence, where synesthesia is not a condition but a matter of perspective, as a concept can have a feel and taste while a liquid may shift phases of matter based on its own perception of self. The laws of physics change on a whim of a madman from moments or never, where the view of self can be based on the views of others or even the demented god who has made his insanity external. It creates situations where the sky can become peanut butter, voices can sound like a thousand Jam and Jellies, and the heavens can be flocked by a thousand feather dusting turtles made of apricots made of delirium. Chaos in its prime form if terrifying to the unaccustomed as is Order insanity-inducing to the unprepared. I have been trained to TOLERATE both to a degree but that took me decades to do so. When Mxy says he was going easy on you, he meant it. He has to set rules and limitations to himself or else he can easily shatter this string of existence which is detrimental to the grand scheme of things and his survival."

Clark whipped away the cold sweat that formed on his brow. "Survival? But you make him sound…"

"All-powerful? Believe me, Clark, Mxy is up there but he is a Lord in name only, unlike the TRUE Lords of Chaos who embody it. He also isn't that high on the totem pole of power hierarchy either. He has the skills to put up a fight, but there are enough people above him on both sides of the spectrum that can… remove him… if he ever acts outside of everyone's best interests."

Clark finished his drink and tried to smile. "This conversation has devolved in the wrong direction, hasn't it?"

Thunder rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, quickly shifting demeanor gears. "Sorry about that. Here I am, coming to the city to say hello to the Man of Steel, and we managed to switch to a discussion about the greater powers."

Clark chuckled. "As long as God is somewhere there, that's all I need to know."

Flash waved his hand side to side. Clark decided not to press the issue. "So, just passing through?"

Thunder shrugged. "I've met the Arrow Team and the Bat Clan, you were just a little harder to meet and greet in one place and me going to your apartment raises too many questions if someone happens to be looking in that direction."

"Fair enough. You plan to meet Kara at a later point?"

"I decided to leave her alone for now. The girl just finished college and has to work with Cat Grant of all people in a new city. Give her time to settle before deciding to drop an existential crisis on her head."

Clark smiled. "Well, in any case, it was nice meeting you. I think people are starting to notice my absence and there is an article I have to finish for tomorrow's byline."

Clark caught Thunder's grimace. "What? Not a fan of reporters?"

"No, just not a fan of a particular reporter."

Before Clark could get a chance to ask, a phone alarm went off.

"WHOOPS!" Thunder stated in surprise as he checked the screen, "Got to go – I have an appointment to keep. Hopefully, next time we meet under better circumstances and have a chance to have an actual conversation. Besides, I haven't given you a gift yet. So, SEE YA!"

Clark watched as Thunder 'hurricanes' himself away. Having no reason to observe his coming and goings, Clark shrugged before speeding away and changing into his 'persona' without anyone being the wiser.

He was about to sit at his work table before he caught a crowed gathering around a radio. And based on the enraged emotion on Lois's face, Clark was willing to bet that Leslie Willis was tearing him a new one.

Listening to her for only a few seconds revealed that he was very, VERY wrong.

A few minutes earlier…

Lex Luthor was having a decently good day. Profits were holding, his deals in Kaznia were still secure, Mercy wasn't giving him a headache over his ire with Superman, and according to call he just finished, the cloning project in the mountains was nearing completion, and the first clone was near ready to go.

And now he was on his way to his office to prep his meal before listening to Leslie Wilkins tear Superman a new one.

He had just entered and locked the room to his office before he realized that someone was already inside.

Noting that the white figure was simply looking through his office window – his back to the entrance and the undistributed work desk – Lex simply smirked and continued on, undeterred.

He did, however, quickly click the remote in his suit to activate his office defense systems.

"I know that I have a great view of the city, but breaking into my office just to gaze upon it seems a bit too much, even for a suit."

Lex observed the figure slowly turn and look at him before turning back. The turn was enough for Lex to frown as thoughts began firing through his neurons.

The figure alone was imposing enough, clearly trained, and honed for combat. Lex was in decent shape and Mercy made sure he could take care of himself, but he was no fool. His chances dropped even lower when he spotted the lightning insignia on the character. He knew of the duo Thunder and Lightning, but he was unaware of this one. A trifecta instead? He was a rogue element, but he had a high chance of coming out of this unharmed if he plaid his cards right and assumed that this individual had at least some similarities of morality compared to his partners.

"It is a beautiful city, yes. The view isn't as enticing as the one from on top of the Daily Planet, but it is more… focused. Directed even. The pathway designed just enough so that the rising sun basks this building specifically before the rest of its neighbors. And not a hindrance in sight nor any sort of blemish on the roads or buildings in the alignment. Truly, something that could only be done by an individual who wanted to see such a beauty every morning and went out of his way to ensure it. Bravo to you, Alexander Joseph Luthor."

Only years of dealing with backstabbers and pit vipers in the business and the criminal world had prevented Lex from flinching or stopping his pace toward his desk. His speech alone raised red flags in Lex's head, warning him that this was NOT going to be someone as optimistic and 'good' as Superman. Nor was he as mentally deficient or uninformed as others he would interact on a daily basis. Getting his first name would not be difficult, but his middle name? No, that would take effort and digging of files Lex went out of his way to bury so that his ties back to Suicide Slums wouldn't be discovered.

Lex smirked, keeping the conversation going. "Well, you are clearly more appreciative of the view than the last superhero I have had in this room. Can I have the name of the one who managed to sneak into my office to gaze upon my kingdom?"

The figure faced Lex and looked at his extended hand. Being this close to the individual was risk – who knew what abilities he had at this fingertips? But, Lex figured who was in the good odds, and the figure shook his hands. "I go by Shunkan. Not very creative, but to the informed it gets the point across."

Lex shook the figure's hand long enough to get at least some semblance of a read on him. All he could gather from that was that he wasn't petty enough to try and play the ''super-strength' card. But his name was another matter.

'Moment.'

An odd name choice but one that painted a rather grim picture of what his power COULD be considering the speeds that Lightning could reach and that winds that Thunder could generate.

Deciding to play it safe, Lex decided to admire the noon view as well.

"So what brings a man like yourself down here among us mortals?"

"That's a rather cynical to describe the man who has the audacity to face a god as his equal."

Lex raised a brow. "Oh? A god is he now? Rather narcissistic of Superman to consider himself so above pity mortals."

Shunkan chuckled. "That wasn't a soliloquy or fanciful twist of tongue. Superman, despite his humble origins, is the closest one can get to a god on the mortal plane."

That grinded Lex's gears. "He is an invader, nothing more."

"He is an immigrant, a naturalized citizen if the term could apply. Has been since he crashed on this planet as a toddler and raised in the Bible Belt."

That halted all thought processes in Luthor's mind, practically derailing whatever argument was he about to make.

Shunkan caught his 'blue screen' moment. "What? Did you believe that he was some invading vanguard send in to weaken to people or give them false hope? Cause a dependency on him? Or were you under the assumption that there weren't other bipedal mammalian species in the cosmos that didn't at least cosmetically appear human? Just for the record, the Drake Equation is significantly off and multiple alien species could pass off as humans, with or without some slight disguises that wouldn't need technological assistance."

Lex finally regained his calm. "The Bible Belt? Really?"

Shunkan shrugged. "He crash-landed there a few decades back. Superman never did give you the full-story behind Brainiac, did he?"

Lex recalled the warning he was given. "He said that he was a collector of knowledge and that he destroyed whatever planet he passed by. Talked about a planet called Krypton that he showed him via some orb. Figured he just showed him where that green meteorite came from to feed his curiosity."

"What Superman didn't tell you was that Krypton was his home planet – and Brainiac's 'first' victim."

"What irony. Superman being allergic to his home planet. An irradiated home planet, but planet all the same. Any other surprises you want to drop on my lap?"

"Other than stating that your cloning project will reach a messy end? Not really," Shunkan shrugged nonchalantly to Lex's surprised glare. "I just wanted to meet the man who embodied the paragon of humanity – both ends of it."

"Paragon? Please, I am degenerate as they come, I have no shame in admitting that."

"In this reality."

"Pardon?"

Shunkan 'smiled' at Lex. "I am very well-traveled. I have seen A LOT in this grand Omniverse of ours."

This… could be very enlightening. The multiverse theory has been getting traction for years now and here was a chance to speak someone who claimed to have seen iterations of himself? Granted, it was ego-driven self-satisfaction, but his curiosity was peaked. "Oh? So am I a good guy in these realities?"

Shunkan gave Lex his full undivided focus. "In all realities, you embody the worse and best traits of humanity, sometimes at the same time. Their drive, their ambitions, their adaptability, their capacity for great deeds and feats. There is never such a thing as your 'average' Lex Luthor – except for the few outliers, but those are a given. No, you're either the embodiment of depravity, corruption, and greed, the epitome of a supervillain OR you're are the champion, hero, and bringer of humanities Golden Age. There is absolutely no middle ground with you – either the side of angels and demons, no alternatives, no grey area, no such thing as non-participation. In any case, your exploits stand above legends not just on Earth, but in the infinite – more so when you are a hero but's that's because heroes face greater challenges. But you know, high risk, high reward."

Lex… was stumped. Him, a hero? A paragon of good? Inconceivable. "Give me some examples."

"Boy, where do I start. Well, to get them out of the way, there is a whole collection of Earths that have either reverse moralities or just plain reverse allegiances a la heroes are villains a vice versa, so you are more often than not the leader of whatever hero or justice league is present there. Then there are the realities where Superman doesn't land in America – the more well-known one is one where he falls in Russia in the late '30s. Long story short, you are president of the US and you are responsible for not just stopping the worldwide expanse of Communism but also leading humanity via the new philosophy of "Luthorism" and a "Global United States" for the next thousand years. Yes, a MILLENNIUM."

Shunkan smirked at Lex's shocked expression.

"I can go on and on infinite what with everything and anything being possible in existence in the long run, but those examples were rather fresh in my mind. I could easily tell you of realities in which you turn America into a police state, or where you sold out humanity for alien godhood or even where you were willing to allow a near-human extinction event to occur just so that you could 'rebuild humanity for the better.' Granted, you weren't wholly coherent in that last one but still, the end goal."

Lex could barely contain his rage. "In what blasted twisted reality could I be so shortsighted as to threaten humanity?!"

"The ones where your hatred of Superman consumes you?" Shunkan stated in confusion. "I mean, it's not like you aren't on the same path – you have 30% of your budget diverted and hidden into projects just to either incapacitate, cripple, replace, or end Superman. You get some money back from discoveries and applications whatnot, but still, that's a little obsessive. What has Superman ever done to you PERSONALLY to warrant such animosity?"

Shunkan raised his hand before Lex could retort. "And don't say weakening the species – he is one man in one city in the big world. The worst that he has done that can be applied to your argument is that he gets involved in natural disaster aide relief. He isn't called upon to do construction projects or city work, he doesn't catch and interrogate common criminals like some judge and jury, nor does he interfere in any other government agency investigations or procedures. The only argument you have against him is that you are either a villain deep down trying to be above the rest of the 'mortals' around him or you are pissed that he keeps destroying buildings you own when he faces villains YOU create. Or are you going to argue that Metallo wasn't one of yours? Because seriously, you have one throbbing hate boner for the blue lug."

"And what if I am a villain, a crook? Are you going to stop me?"

Shunkan looked out the window. "Not at all."

"What?"

"Oh, don't get me wrong, you aren't a saint. But you are no worse than any other less than dubious businessman in the world. Except you have intelligence, will, and money that others don't. I mean, honestly, do you really see yourself dressing up and getting into the shenanigans like those other costumed 'villains'?"

Lex calmed down. "No, I do not. But that doesn't answer the question."

"Look Lex's, you are more useful to humanity alive because like it or not, you are pushing us forward, maybe even dragging it, regardless of your practices and dealings. Could you cut back on them and still get the same results? Probably, you would find a way to make it work. Do I have to worry about you actually becoming a supervillain? Maybe, it's still in the cards if you don't consider turning it around. Become president for shits and giggles? As you are now, you would lose too much power to what you have now and find the task too paperwork intensive. In the end, there is no 'push' to do anything to you – even Superman understands that."

Lex wasn't following the plot. "So what, you came here to chat and give me a twisted form of warning against being a villain? Because you are being rather obtuse in your message."

Shunkan sighed as we walked toward the radio, fiddling with it. "Guess I am a little scatterbrained today. Look, all I am saying Lex's is that it's not too late to change your methods. You are more likely projecting your anger at the lack of humanity's advancement on Superman because, I don't know, he embodies the potential of humanity? I really don't know how you think. I am just suggesting that it wouldn't be detrimental for you alter your objectivity – instead of being Superman's enemy, why not be his tester? Look at the bigger picture, take a step back, and test him. You fear that he can't embody what he stands for? Prove it. Show the world that he is or isn't the peoples champion and defender."

"That's a tall order you are suggesting. And what makes you think I'll even do it."

Shunkan smiled as he turned the station to the right frequency. "Like I said, you are the paragon of humanity – I never said you couldn't switch sides. Besides, if you ever did make the wrong choice, I'll just deal with you like I did with Joker."

Lex broke into a cold sweat when he heard the power and intonation behind that statement.

"In any case, I'll make it easier for. Well, my associate will if he manages to keep the conversation civil. It was good talking to you."

And just like that, in a split moment – a blink – he was gone.

And the program started.

"Wake up, Metropolis! Oh, yeah, the Livewire's back on the air, baby. The queen-babe of all media, your mistress of the airwaves. The one, the only, Leslie Willis. Shouting out to you on WLXL, 95. And boy, do I have a VERY special guest with me today folks, all the way from Central City…"

Lex was so engrossed to the show that he actually lost track of time, and he forgot to eat his meal, the conversation from before percolating in his mind.

As the show ran to a close, Lex decided to at least… indulge… Shunkan's suggestion.

What seeled the deal was a package on the side of the desk. When he opened it, there was a large but odd chunk of metal he couldn't immediately identify or categorize inside. A challenge, or a parting gift? A side project for when he has the time.

He picked up the phone and made the call. "Ring… Ring… it's me… No, it's not about the clone… No, it's about the others on standby, I want you to pause them… I am aware of the possible money lost, don't concern yourself with that… I am concerned about the warning of genetic instability one of you mentioned… yes, that would make running them even more consuming… I want you to divert your resources into a new project… same vein, except we are taking a suggestion from your end and adding more human DNA… I am aware of the potential power loss but that won't be the point of the project… let's call it a proof of concept sort of deal as well as how much information can be added to a growing clone… no, I will take a personal hand on the data packet front… name of the project? Call it Project Kr for now. As for the human sample? Well, I can't donate a hair sample but I will be there to make a blood deposit… I can fire you for that insinuation, doctor… just because I don't advertise it doesn't mean that I don't appreciate the female form… really? The bald head is what makes people… look, this conversation has gone off the rails, can you get it started? Good, do the estimates of cost and completion, have the early numbers on my setup by the end of the day."

Lex finished the call before sitting at his deck to quickly complete the meal and get back to work. "Hm… antagonize Superman instead of fighting him… I could give it a shot. Wonder how long it would take for him to snap from paranoia if I don't do anything overtly 'evil'? What do the kids call it these days – trolling?"

Further back and parallel in time...

"…all the way from Central City. The guy practically ran into my studio WANTING an interview and wouldn't take no for an answer. The one and only, Lightning!"

"Thanks for having me today, Leslie," Lightning laughed into his mike.

Leslie smirked and leaned forward from her end closer to her mike. "But seriously, of all the people I thought I would be facing opposite of me, a supes was not one of them. So what gives?"

Lightning laughed. "Well, with your moniker, I couldn't help myself. I mean Livewire? It's just so electrifying." To make a point, Leslie jumped back a bit as he channeled yellowed streams of energy from between his fingers.

"I guess that true, but still, I am rather vocal on my views on a certain, shall we say, blue boy-scout. I have been barraging him as of late. Figured you hero guys wouldn't be too appreciative of that."

"Please," chuckled Lightning. "You got the freedom of speech on your side to make your opinions heard. If it's one popular with the people, more power to ya. Besides, it's not like I disagree with some of the things you are saying."

Leslie froze. "Beg pardon?"

"Oh, come now, do you think I would disagree with you? Granted, you can rephrase your rants against Superman for fewer issues from the rest of Metropolis, but you aren't wrong – Superman is being treated like a celebrity."

"THANK YOU!" shouted Leslie in cheer. "Someone finally says! I mean, come on, it's like the Daily Planet is trying to put the wool over people's eyes with their admiration of him."

"Can you blame them? The news is a slowly dying behemoth, and they have to do what they can to keep our interests. But having Lois Lane turning Superman's heroics into the equivalent of celebrity pieces? I thought she was a hard-hitting journalist, not a tabloid reporter. I mean, if Superman gets that kind of treatment, why not real heroes who are actually at risk in the line of duty like firemen or police officers? What, does he need a social media account to stay in contact with his fans by posting images of his inane daily tasks? I get it if Superman claps and stops a hurricane but look at this latest piece – Superman appears at a fundraiser for rescue animals to add support and whoever wrote the byline makes it seem like he spearheaded the damn thing. It glosses over everyone ACTUALLY involved. Lane has set up a bad precedence in reporting about superheroes and its time it got nipped in the bud, HARD."

"HA! Burn! I can't disagree with you on that front. Still, rather focused on Lane, aren't we? This ain't some form of twisted love triangle scenario, right?"

"Hold your horses, Speedy Gonzales. If anything, this is the result of some twisted affection on her part toward Superman. You know I ran the numbers and found out that ever since Superman started 'working' for the city, her output of radical and truth shattering stories skyrocket by the same amount as her risk-taking? Great gadzooks, she should have been dead by now based on the odds I ran! I mean, being rescued once or twice by the man is one thing, but her chances of death have skyrocketed to unprecedented proportions after he got involved in that whole stolen power armor heist. It wouldn't be wrong to say that she is abusing her 'relationship' with Superman to get herself out of life-threatening jams just to get a story. Heck, I think she has forgotten how investigative journalist are actually supposed to work. NEWS FLASH MISS LANE! Barging into a warehouse to interrogate criminals is not how people get credible facts!"

"TESTIFY! You are savage, my man!"

"Not savage, just a man with some semblance of common sense and the authority to call her out on her hypocrisy. Superman has been reported on live tv multiple times that he doesn't want to be treated any different than other 'normal' heroes of this city and is just 'doing what is right for no reward' yet Lois keeps on adding to his image. She even goes out of her way to vilify individuals to build up his mythos."

Leslie couldn't help but smirk wider and wider. Her ratings would be through the roof after this. "Go on, you seem to be on the role here, my flashy friend."

"Let's look at what she has done. Parasite? Victim of circumstance, accidental chemical exposure, new to his powers, basically comes off like someone on a drug trip who couldn't control himself and went on a bender. No one died, there were no crippling injuries, and the man could have made up what he owned to the city if she hadn't misinterpreted the whole fiasco with Earl Garver."

"Yeah, what did happen in that? She reported that Rudy Jones broke out and went to find and activate the bombs on his own after he 'drained' the scientist."

"What Lois so conveniently forgot to report – or just avoided mentioning since I don't believe Perry would ever allow such a lie of omission to be printed – is that Rudy accidentally absorbed a copy of Earl's personality, something he wasn't aware he could do. I won't name names, but someone in the room got impatient with how long Rudy was taking and basically hamfisted him into rushing the process. And wouldn't you know it, Graves's mind was too strong for the already mentally fragile Rudy and he took over. Thank the powers that Superman managed to get Rudy to fight back for control of his body in a crucial moment and defuse the bomb. And yet, after Rudy is cured of the persona, and he goes right back to his cell without psychological treatment because he has just been further vilified."

"That definitely puts a new spin on it. Still, that's a superhuman example. Her other stories about gangs and cartels still hold ground."

"Okay, that's true, but what about her constantly taking a stab at Luthor?"

"Now you are just picky – everyone knows that Lexy got his hands in many pockets, and Mr. Clean he is not."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean you have to automatically implicate HIM directly responsible for whatever perceived slight or crime he may or may not have committed. Any other big company like Wayne or Queen gets a robbery, injustice, or malpractice crop up, they manage to find whoever is responsible and deal with it, sometimes publically. All companies that get that large can't keep track of all their divisions' heads, managers, and projects. I mean, Wayne was almost responsible for further deforestation of the Amazon because someone in a minor subdivision in South America was doing something illegal and made it seem Wayne himself spearheaded the project. If that was a Lex on that company paperwork instead of Wayne, Lois would have found some way to tie it DIRECTLY back to Luthor."

"Are you saying that Lex's isn't corrupt?"

"I am saying that no one is infallible and that Lois should stop shouting wolf when there isn't one. You don't see her equivalents for Bruce or Oliver doing what she is doing. If they did what she did in their respective towns, they would be blackballed from the profession, but low and behold, Lois has an in with Superman which means she gets to go away scot-free with her works. She is making a bad standard for current and future writes as to how they portray super-powered individuals and their interactions. With the way she is going, she is going to slowly change the people's opinions of Lex to the point where he will practically be forced to BE a supervillain because that's what society demands of him for the mythos. Believe me, more superheroes are going to come out of the woodwork, and if we continue to represent their 'fights' with powered 'criminals' in the same light as she is doing now, we are going to be spending a lot of tax paying money to house these so-called 'supervillains' instead then treating them and finding a way to drive them away from truancy and use their power for better and legal endeavors. The pen is mightier than the sword here and that pen should not be in the hands of people like her."

Leslie slowly turned serious through the whole tirade. This was no longer a shock piece, but a political statement and she has to steer the ship in the right direction. "Then whose hands should they be in? And while on that topic, what about your accounts? You get good press as well – not to the same degree as Superman…"

"Because Thunder and I stay out of crimes we aren't needed. That and we don't have a Lois who we rescue on a weekly or hell, daily basis, because reporters in Central City have some semblance of survival instincts. Do we help finish houses or pave the roads if we are passing by? Yes, because that helps and saves people in the long run. Do we aide police apprehend escaping criminals or the empowered individual? Yes, but we don't interrogate them nor do we do our own investigations. We don't have the training for that nor the desire to do the necessary paperwork. Criminals already get released on the thinnest of technicalities with their lawyers and we don't want to add to that. As to your first question? The people that have to be involved are lawmakers and lawyers setting new precedents of these empowered criminals as well as how they react to their new powers. Also, new psych evaluations have to be prepared – who knows what caused these powers to appear in people or if they caused their alteration in behavior? It may be too late for some criminals already present like in Gotham, but future criminals have to treated right from the get-go BEFORE they get labeled and get tossed into the sinkhole."

"Okay. I see where you are coming from; treat the issue before they fall into a hole they can't escape from. Then how would you deal with…"

The rest of the conversation went along the same vein, talking about the rising of superheroes, their presence, the pros and cons of having a hero in a city, whether or not they can be part of the broader police and federal enforcement branches, whether or not their identities should be known by the government, the legality of possible deputizing of private citizens, 'demanding' people to use their 'abilities' for the greater good, and so forth and so forth.

In the end, this would end up to be Leslie's most listened to broadcast, one that would elevate her from a popular shock jock to a potentially powerful voice of the new generation.

To many in power or in the know, it was a reminder that they had to play their cards right or bury their 'expenditures' further away from pubic scrutiny in regards to superpowers.

To Bruce and Oliver, it was a reminder to get more involved with the people so that their nighttime activities don't become illegal and to pay more attention to their enterprises.

To Lex, it was just more weight to what Shunkan stated earlier. His future was still mercurial, but the foundation's markers have been planted.

And to Clark, well, other than preventing Lois going on a rampage all the way to Leslie's office due to being a lightning rod of Lightning's ire, he also made two promises.

One, he would get more involved in monitoring the stories she writes. Since he was usually involved in whatever story she was putting on the next's day headline, he got into a habit of not reading what she was recounting. Clearly, that was an error on his part.

And two, the next time he rescued her, he would 'lay down the law' and give her a warning that he wasn't her personal safety net. He wouldn't be held responsible anymore if she went out of her way to put herself in danger. If other reporters can get the same results in a more extended period and get recognition for it, then he can't be held accountable for her risk-taking behavior to expedite the investigation.

Central City….

"Creator Barry?"

"Yes Gideon?"

"Why did you leave the Uru with Luthor? I can understand the rest of your actions: you are laying the dominoes, setting up small little changes that will have significant effects down the line. But Luthor? I don't see the reason behind your actions like I can't see the reason why you are fostering whatever will emerge from this behemoth of an egg."

Gideon did have a point. The egg was six feet heigh and counting and the heat lamp and podium weren't doing it anymore.

"Let's just say I need a pet sidekick, and The Atoms shrinking technology will me allow me to keep this one on a leash."

"But Lex…"

"You know that compared to Adamantium and Vibranium, Uru is unusual in that you can't really alter it with science. To really do anything with it other than simply using it as an energy sponge, the user has to have a decent grasp of magic."

"Yes, just what the world needs – a Luthor with magic at his side. Like the DC Universe didn't need a Doctor Doom."

"Better then a Luthor. At least Victor kept his word AND had good intentions, methods otherwise standing. In any case, the road to learning magic is a road of self-discovery. As I have learned from the Sorcerer Supreme, magic has a way of testing its initiates and showing them the 'truth' about them."

Gideon analyzed that statement. "You are banking on Lex's 'discovering' himself? What if he discovers that he must become a villain?"

"Something I learned a long time ago is that no individual – especially an enterprising one – is naturally inclined toward destruction. The act of making something, of creation, is inherently harder than the act of destruction. Olethros learned that the hard way. For someone like Lex to put the effort that he did into creating his empire and image makes one think that destruction is not at the forefront of his psyche – at least in this reality."

"Those are still rather long odds."

"Which is why I am creating a situation where being a hero, or at least not being a villain, is a better option. Its slow, laborious, but I have planted the first seeds. Hartley I managed to convince to my side from the get-go, and Dibney was a lucky break with him being with Joe. Harleen and Ivy were the first pair; in the presence of Wonder Woman they are watered and fed. Joker was removed from the board and the Bat Clan got an upgrade. Arrow Team was already a given. Livewire and Lex were next, with a concerned Superman to keep them occupied. Slowly, I am creating something greater, something… better. You have already started monitoring certain individuals on your end and I will soon drop this time and the energy-consuming charade of being three people. Light Manipulation and Time Duplicates are not easy things to maintain, regardless of how much experience I have."

"Sir…" Gideon stated in worry.

"Yes?"

"A report has just been processed by the precinct - Clyde Mardon has just robbed a bank."

And so it has begun.

I smiled a wicked smile and presented flaunted myself to the world. "It's SHOWTIME!"