This started out as a way to beat writers block, but everything just started to... progress. Anyway, enjoy.

"Hurting? Try traumatized. I-I finally become leader and wind up sending all of my friends to their deaths. I-I-I know I did what I had to, but I hated it. When we started this team, I was desperate to be in charge. Not anymore. And that's not even the worst of it. Y-you can't tell Batman," Robin stammered.

"Nothing leaves this room," said Black Canary, trying to soothe him.

"I always wanted... expected t-to grow grow up a-and become him. A-and the hero bit? I'm still all in. But that thing, inside of him... t-that thing that drives him to sacrifice everything for the sake of his mission... that's not me. I-I don't want to be the Batman, anymore."

- Young Justice Episode 17, "Disordered"

Blüdhaven, 10 years into the future

Blüdhaven. Possibly the only town with a worse crime rate than Gotham City. And that's saying something. They say that if you die in Blüdhaven, Hell would be a promotion. Unfortunately, this town doesn't have a Batman like Gotham City does. But it does have someone just as good. You'll see who it is in a moment. We just need the right cue...

"Help, help!"

That ought to do it.

"Lady, just give me your purse," said the mugger. "Nobody has to get hurt."

"Help! Somebody help me!" the woman screamed.

The mugger sighed and shook his head. "You should've just given me the purse." He took out a gun. "Now I have to shut you up."

The mugger prepared to fire, but something knocked the gun out of his hand. It was a black bird-esque shuriken.

"Seriously, Mr. Kowanski? What is this, the third time I've caught you doing extracurricular activities this month?" a voice cackled in the shadows.

The mugger groaned. "Oh man, not again!"

A guy jumped down from a fire escape. "Besides, I don't see why you even want that purse. It doesn't go with your shoes."

The mugger attempted to punch this guy, but the man grabbed his arm and flipped him into a dumpster. The he placed a lock onto the dumpster latch.

The man was about 6 feet tall, maybe taller. He short, spiky black hair and looked very athletic. He wore a black domino mask, a black body suit with a wide blue v-shape on the upper chest that extended to the shoulders and went down his arms to the backs of his gloved hands, a grey belt, and black boots.

He picked the lady's purse and handed it to her. "I believe this is yours."

The woman took it gingerly. "Thank you, I think..."

He smirked. "I'm guessing you're new in town."

"Moved here last week," she said nervously. "I'm sorry, I've just never met a real superhero before. Which one are you?"

"Most folks call me Nightwing," he replied. "Anyway, I suggest you call the cops to pick up Mr. Kowanski."

She nodded. "I'll do that."

Nightwing smiled, the pulled a grappling gun out of his utility belt. He fired it, and propelled upward onto a rooftop. Then he ran across other roofs until he was out of sight.

She stood there in shock, then said to herself, "I think I'm going to like this town."

Nightwing stopped for a break atop a Wayne Enterprises building. (Oh, the irony.) So far, he had stopped four muggings (Mr. Kowanski's included), one bank robbery, two attempted murders, and busted a chop shop. Not bad for a night's work. He could've done more if he had someone watching his back...

Stop, he told himself. You don't need anyone else. You've been doing fine on your own. You need to show him that your doing okay with the solo act...

He crouched down, reached into a pouch, and pulled out a water bottle. As he drank, a sudden breeze blew by.

"What do you want, Flash?" he snapped, without even turning around.

Flash walked over. "Couldn't you act surprised, just this once?"

Nightwing stood up and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "If I don't, it'll make the time actually do sneak up on me all the more special. Now, I repeat, what do you want, Flash?"

"I was just in the neighborhood. Thought I'd come and say hi," Flash replied.

Nightwing crossed his arms. "He sent you to check up on me, didn't he."

"No, of course not!" Flash said. "Dude, you've been at this solo since you were eighteen. I think he's gotten the idea by now."

"Then what's the real reason you're here?" Nightwing asked.

Flash rubbed the back of his head. "Well... M'gann is putting together a reunion."

"A reunion for what?"

"You know..."

Nightwing narrowed his eyes. "Oh, that. I don't know, dude. The idea of it sounds so... high school."

"C'mon, it'll be fun. Roy even said yes, and he wasn't even originally part of the team. He's gonna bring Lian, and I'm gonna bring the Linda and the twins. Everybody will be there."

"Not everybody."

Flash frowned. "Oh, right. I guess Artemis wouldn't want to come."

"Flash, you're my best friend, and you have been since I was a kid. But I don't think I'm going to make it."

All of a sudden, an explosion came from a building across the street.

Nightwing grinned. "Besides, I have all the fun I need right here."

Flash look at the building. "Star Labs, huh? That can't be good. If you want, I could help if a fire starts up." He turned to face Nightwing, only to see that he was gone. "Nightwing?"

Flash heard a cackle and noticed that Nightwing had already made it to the street below. He sighed. "Some things never change."

Meanwhile, on the street, Nightwing used his grappling gun to get up to the floor where the explosion had occurred. Once he was up there, he pulled out a shuriken and looked around the hallway.

Flash ran into the room. "Nice of you to wait for me."

Nightwing sheathed the shuriken. "Weren't you right behind me?"

"Never mind. Find anything yet?" Flash asked.

"Not yet, but check this out." He gestured to a re-enforced door that had been blown open. (The explosion, remember?) A sign next to it said, CHRONO-LAB.

"Nothing good can come out of something labeled 'chrono'," Flash pointed out.

"Yeah. Want to check it out?"

"Duh."

They climbed through the hole, walked through a slight hallway, and came into a huge room.

"Whoa," Nightwing gaped in awe.

He had the right to be shocked. In the center of the room was a huge arch, and a pink-and-violet portal swirled within it. Every now and again, a surge a lightning came from it.

"What is that thing?" Flash wondered.

Nightwing ran over to a computer terminal and plugged in a cord from a hidden pouch in his glove. Once that was done, a holographic screen appeared, decrypting data.

"It's called the Chrono-Arch," Nightwing explained, reading off of the data. "Star Labs built as an attempt at... time travel?"

"Are these guys crazy? Time travel experiments have been outlawed since Vandal Savage tried to change the course of WWII!" Flash said, wincing at the memory of the experience.

"Yes... but it's so hard to resist, isn't it."

They turned to see a man, whose white body suit literally covered his entire body. Even his face. He also wore a brown trench coat.

Nightwing pulled out his Escrima sticks, ready to fight.

"Anxious little bird, aren't you," the man said in a purring voice. It was a little irritating. "Yes, Star Labs was aware that time travel experiments were outlawed. But they couldn't help themselves. Time is such an interesting subject."

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that you're our intruder," Flash said.

"Oh yes. I needed to gain access to the Arch. You're welcome to try and stop me from completing my goals, but I doubt you'll succeed."

"Depends what those goals are," Nightwing scowled, not lowering his sticks.

The intruder laughed. "Oh, this must be the part where you trick me into monologuing, which will give you time to plot my downfall. Sorry, that's not how I work."

The man lifted his arms, little white orbs melted from his body and flew around the room. The white body suit wasn't a suit, it was his actual body. One orb rammed into a wall, exploding.

"Careful now. These orbs aren't child-safe," the man taunted, then he sauntered over to the arch's computer console.

"You take the bombs, I'll take the annoying guy," Nightwing commanded. "Any arguments?"

"None." Flash began to run around the room, and the bombs followed him.

Nightwing ran over to the stranger and tried to uppercut him with one of his sticks, but he caught him arm and flipped him.

"Really? Attacking a man while his back is turned? How unhonorable," the man said. "And the was a sloppy move. I was led to believe that you were trained by the best."

"I was trained by the best. And personally, I'd like to know the name of the guy who's face I'm about to punch in," Nightwing spat, standing back up.

"You may call me Blank Face. And I'm about to change the future," Blank Face, replied. He pulled a long bo-staff from his body. "Shall we fight?"

Nightwing scowled, and charged. The two fought, matching punch to punch. It was like Blank Face knew what move Nightwing was going to make before he even thought of making it. Even when Nightwing attempted a spinning kick.

"This bores me. You can't defeat me," Blank Face yawned, blocking the kick. Using the bo-staff, he twisted Nightwing's legs, causing him to fall painfully. The staff turned into a spear. He pointed it at Nightwing's chin. "This fight is over. I win."

"Well, I demand a recount!"

Blank Face turned, and Flash ran past him. That meant all of the flying bombs rammed into him. Flash also manged to grab Nightwing, getting him away from a now disoriented Blank Face.

"You okay?" Flash asked, helping Nightwing back on his feet.

"I'll live," Nightwing assured him.

Blank Face collected himself. The explosions hadn't even scratched him. "I don't have time for this. Follow me if you dare, little robin."

Blank Face jumped into the swirling vortex, his laugh echoing across the room.

"He's not getting away!" Nightwing shouted. He broke away from Flash, ran across the room, and jumped into the portal.

Flash attempted to follow, but the portal closed before he could. Parts of the machine short-circuited. There was now no way to reactivate it.

The room was dark and quiet. Flash stood there in shock. He slowly lifted his hand, pulled off his mask. This was not Barry Allen. This was Wally West, who was known in his youth as Kid Flash.

He stood in silence, then said to himself, "Batman is going to kill me."