To understand better where they are please read Kid Flash's Not so Easy Path 8 and 9. And to see what Kid Flash and Blue will do read The Flight of the Blue Beetle 13.
Becoming Superboy 16
When he woke up in that future, he couldn't sense any life nearby but their own. In a sense, it had been peaceful, but as soon as he saw where they were he wished to never have this much silence in his senses. The future Kid Flash had brought them too was more horrible than what he could have ever imagined. Metropolis was gone. Anyone he knew was probably gone too. He had never been more thankful when they left the site though the task ahead was not an easy one.
Watching Blue free the Beetle of that time was painful. His powers allowed him to sense everything the tortured man was feeling. He didn't voice it, but he really hoped as he held him in place that it would be over soon. There was so much regret he almost mistook his emotions with his own. His teammates tried to hide their feelings behind the masks they had built over the years, but he could see through all of them.
Bart was so afraid he was surprised he wasn't gone already. Jaime felt guilt for something he didn't do. Tim was insecure of leading them to this point. Still, none of them said anything as they headed towards the base of the rebellion with the unconscious Beetle. Bart went ahead as he had expected him to. The boy needed a moment alone. He guessed he had hoped never to see these wastelands.
When they arrived, they were welcomed by frightened and shocked faces. He felt some glimpses of hope, but there was more fear than anything. Bart arrived in time as some were getting their weapons ready to attack. Neutron stayed behind as people who knew him started to interrogate him about what was going on. He hoped his words would calm some of them. Their constant fear was as if a wasp was inside his head looking for a way out.
When he entered the meeting room, he was surprised at seeing the people present. They were just as full of fear as the rest when they saw Blue. Still, he could tell who was who. Bart had filled them in a while ago about how to handle each one of them. Lian was the one that surprised him the most. She had her mother's face and eyes, but her hair was a wild auburn hidden under a red hood. He wished he could take a picture for Roy and Jade. He was actually tempted to call her Red Arrow. Heck, even her bow was red.
There was also Damian. The man was strange in a whole difference sense. He could barely feel any emotions coming from him, but if he tried to dig a little deeper he could sense a rage like no other. This rage only grew when his eyes rested on Tim. What was the guy's deal? His blue eyes met his and it was as if he was telling him to back off. He did, but there was something familiar about him. He wondered if they had met in the past. But that probably met he was a kid, and he didn't remember a child that would leave that kind of impact on his memory.
There was Arthur, the son of Aquaman. No pun intended, but he looked like a clone of his father. His emotions were like an open book and in a way that made him dangerous. He was wary of them, but not as willing to attack without asking first as the rest. He was cunning, but there was also some insecurity. He didn't know how long he had Aquaman around, but he could bet it wasn't long. The king of Atlantis had led one of the greatest blows to the Reach, leaving his son to handle a broken kingdom and a losing war.
Then there was Alberto. He looked so much like Jaime and his sister that it was a little scary. He was a young man in his twenties but stood among the most seasoned warriors sure of himself or tried to look that way. He softened immediately as Bart explained that the Beetle of that time and his friend were free of the Reach's control. He knew he shouldn't judge but to him he seemed very gullible. Luckily for him they were there to help.
Then there was Jai West. When Bart told them about him, they had all felt the loss of Wally all over again. This was a man that would never be in their time. He was strong, brash, and smart. He had the makings of a leader and a great fighter. He had no powers to speak of, but his iron will. Still, the way he stared at them told him he was no ally. His feelings towards Bart were like open wounds pouring rage, jealousy, and disgust.
After leaving them to decide on their plan and finding the metahumans were still around, they left the Beetle with his sister. They were supposed to rest on the bunkers assigned to them, but even after a long talk about what they might need to do he couldn't find it in himself to rest. He expanded his senses as much as he could. There were so many people in that base. All of them feeling fear at different degrees. Many slept with their weapons nearby while others couldn't sleep at all. Then he sensed people being woken up. Not everyone but there were plenty. They took their arms and marched out of their rooms.
He wondered if they were under attack but soon realized it was something he would have not expected. They were walking towards their barracks. When the first arrived at their hall, he woke up Robin, who then started waking up the rest.
"I am already awake," Blue told him as a small insect landed on his hand. Had he not seen it he would have not sensed it at all. "The Beetle is locked up."
"Did he-" had they failed freeing him?
"No, it looks that Jai doesn't trust him, or us," Blue covered his face with his armor. He knew this bothered him a lot but didn't say anything as he stepped out. The rebels started shooting at his barrier when they spotted him. Blue went to stand before the man behind it. "We don't want to fight you," Jaime told him.
"Good, now tell the clone to lower the barrier," Jai West said, but Superboy didn't even think it once. He could sense the hate of this man pouring like a river at the sight of his friend, which was entirely misguided.
"Not until you tell me what you did with the Beetle and my sister," Jaime stood his ground.
"Nice try Reach scum," Jai said.
Bart woke up and when told what was happening everything started to move too fast. Lian and Alberto joined them while Jai, Arthur, and Damian were against them. They battled their way out of the base and collected allies in the way as Bart went to look for Milagro. He freed the Beetle and then split to start was the last chance they had to save their planet.
Bart and Jaime had left with the Rebellion to free the Metas the Reach had captured while Tim and he ran off with the Beetle of that time to get a ship and free the League. He had never thought that the decision so long ago would still affect them. The League was declared guilty back then, but were not executed. Instead they were placed in stasis until their home world was destroyed, then they were to awaken to suffer to loss of their world, to finally be executed. He had no idea how they planned to do that for some the League members like Superman, but he guessed forty years was plenty of time to think about it.
"Concentrate," the Beetle said flying close to him. He was shielding himself and Tim with his telekinesis. To any onlooker, it would seem as if the Beetle was alone. "It won't be long, and if they detect you they will start suspecting me. The chancellor stopped monitoring me years ago. The moment they begin doubting they will check my scarabs signal and then they will realize something is wrong."
They arrived at the Reach base on what used to be Star City. Ships the size of whole blocks covered the place. The Beetle led them through a maze of leviathans until they reached a smaller yard where smaller ships waited. No one questioned him as he entered one of the vessels. They followed closely getting a good look at the reach soldiers. They all looked much like the chancellor but nothing as strong as the Beetle. Even they seemed to think more than once about talking to him.
Once the ship's doors closed, the Beetle started the ship.
"You better take a seat. This model is one of the fastest," the Beetle told him as they began to ascend at a frightening speed. He and Tim did as told. "You too wannabe ninja," he said before they saw Damian emerge from the shadows.
He and Tim watched as the man took another seat and strapped in. They only stared at each other before turning to the man that decided to ignore them.
"Since when?" Damian asked the Beetle.
"Since we arrived at the base; you knew we would come here," the Beetle said giving Superboy a look that said 'I told you to concentrate.'
Superboy wasn't sure how Damian did it, but he had been able to hide his presence completely. He felt like a rookie but was thankful the Beetle didn't call him on his mistake.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Damian said as the ship left Earth's atmosphere and then started speeding faster and faster away from their home.
"Because you want to help," the Beetle said before he smirked, "though why help us and not the Metas back home remains a question."
"You know," Damian said narrowing his eyes on the Beetle.
"Of course, the first time we fought I spilled your blood just like you spilled mine. A small sample was all that was needed, though is sad you were never recognized as a threat like your father was," the Beetle said after turning his seat to face them. "Then again, he never taught you anything, did he?"
"Watch what you say Beetle, or I will make you death as painful as possible," Damian sneered.
"What are you two talking about?" he had enough. If they were going to work together, they all had to be on the same page.
"He is Batman's son," Tim said after a short silence.
"How did you-" Damian glared at Tim before realizing how he had given himself away.
"I have seen Barman without his cowl. Your look a lot like him," Tim said, "and I also know how close he was to your mother."
"You little rat, you think you are so smart," Damian said readily to unstrap and attack him.
"Save the drama for when you meet your old man," the Beetle said removing his helmet and glaring at the three of them. He didn't look fifty-six because of the suit extending the prime of his life, but from the way he stared at them he could every year trapped. "You will have only a short time to explain to the League what is going on. Remember that to them it will seem as if only a few minutes have passed. You need to work with each other no matter how much bad blood there might be among you."
Conner hadn't thought of that. To Superman, he would look almost exactly the same, but the moment they saw Tim and then if Damian revealed his parentage there would be too many questions he felt they might not be able to answer. The Earth had almost become entirely into a wasteland. The heroes had failed, they had failed, and the League had failed. He wondered if they would want to go back to Earth at all. Suddenly, he didn't want to do this anymore. His fingers slipped towards the part of his belt that kept him at that time, but even doing that now was out of the question. Tim would remain, and he didn't trust Damian, not to try something against him.
"I bet you are now hoping to be back on Earth, right?" the Beetle said turning his chair back to face the front.
No one spoke for the remainder of the trip. They landed on the tribunals of Rimbor. His heart started beating too fast and the platform shook slightly. He took a deep breath and practiced the exercises M'gaan had taught him. He was in control, not his powers. The moment they landed they were handed universal translators by those who saw the guests, especially if it was one from the Reach. Superboy led them through the crowded halls until reaching the largest court. A trial was almost to its finish and he felt a breath of relief escape him as he saw the same tribunal he and M'gaan had convinced last time. He hoped they would be able to convince them; otherwise they would have to break the League out and make a run for it.
They joined those watching, but they took the attention of the whole courtroom in a fraction of a second. There was a Reach soldier among them, after all. After a few minutes of no one being able to concentrate, the tribunal dismissed the court until the next day. They knew if an agent of the Reach was there it was not just to say hi.
"Though we have no issues with the Reach, we don't appreciate you interrupting our impartation of justice," the head of the tribunal said leaning his slob like body over to get a better look at the Beetles companions. His eyes glued to Conner's chest insignia and frowned.
"We are here to inform you that your impartation of justice was wrong," the Beetle said flying until he was face to face with the tribunal. "You are going to correct it, and will correct it now," the Beetle sneered at them.
Okay, that could work. He thought as the Beetle intimidated the tribunal.
"The Reach has no saying over this tribunal," or maybe not, "and certainly not welcome here."
"Weren't we welcome when we paid you to make sure they never saw the light of day again? Is that what you call justice?" okay, he did not know that.
"You have no proof," the head of the tribunal said.
"You should know better slime. The Reach owns you and it has been like this since you took those credits," the Beetle said as his arm displayed a hologram of the recorded transfer to the tribunal accounts.
"This is a trap, the Justice League are your enemies," the slime said turning a weird shade of green.
"Is not your place to question slime, just do as you are told," the Beetle slammed his hand on the tribunal's bench.
"He is good," Robin said authentically surprised.
"He had plenty of practice," Damian sneered.
"But you are… is not…We will no longer be trusted as a tribunal if we just release them!" the tribunal leaned over the bench, almost falling trying to make sense of what happening.
"You are pathetic and not fit to call yourself a house of justice," something generated on the Beetle's hand. It was a small device which he gave to the slime.
"What is this?" the tribunal looked at it with suspicion.
"The proof that the Reach played you and the Earth. You won't take the fall," the ex-Reach soldier said with a smirk.
"You could have started with this," muttered the slime.
"Agree," Conner heard Tim say.
"Where would the fun be in that?" the Beetle said still smirking as he flew down to stand with the rest.
"Heh," Damian laughed.
"I also included the latest Reach protocols for conquest. You may share or if you dare against better judgment to sell the plans for other planets to protect themselves or create alliances," the Beetle said turning that small device into a gold mine.
"We don't want any trouble with the Reach," but the tribunal could see the danger of opposing the Reach.
"You fool," laughed the Beetle, "your world is in the list of the soon to be targets. It's all there. I would recommend you to find as many allies as you can."
"I don't understand why are you doing this?" the tribunal members looked at each other unsure of how to take this. The Reach soldiers were said to be the most loyal.
The Beetle was silent for a moment before removing his helmet. "Read the part on the infiltrators, and you will understand." The man didn't bother to hide behind arrogance or even anger anymore. His eyes were haunted by what he had been forced to see and feel by the Reach.
This time it didn't take them an hour to decide. One glance at the information provided to them convinced them.
"But there is a problem," the tribunal admitted clearly distressed. "The League is not held in Rimbor. They were placed on a rogue planet."
"A rogue pla- what were you thinking!" the Beetle shouted looking genuinely frightened.
"You know how powerful they are! We couldn't risk them wrecking our planet again!" the tribunal shouted back.
"Which one!" the Beetle displayed an image of the best-known rogue planets and tried to find their current locations.
Conner felt as the blood drained from his face. He had heard of those types of planets. They didn't belong to any galaxy and only moved through space without orbit or set course. For all they knew the League was too far to be reached. It was as good as being dead, he thought, the rogue planet might have already collapsed against another planet and was no more.
"Raelene," the tribunal said as the Beetle searched in his database.
"Found it! " he said before showing them a bluish planet with a hint of relief, "is not that far, is a slow mover." He got the coordinates of the League's location from the tribunal and entered them into his system.
They rushed out of the court and into the ship before setting course to the rogue planet. The Beetle barely gave them a chance to sit before they were sipping through space faster than before. The man was desperate for some kind of redemption and this was it for him. He looked at Tim and then at Damian. They both looked very sick. Even he with his half Kryptonian half felt sick; they were moving dangerously fast, but they didn't complain. They had to hurry.
The Bluish planet came out of nowhere. He couldn't believe the Beetle called it a slow mover when it apparently didn't want to wait for them. He had through rogue planets were void of life as they didn't have a sun to consume energy from, but it seemed this was one was actually independent. They landed on what he had first thought was a jungle but was actually a forest with strange colored plants and wildlife. The Beetle handed them breathers generated from his armor as the planet had no air for them to breathe. He wasn't sure yet if he could breathe in space like Superman, but he wasn't about to test it.
They rushed to the site where what seemed ship was left. After forty years, it was covered with the multiple organisms that lived in that strange place. The Beetle led them to the entrance and used his scarab to access to power of the ship. All the lights had come on before they spotted the six capsules holding the League.
"Incredible," Damian said in awe as frozen in stasis just as they had left six of the main members of the League laid unmoving and unchanged.
"Get these on the ones that need them," the Beetle handed them more breathers as he prepared to open the capsules.
The first one was Hawkman. He woke up with a gasp looking around wildly looking ready to start a fight. Conner was fast to hold him still with his powers before placing the breather over his mouth and nose.
"Is alright, we came to get you out of here," Tim told him as Hawkman remembered what had happened.
"Earth… is it-"
"Still in one piece, but there is no time to explain; we have to get everyone out of here as soon as possible," Tim told him making him seat against the wall as they woke up the next hero. Wonder Woman, Martian Man Hunter, and Green Lantern John Stewart were next.
"Wasn't he shorter?" he heard John ask Hawkman as they stared at Tim.
"Teenager, you know," Hawkman answered.
"Alright, get that ready for the Batman," the Beetle said before opening the Dark Knight's capsule. Knowing better than to take his chances Conner kept the masked man still as he placed the mask over his mouth and nose and then slowly released him.
"What happened," but instead of jumping or struggling like the rest had Batman only stared at Tim and Conner before frowning at Damian. He could tell things were really off.
"Long story," the Beetle sighed before opening the last capsule.
"My head," Superman stumbled out of his capsule before Conner supported him, "Conner? What happened?"
"Let's get moving people!" shouted the Beetle, "Reach ships are coming this way. We got ten minutes to get on course or they will catch up with us."
"But how did they know?" Tim asked thinking the same as Conner, what if Blue and Kid Flash were caught?
"Doesn't matter, move it!" shouted the Beetle shoving whoever wasn't moving out of the old ship.
"Hey!" some protested but started running though the stasis had left them disoriented.
"Conner what's going on?" Superman asked him flying next to him. The keyword was flying. His mentor was surprised at seeing him fly. Boy was he in for some terrible news.
"We will explain in the way," he said wishing he could push that moment out of his life.
They all boarded the ship and like before they had to scramble to buckle up as the Beetle forced the machine to its limits.
"This is a Reach ship," John said looking apparently worried at the Beetles change on appearance.
"Start explaining," demanded Batman.
Conner and Tim looked at each other wondering how to begin for a moment. Conner took a deep breath and started.
"We lost, forty years ago," he said allowing the idea to sink in for a moment. He could sense Martian Man Hunter try to enter his thoughts, but he pushed him back, "the Reach conquered the Earth almost entirely and has spent that time capturing as many Metas as possible."
"But you two don't look… Robin doesn't look forty years older," Hawkman said.
"That's because we are not the Robin and Superboy from this timeline," Tim said taking a deep breath, "the grandson of the Flash, his name is Bart went back to our time to warn us of what would happen. We were able to stop the invasion in our timeline two years ago, but then he found this timeline had not changed. He, the Blue Beetle of our time and we created a time machine to come here and help."
"So that's not Jaime?" Wonder Woman asked clearly confused as most of them.
"I am the Jaime of this timeline," the Beetle said removing his helmet. He looked older than most of them, "and I am the reason why the Reach won."
"Wait a moment," Batman said pinching the bridge of his nose, "so the Earth has been under the Reach's thumb for forty years and you four travelled in time to try to save us?"
"Yes," Tim and Conner answered.
There were many questions, but he one they kept coming back to was how long they had been away. As they neared Earth, he could sense their distress and shame. They had failed and they blamed themselves for every single death since then.
"This is no time to start crying," the Beetle said standing, "the Reach armada caught up with us."
"I will skin each one of them alive," the Green Lantern said ready to battle.
"No, all of you must get back Earth. I will hold them back for as long as I can," the Beetle readied his cannons.
"But Blue-" Conner tried to argue.
"No one has called me that in a long time," he smiled at the two youths, "please make sure my sister and nephew make it." And with that he opened the back of the ship and got sucked out before it closed again. The ship continued on its way as the Beetle of that time stalled a whole Reach fleet.
Conner clawed at his seat before unstrapping himself and then sitting on the commanding chair. He made sure the coordinates were right as he started to fill them in their plan. He just hoped they made it in time.
888
Back in their own time Superman rushed with the Flash towards Star Labs. They found all the staff had left the building to watch the phenomenon outside. He recognized Victor Stone, who was working alongside a doctor on a control panel frantically. In front of them was a large sphere made of pure energy which had created a crater where it sat.
"Where are they?" he asked them.
"Inside," the woman never said looking away from the controls. "We are trying to keep the machine going until they return, but it won't be long. It's too overheated."
"What will happen if they don't?" the Flash asked trying to keep his voice steady.
"They will be either pulled back," Victor stone said, "or get stuck in that time."
"What do you need?" Superman asked.
"For you to stay out of our way," Victor said glaring at both.
There was nothing they could do. Superman, the strongest and probably most powerful being on the planet could do nothing but pray.