What a Nightmare...

Disclaimer: I don’t own the Batman or Batman Beyond universes. DC and WB do. I am just playing with the characters.

Author’s Note: AU of BB. A tale of Terry McGinnis as the new Batman that is based on comics continuity instead of cartoon continuity — the three Robins we are familiar with from the comics and no RotJ or future JLU from the ‘toons. Terry is not related to Bruce Wayne. Will feature time travel and thus a playing around with past, current and what was rumoured as possible future comic canon. I didn’t like what had been happening in the comics over the last few years when I started writing this in the summer of 2005 and want to rewind us through some of it, back before IC and OYL and even most of Devin Grayson’s run on the Nightwing title.

Great big thank yous go out to Ellen Fleischer/Esther-Channah/Dragonbat and Susie/storytime13 for much appreciated betaing and advice, though I have been known to ignore it.

Feedback and particularly constructive criticism definitely both solicited and appreciated.

Chapter One: Darkest Before the Dawn

Suddenly his thoughts, which were now busily analyzing the question were knocked off track by Max’s voice over the suit’s speakers, “Y, there’s an alarm going off at one of Wayne Tech’s research labs. You need to go see what’s happened at the Project Hourglass facilities at 378 Grandoaks Avenue.

“On my way, X, Hopefully nothing but a malfunction, but that’s really unlikely. Find out what Hourglass is supposed to be and what stage they’re at. Ask E for what he knows about it as I’ve never heard of it before.”

“Will do. Police ETA 10 minutes, you should make it in three. The lab is in an old warehouse, dating back to before No Man’s Land. Wayne Tech owns the whole building and has five other research projects set up in other sections. Each section has its own security system and the only alarm comes from Hourglass which occupies the back right corner.”

“I see the building. Anything I need to know?” Terry asked.

“There’s a skylight in the Hourglass section,” came Max’s reply, “you can enter through that.” I haven’t found much more about the project. From what I can gather the team involved is trying to build a machine that will allow today’s users, students, historians, researchers, detectives, to look back at history as it happened. Nothing that should prove dangerous to you at present.”

“Okay, I’m ready to go in. Let’s find out what’s happening.” So saying Batman dropped in through the skylight to see a familiar foe, Talia Head, and a group of five bodyguards standing around a large room filled with a real assortment of machinery. A quick glance around showed that one wall was covered with what looked to be a large supercomputer of some kind, two with other electronic devices and the last had several office desks with computer workstations and comfortable looking chairs. About three yards from the opposite end of the 45 by 30 foot room was the oddest object to be found in it — an 18 foot long and nine foot high border that seemed to frame all four sides of a portion of empty space. The frame itself was very unusual — some unknown mechanical contraption with no obvious purpose.

Batman quickly turned his attention back to the room’s other occupants, who were slowly reacting to his sudden appearance. Talia called out to her guards to “Take care of the Bat” in the strange masculine voice that belonged to her father R’as al Ghul, who had taken over her body. Batman jumped up in the air and knocked out the two foremost of R’as’ men with both legs, then landed easily spinning around to deliver a blow to a third and hit the final two with a batarang each. This well-executed attack succeeded in taking four of his opponents out of the fight immediately, but one of the batarangs hit nothing but its target’s arm. The arm went numb from the hit but the bodyguard continued in the attack Talia/R’as had ordered.

What no one noticed was that one of the other guards must have hit something on the way down, or that the machinery in the room was on some kind of automatic schedule for something was happening within the odd frame. The air within seemed to shimmer slightly — or it would have if anyone had been looking at it.

The final guard was a well-trained fighter and didn’t give Batman an easy opening. The two kept moving around the room and neither noticed how close they had come to the odd frame. The guard attempted to strike out at the Bat, stumbled over the outstretched arm of one of the other guards and knocked both himself and Batman through the frame. Though Batman felt himself losing control of his movements, he succeeded in first landing a good blow to the guard’s head. Batman tumbled through the frame but his blow propelled his foe back far enough that he remained on the original side of the frame.

Batman soon managed to regain control of his feet and control his balance enough to remain on them, but for a critical few seconds he had not noticed his surroundings. On returning his attention to them he noticed that they had changed. Instead of the clean room filled with machinery that he had entered, he now found that he was surrounded by one that was dusty, dirty and filled with clutter. There was no sign of the computers, the frame or the other machinery and no one was in the room with him.

“Y to X, what just happened?” he called into his comlink

Only silence answered him. When a second attempt proved equally futile he took a better look around. By size and shape it was possible to see that the room might be the same as the one he had entered. There was enough dust in the room to testify to little if any traffic over a period of years. He decided to take a closer look at some of the clutter — boxes and crates of various sorts piled and fallen haphazardly around the room. One large crate near him looked to have broken open and he headed towards it planning to look at its contents. What he saw surprised him. The boxes filling the crate were labeled SONY radio cassette player. No one today uses cassettes. Even when I was a kid few people owned cassettes or cassette players and these boxes while looking abandoned don’t look to be the at minimum 40 years they would have to be to date back to a time when there might still have been a reasonable number of interested buyers. He looked at a neighbouring crate. From its label it contained 20 SONY 30” TVs. He looked at the size of the crate and estimated the possible size of each individual box. There wasn’t any way to reconcile that low number with any kind of modern tech — these pretty much had to be the old thick picture tubes. Even low-tech for the day LCD and mid-range plasma screens would fit atleast double the number listed, even with a huge packaging allowance space wise.

Batman... Terry recalled that Max had told him the building used to be a warehouse. Hourglass was trying to allow the people of my day to look at events happening in the past... And I passed through that strange frame that must have something to do with that aim... Could the scientists involved have exceeded or misstated their aims and created a machine capable not just of viewing the past, but also of entering it?

Terry decided to take a look outside, and though he had formulated the time travel hypothesis he was still stunned. He felt as if he had stepped into a historical VR simulation. Instead of the sleek modern facade he had grown up with, this Gotham was the archaic gargoyled Gotham in which Bruce had started the legacy of the Bat that he was continuing.

As soon as he started to accept that he had somehow found himself in the past he turned his camouflage systems on. He didn’t want to accidentally be responsible for a change to his own history. He decided to spend a few minutes looking around, and headed down the street towards where it appeared that there might be more activity. He soon saw a small convenience store and entered. He figured that he could atleast look at a newspaper and find out what time he had arrived in. When he reached the newspaper racks and looked down he realized that the date was exactly 50 years to the day before the night he had responded to the alarm — about 25 years before he was born. No wonder the equipment in the warehouse looked out of date, he thought.

After taking a still picture of the news stand and another of the store with the suit’s built in equipment, as additions to the video the suit should be recording automatically, he returned to the warehouse he had arrived in. After also taking pictures of the warehouse and the city as seen from it, he reentered the room in which his adventure had started. He probably should have tried this as soon as he realized something was wrong but now he tried to retrace his steps hoping that passing through the spot surrounded by the frame in his own time he would be returned to his own era. He also crisscrossed the room as much as he could in its cluttered state thinking he might have lost his orientation in his confusion, but no matter where he wandered or in which direction nothing changed.

He turned the suit’s camouflage systems off figuring that since the warehouse looked so long abandoned he was unlikely to be suddenly discovered and thinking that it made sense to conserve the suit’s power supply as much as possible. He realized that he needed to do some level-headed thinking to decide on his next actions and he sat down with his back against a nearby crate to do so in comfort.

The most important things to keep in mind, Terry thought, are that anything I do could lead to changes to the time-stream. The faster I can return to my own time the better for all. But he had no way to do so on his own unless the effect would wear off in a certain time period — and what if that would only happen if he was in the proper place at the proper time? He figured that he needed local help of the superhero kind. He knew from reviewing old Bat case files on the cave computer and through discussion with those involved that the superheroes of the time he found himself in had occasionally had adventures that involved time travel in some form. I need to contact Bruce on another member of the Clan for help — I know them best, they’re local, and I have no means of reaching any of the others on my own anyway. They still use actual money at this time and I have none. In fact I don’t have any valid id either. Terry knew that he might have a difficult time convincing Bruce of his claims — and did he have any way to prove what had happened to him? Especially any way that wouldn’t involve revealing more than the bare minimum about future history.

What if just revealing my existence is dangerous to the timeline? No, I have to figure that doing whatever’s necessary to return to my own time is the right choice. Unless something wears off and returns me automatically I can never accomplish that without help.

Next question — what’s the best way to approach Bruce? Somewhere during his patrols? But he might not be that easy to encounter and if I find Batman engaged in a fight I would not find it easy to resist getting involved — which of course would be interfering in the past. For that matter interrupting Batman on patrol could delay him and so interfere. What did that leave? I don’t remember anything major at this time or any details of cases Bruce might be dealing with right now. I suppose that leaves me with three private contact options — the cave, the manor or Wayne Enterprises. I could also go through Barbara/Oracle at the Clock Tower. I can see pros and cons to each. Bruce’s office being the least private could be an advantage since nearness of others could protect me if Bruce doesn’t believe me and a disadvantage as it might not be safe to talk openly. The cave’s advantage is that getting in without setting off any alarms might be a step towards proving my bonafides, and my right to the name of Batman, but if I don’t know the current codes I might run into trouble and show poorly.

But wait, going to the manor or the office would require appearing in public and how could I do that? he asked himself. Yes, I have clothes on under the suit, but then what would I do with the suit itself? I can’t carry it openly or leave it where someone might find it and I currently have no means of carrying it out of sight. As well, I’m not sure of fashions from this time period. What if my current clothes are completely out of place. Going in with the suit cloaked would be difficult — I don’t want doors to be moving on their own or to run into someone, and voices from a room that should only contain a single person... No... the cave it is, I feel I should go straight to Bruce as I know him best, but when? Should I go now, figuring the sooner the better, or should I stay here and rest until evening and be ready to meet Bruce in the cave as he prepares for tonight’s patrol. No, the quicker I return to my own time the better. Though the rest would be nice it’s better to reduce the risk to the timeline as much as possible.

Having decided, Terry reengaged the cloaking mode and headed for the rooftops, considering that to be the fastest means of travel available to him.

Despite some confusion due to the altered skyline, he was able to travel swiftly, as he knew where he was in relation to the manor even if he didn’t recognize much of the intervening city. Once he figured he was nearing Bruce’s property and the Batmobile’s usual cave access he slowed down so that he would be sure to spot any alarms or defenses before he triggered them. I know I have to be careful, as the defenses have certainly changed by my time and I don’t want to be caught by one that is no longer present in my time. He wondered whether Bruce would be still out, present in the cave or already in the manor when he arrived or even out somewhere as playboy Bruce. Hopefully, he wasn’t off somewhere else in the world for any reason. Maybe one of the others would be home instead. He wondered how to start his explanation and help request when he did meet Bruce.

Slowly and carefully he made his way through all the external and internal defenses and entered the computer section of the cave. No one seemed to be around. Just as he was wondering whether to go up and check the manor he heard the sound of an approaching motor. He realized that he fell very nervous about the forthcoming meeting. Bruce in his prime. The figure whose legacy I’m trying to live up to. I call myself Batman but do I compare favorably to the original or will I feel like a second-rate copy.

The currently state-of-the-art Batmobile was pulling into what must be its regular parking spot. Terry saw that it was a model he had seen in the transportation section of the cave and was familiar with. A figure in a costume both familiar and different stepped out of the car. Terry felt there was something off but he couldn’t figure out what it was. He knew Bruce had changed suit designs a number of times but still... something seemed off. He shrugged. What could possibly be wrong? As the original Batman approached the spot where his successor was standing, still concealed by the suits camouflage mode, Terry turned his cloak off and spoke, “Hello Batman... Bruce.” As he was speaking he was also removing his suit’s cowl. Having decided a straightforward approach to be best, he continued, “I need your help. I’m from 50 years in the future, where I’m your current successor. About an hour ago I somehow found myself back in this time and made my way here to the cave hoping that you would be able to help me to return to my own Gotham before I accidentally change the timeline.”

Batman from the current time looked at his unexpected visitor. “I don’t know whether to believe you or not,” he said. “Your suit definitely shows signs of advanced tech and a relationship to my suit. And the fact that there aren’t any alarms going off shows that you know quite a bit about the cave. I want to believe you but...” After a moments thought he said, “If you are who you said you are tell me about my partners.”

After a brief pause to gather his thoughts Terry started speaking. “I’ve met all of your current team. Oops, I forgot that I should avoid revealing anything about the future, if at all possible. I’ll try to be more careful. Your first partner was Richard Dick Grayson, who was nicknamed Robin by his parents. When the two of you stopped working together for a time, he became Nightwing. You then got yourself a new partner in Jason Todd, who was eventually killed by the Joker.”

As he continued speaking Terry tried to remain calm and composed, despite the Bat glare that was being directed at him. He wondered if this was what his enemies felt when he directed his own Bat glare at them. He had always thought that the glare that the old Bruce that he knew directed at him at times was bad but this... in the suit and cowl the effect was so much more intimidating.

“At this time you also occasionally worked with Barbara Gordon who decided on her own to become Batgirl, and didn’t let Batman stop her. Eventually you decided to train her but for a long time you and Dick kept her in the dark about your real identities. After Jason’s death Tim Drake, a boy who had figured out the identities of you and Dick, tracked down Dick and attempted to convince him to return and resume being Robin. After Tim ended up rescuing the two of you, Dick convinced you to train him for the role of Robin.”

Recounting the well known history of some of his best friends, even if to one of those friends who didn’t even know him, calmed him and he continued steadily even through one of the darkest episodes. After Barbara was shot and paralyzed by the Joker she became Oracle, using her computer skills to provide you and other super teams with information and coordination. During No Man’s Land first Huntress, of the Bertinelli crime family and later Cassandra Cain assumed the mantle of Batgirl. You also are a part of the JLA, have led the Outsiders and have worked with Huntress, Catwoman or Selina Kyle and Black Canary or Dinah Lance. You... no that’s still in the future. I think that should do — oh, and of course Alfred has always helped you from the cave and Dr. Leslie Thompkinshas taken care of you when you have been injured.”

“You definitely know enough about Batman and his associates. Two things however make me doubt you.” As he spoke Batman removed his cowl.

Terry exclaimed, “Dick? But I don’t remember this as being one of the times you took over for Bruce. The only occasions I remember are after Bane broke Bruce’s back and you stopped Azreal or Jean Paul Vallee from continuing as Batman and occasionally when Bruce was away on extended Wayne Enterprises business or extended JLA missions. You usually kept to Bludhaven, having made it your own city. I don’t remember any of Bruce’s absences being around this time.”

Dick asked, “Why didn’t you recognize my voice immediately?”

“I don’t know,” Terry replied, “I was expecting to find Bruce in the suit. I figured his voice had simply changed. It has been 50 years after all. When I first saw you getting out of the Batmobile I thought something was off but dismissed it as my imagination — but you’ve made a few changes to the costume Bruce was wearing at about this time, haven’t you, and you also move a bit differently from Bruce. The differences are there to be seen if one knows to look for them. But what are you doing here and now as the Bat?”

“I believe you — but how can you not know? Bruce is in Arkham and I’m now in Gotham for good. Batman is needed more than Nightwing is.”

“But how is that possible? How could all of you have kept this from me?” asked Terry. “And in my day you are the Bludhaven Police Commissioner.”

“Now I must say how is that possible. I quit the force and retired Nightwing to take over for Bruce.”

“I think you had better tell me what happened. Your reality and my history don’t seem to match.”

BATMAN BEYOND

“So that’s what’s happened over the last three or four years,” Dick concluded.

“Have I entered a parallel reality of some sort, instead of simply the past?” Terry asked. “There is no way to reconcile your reality with my history. Little after No Man’s Land and the Clench seems to match. I don’t think there is any longer any reason to worry about my revealing something that could change your future. Listen up...

“Bruce remained Batman full-time into his seventies. As he was slowing down the city was also much calmer and he figured that it could get along without the Bat. You as Nightwing were still active in Bludhaven,” Terry continued, “where you had recently been appointed Commissioner, but were reducing your alter ego’s appearances to focus on the police department which was now mostly clean.

“Knowing a bit about your history with Barbara, you’ll like this next bit. As a result of one of the JLA’s missions a way was found to allow Barbara to walk again. She had never taken the Birds away from Gotham, but when she could walk again she spent little of her time at the computers, mostly returning to them to help Canary on her missions. Instead, she decided to follow in her father’s footsteps and yours and join the police. She became Commissioner in Gotham at about the same time that you did in the Haven. As Cassandra was still an active and effective Batgirl and Barbara was not really at the peak needed for vigilante activities she never returned to the nightlife, only occasionally reprising the Oracle role she had created. You and Barbara are each happily married as well, you ti Dr. Bridget Clancy and Babs to DA Sam Young with a grown son and daughter each. The story of why the two of you are not together is too long to get into now.”

“That may be but you have to tell me at some point. I also want to hear how you came to join our family. But for now continue. What of Tim, you haven’t mentioned him yet?” asked Dick.

“Tim was never outed the way you describe and his father died many years later of natural causes, happy with Tim’s achievements as Robin — on his 18th birthday he had a long talk with his father and step-mother in which he revealed everything about the way he spent his time and both were impressed. As far as I know they never knew Bruce’s secret however, though I suppose with what they did know they would not have found it difficult to work out if they wanted to. I don’t know exactly when and why he mostly abandoned the role, but he always said that Robin was only temporary for him. It was probably simply to spend more time with his new family — he’s happily married and the father of four children ranging in age from almost forty to just over twenty. As far as I know none of them know anything about their father’s past role as Robin. None of the Bat Clan kids know about your vigilante pasts except for yours, who have their own secret identities. I’ve met them in both guises but they don’t know my secret — though they might suspect — and some of the other Bat family kids might know more than their parents think.”

“We’re a smart bunch in this adoptive family. I can already tell that you fit in. I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re right about their knowledge,” Dick stated. “ What else happened with Cass?”

“She stayed the most active in Gotham. Even after Bruce mostly retired, she kept up regular patrols for years. Though she was never as good a detective as you or Bruce she could still be very effective. And Bruce did occasionally return to the street. Tim also occasionally played the role of Batman over the years. Bruce had long since created the early version of the powered suit I now wear and it allowed him to keep to the role much longer than he otherwise could have. The last time out was about four years ago for him, but I know that even now, if he ever felt I was in over my head, he could decide to take the backup suit and join me. Cass mostly retired about 10 years ago but still helps me out several times a year. She has a 22-year-old daughter.”

“And how does your version of the clan operate?”

“In my early days Bruce was constantly monitoring and advising me from the cave. In the last few years he’s stepped back. However, I still almost always have someone playing Oracle for me. Most often it is my best friend Max, who figured out my secret within months of when I started. She’s now as good a hacker as Barbara ever was — Barbara says so herself. Occasionally, but at least a third of the time percentage wise, you take it, though you find it hard to have the time to come down to Gotham to do so; or Tim does; or Bruce; or even on occasion Barbara, though she no longer particularly cares for the role, as it brings back more bad memories than good. Anyway she has little more time for it than you. Cass is the only one who’s never tried her hand at it. She’d rather join me on the streets. The few times I’ve operated sans an Oracle, I’ve missed it, even though I am perfectly capable of working on my own or I wouldn’t have been allowed to remain Batman this long.”

“And does Bruce have a family or is he as alone as ever?” Dick couldn’t help asking.

“He never married and lived alone until I moved into the manor a few years ago, but he has never been completely alone. All of the Bat clan kids have always treated Bruce as a grandfather. Sometimes whoever plans to patrol or monitor has a difficult time of disappearing to play Oracle for me.

“Anyway, back to the point — you’ve never mentioned a long-term stint as the Bat and there are no records of Bruce ever not being active at Wayne Enterprises, so how could he have been in Arkham? And JLA history doesn’t match either. I’ve never heard of all of those revealed identities, or strained relations, or OMACs or Brother One. I’ve met Kal, he can no longer use Kent as an identity for the obvious reason of age, and occasionally I work with the current incarnation of the league since I’m a reserve member. With no intention of boasting I have been asked to become the team’s leader but I won’t even become a full member unless I ever gain a partner as Batman’s main responsibility is to Gotham. Still, I think I would have had some hints of anything that major. Either something has affected the timeline or this is not the past that is associated with my future. Any suggestions on how to figure out which, and on how to return me to where I belong? And if the timeline has been changed then we need to fix that as well.”

Dick was noticeably thoughtful. “I almost hope something has played with time. There is so much wrong with the current situation. In fact there has been for a number of years as I’ve told you. But how to find out for sure... I think we need to contact the League but I think both of us need to rest first, let’s go up to the manor and get a bit of sleep. I don’t usually stay here but it’s more comfortable and convenient than my apartment. We can resume this discussion in the afternoon. I’ll take you to the new Watchtower where we can talk to others with time travel experience.”