Destiny

The Javelin slipped through the atmosphere, its stealth engines screaming silently into the night.

   Inside the Javelin, the group remained quiet. Clark, Diana, Hal, Bruce, Zatanna, and Barry all sat without saying a word.
   Diana walked over and sat down next to Hal.
   Hal gave her a nervous look. Was she mad at him for something else this time?
   "Hal, thank you," said Diana. "Thank you for coming for me."
   Hal smiled and gave her a "no problem" nod.

   Without warning, everyone in the plane felt something pass through them—like a ripple in the air itself.  The back section of the crew section exploded with light, nearly blinding everyone in the Javelin. Slowly, the silhouette of a man in a silver throne resolved. As the light faded slightly, the man came into clearer view. He wore a blue bodysuit, covering all but his face. His hands were placed together, and his face was set into a slight frown, as if in deep thought. The chair in which he sat hovered a foot off the ground.
   "Who are you?!" Clark asked the man.
   "I am Metron," the man said, his voice eerily monotone. "I am a traveler and surveyor; this Mobius chair is my ship, and time is my ocean. I, along with others, have been watching you."
   "What others?" asked Bruce.
   As if in response, five more beings appeared from the light vortex behind Metron.
   One of them was Bart. His clothes were torn and bloody in places; he looked exhausted.
   "Hey, guys," Bart said with a weak smile.
   The group bombarded Bart with a dozen questions.
   "Are you okay?"
   "Who are these people?"
   "Where's Circe?!"
   "It's okay, guys," he replied. "I'm okay. Circe's still stuck in timespace somewhere. This is the Legion." He pointed with his thumb at the four teenagers standing behind Metron. "They're from my time. The 31st Century."
   The tallest, a black-haired boy, stepped forward. "Rokk Krinn. Cosmic Boy."
   "Garth Ranzz. Lightning Lad," said the energetic red-haired boy at Rokk's side.
   A blonde girl smiled gently and nodded. "Imra Ardeen. Saturn Girl."
   "Brainiac 5," said the last one, a green-skinned blonde boy.
   "First," said Rokk, "I want to say what an honor it is to meet you all." Rokk turned to Clark. "Especially you, Kal."
   Clark gave him a wary look. "How do you know that name?"
   "...It's a long story," said Rokk. "But, secondly, we owe you all an apology."
   "...Why?" asked Clark.
   Brainiac 5 stepped forward. "We sent Bart back in time, hoping to save him from an overcharge of his powers."
   "An overcharge?" Barry asked.
   "Yes," Brainiac replied. "Bart is a third-generation speedster. His biology is a little different. His powers began to manifest when his body was still too young to handle them, and we needed to find a way to siphon the extra energy."
   "We thought," said Rokk, "That using his powers to send him back through time would save him. It did, but... in doing so, we did irreparable harm to the time-space continuum."
   "'Harm' is technically the wrong word," said Brainiac. "Things have changed."
   "What do you mean 'changed?'" asked Diana.
   "Events have now changed," Brainiac explained. "The entire world is now different than our history remembers it."
   "How is that possible?" asked Bruce.
   "It's incredibly complicated," Brainiac said, slightly annoyed. "We remember things differently because our time-travel technology—which we perfected two years after we sent Bart back in time—shielded us from the changes in the timeline."
   "You keep talking about changes," said Clark. "What changes? What's different?"
   "For one thing," Rokk said, "you were never supposed to meet while still in—what do you call it?"
   "High school," said Imra.
   "Right. You were never supposed to meet this early."
   "...So then why have we met?" asked Clark.
   "At times of great conflict," said Metron, his voice resonating with a slightly chilling tone, "warriors of good often rise to challenge evil. Their meeting is destined."
   "...So what you're saying," said Diana, "is that we met earlier because we were supposed to defeat some sort of evil that's now come earlier in the timeline?"
   Rokk nodded. "That's our thinking, yes."
   "Could it have been Circe?" asked Zatanna. "Could it have been her that we were supposed to defeat?"
   "It is indeed possible," said Metron.

   "...The world from before," said Bruce, "how was it different?"
   Metron's cold expression seemed to narrow slightly. "Are you sure you wish to know? The secrets of existence are not meant for those who wish to live in peace."
   "Yes," Bruce answered.

   Metron's chair hovered a bit higher, and the light behind him brightened and shifted while the rest of the light in the cabin darkened. A massive image of the Earth resolved, hovering in space. "This Earth is but one of many." The Earth slid to the side, revealing a line of identical Earths in a single line stretching backward into space. "Each Earth represents an entirely separate universe. It is a multiverse we live in, with countless variations between worlds." The line of Earths moved and spun until a single Earth sat in the center. "This," Metron explained, "is the primary Earth. The lone world upon which all others are mirrored from. It is the true ideal; the standard by which all other worlds are judged. Before the boy's venture through time, your world was virtually identical to this one in every respect."
   Metron lifted his hand toward the youths. "Gaze now upon your true destinies."
   The vortex of light burst forth, nearly blinding everyone in the Javelin. Clark, Bruce, Diana, Barry, Bart, Zatanna, and Hal each saw visions.
   Diana saw herself—older, clad in red, gold, and blue, the lasso of truth hanging at her belt. She recognized the golden eagle on her armor and the shining tiara on her head: the garments of both Amazonian royalty and that of the true Ambassador of Peace.
   Barry saw himself in red, running near the speed of light itself as the protector of Central City.
   Bart saw much the same thing, but... different. He would not become the hero that his grandfather would, at least not until much later in life.
   Zatanna saw herself much as she was now, but with a far greater grasp of her magics. She effortlessly cast spells of immense power, battling the great evils of sorcery.
   Bruce saw darkness. He had become a dark knight wrapped in shadow, his every thought and action forged into a weapon against Gotham's criminal underworld. He would save the city night after night, but sacrifice his own livelihood in the process. He was alone.
   Hal saw nothing clearly. Whatever lay before him was overpowered by a blinding green light.
   Clark saw a vision of himself—older, taller, and clad in blue and red. He stood in the sky as a beacon of hope, a leader of many, and the world's greatest hero. And, ever-present at his side, stood Lois. She was the one who gave him hope; who loved him and accepted his love in return. She was his beloved, and though the world never knew it, it was her and Clark's love that had saved the world a thousand times over.
   All seven of them then saw a single vision. Their future selves stood together with many others, standing watch over the planet, protecting it from evil time and time again.
   Bart's eyes widened as he recognized the group:
   The Justice League.

   In an instant, the vision winked out of existence.
   "This is what may come, if all goes well," said Metron. "But do not become complacent. The actions of many determine the destinies of all."
   "Now," said Rokk, "it's time to go. Bart?"
   Bart nodded, then turned to his friends. "Guys... I need to go."
   "What do you mean 'go?'" asked Clark.
   "Bart is basically a lightning rod for time-space distortions," Brainiac 5 explained. "We need to bring him back to his own time—our time—in order to figure out what to do about it, and to keep any more damage from being done to history."
   "...You're leaving?" asked Diana.
   Bart nodded, doing his best not to tear up. He walked to Diana, and hugged her. "Thanks," he said. "For... y'know, being there for me." Diana smiled sadly in return.
   Bart pulled away from Diana, and nearly backed into Bruce, who had extended his hand. Bart, surprised, shook Bruce's hand. Bruce and Bart exchanged a solid look, the way that comrades-in-arms might.
   Finally, Bart shared a quick man-hug with Clark before walking back to Metron and the Legionnaires.

   "We'll be picking up Iris on the way, too," Imra explained. "Don't worry when she disappears."
   "Will we ever see Bart again?" Clark asked.
   Rokk smirked. "Maybe. If Brainy here can figure out how to do that safely, we'll make it happen."
   Brainiac 5 rolled his eyes. "Please. Don't insult my 12th-level intelligence. Of course I can figure it out. It'll only take time."
   "Speaking of which," said Rokk, looking at the chronometer on his wrist, "we need to go, now, while the rift is still open."
   The Legionnaires stepped back towards the swirling light. Brainiac tapped a few keys on his wrist-mounted computer, and the light completely enveloped the time-travelers. Clark could barely make out Bart mouthing the word "bye" before he, Metron, and the Legion members all disappeared along with the time rift.

   "Did she say 'Iris?'" asked Barry.
   Everyone else remained awkwardly silent.