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Crisis Averted

Summary:

All it takes is one choice, one decision and everything is subject to change. What would have happened if the Justice League had won that day? AU of Legacy

Notes:

My Brain: hey what if the League didn't die in Legacy
Me: ...dammit

Check this out if you want. You don't have to read Legacy or Far From Home to understand this, but it would definitely help. Please enjoy!

Chapter 1

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The Watchtower was completely destroyed. The Metro Tower wasn't much better. They had lost nearly half of the League and those who were still alive were gravely and seriously injured. Some were only holding on by a thread.

But somehow, it could have been worse. A lot worse.

Diana stood by as the civilian workers attempted to get their injured members medical attention. She winced as she watched them wheel Batman away on a stretcher. Bruce, as per usual, had risked everything to save everyone else. She had just barely managed to pull her husband out of the brunt explosion before he was entirely obliterated.

J'onn wasn't sure when he would wake up.

Kal's injuries had been grievous as well, but once the kryptonite had been safely stored away the sun had begun to heal him. He staggered over to her, his face grim. "How many?" he asked somberly.

Diana inhaled through her nose. "Too many," she replied. As an Amazon, she was no stranger to war. Their lives were dangerous, there was always the chance they'd fight a battle they couldn't win. But this. This had been devastating even to her standards.

They had been expecting their new era of peace to last forever. How foolish they were.

"Mom!"

Diana flinched at the young voice that reached her ears. Turning sharply, she only barely caught the body flung to her in time. "Lilian," she said sternly, though she couldn't bring herself to let the girl go. Not after the fight she had been through. She could have lost everything just an hour ago. She should have scolded Lily for being there, but she was just happy to see her alive and well. "I thought I told you to stay put."

For once, her daughter didn't come back with a witty retort. "We saw the fight on the news," she whispered, arms wound tightly around her mother. Diana couldn't remember the last time her daughter had hugged her like this. "It was bad."

Diana sighed, burying her face in the girl's hair. "Yes," she agreed. "It was." She shared a look with Kal, who nodded and gave the two of them privacy. She cupped her daughter's face, knowing she had to tell the truth now before the girl found out on her own. "My Little Sun and Stars, I'm so sorry, but your father-"

Lily sniffed. "I saw," she interrupted. "The explosion. If he was okay, he'd be here with you right now. Daddy wouldn't get medical help before you."

Her heart throbbed. "He's in intensive care," she revealed. "J'onn is tending to him now." Lily nodded wordlessly, hiding her face in the bodice of Diana's armor. "Where are your friends?"

Lily finally pulled back, wiping at her face. "What I should be," she admitted, her features hardening under her mask. "M'gann's helping Uncle J'onn with the injured and B's with Uncle Wally working on supply distribution."

Diana nodded, filing this information away. "What of Rex and Henry?"

"Rexie went to find his parents," Lily told her softly. Fortunately, John and Shayera hadn't had it as bad as some others. Shayera's wings had been damaged and she'd seen John take a few nasty hits. But overall they were fine. "I don't know where Kent is; he flew off before we got here." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Probably throwing a tantrum."

Diana frowned; the animosity between her child and Kal's wounded her every day. She never found out why the two of them despised one another so, but she knew she couldn't make Lily be friends with anyone she didn't want to. "Everyone deals their own way, my Little Sun and Stars," she chided gently. "You may not like it, but Henry must process the way he sees fit."

Lily clearly didn't like that, but nodded begrudgingly. "Is there anything you need my help with?" she asked.

The Amazon cupped the teenager's cheek with her hand. "Help me clear some of this rubble," she directed. "Make sure there aren't civilians trapped underneath."

Her daughter cast a worried look towards her pulsing leg. "You're hurt," she observed. "Mama, I can handle it by myself. You should rest."

Diana kissed the top of her head. "I'm alright, sweetheart," she assured her. "It's healing. Right now, the people are our priority."

Lily hesitated, then sighed. "Okay," she agreed. She flew away to do as her mother said without arguing. 'Huh,' thought Diana. 'That's a first.'

Not that Lily was a particularly misbehaved child, but she was a teenager. No teenager did everything their parents told them to do. In fact, Lily had begun to fight against her more and more these days. Diana never took it to heart- she recalled squabbles with her own mother- but it had made her worry.

She couldn't help but think there was a particular reason for her daughter's behavior.

Diana shook her head of these thoughts. Definitely not the time; she had a job to do.

OoOoOo

Wally observed carefully as he watched his son zip around the city.

The kid hadn't said a word to him, barely even looked at him. Admittedly, Barry wasn't a big talker for a speedster, but was it too much to expect a 'Hi' at the very least? "Kid," he called after a while. His son was at his side in an instant, his mouth set in a grim line. "Okay, bud, time to talk. What's going on with you?"

Barry wouldn't look at him. "Nothing," he murmured.

"Bull," stated Wally, feeling put out. Barry never usually had a problem talking to him. Had he done something wrong? His stomach clenched at the possibility that his kid was upset with him. "Kiddo-"

"We have work to do," Barry interjected, aiming to rush away again.

But Wally put a hand on his shoulder before he could run. "Pretty sure the work's done, Kid," he pointed out, gesturing to the supply pile. Or lack thereof; Barry had finished about thirty seconds ago.

Barry nudged his hand away. "Then I'll get more-"

"Bartholemew Iris," said Wally firmly. Ugh, he hated using that tone; it reminded him too much of Bruce. Unfortunately, it was necessary sometimes. "Sit down. We can wait for more."

The strawberry blond saw there was no way he was getting out of this and sighed, perching himself on the bench next to them. "Happy?" he huffed.

"Very." Wally sat down next to him, nudging his son in the arm. "Come on, kid, talk to me."

Barry buried his hands in his windswept hair. "Dad," he said, looking at him with an annoyed expression. "You almost died."

Wally blinked at him. "Uh, kind of comes with the territory, bud," he stated slowly. Had the kid hit his head or something? "I've 'almost died' at least five times in the last three weeks-"

But Barry shook his head. "Not like that," he stressed. "I saw you, on the news." His dark eyes narrowed accusingly. "You were being reckless. You took too many hits."

Wally tried to think back. Had he? The fight had been so brutal, Barry hadn't been completely aware of what he had done during most of it. All he had been focused on was defeating their enemy and keeping stray civilians safe. "Kid-"

"You're all I have!" Barry snapped suddenly. Wally flinched; his son hardly ever raised his voice. The kid stubbornly wiped at his face in an attempt to hide his tears. He tucked his knees under his chin. "I-If you died, I... I would have been alone."

Wally bit his lip, a sense of guilt stirring in his chest. He hadn't even thought about that. Sometimes, they- him and the Founders and the other parents in the League- spent so much time trying to keep the world safe for their children, that they sometimes forgot that their kids needed more than that. They needed assurance and security.

Today was proof of that. With so many of their allies and friends lost, he knew that the rest of them needed to be more present than ever. He had to hold onto what he had; this awful day had shown him it could all be ripped away in an instant.

And not even he would be fast enough to stop it.

Wally squeezed his shoulder. "I'm not going anywhere," he said firmly.

Barry peaked up at him through his red bangs. "Promise?" he asked softly. Vulnerability oozed from his voice and Wally's heart stuttered in his chest.

He took his son's hand. "Promise."

OoOoOo

The thing about war was that it never went away.

John knew this, which was part of the reason he had agreed to become a Green Lantern in the first place. He could hide away wherever he wanted, make a quiet little life for himself. But the harsh truth was that war was more than the blood and carnage. It was something inside you that you could never escape. He knew that; Shayera knew it too. The best thing for soldiers like them to do was continue to fight the good fight in any way they could.

Still, he would be lying if he said he had expected it to get to this point.

Some of his worst battles in the Marines hadn't come close to the destruction in the scene before him. They'd lost a lot of good people; comrades and friends alike.

Rex sat next to his mother, trying to patch up her wing which had been badly burned. His son had never been the talkative type and John didn't expect him to start now. "Rex, I told you, I'm fine," Shayera insisted. "I'm old, not incapable."

Rex briefly glanced up at her before going back to what he was doing. Shayera glared and despite the grim situation, John chuckled. "You okay, sport?" he asked.

Rex shrugged. "As much as I can be," he answered, shaking his head. "I should be asking you guys that."

Shayera shot him a worried glance. "We're fine, bud," she assured him. "Just a few bumps." She flexed her injured wings for good measure. "And singes."

"Could have gone worse," John agreed with a nod, thinking about the fallen members who wouldn't be going home to their families. He was incredibly lucky to even be having this conversation with his wife and son.

Rex grimaced. "Could have gone better," he countered. "What happened?"

John and Shayera shared a look. "CADMUS," said the redhead. "We think. J'onn said that the technology was similar, but we don't have evidence. And with Batman out of commission..."

"We're at a standstill," finished John solemnly. Everyone else would be focused on rebuilding, recovering, and mourning. They would be watched very closely, if they even managed to escape government scrutiny. Bruce was the only one capable of slipping away from the public eye undetected.

John winced, his mind drifting to his injured friend. Bruce was in critical condition; even if he did survive, there was no guarantee that Batman would return. He wasn't sure which his friend would have preferred; death or life without Batman.

Rex seemed troubled. "Then what?" he pressed. "We just wait around? What about the Watchtower? The Metro Tower? What are we-"

Shayera flicked his ear. "That's for the adults to worry about," she said firmly. Rex had a weird habit of taking on responsibilities that weren't his, a habit they had been trying to break for a good number of years now. "We'll manage; we're not useless without Batman, you know."

Rex stared at her blankly.

John chuckled, then covered it with a cough when her green eyes narrowed at him. "Work on crowd control," he directed. "Take your mind off this for now."

His son looked like that was the last thing he wanted to do, but nodded. "Okay," he relented compliantly. John watched him fly off towards the people who were scattered throughout the city.

Shayera huffed. "If that isn't your son I don't know what is," she stated crossing her arms as she squinted after his retreating form. John couldn't help but agree.

OoOoOo

This was going to be tough.

Bruce's condition was bad. Not the worst he had ever dealt with, but it was going to be a hard road. But J'onn knew he had to do everything in his power to keep his friend alive. Too many people counted on Batman, too many people loved and cared for Bruce. And he wasn't sure Diana and Lily would be able to handle his death.

He couldn't watch a family fall apart, not again.

A gentle hand drifted to his shoulder. 'Uncle J'onn, let me,' urged M'gann gently through telepathy. They only ever spoke aloud in front of the others, but on M'arzz speaking telepathically had been the most normal way to communicate. Her green eyes shone with compassion and resilience. 'I can sense your turmoil.'

Usually, J'onn would refuse. The Founders went under his care and only his. He didn't trust anyone with the lives of his friends. Their lives were the ones he refused to gamble, no matter the circumstances.

But his niece wasn't wrong; even now, his hands trembled. He was in no state to give the care Bruce needed. And M'gann wasn't just another civilian worker. Since arriving on Earth, she'd had a natural affinity for the medical field. He might even say that she was better than he was.

He remembered the moment that they found M'gann. She had been roaming the now desolate M'arzz; lost and confused. The deaths of her family had done irreparable emotional damage, her psychic defenses blocking out everything. It was only after months that they were able to uncover that she was his biological niece; one of the daughters of his late sister J'ann.

To find out that there was not only another living martian but his very own niece had nearly caused J'onn to openly weep. And he grew prouder of her every day. M'gann had proved to be exceptionally gifted, both psychically and otherwise.

Coming to a decision, J'onn stepped back. 'Alright,' he acceded. 'But I will stay for assistance.'

M'gann nodded. 'Okay,' she agreed. And without another word, spoken or otherwise, they began to work.

OoOoOo

Clark felt like he had lost everything in a day.

Of course, that wasn't really true. He still had his closest friends; he still had his wife and son. Most of the Justice League had come out of the fight with their lives. In all honesty, things could have been so much worse. They had actually been lucky; if it wasn't for Bruce and Diana they might have not come out alive at all.

But Clark didn't feel very lucky. Not when half the League had died during the fight; not when his best friend was in critical condition and his city was in ruins. This wasn't a victory, this was a hollow, heavy feeling settled in his chest.

He had failed. He had failed his fallen friends and his city.

Clark had picked up Diana and Lily's conversation; it didn't surprise him that Henry had flown off to be on his own. It was something his son had been doing for years, too angry with the world to properly face it.

Truly, Clark had never understood the root of Henry's anger, only that most of the time it was directed at him.

He had always tried to be a good father. He tried to spend time with Henry and offer support when he could. But he was always met with rejection. Lois assured him it was just a phase, that not every teenager had the privilege of being raised by Martha Kent, but this had been ongoing for the last six years.

Though, looking through the debris, it wasn't like Clark could blame Henry. He couldn't even protect his city, why would his son ever rely on him?

However, it didn't seem like Henry had gotten far. A figure was perched on the top of the Daily Planet- somehow miraculously intact- standing still. Upon further inspection, Henry had his arms crossed and was watching everything from above.

Carefully, Clark hovered up to him. "You know-" Violet eyes cut him off with a glare.

"Don't, Dad," warned Henry, scowling. "I'm not in the mood for one of your Superman speeches. There's nothing you can possibly say to make this better."

Clark raised an eyebrow. "I was just gonna say there are better places to sit," he stated with a shrug. "The view isn't all that great up here right now."

Henry scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I was getting ready to help," he explained. His gaze returned to the streets below. "Everything looks like it's getting handled, though."

He nodded in agreement. Most of the citizens had been evacuated and things were going smoothly for Diana and the others. They weren't needed.

He wasn't needed.

The reality of that thought hit Clark harder than he would have liked. He was getting on in age. He may not have been aging as rapidly as Bruce, but he wasn't immortal. His hair was graying and there were crow's feet by his eyes.

Maybe that was why he hadn't been the hero Metropolis needed today. Maybe that was why he had been forced to watch so many friends die in front of his eyes. He was getting weaker.

And for Clark, who had been strong his entire life, that scared him. It really did.

Henry looked at him for a long time. Then, he rolled his eyes. "The self-pity is really annoying, Pa." Before Clark could retaliate, his son stood and launched himself off the roof. He watched as the teenager flew away from Metropolis, getting further from his reach.

Just like always.

Notes:

Alternate title: The Kids Aren't Okay

This is just an idea I'm playing around with, a life where the Founders (and others) live. What does that mean for the kiddos? Well, a lot, but not in the same way as Legacy. I'll be straight with you guys, I probably won't update this too often, but I'm in a rut with Far From Home, so I thought I'd just try to get back into the characters another way. Hopefully that'll get me rolling.

Now, if you're wondering no I don't know who Barry's mother would be. Use your imaginations. What was the League fighting? A weapon of mass destruction of course. I'm leaving that ambiguous because 1) I'm lazy and 2) I don't think anything I'd come up with would be satisfying. What happened differently in this timeline? Well, that'll be revealed.

Anyway I hope you liked it and please review!

Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Notes:

Grammarly Streak? Broken
Throat? Sore
Grades? Dropping
Fictional children? Traumatized
Hotel? Trivago?

Not having a fun time over here. Anyway, please enjoy!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The silence around headquarters was suffocating.

They weren't a particularly loud group- they were a covert operations team after all- but for it to be this quiet was an indicator of how dour things truly were. For the longest time, the Justice League had been infallible. Not even the incident over twenty years ago had come close to taking out so many League members.

Jessica hovered around them, her arm in a sling. She and M'gann were their glorified babysitters, though M'gann was still assisting on the Metro Tower. Normally, Jess was the one they liked to have around, if only because she was a lot more lenient than M'gann.

But Lily wasn't an idiot. She knew her mother had sent Jessica here to keep them here until further notice. She knew the four of them were restless and wanted answers. She knew what would happen if eyes were off them even for a second.

Rex, who was next to her, shifted. "Pissed?" he asked lowly in Themysciran. It was the only language they knew Jessica's ring couldn't translate.

Lily didn't take her eyes off her book, but let out an annoyed huff. "If that's even the word for it," she replied quietly. She was somewhere in between livid and sad, her heart aching for her comatose father. What if he never woke up? What would Gotham do without him?

What would she do without him?

Rex glanced at Jess, then looked back at her. "My parents think CADMUS had something to do with this," he told her.

Lily pressed her lips together, her left eyebrow twitching at the name. It definitely fit CADMUS's style, but why? Why after all these years? Her fist clenched atop her knee; did Amanda Waller have a death wish? "Worth investigating," she commented.

He cringed. "They'll kill us," he pointed out.

The corner of her mouth twitched. "CADMUS or the League?"

Jess peered over at them, frowning. "Hey," she said skeptically. "Just what are you two-" The alarms suddenly began to go off, signifying an intruder alert. She sighed, powering up her ring. "Probably a civilian stumbling around. You three stay here, I'll go check it out." She hovered away.

Lily grinned. "Thanks, B," she said, her eyes flicking over to the speedster.

Barry leaned on her shoulder. "You know I hate being left out," he pouted dramatically. Teaching Barry Themysciran had been futile and as a result, he always had to be filled in later.

Rex nodded. "You're getting more discreet," he noted.

Lily pulled up her mini console, easily hacking into HQ's security system. It was, after all, the same as the Batcave's. "Ought to keep Lantern occupied," she murmured, locking down HQ.

Barry shuddered. "She won't like that."

"She'll deal." Lily began to track down the tracer she had put on Henry's suit years ago. Hey, she might have hated him but he was still a teammate. And teammates looked after one another. "Okay, first thing's first, Kent's just outside of Smallville. We'll fly over there, grab him, and then-"

Rex made a face. "Then what?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously. "Attack CADMUS? Don't think that'll do much at this point."

Lily smirked. "Better," she said. Neither boy could see it, but her eyes burned with anger under her mask. "We're going to have a little chat with Amanda Waller."

OoOoOo

Things were running as smoothly as they could be. Their injured League members were healing well and the reconstruction of the Metro Tower was coming along. She knew things would take time, but Diana was thankful for the recovery period they were being given. It wouldn't last- as nothing ever did- but things were going well.

'Diana!' exclaimed Jessica Cruz via her communicator. 'Did the kids go back to the Metro Tower?'

Diana froze, then cursed under her breath in Themysciran. She should have seen this coming; this was her daughter after all. Still, she would have thought she had a little time to get things under control. "What happened?" she asked, trying to keep calm. Losing her head would do her no good right now and it certainly wouldn't find the children.

'The alarms went off at HQ,' Jessica told her. 'When I went to check it out, I got locked out of the building. By the time I got back all three of them were gone.'

The Amazon sighed, feeling a headache coming on. She couldn't be angry at Jessica; once Lily made up her mind about something, that was it. And unfortunately, the others were all too willing to follow her. "Come take my place at the Tower," she instructed. "I will deal with the children."

'You got it, boss.'

"Mister Terrific," called Diana once the communication ended. "I will be back shortly. Please continue operations while I'm gone."

"Sure thing, Diana."

With that, she flew off. She knew more than anyone that Lily was in a dangerous place right now. One didn't threaten the loved ones of an Amazon and then expect to walk away. Lily's heart was calling for vengeance, fighting against what her father had instilled in her for her entire life. She was going to end up doing something she would regret.

Diana had to get to her, and quickly.

OoOoOo

"This is a dumb idea."

Nightingale didn't look up from her work. "If you've got a better idea, Superboy, I'd love to hear it," she said calmly as she disabled the security system outside of Amanda Waller's house. It was surprisingly mediocre technology considering how important Amanda Waller was. But then, she was used to advanced technology.

"You know, I normally don't agree with Supes," said Kid Flash nervously, his eyes darting from side to side. "But maybe it isn't a good idea to attack a government liaison."

"We aren't attacking her," Nightingale hissed, agitated. She wasn't in the business of picking on old ladies. She just needed information, that was all.

Warhawk eyed the guards standing near the front gate. "Don't think they'll see it that way," he pointed out.

Hera help her, she was going to lose her shit. "The three of you could have stayed at HQ," she shot back. Maybe that would have been a better course of action. They weren't the best partners to have when it came to stealth missions anyway. "No one made you come along."

Before any of them could retort, the security system activated. The defenses turned on the guards, effectively knocking every one of them out. Nightingale smiled pleasantly, slowly rising up from her spot on the ground. She gestured to the now unguarded door. "After you, boys."

Warhawk shrugged, walking forward into the large house. Superboy followed and Kid Flash trailed after them. Nightingale brought up the rear, hacking into the motion sensors to be sure they weren't met with any surprises. But no, everything seemed to be clear. Odd that Waller wouldn't have more guards; she had quite a few enemies.

They finally reached what looked like an office. Nightingale just knew that the woman would be behind that door. "You guys should wait out front," she told the others. "If the League shows up, tell me and run."

Warhawk and Kid Flash shared a look. "And leave you by yourself?" asked the latter. "Doll, that doesn't sound like a good idea."

Nightingale sighed impatiently. "All four of us are not storming in there," she snapped.

"Well, we can't just leave you," insisted Warhawk, crossing his arms. "We're a team, we don't abandon each other." Nightingale glared at him, but he just stared right back at her.

Superboy apparently got tired of their arguing. "Come on, Kid Mouth," he muttered, yanking Kid Flash by his arm and dragging him away. "Warhawk can stay here, we'll keep lookout for the League."

For perhaps the first time ever, Nightingale was grateful for Superboy. "Sounds great," she agreed curtly as they left. She sent a pointed look at Warhawk. "You promise you'll stay here?"

He nodded. "I'd be stupid to get in your way right now," he commented dryly.

Nightingale smirked. "Smart choice." She looked at the door, her anger growing. This woman had destroyed so many lives in a single day. Those departed League members had families too. Waller didn't see them as people, she saw them as threats.

Her fists clenched as she opened the door.

OoOoOo

It had taken some time, but Diana had finally tracked them down to Amanda Waller's residence. "Damn it," she hissed as she spotted the unconscious guards laying all over the lawn. Lily had already done the damage, hadn't she? She touched down in front of the door, observing Henry and Barry as they noticed her arrival.

Diana put her hands on her hips. "Where is my daughter?" she demanded impatiently.

Barry flinched at her tone, but Henry was completely unphased. He kept staring at her with those violet eyes that were unmistakably Lois'. "You already know," he said, unshakingly.

Any other time, Diana may have commended him on his tenacity. But today, she had reached her level of patience. "Unless the two of you want your parents to find out about your little adventure," she began slowly. "I suggest you move aside."

They glanced at one another. Then, they took off in either direction, essentially disappearing from her view and prohibiting her from chasing them both. Diana nodded to herself; not bad. The children would make great heroes; this was something she had always known.

Diana walked into the house, noting that there were no signs of a break-in. She tried to fight the swell of pride in her chest, she was supposed to be angry after all.

Finally, she got to Waller's office. However, Lily wasn't inside like she had predicted. Instead, she was crouched down on the floor, staring blankly at it. Rex was next to her, his expression unreadable under his helmet. He was like John in that regard; a steady companion who would see you through your worst moments.

But even he seemed at a loss for words.

Diana's anger slowly evaporated as she kneeled onto the floor herself. "Darling," she uttered gently. "Whatever is the matter? What happened?"

It felt like forever before Lily finally raised her head. This was wrong; her daughter was witty and confident. She never hesitated. But she looked at her mother, her heartbreak evident behind her usually impervious mask. With shaky hands, she brought up her mini console. She showed it to her mother, unable to say anything about it.

Diana quickly read the information in front of her face. Then, her own rage flamed as she launched herself into Waller's office. She didn't hesitate to grab the woman by her neck, hoisting her against the wall. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't snap your neck," she growled.

Even though she was struggling to breathe, Waller still gave a smirk that was nothing short of evil. "After your near failure in Metropolis, is that the smartest move, Diana?" she taunted.

Diana's grip tightened; it was taking everything in her not to crush the woman's windpipe. "What is wrong with you?" she spat. "You're a sick, vile woman who planned on destroying an innocent boy's entire life."

"The world needs the Justice League," Waller gasped out. "There's no arguing that. But your League is flawed. Sporadic. Dangerous. We need a fresh start, a humbler Justice League."

Recognition sparked behind Diana's eyes. "This isn't merely about this Terrance McGinnis becoming The Batman," she realized. Horror settled within her stomach. "This was your plan all along. Get rid of us and have the children take over." Her eyes hardened. "But under your restrictions."

"And I thought Batman was the detective."

Diana dropped her, staring down at her with disgust as she desperately gasped for air. "I should kill you," she snapped. "Unfortunately, I have more important matters to deal with." She lowered herself to the ground until she and Waller were centimeters apart. "But know this, Amanda Waller. If you ever come near my family, my friends, or that child, I will personally end you myself." She stood up, looking down at the pitiful woman. "Rot in Tartarus."

Diana turned on her heel; she had a daughter that needed tending to.

Notes:

I hope you liked it and please review!

Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Notes:

What's this? Me updating? Impossible. Please enjoy.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Terrance Warren McGinnis was a three-year-old boy who lived with his parents in a modern home in a nicer part of Gotham City. Warren McGinnis was a research scientist for Powers Technology and Mary McGinnis was an astronomer at Astro-Tech. They were a perfectly normal couple and had made a beautiful family together.

If only they saw what a farce it truly was.

Diana couldn't help but think that the Gods were punishing her for something. All those years of trying for another child had been fruitless. Her prayers and pleads had been ignored for years until she and Bruce had finally given up.

Instead, Amanda Waller had taken it upon herself to create her own Batman using her and Bruce's DNA. It infuriated Diana; no child of hers was to ever be a tool for CADMUS. If she had her way, Amanda Waller would already be in Tartarus waiting for judgement from her father.

But of course, her dear husband would take issue with that. She would be lying if she claimed that his voice hadn't been in her ear when she'd had Waller hoisted up by her neck. Though, Diana couldn't help but wonder how Bruce would react had he been in her place today.

That is, if he didn't already know. Diana clenched the wine glass she was holding in her hand.

She would like to believe that her husband wouldn't have kept this from her. But Bruce had always been an enigma. She wasn't sure what the McGinnis' could have done to get onto his radar, but it wasn't a hard thing to do. And he had been keeping track of Waller and her weapon for a few weeks now...

"Mama?"

Diana started, eyes darting over towards her daughter who was standing in the threshold of the dining room. The girl was looking at her with wary eyes. "Lily," she said, raising an eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

"You tell me," Lily shot back, gesturing to the glass in her hand.

Diana realized that the glass was cracking under the pressure of her grip and quickly lowered it onto the table. "Just a lot on my mind," she replied, trying to put on a reassuring smile.

But her daughter was no fool. "You're thinking about the McGinnis'," she observed, eyes sharp. After confronting Waller, Diana had brought her daughter home with instructions to take a bath and put her pajamas on. Lily stood before her in her matching white pajamas, her wet hair sticking to her face.

"Clever girl," murmured Diana, taking a moment to really look at the girl. While she had been devastated that she had been unable to have another child, Lily was perhaps the greatest gift the Gods could have ever given her. She loved her daughter with everything she had.

The corners of Lily's mouth twitched ever so slightly. She drifted toward the kitchen, rummaging through the cabinets. "What should I make tonight?" she asked.

"Surprise me," Diana replied, smiling. At first, she had been uncomfortable with Lily cooking for them nearly every night. But she knew that the girl genuinely liked to do it. As she understood it, it was a stress reliever. Who was she to dissuade her?

(The fact that she and Bruce were useless in the kitchen had nothing to do with it)

Lily nodded and set to work. Diana grabbed two plates from the cabinet and set them on the table. "Apologize to poor Jessica tomorrow," she chimed in. The children had been lucky M'gann was busy; Jessica was lenient with them. M'gann wasn't as easily swayed.

Lily shrugged. "Sure," she easily agreed.

"And for the love of Aphrodite, no more sneaking off," the Amazon continued. This was far from the first time the children had pulled a stunt like this. It was how their secret ops team had come to be in the first place. But at this point in time it was the last thing they needed. "At least not for a while. Give us at least a little time, darling."

The rustling stopped. Lily looked at her with blue eyes so similar to her own. If she wasn't so good at reading her daughter, she would have missed the guilt swimming in them. "I'm sorry, Mama, I just thought..." Her voice trembled as she trailed off. She tried to hide the lump in her throat with a humorless chuckle. "I just thought I could help." She looked away.

Diana's heart throbbed. "Oh, darling." She didn't hesitate to envelop her daughter in a hug. "I know. It's going to be alright."

Lily buried her face into her chest. "What if Daddy never wakes up?" she mumbled miserably. "What if Waller does kill Mr. and Mrs. McGinnis?"

Her grip tightened on the teenager. "No one is laying a hand on the McGinnis'," Diana promised. She would see to that. If Waller even thought about ruining that child's life, there would be Tartarus to pay. "And you aren't giving your father enough credit. He will pull through; he's far too stubborn to die."

Lily laughed at that. "Guess so."

Diana squished her cheeks liked she used to do when Lily was a toddler. "Why don't we order out?" she suggested. "We can stay in and watch a movie, we haven't done that in a while."

Her daughter shuffled guiltily. "Shouldn't you be on the Tower?" she asked hesitantly. "I don't wanna get in the way of your job."

The Amazon ruffled Lily's dark hair. "You're my job," she said easily, grinning. "You aren't about to turn down a Mamma Mia marathon, are you?" The movie had come out the year before Lily was born while she was pregnant. And Diana, who had been ostracized by her own mother and loved the tiny person growing inside her more than anything in the world, had properly wept, much to Bruce's bewilderment.

It had been their shared movie since Lily had been old enough to watch it. And she had sobbed like an infant when the sequel came out and had caught her daughter getting misty-eyed herself.

That got Lily to smile. "Okay," she agreed.

OoOoOo

Diana arrived on the Watchtower early that next morning. She caught sight of her redheaded friend, nodding towards her. "Thank you for taking over, Shayera," she said. "I didn't think it wise to leave Lily alone last night." Truthfully, she was afraid that her daughter would run off again. She wasn't allowed to patrol Gotham alone, but who knew what she would do with Batman out of commission?

Shayera smiled weakly at her. "Poor kid's taking it rough, isn't she?"

Diana nodded solemnly. "She and Bruce are... very close." Close wasn't even the word. Lily had been attached to her father since the day she was born. They had an inseparable bond that Diana had struggled not to feel even the tiniest bit envious of when her daughter was a child. Losing Bruce would undoubtedly break her heart.

Her own heart throbbed in her chest; death was not an if in their line of work, but a when. Still, Bruce had done the impossible so many times that it was hard to think of him as anything other than infallible. But as of late, there had been so many reminders of his age: his slower movement, his more fragile bones. She had even forbidden Lily from sparring with him due to an incident a few months ago.

What if this was the fight he finally lost?

Shayera squeezed her shoulder. "Bruce will pull through," she assured her. "He's too stubborn not to."

The corners of Diana's mouth twitched in amusement. "That's what I told Lily," she admitted. She glanced at her friend. "I hope you weren't too hard on poor Rex."

The redhead huffed. "He knows better," she stressed. "Not that any scolding I do does any good, nothing phases him. I have no idea where he gets that from. And of course, John's no help. He just tells me Rex is eighteen and can make his own decisions and we need to trust his judgement."

Diana chuckled; who would have thought that Shayera would become the helicopter parent? "Don't be too hard on Rex," she teased lightly. "Lily has always been very convincing." And poor Barry and Rex were wrapped around her finger. She couldn't remember the last time the two of them hadn't let her have her way.

She had a fond memory of the first time the other three children had met her infant daughter. Henry hadn't cared for her much, more interested in his own toys as any two-year-old would be. Barry at one year old was another story; he had continuously reached out towards Lily wanting to touch her cheek or pull her hair, much to Wally's anxiety. Rex, also two at the time, had been transfixed. He hadn't approached her even once that day, but Diana had caught his green eyes on the baby from time to time.

It had all been very cute. Though Diana tried not to let her thoughts linger on the Lily she had met from the future and her relationships with her teammates, she couldn't help but think they were very similar to the ones her current daughter had.

(Things got fuzzy whenever she thought about the future Justice League. But she remembered holding a sonogram and recalled comforting her pregnant adult daughter. Who the father was, however, remained a distant memory that she could not recall.)

Shayera rolled her eyes. "Please, he's the one who told her we suspected CADMUS in the first place," she admitted. "I know my son; he wanted to confront Waller as much as she did."

Diana shrugged. "Lily was going to find out anyway." Despite their attempts to keep her out, Lily had been hacking the Watchtower's system for years. She resigned herself to the fact that any information they had, Lily and the other children would have too.

Silence settled over them and for the first time in days, Diana allowed her grief to overcome her. She, Shayera, and John had taken over recovery operations since Bruce was out of commission, J'onn was tending to the injured, and Wally and Kal were handling relief in Metropolis and other affected areas. She hadn't had time to properly mourn her fallen comrades and comatose husband. But the empty, too quiet room save for the presence of one of her closest friends opened the floodgates.

Tears rolled down Diana's cheeks, no matter how hard she tried to stop them.

Shayera's face turned sympathetic. "Oh, Di," she murmured, bringing her into a hug. "It's alright. Everything's going to be okay."

Vaguely, Diana recalled a time when she had never thought the Thanagarian capable of such compassion. She had been foolish and spiteful, hurt more than she cared to admit by her friend's betrayal. Now, however, Diana didn't think she would have been able to get through this without the support of her friend- no- her sister.

"So many of our allies," Diana gasped out through her tears. "So many of our friends gone. Their families suffering. Willaim Queen lost his mother, Kayla Sage her father." She looked down at her own hands. "I led them to their deaths, took them away from people who loved them."

Shayera squeezed her tighter. "Occupational hazard, Diana," she said, not unkindly. "We all knew what we were signing up for and we all made that choice. Dinah and Question gave their lives to protect their children, as any of us would."

Logically, Diana knew this. As a warrior, she had lived by it. But as a friend, mother, and wife she was heartbroken.

She cleared her throat, pulling away from her friend. She had to get herself together. "How is recovery going?" she asked.

Shayera respected her transition. "Most League members are stable," she relayed. "As far as Clark can tell, he and Wally have evacuated all the civilians in and around Metropolis. Mr. Terrific has gotten the Metro Tower completely back online, but the Watchtower will take time."

Diana nodded. "And the public?" she questioned, bracing herself for the worst. Public opinion had gotten better since the last major incident nearly twenty years ago, but was easily swayed. She could only imagine the people calling for their heads.

Shayera grimaced. "Not great," she confessed. "Though the outrage is primarily directed at Clark for some reason. The government, for once, is keeping out of it, probably for fear of any CADMUS connections being drawn."

Nothing she hadn't expected. "It might do us well to hold a press conference to ease the public's mind later this week," she suggested thoughtfully.

The Thanagarian nodded. "You and John should go," she agreed. "I'll stay here and manage things."

"Good idea."

Diana wasn't looking forward to it, but her diplomacy and John's rationale were the best weapons they had right now. She just hoped it would be enough to sway public opinion in their favor.

Notes:

Alright, so exactly who died in the League I'm still working out. Obviously, Question and Canary are gone (oops). I'm thinking Hawk or Dove (or both), Elongated Man, maybe Zatanna (I really don't wanna kill her but the story might demand it), Captain Marvel (yes he rejoins at some point no I don't know when), and others. Anything further than that I really don't know. Unless I say someone's specifically alive, assume they're dead until I say otherwise. All that are confirmed are the Founders, Mr. Terrific, Oliver (implied), and Helena (implied).

Also in case anyone's curious on the ages of the kids, Lily's 16, Barry's 17, and Rex and Henry are 18. M'gann and Jessica are somewhere in their 20s. This story takes place in 2025 and Bruce is about 66.

I hope you liked it and please review!

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