This piece of fan-fiction is meant to fall within the current continuity (circa 
June, 2000) of the DC Universe. All of the characters contained herein are 
trademarks of DC Comics Inc. and are used without permission for use in this 
story. No copyright infringement is intended. This story has not been approved 
by DC Comics Inc. and is meant only to be shared between fans.

The Crisis on Infinite Earths radically changed the DC universe and many of the 
core characters. Many silver-age heroes and villains died or were majorly 
revamped. But what happened to the ones that were just forgotten? That is what 
this story is about.

****

Painful Beginning
By C.W. Blaine (darth_yoshi@yahoo.com)

****

“Justice League Audio Record, 2000.1.” Barbara Gordon pushed back her cowl, 
letting her shimmering auburn hair fall free from the confines of her costume. 
She wheeled the chair back, but not before hitting the PAUSE button on the 
massive computer. She stretched and yawned, briefly considering going to her 
room, but decided to instead finish what she had started. “Bat Woman, chairman, 
logging entry,” she said as she pushed the RECORD button.

“It has been over five years since the event we have come to call the Crisis 
occurred, and in that time, I have debated strongly whether or not it would be 
worthwhile to even record the events that transpired afterwards. Our logs are 
full of day-to-day entries from various members, relating cases and missions, 
but nobody, not even Kal, bless him, wanted to think in depth of what really has 
happened. As the newly elected leader of this team, the decision to do so has 
been passed on to me.”

Barbara paused the recording again and took a deep breath. She felt like her 
costume was constricting, threatening to strangle her. She removed the cape and 
cowl completely and unzipped her costume on the side and pulled it down to her 
waist. She smiled at her bra, black with little yellow bat emblems on the cups. 
It had been a gift; a joke really, from the other team members when she had been 
elected leader. The joke had been that they wanted to give her as much support 
as she needed. She set the computer to voice activation and stood up, 
considering removing the entire costume, but threw the thought out of her mind. 
She didn’t know when the video monitor would light up and she didn’t want to be 
standing there nude to greet whomever was calling. No, she thought, the Bat-Bra 
would be just fine.

“It is hard to explain in detail what the Crisis was, not because it is too 
horrid to believe, it’s because I just don’t understand it. In a single stroke, 
universes died, whole realities merged together and then were stripped apart. 
Sometimes I wonder if the Catholics were right, that it was God’s judgement upon 
us. I wonder if, because of what I am, whether God has placed me in a Hell that 
I can never understand. Then, I think of Kal, and what he suffered and how good 
he is and I know then that this isn’t Hell, it’s simply Earth. Earth-1 that is.”

Barbara wiped a tear from her eye, but a second one soon followed. Her voice 
choking, she began again. “A being called the Monitor gathered as many super-
heroes and super-villains as he could, crossing the dimensions to alternate 
Earths and grabbing more from there. He warned of a threat, of a being so evil 
that it could not be described. The Anti-Monitor, ruler of the Anti-Matter 
universe was destroying every single reality in hopes of making his the only 
one. I never understood the exact science of it, but I do know that at creation, 
an infinite number of universes were created, separated by thin dimensional 
barriers. My home was designated Earth-1; the heroes of our comic books, who 
fought in World War 2, occupied Earth-2, and so on. We were gathered to battle 
the Anti-Monitor.”

She got up and walked over to the coffee maker and grabbed a black cup with the 
yellow bat emblem and poured herself a cup. “We fought, as did everyone else, 
but we lost so many. I remember when….when…” she dropped the cup and it 
shattered on the dirt floor. She cursed, and then cursed again and tightened her 
hands into fists. Her bottom lip trembled and she barely spoke in a whisper. “I 
remember when Bruce told me Kara had died.”

The tears flowed more freely as she visualized that awful day in her mind, 
seeing the events as if they were occurring for the first time.

****

Batgirl sat atop Wayne Towers, perched on a ledge, binoculars in hand. She 
scanned the city, but saw only panic as people attempted to evacuate the city. 
The sky, crimson with anti-matter, swirled like a red ocean. She didn’t hear him 
approach. “Barbara.”

She whirled around and saw him there, standing with a somber look. She hadn’t 
seen him this way and she knew he had bad news. She considered all of the 
possibilities. She was sure both her father and friend, Nightwing, were okay. 
Was it Jason, the new Robin? “Bruce, what is it?”

He approached her slowly, a fatherly manner about him, a far cry from the image 
he normally presented. He pulled back his cowl, and his hair dripped sweat onto 
his chest. “Superman and the others have come back.”

Barbara was relieved for only an instant. “Kara?” she asked in a child-like 
voice.

Bruce shook his head and she fell into his chest, crying out as if in great 
physical pain.

****

Barbara stripped off her gloves and threw them down and began to pick up the 
pieces of her coffee mug. “Kara’s death, along with Barry Allen’s, the Flash, 
took us all by surprise. We were so confident that we could stop him. We didn’t 
realize the price we would have to pay to defeat him.”

She stood up and suddenly felt chilly and pulled her costume back up, but left 
it unzipped. “Personal note for entry: I know what the rumors were at the time 
of Kara’s death. I know the guilt that I have felt for the past few years over 
not being there with her. I read the headlines in the supermarker tabloids for 
years before her death. Since this is the official Justice League record for 
these events, I guess I’ll spill all of the beans.” She sat back down in the 
chair. “For those of you future members, be it next month, or the next century, 
it is important for you to know what pains we went through because of this, so 
you don’t become complacent. You can die. You can lose those you love. You may 
even kill. When we put on these costumes and use our abilities, we are waging a 
war against those who would destroy the things we cherish. The Anti-Monitor 
killed Supergirl, Kara. He killed the woman I loved.”

She smiled. She had so long wanted to come out and say it, but she never had. 
Everyone suspected or actually knew, but it was never spoken of. Kal never even 
hinted at it, ever. “Kara and I were lovers. Yes, I know that Kal has indicated 
she was technically married to an alien, but that didn’t matter at the time. If 
Kara had been married, she didn’t remember it, and that is that. At the time, it 
would have destroyed the public’s perception of super-heroes. Intolerance 
towards gays and lesbians was at an all time high, even more so than today. At 
least China and the Germanic Republic are willing to stand up and say being gay 
is a capitol offense. No, back then, they talked about you behind your back, 
snickering. I prefer an up front attack any day of the week.”

“All of the rumors about me and Bruce, Batman, or Richard, Nightwing, were just 
that, rumors. Bruce was indeed handsome, but I wasn’t his type. If you ever get 
a chance, find a copy of Smith’s Urban Legends. He does a pretty good 
examination at the career of Batman and his many femme fatales. Seventeen years 
old red heads just didn’t fall into the right category. And Richard? Maybe at 
one time I would have considered it, but he had very exotic tastes and I think I 
would have been too boring for him.”

The monitor beeped as a video link was established. Barbara paused the recording 
and accessed the link. A man in a green mask, brown hair with just the touch of 
grey at the temples, appeared. “Hello, Barbara. Or should I say Madame 
Chairperson?”

Barbara smiled. “Barbara is fine, Hal. How goes the recruiting?”

Hal Jordan ran a hand through his hair. “Pretty good. Would you believe that I’m 
up to 1000 Green Lanterns? Only 2600 more to go and I can retire.”

Barbara raised an eyebrow, “Aren’t you a little young to retire? Anyway, we need 
you here.”

Hal got a serious look, “Is there a problem with Kyle?”

“No, he’s fine, but a little over-anxious. Not to mention he needs to get his 
hormones in control. I caught him yesterday drilling a hole in the shower with 
his ring. Lar said he would 
take care of it, but I think he could really use some time with an older man.”

Hal nodded. “I can’t figure out for the life of me why the ring picked him to be 
a Green Lantern. Stupid sixteen year old kid and he gets picked to be a Green 
Lantern.” He sighed. “I’ll tell you what, I plan on heading in anyway to check 
on Dinah next week. I’ll talk to him and if that doesn’t work, I’ll take him 
with me and you can have the alternate.”

“Who is the alternate?”

“Another kid named Tim Drake. I think my ring is getting partial to young boys.”

Barbara laughed at the joke and the two chatted for another fifteen minutes 
before Hal signed off. As the screen went blank, Barbara couldn’t help but 
wonder. “For the record,” she began again, “Hal Jordan is the most fearless man 
I know, even more so than Kal I think. While no longer an official member of the 
Justice League, he is a valuable ally who has done more to try and fix the 
problems with the universe than anyone else I can think of. I have been 
attracted to very few men in my life, but I can say that Hal Jordan could wrap a 
giant green hand around me anytime he wants. The man is way too much of a hunk 
for his age.”

****

She giggled and allowed her mind to drift back to only two years before.

****

Hal Jordan stood with his mask off, staring out at Happy Harbor. Batgirl walked 
up behind him. “Beautiful isn’t it?”

“Yes,” he said not turning around. “Barbara, we have to talk.”

She removed her cowl and let her hair hang. She knew he was attracted to her, 
and she was attracted to him. Am I finally getting over her, she thought to 
herself. “What is it, Hal?”

He still did not turn around. “Barbara, you know that I like you. In fact, I 
like you a lot. I like you a whole bunch if you get down to it. Plus, I think 
you like me.”

She wanted to wrap her arms around him, his silhouette in the dying sun making 
him even more desirable. “So, what is the problem? We’re both adults, Hal. You 
might be an older adult, but I think you still might have some fire in you,” she 
chided.

“I can’t be with you and you know it.”

Her heart sank as the reality of their situation hit her. He was right, as 
always, and she had fooled herself into believing otherwise. As if asking for 
more pain, she demanded the reason why.

“Because, Barbara, I have too much to do. I’ve decided to try and reform the 
Corps. There are more worlds in the universe than Earth, and I’m the last Green 
Lantern as far as I know. Both Guy and John disappeared with the Guardians, as 
if they never existed. All of those other sectors of space need someone to help 
them. I’m going to find a replacement for me here and head into space.”

There were tears in her eyes, “Tell me you don’t care about me! I’ve seen the 
way you look at me, the way you steal a chance to brush your hand against mine, 
how you always are there when we go into battle! Damn you, Hal, I think I love 
you and you know that!”

He turned, his gaze weary. “Barbara, I wasn’t there when it happened. I gave it 
up, gave the job to John and look what happened. I was meant to be there. If I 
had, maybe Kara…”

She slapped him, “Don’t you mention her name! Don’t you dare! You have no idea 
what you are even talking about. There were over 3600 Green Lanterns present 
during the Crisis, do you really think that you would have made any difference? 
So now, because you feel guilty, you want to fly off into space and save the 
universe…”

Hal stepped forward and grabbed her. She embraced him and her hot tears fell 
onto his uniform, “Barbara, I have to do this. If I don’t, I won’t be able to 
live with myself. I lost both Ollie and Barry, and Carol, and Pie, and John, and 
Alan, and so many others. They made a sacrifice and I have to ensure that it 
wasn’t in vain.” He pulled her chin up and kissed her lightly on the lips. “I 
care very much for you, but I’m not the one, and you know it. I know it. I don’t 
know why, but I just do. This is for the best.”

“I know,” she sobbed.

He kissed her again, this time on the forehead. “If I thought for one second I 
could give this job to someone else, I would. I’d stay here with you and never 
leave. But I can’t. Sometimes, we have to make sacrifices.”

****

“It was Kara and Barry who made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure our victory 
against the Anti-Monitor. Barry used his power of super-speed to contain the 
energy of the Anti-Monitor’s cannon within a vortex, but the result was that the 
exposure to pure anti-matter killed him. Kara died later protecting her cousin, 
Kal, Superman, from the Anti-Monitor. I cried for days, wanting so much to talk 
to someone, but everything was happening so quickly. I so much wanted to talk to 
my father, Commissioner James Gordon, but even as the world was coming to an 
end, I couldn’t tell him I was in love with a woman. I was such a coward.”

“Eventually, all of the powerhouses confronted the Anti-Monitor and they beat 
him, so Kal told me. They killed him at the dawn of time and expected that 
everything would right itself. But it didn’t. I woke up the next morning all 
alone. I don’t mean that emotionally, though to this day I can smell her hair as 
she laid next to me. No, I mean really all alone. I was the only person in all 
of Gotham City.”

She got back up and grabbed a red cup with a WW symbol on it and poured herself 
another cup of coffee. She wiped the red lipstick off of the rim and took a 
drink, relishing in its caffeinated goodness. “It was the same all over the 
world. In the space of one night, 85% of the world’s population had disappeared. 
Christians everywhere proclaimed it the Rapture, but we knew better. There may 
or may not be a God, I think there is, and despite my sins, I believe I will go 
to Heaven one day. No, this wasn’t the calling of a supreme being, it was almost 
as if someone had grabbed toys out of one box and put them in another. I was one 
of the toys left behind.”

“I made my way to Wayne Manor, only to find Alfred beside himself in fright. He 
swore that he had fallen asleep next to Bruce after dressing his wounds, only to 
find an empty costume laying in the bed the next morning. I went to the Batcave 
and started up the generator. I used the computer there to scan airwaves for 
anything, but power was off all over the world. That’s when I found his JLA 
signal device and activated it. I called for all active members of the Justice 
League to meet at the Batcave.”

“They came eventually, Superman, Aquaman, Hawkman, Hawkwoman, Black Canary and 
Hal. Superman explained the situation and together, we decided to investigate. 
In the end, however, it was futile. We searched the world over and came up with 
the same results each time. They were just gone.”

****

“I don’t understand it at all. Time should have reverted back to normal,” 
Superman said, his arms crossed over his barrel-chest.

“Well, it didn’t and I don’t know what we can do,” Hawkman said, admiring a 
display case full of weapons Bruce had confiscated over the years.

“Have either you or Green Lantern attempted to contact our Earth-2 counterparts 
to see if they have the same problem?” Hawkwoman asked Superman.

A grim look came over Hal Jordan’s face,” That’s strange, too. I know Earth-2 
exists, and I know I should know how to get there, but I just can’t focus my 
ring to do it.”

“What’s more, I can’t break the time barrier anymore,” Superman said. “No matter 
how fast I go, I can’t move through time. That’s never happened before.”

“Could this be a plan by one of the League’s enemies?” Batgirl asked, trying to 
keep from looking too hard at Green Lantern. She couldn’t quite place it, but 
the man simply inspired confidence by just standing there.

“I don’t think so, Batgirl,” Hawkwoman explained as her husband joined her. “It 
would have to be somebody who knows the secret identities of several super-
heroes. If it was a plot, why involve you? No offense, kiddo, but you aren’t 
exactly a major player.”

Batgirl nodded. “Then, it’s true, they’re all gone, for whatever reason. We won 
against the Anti-Monitor, but what a price.”

Superman nodded and then turned to Black Canary, who was huddled in a corner. 
“Dinah, are you okay?”

She was shaking uncontrollably, and she pulled her blonde wig off, “Where’s 
Ollie?! He wouldn’t have left me! We were making love and he just disappeared!” 
A wild look came over her eyes and Green Lantern walked slowly to her. “Dinah, 
I’m sure Ollie is fine.”

“No! You’re just saying that! You don’t know!” She grabbed her stomach. “God, 
why does it hurt so much? I feel like I’m being pulled apart!”

****

“We didn’t know it at the time, but Dinah was being affected by the shift in 
reality. Dinah’s mother came from Earth-2, but now it appeared that Earth-2 
didn’t exist, so how could she? Eventually, Superman had to put her in the 
Phantom Zone to save her from killing herself. The physical pain, plus the shock 
of seeing Oliver Queen, Green Arrow, just disappear during the act of love 
destroyed her mind. Dinah Lance was the only person on Earth, so far as we know, 
who actually witnessed what happened to everyone else.”

“Superman immediately enlisted Hawkman and Green Lantern in helping reestablish 
world governments. But even the Last Son of Krypton could not have predicted the 
changes in world power to come. The United States splintered into four separate 
nations, with Canada annexing the northern territories. It was strange, but of 
all the countries in the world, Canada only suffered a 2% reduction in 
population after the Crisis, which gave it the most powerful military in the 
world. The United States is currently made up of New England only, encompassing 
Gotham and Metropolis.”

“In Europe, Germany became an empire, conquering several countries before 
Superman could reestablish order. Germany has become the leader of the world 
and, much as loathe to admit it, has contributed greatly to bringing about 
order.”

‘The New United Nations, made originally of The Germanic Empire, the Peoples 
Republics of China and Vietnam, the Confederate States of America, the United 
States of America, Canada, Britain, and the California Collective of Free 
Peoples ratified new laws that were designed to promote good will and peace. 
They ordered that all metahumans put themselves before the NUN for service to 
benefit mankind. Hawkman adamantly refused and left Earth with his wife. He 
hasn’t been back since.”

“At first, the measures were good. The Justice League was reformed with me, 
Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Superman as leader. Together, we worked towards 
reestablishing power and lines of communication. We did a lot, and as time went 
on, we even added a few members like Jimmy Olsen as Elastic Man and Blue Devil. 
Then, the trouble started.”

****

“What the hell is this?” Batgirl screamed as she threw a newspaper on the 
meeting table. The paper unrolled to reveal the headline New Laws Force 
Heterosexuality.

Jimmy Olsen stretched his arm out and grabbed the paper. “What did you expect, 
Barbara? After the AIDS epidemic last year, did you think the government would 
allow your kind to just walk around like nothing was happening?”

“’My kind’? What do you mean by that, you bigoted moron?” Batgirl felt herself 
wanting to throw a batarang right into his forehead.

“You know…queers,” he smirked.

Barbara leapt over the table and crashed into Olsen. He screamed aloud as she 
pummeled him with blow after blow, but his rubbery face ensured he took no 
permanent damage. 

“Enough!”

The two combatants stopped as the voice filled the entirety of the Justice 
League Headquarters. Aquaman and a robot in army fatigues entered the room from 
the training area. “Stand down Aurthur, G.I. Robot,” Superman said. He motioned 
to Jimmy to stand up. The young hero did so, but not before Batgirl whispered in 
his ear.

“You’re just jealous you can’t get any of this.”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that,” Superman began. He picked up the new New York 
Times and used his super speed reading ability to absorb the article in seconds. 
“This is unfortunate, but expected. The population is so low that governments 
are forcing people to have children. It’s a race. Whoever has the most people 
will rule the world for the next generation.”

“Pity I hadn’t thought of that before, eh, Clark?” Lex Luthor said as he entered 
the room. Superman turned to the bald man, clad in his signature purple and 
green outfit, and extended his hand. “Lex! Good to see you.”

“As always, it is hopping in here,” Lex said, grasping the Kryptonian’s hand. “I 
see that some members of the group do not agree with current government policy.”

“Damn right,” Jimmy said, nursing his jaw. “Man-Batgirl there doesn’t think she 
should do her part for the human race.”

It took only a second, and the batarang sailed through the air. Had it hit, no 
doubt the razor-sharp weapon would have embedded itself in Jimmy’s thigh. 
Fortunately for Elastic Man, Superman sped over and caught it. “That is more 
than enough. Jimmy, consider yourself off active duty.”

A look of pain and betrayal washed over Jimmy’s face. “Clark? How?”

“Not now Jimmy.”

Jimmy stalked off, towards the exit. “I get it, she sleeps with your cousin, 
that makes her family! I thought we were friends, Clark!”

Superman watched him leave and then turned to the assembled group. “It’s my 
fault. I should have told him the truth so many years ago. Then when Lana and I 
got married, I think he saw as me choosing sides.”

Lex Luthor put his hand on his former enemy’s shoulder, “Clark, you can’t be 
responsible for everything. He’s a time-bomb waiting to go off, I know. I’ve 
been there. You can only deal with things as they happen.”

Superman nodded and Luthor turned his gaze over to Batgirl. “Barbara, so nice to 
see you as well.”

Batgirl nodded at the genius who had single-handedly ended world hunger and 
developed the Internet into the main communications system. He had only been a 
member of the League for six months, joining right after Hal had left for space. 
It was in this extraordinary man’s arms she had found solace. Luthor had changed 
after the Crisis, and everyone realized that deep inside he had only been very 
lonely. When Superman had revealed to the world he was Clark Kent, Luthor saw 
the pain in his foe’s eyes as he spoke of the loss of Lois Lane. He had not 
enjoyed that visage. He always thought he would.

So Lex Luthor had become a hero, and Jimmy Olsen a bitter man. He had lost 
everything and when he hoped to find comfort with Lana Lang, Superman was there 
to rekindle their old romance. So he had tried with Batgirl, only to be rejected 
as well. However, she had not rejected Luthor and, for only a brief time, they 
had been much more than teammates.

Barbara had hoped she would have the stability with Luthor that she couldn’t get 
with Hal Jordan. She imagined them working together to solve the world’s 
problems, but the dream was short-lived. Guilt ate away at Luthor until he had 
to confess that he was married to a woman on another planet called Lexor. Though 
she was hurt, she knew he was hurting more and backed off to allow him to regain 
himself.

“I’ve come to resign my membership, old foe,” Luthor said, turning back to 
Superman. “This bit of legislation rubs me the wrong way. It violates rights in 
a way I never would have even dared to. I will return to Lexor to live out my 
remaining days.”

Superman nodded. “Perhaps I’ll join you there one day, Lex.”

“My friend, you will always be welcome in my home.”

****

“And so, the birthrate skyrocketed as Luthor left Earth behind forever. I was 
lucky enough to receive a presidential ‘excuse’ from having to have children, 
given my chosen profession as a crime-fighter. Kal never brought the subject up 
of my choices or lifestyle and I loved him for it. As time went on, we found 
ourselves battling the forces of the Atomic Skull, who had managed to conquer 
most of Africa. Only Iraq and Israel are free, and that’s only because they have 
demonstrated that are willing to use the nuclear weapons at their disposal. 
Other countries have their own super-heroes to protect them. In Russia, former 
Teen Titan Starfire, no the one my old friend Richard was cavorting around with, 
protects what’s left of the once mighty Soviet Empire. Kathy Kane, the original 
Batwoman, moved to England with Alfred and is supposedly training some blonde 
who goes by the name Huntress. Aquaman, whose home of Atlantis disappeared, has 
taken up residence in the Greek Isles and is still a reserve member.”

Barbara punched up a current roster and reviewed it slowly. “We were doing 
pretty good, though our membership was suffering. Hal’s replacement, the kid 
Kyle Rayner, is really green, no pun intended. I also know that he looks at my 
butt more than he should, but I really need a Green Lantern. Sometimes I even 
wish that Guy Gardner hadn’t disappeared. But Hal says his ring vouches for him, 
and with the Guardians of the Universe gone, Hal is the big green king. The 
former villain Johnny Thunder joined, strangely enough, with his wife Jonni 
Thunder. Like their Earth-2 counterpart, they both control a mystical genie. 
Whoopee! The problem is the genie is too literal. We were in one battle and 
Johnny tells the thunderbolt to make tracks, and so that was how the first 
monorail track around the world was built.”

“Our latest additions are a new Superman and Wonder Woman, demonstrating that 
already the cycle begins anew. When Kal finally decided to retire, he called 
upon Lex Luthor to develop a cure for a Phantom Zone inhabitant named Lar Gand. 
Years ago, he appeared briefly as Mon-El when a young Superboy thought he was 
his brother. Unfortunately, Lar developed lead poisoning and Kal put him in the 
Phantom Zone to save his life. Kal said that in the 30th century, he would be 
released and join the Legion of Super-Heroes. Thanks to the Crisis, Kal doubts 
the Legion will exist. So Luthor developed a cure and Superman, Kal, retired to 
Lexor with his wife, Lana Lang. Since I was the next senior member, I got 
elected to be chairman, chairperson, or whatever.”

“Then something magical happened. Kal told us he had seen Princess Diana, Wonder 
Woman, destroyed by the Anti-Monitor. We had all forgotten about her former 
partner, Donna Troy, who had been Wonder Girl. Donna had gone back to paradise 
Island, to find most of the Amazons had also disappeared. Those that were left 
trained her to be Diana’s replacement and guardian of their nation. She had lost 
everything in the Crisis, including her husband and son.”

****

“So, you knew Richard pretty well,” Donna said, lifting the weights again into 
another curl.

“Yes, but probably not as well as you did. I think he liked you,” Barbara 
responded as she practiced her kickboxing against a weighted dummy.

“They all liked me, especially Roy, Speedy. He was a chip off the old Oliver 
Queen block. When we first got together, I was only 13, he was 12, and he was 
always undoing my training bra, even in battle.”

Barbara stopped and sat down in a chair. Her bat logo T-shirt and shorts were 
drenched in sweat. “Why didn’t you hit him or something?”

“I don’t know, come to think of it. Sometimes I enjoyed it, sometimes I didn’t. 
It’s almost like I was living two different lives. There was one that was 
sexually curious, another that was cold and aloof. I was never happy though. No 
matter which way I went, I was always sad.”

“I’m hitting the shower, then I’m going out. They got the Metropolis theater up 
and running again finally and they got a copy of Star Wars.”

Barbara got up and Donna set the weights down, grabbing her hand as she walked 
by, “Barbara, can I ask you a question?”

Barbara shrugged. “Sure.”

“Do you think Lar is cute?”

Stupid question, Barbara thought. “Well, physically he is only 17, but he 
definetely is cute. I’d give him about a year to ripen though before I would ask 
him out.”

Donna shook her head, “Oh, no, I don’t want to go out with him, though if I 
don’t get a presidential decree, I may ask him to get me pregnant. Think of the 
child we would have!”

Barbara had to agree that it would be a wise choice. “It’s a thought. But why 
did you ask?”

“Well, I wanted to know if you were seeing anybody.”

“Huh?”

“I’m asking you out. We’re about the same age, we like a lot of the same things, 
and I’ve been on an island with women for six years. Think about it.”

“And since I’m rumored to be the resident lesbian….” Batgirl began.

“No, I think you’re attractive.” She stepped up and kissed Barbara lightly on 
the lips. “Very attractive. I have no more room in my life for men. All the ones 
I loved are gone and being on Paradise Island opened my mind to…possibilities at 
happiness.”

****

“And so, the current roster includes myself as Batwoman, Donna as Wonder Woman, 
Lar Gand as Superman, Kyle ‘I just hit puberty’ Rayner as Green Lantern, Blue 
Devil, and G.I. Robot. Six of us out of a multitude. In the end, after all of 
the pain, we rebuild. Maybe Hal will return one day and he and I will pick up 
where we left off, but I have to say that I think Donna and I are falling in 
love.”

Barbara stood up and fixed her costume back, noting the time. “I still miss 
Kara, and Donna respects the feelings I still have for her. I miss dad, Bruce, 
and Richard, but can only hope that they didn’t die and that somewhere, in some 
place in time, that they carry on. Who knows, maybe Richard and I got married? 
Maybe Kara and I got married? I don’t know, but I can only hope.”

“The Justice League remains, safeguarding a world coming back from the brink and 
I hope it will do so for many generations to come.”

“End record.”

The computer buzzed and indicated that recording had indeed stopped. Barbara 
stretched and then bent over and grabbed her ankles, taking very slow breaths. 
She noted a shadow behind her. “Kyle, I swear to God if you are looking at my 
butt again, I’ll jam that ring right up your nose!”

****

Fin