The Next Generation

"Oh, yes," Walters replied, nodding slowly. "In an ironic sense of justice, Loriand'r was the one who actually... well, when the poison left her mother paralyzed, let's just say that I pray to never be on the receiving end of such wrath. Never in all my years have I seen anyone that... astoundingly furious. I honestly don't think there was anything left of Ivy when it was over. Granted, we did think that Koriand'r was already dead at the time; she wasn't moving. Perhaps it would have been better if that were the case, though... rather than giving the poor girl hope when she learned that her mother was still breathing, only to have that hope dashed later on when Koriand'r finally passed away from the poison's effects. That's an emotional tidal wave I wouldn't wish on anyone."

Neal just gave a small nod as he heard that Lori was the one that had finished off Ivy after having attacked her mother. The poor girl didn't know that she had destroyed her mother's killer. What a terrible fate. "Hope can be hurtful," Neal said in a weak voice as he looked away for a moment. "I was married before I came to your......time," he said with a small amount of hesitation. "I don't even know where my wife is or if she's still alive. I hope to find her, but for all I know she's lying in an unmarked grave right now," he said weakly.

He quickly shook his head, there was no point in adding further burden to Walters, he had too much on his plate as it was. "You mentioned that you were going to interrogate Waller. If you'd like I can have her talking within a minute. As much as I hate to admit it, it's my specialty to make people talk"

Walters gave Neal a nod of understanding. "My condolences. I know what's it like not knowing what happened to your wife... believe me." Taking in a small breath, he allowed the subject to switch over to Waller, not wanting to go into any further discussion on the matter. He listened to Neal's request, and held a hand to his chin. "Well... if you absolutely feel you need to. Normally, we have Blade simply read the person's mind when we need information, though. It's quick, easy, and humane."

Neal was about to speak up as he heard what Walters said next. He understood what it was like not knowing what happened to his wife? What happened to Walters than? Neal shut his mouth as the Colonel quickly changed subjects. It was probably not something that he wished to speak of, and Neal was not going to push him into speaking about a sore subject. As the Colonel spoke about having Blade merely read the woman's mind, Neal gave a small nod. "That would......probably be best if that's the case. Although, I don't feel like she deserves something quick, easy, and human," Neal admitted. "A lot of people are dead because of her.........I'm sorry, I shouldn't talk like that," Neal said as he looked up at Walters.

"Guess I just didn't expect things to go this way........not like this. I'm letting it get to me" he admitted.

"Don't worry about it," Walters said, when Neal mentioned that he was letting things get to him. "It's been... a hard day, on many levels. We all lost friend here today, we wouldn't be human if those deaths didn't affect us somehow. The best we can do, though, is keep fighting. Let's make sure that their deaths were not in vain." He gave Neal a firm nod, then shook his hand again before starting to leave. "Now, I have to go put together that tech team, but maybe you ought to go get some rest; I'd say you've earned it."

Meanwhile, back in Lori's tent, Blade had just learned the news and was doing everything she could to help comfort her girlfriend, while also trying not to fall to pieces herself. Aunt Kory played the biggest role in raising her during her life, and was the closest thing she ever had to a mother. Losing her affected her very nearly the same as it had Lori, and the two girls now lay in bed with each other, just holding each other in their arms and sobbing away their sorrow.

"Yeah, you're right," Neal said as Walters mentioned all of his points. Despite what happened they needed to keep going, they couldn't let these deaths stop them. It was the opposite, they had to use them in order to keep going despite the pain that everyone was feeling right now. Neal didn't feel like he had earned rest, but he knew that it was a good idea all the same. "Thank you sir, don't hesitate to send for me if you need anyone for anything," Neal said before giving a small nod and heading off.

As he walked he couldn't help but look up at the sky. He glanced around for a moment, making sure that no one was very close by. "Hey.......I don't even know if you can hear me or not," Neal said in a soft voice. "But, I just wanted to let you know that I'm grateful for everything that you did for me and for Blade. I'm sure that she's taking it hard as well," Neal said as he could only imagine what Blade and Lori were feeling together. "You weren't even from this world and yet you made such a difference, you and Sarah are still heroes that I'm trying to become. One day, I'll be as good a hero as you were Starfire. I promise you that," he said before glancing in the direction of Lori's tent. "And......I know she's old enough to take care of herself, but I'll help to watch after Lori. You watched over mine for so many years, and it's the least that I can do to start thanking you..........I'll make sure that she stays safe,"

Neal just gave a small nod as if hoping Starfire understood. After that he started to walk off to find a place to rest.

"There I wrote down everything I managed to pull out," Blade muttered, walking back out of the tent that they were keeping Waller in. She really didn't want to do it right now, not being in anywhere even close to the right mood, but it was her job and she still had to do it. Right now, though, she just wanted to get back to Lori, who she'd left back in her tent sound asleep. "Can I go now?"

"Yes, of course," Colonel Walters said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you for assistance... and again, I'm terribly sorry for-"

"My loss, yeah, you said that already," Blade said, pushing past him. Again, she just wasn't in the mood. "Just put the information to good use, alright?"

With that, she started walking through the camp, head hanging and gaze pointed low at the ground. It was raining now, how fitting. Though it wasn't a heavy rain, it was still more than a drizzle and enough to quickly wet her face and hair. At least it let her cry out in the open without it being actually noticeable. Night had long since fallen as well, the only illumination coming from the scattered lamps hanging from various tents.

"Fuck," she said, kicking a loose stone and thinking about the past day. It really could have gone better, so much better. Aunt Kory not dying, for one thing, would have been a start. "Just fuck."

Neal didn't rest well, there were too many nightmares this time around, too many images of death. He hated it when he had nights like those, it usually meant the next day or two were going to be hell. He'd just have to find a way to make the nightmares pass. Instead of going back to sleep Neal just got up and headed out of the tent in order to take a walk around the camp. He wasn't aiming to do anything in particular, maybe just grab a bite to eat if he found the kitchen area.

As he walked Neal noticed that Blade was walking the opposite direction as he was. He heard her swearing, and he knew that she was thinking about Kory and how she had died. Neal frowned, only being able to imagine what Blade was feeling like right now. Neal and Kory had worked together for years, but it was probably nothing like Blade's relationship with the Tamaranian. With that in mind he quickly jogged over before appearing at her side.

"Hey Blade," Neal finally said as he started walking in pace with Blade. "How ya holding up?"

Blade slowed her walk when she suddenly heard Neal approaching her. She didn't look at him, maintaining her glare at the wet ground beneath her instead. Though not being in a mood to talk or do much for anything, she supposed that she owed her father at least a couple minutes. After all, he had been good friends with Kory as well, from what she recalled. He couldn't be taking her death very well either.

"I just lost my aunt," she stated, with a small shrug, "who was closer to a mother to me than anything. How do you think I'm holding up?" It was the obvious answer to what she considered a stupid question. What else was she going to say? That she was doing just fine and hadn't batted an eye over Starfire's death? She wasn't even in half a mood to pretend anything like that.

Neal could only imagine how Blade must have been feeling. She basically lost the person that was more like a mother to her than Rose was. Neal wasn't feeling that great, but he was certain that his emotions didn't compare to Blade or Lori. "Yeah I know, I guess that's why I just wanted to come over and talk to you. I don't think any of us are feeling that great right now," Neal admitted as he looked around the camp.

He wish that he had something to say that would help, something that he could offer to do in order to help her through this. But what was there to say? Starfire was gone, and she wasn't coming back. That wasn't something anyone took easily. "I take it Lori's doing even worse than you are?" he asked despite the fact he was already pretty certain about the answer.

Blade stopped walking when Lori was brought up. She reached up and held her arms around herself, staring at her reflection in a rippling puddle by her feet. "She's... yeah," she said, sighing deeply. "I did what I could to... I don't know, make her feel better, I guess. But I mean come on... she just lost her mother. Not a damn thing I say or do is going to make her feel any better." Reaching up to her face, she rubbed her eyes with the bottoms of her palms and groaned, frustrated. "This whole life we live right now is just crap, and it's all because of my asshole of a grandfather. The government's gone to hell, America's gradually taking over the world, and anyone who doesn't agree with it is forced undercover to fight back as veritable terrorists. Why? ...I mean... I mean, just why?" Her brow furrowed a bit, as she tried not to cry even more than she already had. Still holding her arms around herself, her fingers started digging into her flesh so tightly that she was drawing blood, which the rain quickly washed away.

Neal stopped walking as Blade did, watching as the girl wrapped her arms around herself. It was a motion that Neal had seen many times before, as Rose had done it quite often. Neal had always seen it as an old habit of hers, like the only person she could depend on for comfort was herself. It was why every day Neal would make sure to lovingly hug Rose at least once a day, to make her remember that she was not alone.

"I can't tell you why these things happen," Neal admitted as he looked up into the rain for a moment. "The only thing that I can say is that it happened because Slade made it happen, as unfair and cruel as it is," he spoke softly before looking down at Blade. "It's hard to do, and I can only imagine that it's even harder for you by living in this world and time. Bad things happen, and sometimes all we can do is have the strength to not give up," he said as his gaze fixed upon Blade. He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know that you're hurting, you're in more pain than I am I'd wager.........but we still need you and your strength. I wish that it was a burden I could take from you, but I can't. I can only help you walk forward during these dark times"

Blade choked back a few more tears, forcing herself not to start blubbering like some kind of little girl. regardless of how sad she felt right now, she wouldn't reduce herself to that, least of all in front of her father. Lori was the only one she'd ever allowed to see her that vulnerable. Still, when he spoke to her, tried to encourage her, and held a hand to her shoulder, she felt her arms dropped down by her sides. Her throat felt numb, lie someone had just struck her in the jugular. About two seconds later, she reached forward and hugged him, burying her face into his shoulder, crying. She couldn't help it, it was just an instinctive reaction. Even though he hadn't met him before yesterday, he was still her father... and she felt that connection. It just... wasn't something she could explain.

Neal watched as Blade looked like she was trying to say something, but all that came out were her sniffled as she tried to hold back tears. Neal was just hoping that it wasn't something that he had said, he just wanted to let her know that he was going to be there for her now. He knew that he'd been gone for years, but Neal knew in his heart that he would die if would ensure that Blade continued to have a future. After everything she went through she deserved it, besides this was no longer a world that Neal knew.

Neal barely even reacted to what happened next, as Blade reached forward and hugged him before crying right in to his shoulder. It was not the reaction that he had expected, and he wasn't sure how to feel about it. He didn't want to see his daughter cry, but he also felt like twenty barriers just came down as she actually showed how she was really feeling to him. The hug was something that he didn't expect to come from her. Neal slowly reached his arms around and held her close, one hand cupped around the back of her head.

"I'm sorry this happened to you Blade, I'm sorry for what happened," Neal said softly. "But I'm here now, and I'll fight till the very end to make sure that you and Lori are both safe and happy now. I swear it"

Blade's arms remained wrapped around her father tightly for a good while, letting everything out that she had into his shoulder. She didn't want to cry, and she certainly didn't like to cry, but sometimes where were just times when crying was the only thing that could make you feel better. It wasn't until her tears finally began to subside that her insides stopped knotting up. When all was said and done, she'd gone and cried herself out. She still felt the pain and sorry, of course, but no more tears came, as though there had been some finite amount in her eyes that had finally been spent completely.

When she finally let go and stepped back, she too in a deep breath and slowly let it out. Her gaze started down at the mud and worked upwards to meet her father's eyes. "Thank you... that... it means a lot, you know." She sniffled and rubbed her eyes again. "It's funny... I never had a father growing up and I never thought I needed one... until I finally met mine. Now, I... I guess I realize how much I always wanted one."

Neal continued to hold his daughter, allowing her to do whatever she needed to do. If she just needed to cry it out, so be it. He would be there for her, it was the least he could do after vanishing for twenty some years on her. When she began to move back Neal allowed his arms to pull back and let go of her, his gaze still focusing on her though. As she spoke, Neal felt himself gaining a large smile. It was like he was hearing words that he never believed would be produced.

When she finished speaking Neal reached forward and placed a hand on her shoulder once again. "And I never knew how much I wanted a daughter, but seeing you....." Neal stopped and took a breath. He was starting to get choked up. "Lillian, I am SO proud of you. I can already see that in just the few days I've spent with you. You are so strong, and full of both courage and love," he said as he looked right in to her eyes. "My biggest regret, is the fact that I couldn't have been there to watch you grow up. I wish I could have raised you myself"

"I love you"

Blade clenched her jaw as her father spoke to her. She didn't clench it out of anger or anything like that, but rather understanding. At first she'd been so upset, so hateful that he hadn't been there for her, that he'd been absent from the first twenty years of her life, that he'd missed her first steps, her first words, and ever other milestone, and then had tried to come into her life and be a dad to her finally.

But she new it hadn't been his fault. He didn't as to be zapped into the future and miss all of that, to never have a chance of raising his daughter. He wasn't the one who gave her up and skipped out on her... that had been her mother. No, she could see that he was a genuinely good person, and that not being there for her was a terrible thing for him to have to live with.

She looked back at him with soft eyes as he claimed how proud he was of her. Just having that, a dad who was proud of her, filled in some gaping hole that had been in her heart for twenty years. She finally smiled, giving him a nod and hugging him again. "I love you, too, Dad."

Neal hated the fact that he had missed so much of Blade's life, it was something that was hard for him to keep inside. He knew that her life must have been hard at times, growing up believing that neither of your parents wanted you. The Titans had done the best that they could, but it didn't ever really replace what real parents were to a child. All he wanted was to be there for Blade now, to help push her and make sure that she stayed safe in this world. It was the only thing that Neal could do to make up for being gone, and he would see to it that Blade survived this war to live in a better world.

As Blade repeated the words back to him, Neal felt the tears starting to fall from his face as he wrapped his daughter up in her arms. Those few words meant so much to him, and he would never be able to full explain it. It was something that could only be experienced. Neal finally took a breath before looking down at Blade. "You should go be with Lori, I'm sure that I've kept you longer than I should have," he said as he released the hug. "But hey, I know that you have Lori and all........but if you ever need someone else to talk to, I just want you to know that I'll be there if you need me. Okay?" he asked with a small smile.

Blade swallowed and nodded to him, taking one last moment to sniffle and wipe away any remaining tears, though the rain pretty much too care of that anyway. "Yeah, right, of course... and thanks, really. I'm... I'm glad that I have a dad." She smiled, shifting her weight slightly and then waving to him as she headed off through the camp. Lori still needed her, and she was going to make sure that she was there.

When Blade was gone, another figure stepped out of the shadows. "Thought I'd wait until you were done to show myself," Wylde said, holding his hooded cloak tightly around his body. "I need to talk to you about something urgent... regarding what we spoke about before."

Neal heard her next few words again and smiled as he heard them. She was glad to have a dad, the value of those words Neal couldn't even measure. "And I'm glad that I have such a beautiful and talented daughter," he said in response. "Go and rest well, you more than anyone else deserve some time off," Neal said as he watched Blade walk away. He raised his own arm and waved back at her, smiling as she finally disappeared.

Neal was in such a calm state of mind that he didn't even see Wylde stepping out from the shadows. So when the boy finally spoke up Neal jumped and turned towards the boy. "God, as quiet as your mother," he muttered as he tried to have his heart rate lower back down to normal. Neal grew serious though a Wylde spoke up. He had something urgent to discuss about sending Neal back?

"What is it Wylde?"

"Well, I've come to the conclusion that none of my mother's old books have anything in them that could help with time travel," Wylde explained. He let that sink in for a moment before continuing. "So, when that fell through, I began looking elsewhere. I figured that maybe Cadmus might have had some information that could prove useful... and I was right. Sort of. It wasn't Cadmus in particular, but rather some of Waller's personal files that the tech team recovered earlier today. One particular file detailed certain... objects that the government has taken into possession, objects that were once owned and operated by various heroes around the world. One of these items, I think you may be quite interested in..."

He moved back, waving for Neal to follow, until they were beneath some cover and out of the rain. He then reached out beneath his cloak and passed him a printed piece of paper, detailing the particular 'item' that Wylde was referring to. "It's called the Cosmic Treadmill; it's a time travel device."

Neal listened as Wylde explained that none of Raven's books provided anything about time travel. "Great," Neal said in a soft tone. He clearly wasn't very pleased with the information, as he was hoping that Wylde would send Neal back in to his own time to make sure that these events never took place. Neal looked back up though as Wylde mentioned that they found some files that might help Neal with his problem. He was very curious now, as he had no idea how something Waller possessed would be able to help Neal.

Neal followed Wylde as the boy wanted to show Neal something. He took the piece of paper and looked it over once they were out of the rain. "A time travel device?" he repeated as if he hardly believed it. "And you're telling me that Slade has it right now?" he asked as he glanced back at Wylde. "If he has a time travel device, wouldn't he have done something with it by now?"

"Yes, it's currently being held in a military guarded facility somewhere in Georgia, from what I understand," Wylde explained, nodding slowly. "And in order to understand why the President hasn't been able to do anything with it, you need to understand how it works. The Cosmic Treadmill is just that... a treadmill. It is powered by cosmic rays, coordinated with radioactive pulses from a cosmic ray clock. It releases positive radiation when moving forward, sending its user into the future, and negative radiation when moving backward, sending its user into the past. But in order for the cosmic rays to have any sort of time traveling effect, the treadmill must be moving at far greater than light speeds, and in order to reach those speeds... one capable of reaching those speeds has to physically run on it. No super speed, no time travel."

Neal listened as Wylde went on to explain how the treadmill worked exactly. Neal was never really one for science, but this thing sounded.........easy enough. He crossed his arms as Wylde went on to fully explain it. "So it's literally a treadmill, fascinating," Neal muttered. He had never really heard of such a thing and he couldn't help but wonder who had invented it and if it had been used before. Those were questions for another time though, besides the device was all the way out in Georgia while they were still in San Francisco.

"Someone with super speed has to run on it?" Neal questioned. "Someone like Conner?"

Neal's comment caused the near impossible to happen. Wylde actually snorted out a short laugh, completely amused by the entirely underplayed guess. "Not even close," he said, shaking his head. "When I say super speed, I don't mean really fast. I mean the fastest humanly possible. I mean someone like the Flash. Only someone attuned to the speed force and capable of running faster than light can make this thing work. In order to send you back to your time, that's who we're going to need."