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Chapter Text

Scene 1

Setting - Vanishing Point, The End of Time

The usually empty space around Vanishing Point's one building is littered with corpses. The building itself is silent, both inside and out. Vanishing Point is no fortress anymore. It has become a mass grave.

There are no marks on the bodies to indicate what killed them, but a waxy film covers (has become?) their faces. An observer might think they were mannequins, posed as superheroes in a Halloween store or museum. But there is no observer in this lifeless place.

They are all versions of Matthew Ryder / Waverider, Rip Hunter, the Flash, Booster Gold, most members of the Legion of Super-Heroes, and other time travelers and speedsters from various places in spacetime. More than a few Kryptonian bodies are present. (Yes, even the ones you're probably thinking of.) Villains are represented also: Time Trapper. Chronos. Vandal Savage. Even the Anti-Monitor.

A few big names are conspicuous by their complete absence: Hourman, Linear Woman, and the Reverse Flash. Could one or all of these people be responsible? Or has the real culprit just not gotten around to killing them yet? Why do they (whoever "they" are) need all these metahumans out of the way? What are they going to do, once no one is left to stop them?

Scene 2

Setting - Takron-Galtos Penal Colony, the 30th Century, inside a maximum-security state-of-the-art level XVII temporal prison cell

The Eobard Thawne of Earth-1 is sitting on the metal bench in his cell. His shoulders bob up and down as he clasps his hands to his face, sobbing, inconsolable. Today, he awoke and realized he could no longer remember how many years he has been here. He has long since run out of clever schemes for escape. He's going to die here, one day, decades from now. It wasn't even Allen who put me here, he thinks, grinding his teeth without noticing he's doing it. What a waste.

The flash of light comes so suddenly, and fills the room so completely, that Thawne doesn't notice its source. When the guard comes to collect his tray, the cell's occupant is gone. The guard sighs, pressing a small blue button on the implant in her forearm. "Dispatch, we have another successful escape. Cause indeterminate, same as the others. Notify the L- oh, wait. Damn. I almost forgot." The guard shakes her head softly, looking down toward her boots. A single tear rolls down her face. "I guess that makes you and me the experts on temporal jailbreaks now. We are so screwed.

Scene 3

Setting - Same penal colony, next cell over, right after the guard leaves

The Rick Tyler of Earth-37 and his father Rex are playing poker. On their Earth, the dominant life form is not homo sapiens but ailurus sapiens. In other words, the species that evolved speech and civilization on Earth-37 is the red panda. Rick's fur is still a bright and luxurious orange. Rex's has gone mostly gray around his ears and chin.

Rick lays his hand down on the table. "You owe me your next two desserts, Dad. I knew he'd be the next one."

Rex glances at their empty lunch trays, then looks back to his son with a long sigh. "You know I'm good for it, son." He discards one card, and draws another. "We defend our country and the planet from countless threats, for decades, and that's all it comes down to: 'Heroes get dessert, villains don't'. It isn't right. They should have sent us home. We had no way of knowing what we were walking into." 

"I know, Dad. But there don't seem to be any exceptions. Last night, after you went to sleep, I overheard one of the guards... The entire Legion is missing. They left their time ships behind, but not a single one is working."

Rick discards two cards, and draws two more. "We have more important things to think about than food. Thawne makes three inmates who escaped from this wing. That's at least fifteen metahuman time travelers missing, assuming the Substitute Legion is still here and yet to be activated. Somehow I doubt anyone's going to find them, though."

Rex nods his agreement, scratching his chin with one paw. "Whoever's behind this, they'll be back to take us soon. And there's a strong possibility no one else will notice this pattern until it's too late. We have to get a message to someone who can intervene. There are two main possibilities: Either the abductor needs all of us out of the way before executing their plan, or..."

Rick knows what his father is going to say, and finishes the thought. "...or they're going to juice themselves up with all that chronal energy and Speed Force, making them near-unstoppable. Who could even do that, without exploding or being disintegrated?"

His father shakes his head. "No idea. But there are certain people they might not think of first. Anyone powered by magic, seems to me. When you say 'time travel', people think of technology. We could try Corrigan, if the Spectre still even takes calls from an old JSA member. Doctor Fate would be easier, any of them. Or Alan... his ring his powered by magic. In theory, any strong magic-user might be able to do it. So how can we smuggle a message out of here?"

They sit in companionable silence, pondering, while they finish their hand of poker. After a moment, Rick smiles. "I have an idea. You're going to hate it, but I bet it will work."

Now the old man is smiling too. "How many desserts?"

Scene 4

Setting - Nowhere, no-when

Linear Woman is dreaming, unable to wake. The dreams are far from pleasant. First, she is a fawn being pursued by a hunter, through a dark wood with ancient, looming, twisted trees. Their limbs and roots scratch and grab at her, causing her to stumble. She falls through the floor and everything spins for a moment.

Now she is standing in a bright, colorful carnival that at first seems delightful, if a little over the top. Then one of the clowns smiles. He isn't even trying to conceal those razor sharp teeth, and he's licking his lips now. She turns and runs the other direction, past a stand marked "Corn Dogs" that instead sells oversized human fingers on a stick. She runs until her chest is burning and her legs about to collapse. Then the world turns inside out and upside down.

She finds herself in a parking lot that stretches as far as she can see, in every direction. It is mostly empty. The sky is cloudy, and the only birds she can see are five or six vultures, circling above her. "Vultures are patient", says a little mouse who scurries out from under a car, "But they haven't eaten in years. Probably waiting for you to sit down. I'm too small for them to bother with, but you... they'd all get a good meal. I'd better get out of here, just to be safe." And then the mouse disappears under a different car.

Something is holding her here, some malevolent force that's terribly powerful and entirely alien. Even though she's still asleep, she can feel a coldness in her bones. No, not cold... an absence of something. Somehow, impossibly, time does not exist in this place. Even at Vanishing Point, it's possible for one event to happen after another. But not here. If not for the wellspring of chronal energy within her, this lack of time would prevent her from even having thoughts here. It's the perfect prison for someone like her.

The next nightmare is set in a meat packing plant. Oh, this is just great, she thinks. There are a thousand and one ways this could go badly. But then, she hears a voice.

The voice is soft, kind, and authoritative. This being sounds like they could be a great leader, a beloved head of state, or an experienced teacher. She hears their voice in her mind. "Liri Lee, you appear to require assistance. Who has imprisoned you here?"

I don't know who stashed me here or why, she thinks. But an assist sounds wonderful. Someone needed me alive, but hidden away until I'd be useful. They must be powerful. Where even are we?

She begins to perceive a shimmering at the edge of her vision, on the right. White light, streaming into this dark and empty place. As the light moves toward the center of her field of view, the parking lot bleeds away, revealing the nothingness beneath. Now she can see the source of the light: a pale man with shaggy hair, wearing a long white robe. His eyes burn like an endless starry night. Do I know you?

"We have met before, but mortals seldom remember during waking hours. I am Dream of the Endless. It is time for you to return home... but not yet."

He takes her hand in his own, and her body instantly unfreezes. She still can't speak - there's no air - which makes her wonder how she's even still alive. Best not to dwell on that. Escape is more important.

As Dream continues speaking, Liri shakes out her limbs and begins doing stretches. "I agree, it is time for you to leave this place. These nightmares are not of my making, nor are they from my homeland. Theyey are not even true nightmares but an imitation, granted a sophisticated one. They are delusions of persecution, in point of fact. Troubling. The Dreaming has been tampered with. That is unacceptable. Reparations must be exacted. I must investigate."

Dream waves his hand. A shimmering, scintillating portal opens. As Dream leads her through it, he issues an official invitation. "Come, avatar of time. You do not deserve this torture, and I require your assistance. You need only ask for asylum in my realm, and we will both be free to leave this place. Yhen shall dine on whatever fills your mind with wonder and joy, and you will tell me the last thing you remember."

Scene 5

Setting - Marvel Universe, Earth-616, a smelly steamy alley in Pittsburgh at 2:13 AM

Axel Asher is retching into the gutter, and he doesn't entirely know why. Sure, he got drunk after a long day at the factory. That isn't unusual, it happens all the time. But he hasn't eaten anything in hours. Where is all this sticky green gunk even coming from? It just keeps coming and coming, with no sign of stopping any time soon.

First as a slow trickle and then all at once, a tsunami of memories smashes into Axel's consciousness from below. It overwhelms him and he trips, overwhelming that he trips, catching himself on a dumpster to keep from slipping. Someone must have needed him not just distracted, but completely off the board. Stranger still, when he thinks back to the last thing he remembers from his life as a superhero, there seem to be an infinite number of conflicting memories. But that can't happen, unless...

Oh no, he thinks. Somebody must be screwing around with the timestream. Nothing else makes sense. But who could alter history in every universe, at the same time? Who can even comprehend that level of power?

And then he allows himself to think the next thought, the one lurking like an assassin beneath the last. And more importantly, how could anyone hope to defeat someone like that?

Another round of vomiting ensues when he tries to open a portal. He is grateful it doesn't last long. This is going to be more difficult than it seemed.

Exhausted, Axel makes his way to his favorite subway sleeping spot, from many a night out drinking past the last late-night bus. As he drifts into unconsciousness, one last question flits through his mind:

"How many years did they steal from me?"

- Stay tuned for Issue 2: Doctor Manhattan's Deepest Wish -

Chapter Text

Scene 1

Setting - Destiny's garden, where all paths in the DC universe converge

For the first time in all of existence, Destiny of the Endless is learning how to play. And oh, how glorious it is! He sits on a beaten footpath, his gray robes stained with the brown dirt and tan dust. In each hand, he holds a medium-sized rock. He is moving the rocks around in the air intently, while making airplane noises with his mouth. Right now, there is nothing else in any universe that Destiny would rather be doing.

Destiny's youngest sister Delirium stands several yards away, observing her eldest brother as he acts like a kindergartener. A few feet to his left sits the Book of Destiny. It lies open, revealing that several pages have been ripped out. They lie strewn about the garden, some crumpled, others folded into paper airplanes or origami. On Delirium's face is a mixture of concern and fear.

She knows few things for certain, but she's sure this shouldn't be happening. She also knows Destiny's madness isn't from her own realm. She knows this because she can't take it away from him, not even for a few minutes. That's what scares her most.

She takes a tentative step back toward her brother, who is now lying in the dust, making snow angels with his arms and legs. His face, still hooded, turns toward her. "Sister! Why so glum? It's a beautiful day."

Delirium takes two steps back, her eyes wide. Destiny doesn't use contractions, everybody in the family knows that. He doesn't normally care about things like emotions or beauty either... it's creepy. What's going on?

Then she knows. Of course. It's so obvious. As rage seizes her, Delirium bellows, "DESIRE! I don't give a damn where Destiny's gallery is. Get your androgynous butt here, NOW!"

A moment passes. Then comes the familiarmicy smooth voice of her older sibling Desire. Their body does not appear. "I'll do no such thing, you silly girl. That's what I like about you - you may not make sense, but you never fail to entertain. I'll tell you this for free: I didn't make our brother want to play or act like a child, or anything along those lines. I doubt I could, even if I wanted to."

After another moment, Desire adds, "I do know who's responsible, though. It's a secret. More importantly, it's my secret. So tell me, baby sister... what will you do for me in exchange?"

Delirium sticks her fingers in her mouth, and gives Desire a good, long, loud raspberry. "Any favor you want me to do, I'm going to end up regretting. You must think I'm pretty stupid."

Desire cackles at this. "You have no idea what I think, little sister."

Delirium shrugs, gazing back toward Destiny. "Forget it, I'll get someone else to help me. I've got lots of friends, you know. Some of them are witches."

Desire's tone immediately ceases any pretense of comfort, care, or familial duty. "Now nice for you. So much to do, must go. But I'm so flattered you thought I had this level of power. . Ta-ta!"

Scene 2

Destiny's garden, not long afterward

Destiny's lifeless body is strewn across the path where he had been playing earlier. Nearby lies Delirium, sobbing. Dream suddenly appears, facing away from both of them.

"Brother!" he cries. "Show yourself. You have damaged my realm, and I will know why."

Delirium sniffles, and Dream turns to face her. His gaze moves rapidly between his distraught sister and his elder brother, apparently murdered. In a flash, he covers there distance Delirium, seizing her by the collar of her army surplus jacket. When he speaks, his voice quavers with shock and disgust.

"Sister. I came here because Destiny's lunacy has been interfering with my duties. From my realm, I could see him caught in a dream of childhood... But was unable to interact with the dream directly. I hoped that from here, I could help him break free. Instead, I find he has been SLAIN? Delirium, tell me truly: WHAT DID YOU DO?!?

She is unable to speak. The tears streaming down her face are chromatic shades of pink and purple and gold and teal. They are coming faster now. Her body goes limp, her voice barely audible and filled with woe. "Dream, how could you... I would never..." She pulls her knees up under her chin, wrapping her arms around them tightly. "Please don't be mean to me... I tried to help him, I swear the stars and the moon and..."

Dream believes his sister, of course. He can see how deeply his words have wounded her. He sets her down on the floor gently, draping one arm around her shoulders. "Forgive me. You know how I can be sometimes, when I am angry. I know you would not harm him."

Delirium grabs a handful of her skirt. She starts to blow her runny nose into it, but Dream intervenes with a box of tissues plucked from a young immigrant's dream of becoming a store manager. She looks up into his eyes. "It... It was the most horrible thing, and you know... you know what my realm can be like sometimes... I couldn't do anything but watch..."

After a few minutes Delirium has settled down enough to be able to form full sentences. "Th-thank you. Please don't be mad at me. I couldn't see into the bad man's mind. Not even his past, the times when he visited me. And my arm went through him... How can that be?"

"I do not know." Dream blinks several times, just now realizing what Delirium has told him. Can it really be this easy? "Sister. Are you saying you saw the killer's face? Can you describe him?"

Nodding, Delirium begins to speak. She starts slowly, speeding up as she becomes agitated once more. "Well... at first I thought he was a regular human, like it was just a trick of the light, y'know? But no, he really is pale blue all over. The blue goes aaaaall the way down, of you know what I mean... oh! and he glows, and there's a bagel in the middle of his forehead. At least, I think it was a bagel..."

Dream is nodding while Delirium speaks, his face impassive When she finishes, he replies, "I knew the man you describe, before he became as he is now. He has been severed from the Dreaming, for he no longer sleeps. He appears mostly cut off from Desire's realm, as well. But even knowing these things about him, I do not understand why he would do such a thing."

Delirium dries her tears. It's not long before her used tissues look like multicolored foil. "He came here for the same reason as you. Well, I thought so at first. But he didn't want our brother to get better. He-"

She waves toward Destiny's corpse, then continues. "The killer asked Destiny questions. Lots of questions about fate, and free will... He didn't like most of the the answers."

Dream gazes into her eyes, intently. "Sister, please focus for me. This is very important. Can you remember any of those questions, and how our brother answered?"

She concentrates. With effort, she can will most of the wild parts of her mind to hide from her for a little while. It hurts when they come back, but like Dream said, this is important. She gets as together as she's able, then tries to remember.

"Um... there were so many questions. I got bored and started exploring the garden... But I remember the last one. The blue man asked, 'Why have you done this to me? And how do I reverse it?' Then Destiny looked up from the wood blocks he was playing with, and he said, 'You can't. Other people's fate can change, but not yours. Can't tell you why, not yet. Will you play hide and seek with me?"

Delirium sniffles again, dabbing at her eyes with a new tissue. "Then the blue man started glowing really bright. The light started to pulsate, faster and faster, and the air got all heavy like right before a storm, buzzing with electricity... The blue man said, 'Superstition and nonsense. There is no such thing as destiny.' His light flashed... it hurt a lot... couldn't see anything for a while... When I could, Destiny was dead, and the blue man was gone, along with Destiny's book and all the ripped out pages."

She blows her nose. "Well, all the pages except one..."

From inside the pocket of her jacket, she pulls a folded-up paper fortune-teller, the kind children sometimes make in class and play with on the playground. (Pick a number, pick a color, etc.) She reminds him of her old self, long ago, as she asks, "When I'm holding this, does that mean I get to be Destiny? Is that how it's going to work now?"

"Perhaps, my sister." Dream gives his Delirium a hint of a smile. "You are more clever than our siblings give you credit for. I know that you did your best. But you would not stand a chance against someone who could kill the greatest of us. You did not escape, so how did you survive?"

Delirium's shoulders slump, and she looks down toward the ground. "That's obvious. I wasn't the target, and I wasn't a threat." She looks at Dream, her expression suddenly grave. "So what are we going to do about it?"

Death arrives in an instant, standing above Destiny and looking down at him. Her hair is wild and her clothing wrinkled. If she were human, it would be reasonable to assume she had not slept in at least 36 hours. "Sorry I'm late. Had to consult with my contacts in a few different underworlds, just to make sure. They agree with me: no god or goddess could have done this. It has to be someone or something... bigger."

Once Dream and Delirium fill her in on what they know about the killer, Death's usually cheery disposition falls away. She gives a deep frown. "I know that guy. Had a feeling I shouldn't let him go, but it wasn't his time yet. The odd thing is... he didn't have one. I haven't seen anything like it, before or since."

Dream raises one of his fingers, as if to ask a question. Death shushes him, finding a nice-sized rock near one of the paths to sit on. She pulls a clove cigarette out of her bra, lights it, and takes a long drag. "Not just like the way an immortal like Hettie or Hob Gadling doesn't have a specific date of death. I mean like, he doesn't die, not ever. He literally can't... die... There's nowhere for him to go..."

Death has just given herself an idea. Each of the Endless encompasses their opposite, and it's often possible for their powers to affect each other. She kneels next to Destiny's body, cradling his head in her left hand as the right pulls back his hood. This elicits gasps from both Dream and Delirium. Death looks back at them, with a sigh. Where she's pulled the hood back, all anyone can see is an amorphous blob of darkness. "Yeah, I didn't want to look at him naked either. But for this to work, I have to do it right."

She swore she'd never use this on someone from her own family. -She's never tried it on one of the Endless before, but this is an emergency. Death places her hands on either side of Destiny's head, anyway. She concentrates for a few moments, then bends down and plants a long kiss where the forehead should be. If he had been mortal, he would already be waking from just this. 

As she channels more and more life energy into Destiny from around the cosmos, Death can feel where it's coming from. She knew before she had even started, on some level she had to know, even though she didn't want to. Entire planets are becoming barren because of what she's doing. Whole universes, teeming with inhabited worlds, implode in the blink of an eye. More life than even she should have access to is unceremoniously snuffed out. She pulls until she can pull no more. The body is topped off. She sinks back onto the ground, kneeling. She is panting. "Now we wait. If this works, it shouldn't be long."

As long minute passes, Death, Dream, and Delirium all sit, wishing to avoid visiting the Necropolis and performing the rites. The last time is still too fresh in their memory. They try to avoid thinking too much about next steps, for now. First they need their brother back.

Destiny's eyelids flicker, and then slowly open. His eyes look clear-sighted, incisive, mature, and grounded - in other words, no longer regressed or out of control. The rest of his body does not move, at first.

Another minute passes. Destiny's eyes move to Death first, glaring. He quickly glances to Dream and Delirium, before moving back to Death. "No. This cannot be."

She takes a step toward him, but stops when Destiny quickly sits up and points a finger directly at her. "This chapter is already written. Revising it is not your privilege, nor mine. You cannot prevent what is to come, nor do I want you to. On the contrary, I relish this new adventure. Do not worry: we will see each other again, though I will notice you before you notice me."

Each of other three Endless looks to the others, momentarily. They all can see none of them has any idea what Destiny means. He continues, "Everything ends. But within each ending is the beginning of something new. Graves become flower beds. Battlefields become marshes. Empires crumble to dust. New empires rise, one day, from that dust. I thought you knew this truth already, sister."

Death's face betrays her shame and embarrassment. "You're right, I should have known better. I was pretty sure this wouldn't work. By the time I realized that it might, and how it was working, it was too late to stop... I have a couple million dead people to apologize to. FML."

Dream's hand is up now, indicating a request for silence. "Hush. He wishes to tell us something else, while the... re-appropriated... life energy still holds out." Death glares at her brother for essentially calling her a thief, but says nothing.

With considerable difficulty, the body first kneels and then gets to its feet. White light is pouring out of its eye sockets. It is immediately clear this is not Destiny speaking, but some other entity talking through him. Though robotic, it sounds worried. "WARNING: POSSIBLE REALITY INCURSION. AVATAR NOT REACHABLE. COSMIC BROTHERS OTHERWISE OCCUPIED. INITIATE PLAN D: DIRECT INTERDIMENSIONAL DISTRESS CALL."

There is a whirring sound, followed by some beeps, clicks, and pops. Like the speech, these sounds are coming from his eyes rather than his mouth. The distress call begins to play: "If you're hearing this, that means I'm probably . . . don't know what happened . . . all at once, so much devastation . . . anyone who can hear this, please . . . haven't been able to locate Access, but . . . Siege Perilous . . . mother box . . . in case something happens to me, send this message to . . . Madame Web, signing off. Stay informed, stay connected, and stay out of the streets."

As the message ends, Destiny's eyes go dark and his body slumps to the ground, turning to steam when it hits the floor. A low rumbling begins. It is coming from all around. Destiny's garden may not be a safe place to stand, not until it has a new master. Dream opens a portal. "We need to leave. Now, before it becomes any more difficult."

Scene 3

Setting: A divergent timeline of a forgotten universe (neither Marvel nor DC), 257th century, a black hole at the edge of the Andromeda galaxy

Doctor Manhattan is floating next to the universe's most perfect natural engine of destruction. He has long since reached the full potential of his cosmic state, and now possesses the ability to see all possible futures and pasts simultaneously, for any being in any branch of the DC multiverse. This has allowed him to understand that in every possible version of the past, in every universe in existence that has a Jon Osterman, he eventually steps into the intrinsic field subtractor and it's activated while he's still inside.

But most people's alternate-universe doppelgangers have an infinite number of permutations: their jobs, where they live, who they marry, whether they have powers - these things and many more all change from between universes and timelines. There are a few others like him - Barry Allen has super-speed on most Earths, and there is usually some version of Superman - but do any of the others feel trapped by their powers, unable to escape them in any alternate reality? In a word, no. 

No, for Jon Osterman, the universes only seem to vary on two things: whether or not he's in the machine on purpose, and what happens to him afterward. Either he dies, or he's severely injured for the rest of his life, or he becomes Doctor Manhattan. None of these options seems good. For eons now, he has been so tired his knowledge of the future paralyzing him. Even if free will really is just an illusion, his existence cannot be fulfilling without it. Now, finally, the plan is almost completed... yet he finds himself hesitating. He checks and re-checks the equations in his mind. Yes, this will work. I have left no variables unaccounted-for.

He reaches through a rapidly vibrating blue portal and grasps something that's heavy even for him. It's not the physical weight of the artifact, but the power that flows through it, that he finds difficult to budge. Finally he finishes pulling it through. A simple-looking metal device, small enough to hold in one hand. He stuffs the remaining loose pages into the Book of Destiny. With his right hand, he grasps up the Ultimate Nullifier, with one finger on the switch. Now it is time for my own reward.

Manhattan tries to look at his own future, and for the first time in a long while, he is unable. Perhaps he's about to annihilate the entire multiverse in which he's currently floating. But even that would be preferable to his current state, which may well include immortality. The problem with mortals is that they die. The problem with immortals is that they continue, ceaselessly, unable to die even if they want to. Keeping friends or family around is impossible, since they are too short-lived to form stable attachments with. If you're lucky, you might befriend another immortal... but this rarely ends well. Most are arrogant and difficult to get along with.

He can't take it anymore. No more Doctor Manhattan, no more powers, no more playing God. He wants to go back to the way things were before, when he was just a physicist who liked to repair watches. There was nothing wrong with that life. He didn't appreciate its simplicity and elegance, until after an unfortunate coincidence stole it from him. He deserves that life back. After all he's done for humanity, he should be allowed to retire and try to remember what a normal human life is like.

And then he hears a voice. It is at once persuasive and charming, but also prideful and scheming. The voice is familiar, but he can't remember when he heard it last. We (the readers) recognize it as the voice of Desire. "Listen, handsome: How long have you and I been planning for this? Fortune favors the bold, so be let's be bold. Suck all the marrow out of life. You're ready."

He looks around. No one else is here. You are a manifestation of my unconscious mind. But you are right: even having an unconscious mind is dangerous, with this much power involved. It has been used to manipulate me before, and could be again.

The voice chuckles before continuing. "Whatever you say, stud. But we still agree on the important part: this is the only way we both get what we want."

He nods. There is a tingling, rumbling sensation in what would once have been his gut, warning him this plan is unwise. But his consciousness is spread evenly throughout his entire form now, and he is unused to paying attention to signals from his body. He forgets what the sensation means, so he ignores it.

Doctor Manhattan flips the switch on the Ultimate Nullifier. A split second later, the book of Destiny is burning. The flames are the same bright blue as his own glow, which is now beginning to fade. As the book is consumed, the flames roar brighter and brighter. It burns down to ashes and scraps, which he allows to fall into the black hole. There is no such thing as destiny.

He's hit all at once with a familiar sensation, something from long ago. At first, he can't place it. Hunger? No... nausea. He remembers disliking it, but this strong combination of novelty and nostalgia is quite enjoyable. As he begins to feel he may vomit soon, a pounding headache joins the party. His stomach is rumbling and he's gulping for air and his muscles are sore and-

Jon Osterman opens his eyes. He's sitting on a small but comfortable bed. He doesn't just feel sick, he feels... he FEELS. It's been so long since his emotions ran this broad and deep. He walks over to the window and tries to open it, but it only opens a crack. Even that small amount lets him smell the sweet air, carrying the mingled scents of cherry blossom and frat house barbecue. He's happy to hear birds chirping at first too, but eventually it starts making his headache worse, so he closes the window.

How did he ever let himself forget the beauty of simply existing as a human being? For a moment, he luxuriates in all his senses, drinking in the world around him. After that, he checks the closets (open) and the door (locked from the outside). It's only then that he notices the room has padded walls. He concentrates, willing his atoms to disappear from here and reappear back at home. It doesn't work. Trying other powers, one-by-one, reveals they are also gone. It's as if the intrinsic field experiments never happened...

Well, shit. It really worked. Be careful what you wish for.

I must be in here because I told someone too much of the truth. 

- Stay Tuned for Issue 3: Disorder -

Chapter Text

Scene 1

Setting: Desire's gallery, within the heart of the Threshold

Desire slides Despair's ring onto their right pinkie. "Hello, dear twin. I stand in my gallery and I hold your sigil. Come to me."

In Desire's ornate full-length oval mirror, trimmed with cast-iron snakes and roses, a ghostly image of Despair half-materializes. She is translucent, but clearly recognizable. "He's ready, then?"

Desire gives the toothy grin of a cat who has long since eaten the canary. "Yes, and you won't believe how things played out. I wish you could have been there to see it. Even I was surprised."

Now Despair wears a faint smile herself. "I've been feasting on his misery for so long... soon there will be even more. What will you do, when he realizes where this is going? He may decide never to want anything, ever again."

Desire laughs. "Stronger-willed men than him have tried and failed at 'not wanting anything'. You know that as well as I do. Even Buddhist monks have to practice detachment every day, for years, just to approach it some of the time. Humans are terrible at it. Wanting things is their whole existence. That's what makes them so much fun to toy with: even if they love to hate me, they never stay away from my domain for long."

Despair slowly nods while listening. "Agreed. And it's so very easy for them to find me, when a trip through yours leads to disappointment. I'll be there soon, and you can tell me all about it."

Scene 2

Setting: Destruction's realm, temporarily unsealed

The girl in the gray hoodie doesn't know how she got here, but this place is strangely beautiful. Things are constantly exploding, or decaying rapidly before her eyes, or being eaten by something. Exciting! There are ten thousand ways for something to crumble or burn or be chopped to bits. Here, she can see all of them... all she has to do is wait and watch long enough. What fun... It's never going to be boring here, not for one single moment.

Turning around to survey the landscape, she notices a door about 100 feet away. It's white, tall, and just sitting there doing nothing. Unlike everything else in this place, the door is not in a state of transition. That's what makes it look out-of-place here.

The girl tries the knob. Locked. After a few moments, she hears three knocks on the door. She walks around the other side of the door, just to double-check. There's still no one standing there, but the knocks repeat: one, two, three, pause. She walks back around to the other side and tries the knob again. This time, it turns and the door opens.

In the sunlight pouring through from outside (how?), the girl can see the dark silhouettes of a medium-sized dog and a tall, burly man with a bright red beard and ponytail. "There you are, little one. Sorry I kept you waiting..." he says, letting out a series of deep belly laughs. "Of course I should have expected this is where you'd be."

The dog chuckles, looking toward the big man and adding, "I did tell you to look for her under your bed. But you had to look everywhere else first..."

The man shrugs, crouching as he gestures for the girl to climb onto his shoulders. She does, sitting with one leg dangling on each side of his neck and eagerly awaiting her first piggy-back ride. The girl delightedly does so. He doesn't think he's ever done this before, but he also doesn't remember ever meeting another person. "Was I waiting here for you? I'm sorry I don't remember."

"We're siblings... but we haven't met before, not like this anyway. I'll explain while we walk." He strokes the dog behind the ears. "You focus on growing up and learning things. I'll protect you. You're safe as long as you're with me."

She knows, deep within, that Destruction is telling the truth. This man is gentle, kind, strong, and tough. He should be a great protector, and he also seems fun (for an adult). "Do we have other brothers and sisters?" she asks him.

Destruction nods. "Yes, but introducing you to the family will have to wait. We need to go on a trip first, a long one. We won't be able to stay in one place for more than a few hours, but we can go wherever and whenever you like. Okay?"

The girl nods with great eagerness and anticipation. Her hood does not fall down, despite how vigorously her head moves, nor is her face is visible within. Destruction uses one arm to pick her up and set her back on the ground. He kneels, so that he can look the girl in her shrouded eyes. "Before we go anywhere: what should I call you, little sister?"

She thinks for a moment about what feels right, then says, "Don't know. But um... for now, you could call me 'D'. That much feels right."

"D?"

She nods. "'D is for lots of things.' Guess I'm not done cooking yet."

"D it is," he replies, flashing a grin. "So, Miss D... Do you know where you'd like to go? Or when?"

Destruction can't see her smile, but he can feel it radiating warmth toward him. "Can't remember much about the worlds. So surprise me."

Scene 3

Setting: Earth-616a, Marvel Universe, 2023, Osterman's padded room at Xavier's Asylum for Troubled Metahumans

There's a knock on the door. It comes once, pauses, and then repeats. Before Jon can say anything, someone's turning their master key in the lock and letting themselves in. It's a plump, matronly nurse who scans him with her eyes, smiling at what she sees. Her name tag says Marcy. She scribbles some notes on her clipboard. "You look better this morning, Mr. Osterman. How did you sleep?"

"Pretty well." Rubbing his eyes, he asks, "How long do you think I've been here?"

The nurse sighs. "Sorry to see you're still having trouble with your memory. It's been about three weeks. Is it all right if I ask you some routine questions, for the doctor? Then I need to get back to my rounds."

Jon nods, and the nurse continues: "You must not know what day of the week it is, if you can't remember how long you've been here. But what about the year? What year is it?"

"Can't remember that either." It's almost the truth. Without knowing which universe this is, how can he estimate the year? For the nurse's benefit, he puts on a smile and shrugs. "Sorry I can't be more helpful."

Her eyebrows go up when he says this last part. "What? What did I say?"

Her smile widens, just a little. "This is the first time you've shown that you understand other people may have needs different from your own. You're more grounded in reality than you were yesterday. Good work. That's what we like to see."

What good work? I wasn't here. I doubt this version of Earth even existed yesterday.But he keeps his mouth shut.

The nurse continues, "Just one last question: Who exactly do you think you're fooling?"

He freezes. After a few seconds, he tries to play it cool. "What do you mean?"

She's glaring now. Obviously, she can tell when she's being lied to. "We know you aren't human. Not fully, at least So which is it: Mutant? Alien? Demon? Some kind of hybrid?"

He realizes, then, just how funny this is, and how little he really has to fear. Soon he's doubled over laughing, despite being fully aware how crazy it must look. Once he catches his breath, he says, "Ma'am, I assure you: I gave up more than you can possibly imagine to become human again. Seems like landing here, now, is a side effect of that... and honestly, I have no idea why."

"You really don't what happened when you arrived...?" She continues her long, hard stare, saying nothing. Jon does not look away. He has nothing to hide from this woman. After a good while, she breaks the silence. "All right. I believe you. I'm satisfied that you're not a threat to the doctor. He'll be in shortly."

Jon assumes it will be at least another hour, but he's pleasantly surprised to be wrong. It's no more than 5 minutes before a handsome, bald man in a tan suit walks into the room, bringing a folding chair with him and sitting in it. Now that he's closer, Jon can see the man's legs are encased in an exoskeleton made out of translucent polymer. The doctor extends his hand. "Dr. Charles Xavier. I run this institution. Do you remember how you ended up here?"

Yes, but it isn't going to be what this guy wants to hear.

"Try me," Xavier says, chuckling. "You might be surprised. I'm sorry, but your thoughts are very loud. I would never look into your mind without permission."

He's got to be kidding.

"I assure you, I'm serious. Think of a number between zero and one trillion."

Fine, I'll play along. Fifty-two million, seven hundred fifty-three thousand, one hundred and twelve.

Xavier repeats the number less than one second later. "Now, may I look deeper into your mind? It will make this process simpler for us both."

Jon nods, feeling defeated. Maybe I really do belong in here.

You do, comes Xavier's voice from within his mind. But not for the reason you think. When you arrived on my world, everything changed: the past as well as the present. Heroes became villains and vice versa, cities moved to different parts of the world, even the year was off by decades. It was 2024, but now it's 1977. Most people don't remember how things used to be. I need your help to figure out how this all happened..

"No," Jon says out loud. "That part of my life is over."

Xavier shows Jon one of his own memories. It's months ago, maybe as much as a year. Manhattan. Times Square on a busy Friday night. Suddenly there's a massive blue flash, followed by a sonic boom. Everything goes white, and Jon hears static. When the smoke clears, the entire area has been reduced to a crater. And in the center of the crater lies Jon Osterman, nude, radiation continuing to trickle off of him, unconscious but otherwise unaffected.NO. Nononono not again...

The vision fades. "My apologies," Xavier says out loud. "You weren't ready to see that. But too many people have been harmed to waste any more time. What happened has made the public stop trusting everyone with powers. I must know what happened, if we're going to have any chance of reversing it. Please don't make me take the memory from you by force. It would be painful, and we would both regret that."

Jon sighs, looking down at the floor and shaking his head. "I made a mistake that affected multiple universes. Maybe all of spacetime, everywhere. I've made a mess of everything. Knowing the details will just convince you to keep me here forever. Or you'll turn me over to the authorities from where I come from."

The doctor gets up and sits on the bed next to Jon, placing one hand on his shoulder. "You violated your own ethics. That's why you hate yourself. But feeling that way is the mark of someone who's trying to become better."

Osterman's head is in his hands now. "At the time it happened, I didn't really remember what ethics are. That was part of the problem. And someone was influencing me, whispering in my ear... But I still should have known better. I wasn't stupid, but I was naive as hell. I thought the ability to see my own future made me smarter than anyone else, but all it really did was take away all my choices. I thought my powers made me superior to regular people, even to the point of creating life just because I could. But I was never a god, not really. Just a pale imitation with delusion of grandeur."

Xavier's voice becomes soft and gentle. "That sounds like a different person from the man I'm talking with now. A person who didn't know right from wrong. I won't hold you responsible for his actions. I'm no stranger to cosmic-level blunders myself. And I've certainly known people whose metahuman abilities made them miserable."

He looks into Jon's eyes. "The nurse said you referred to making a great sacrifice to become human again. Will you show me your memory of how and when you stopped being human? We can start there."

Jon doesn't shake his head, but he doesn't nod either. "How do I know that I can trust you?"

"You don't," the doctor says. "If you were from here, you might have heard of me. Just know this: Helping other metahumans is what I'm known for. My entire career has been built around it. Except that isn't how history is supposed to go. Until yesterday, I ran a school for young mutants."

"Mutants? I'm not sure I follow," Osterman says. "Every organism has mutated genes."

Xavier starts to laugh, but catches himself. "I see. No mutants on your world. Interesting."

"On the world I originally came from, there were no superheroes but me. Unless you count the one who was a mass-murdering super-genius."

The doctor raises an eyebrow. "How could someone like that ever be considered a hero?"

"Wrong question. Ask what he tried to save the world from. And then ask me why I helped him."

Scene 4

Setting: The Dreaming, Dream's vast and magnificent castle, a guest bedroom

Axel awakens in an unfamiliar bed, covered in a thick black blanket that shimmers and twinkles just like the night sky. He'd have expected a hangover after that much drinking... and vomiting... but there's nothing. He feels better than he has in ages. Clear-headed, strong, ready to take on important tasks. And isn't there something he's forgetting about, that he needs to do...?

There's a scratching at the door. When he opens it, he's confronted with a large black bird who's perched on the railing next to the staircase outside. "Hey, don't shoot the messenger," croaks the bird. "Boss just wants me to let you know breakfast is on. We have... well, everything. See you down there." He flaps away, and is gone as suddenly as he appeared.

Axel's clothes don't seem to be anywhere in this room, so he checks the ornate wooden wardrobe across from the bed. Looks like an antique. Opening it reveals that the wardrobe leads into a walk-in closet far bigger than it looks on the outside. It's filled with racks and racks of every conceivable type of clothing. He tries on a suit, a robe, some jeans and a t-shirt. Everything fits as if it were tailored exactly for him. Even the t-shirt.

He settles on a black track suit with blue and red accents. Doesn't seem like a good idea to advertise who he is, not until he knows more about where he is and what's going on. Hopefully the right people, if they're looking for him, will notice the colors and figure it out. He hopes they'll also recognize his face, but it's been long enough that there's no guarantee of it. Maybe whoever altered my memory did the same to the ones I'm looking for.

Outside his room is a white marble spiral staircase, flecked with veins of jagged black. He descends the stair case and finds himself in what looks like a dining room. Tapestries hang on the wall, and there's a pillar of the same white marble in each corner. In the center of the room is a long, rectangular table, with eight seats on each side long side, and two each on the ends. On the table sit plate after plate of scrambled eggs, various breakfast meats, every fruit he an imagine and some he's never seen before, sushi and sashimi, cereal...

Seated at one end of the table are Vibe (Cisco Ramon), Ultra Boy (Jo Nah), Linear Woman (Liri Lee), the Reverse Flash (Eobard Thawne), and... is that a ginger raccoon in an Hourman outfit? Every time I think I've seen it all... Liri seems quite at home, leaning back in her chair and biting into a green, juicy Bartlett pear. Everyone else at the table is fidgeting in some way. Perhaps they are new arrivals, just like him.

As Axel steps off the staircase, a tall lanky man with pointy ears in a brown three-piece suit approaches from one of the doorways. "Good morning, sir. I am Lucien, the majordomo here in the castle. The master is occupied at present, but he asked me to welcome you and thank you for coming. He will be here as soon as he's able."

Lucien turns to go, then stops and turns back around, adding, "If there is anything you would like for breakfast that isn't on the table already, ring one of the golden bells and it will appear. Now if you'll pardon me, I have many duties waiting."

"Hey!" shouts Rex, from the other side of the room. "Yeah, you! Tall guy! What have you people done with my son? He disappeared before I did... Why isn't he here?"

Lucien frowns. His pause before answering tells Rex what he needs to know, but he needs to hear the words anyway: "We were unable to locate him. His disappearance must have been the work of the one we brought you here to find. If more information comes in, you'll be the first to know."

Rex hangs his head, while Lucien continues: "Three of you are the only people left with access to time travel, that we know of, anywhere in spacetime. Two can shift between universes. And the last..."

Ultra Boy finishes his sentence, the anger plain in his voice. "The last one was inside the Time Bubble with his teammates Saturn Girl and Cosmic Boy, when the glass cracked and there was a flash of light... What have you done with Imra and Rokk?"

Lucien frowns. "I regret to inform you that we had to make a split-second choice. We were only able to pluck one of you from the timestream, before your ship fell into the rift. One of your team's tasks will be to locate them, and Rick Tyler as well. That isn't the primary objective, though."

"It is as far as I'm concerned." Rex glares at Lucien for several seconds, then scans the room, meeting each person's gaze one by one. "And if we're going to get along as a team, since it seems like we have no choice... you're all going to help me find him. Otherwise, I leave the first chance I get."

Ultra Boy nods, gesturing in Lucien's direction. "Deal. And you can help me find my friends. Sounds like we won't be getting any help from this guy."

Lucien ponders for a moment, then adds, "There is one place we know about, where no one from the Dreaming can go..."

He turns to Axel, opening his mouth to speak. "Nope," Axel says, piling his plate with eggs, bacon, wheat crackers, and some cheddar and Swiss cheese to go with them. "Don't even ask. Access is 150 percent off-duty. Not without a damn good plan. And definitely not without giving your boss a piece of my mind."

Rex and Jo both shout "Damn right!", despite their mouths being full. They share a glance, swallow their food, and laugh together with more than a hint of bitterness. Rex holds his shining mug high and proposes a toast: "To broken clocks and repaired watchmakers. To finding new companions and saving old ones. To impossible journeys, dangerous places, and times that never could be. When foresight arrives, the arrogant man shall fulfill his destiny."

Jo clinks his mug of cider against Rick's mug of mead, almost without thinking. "Do you normally talk like that? Gave me the chills."

Rex shakes his head, blinking a few times. "Don't know what came over me. It just felt like the thing I was supposed to say."

"It's this place. It gets into your head. Sometimes it shows you things. Lord Morpheus calls it 'oneiromancy'." Liri gets up from the table, and pulls out a seat for Axel. "He's odd, this Dream King, but so far he seems good. As much as words like 'good' or 'bad' ever apply to cosmic beings or heads of state." She shrugs.

Axel's mouth is full. He finishes his bite. "Exactly what I'm concerned about."

This gets a nod from Ultra Boy. He gestures toward Axel with an upturned palm. "This guy gets it."

Thawne remains sitting, a perverse smirk on his face. "Your powers don't work here, you know. Not for any of you. Not unless His Majesty allows them to. I've tried."

Everyone turns to look at him. No one is sure how to respond. The silence is ultimately broken by the flapping of wings. It's the raven again, carrying an envelope in his talons. He swoops past Lucien and drops the envelope into his hands, then perches on his shoulder. "Special delivery from the House of Mystery, Loosh."

Lucien opens the envelope and reads aloud, "'Dear Mister Tyler, I received your inquiry with great interest, and am on my way even as you read this. I look forward to meeting you. Sincerely-'"

Before he can finish, a portal of swirling hellfire opens just a few feet away from Lucien. It crackles and undulates with various shades of blue, violet, red, orange, and white flame.

From out of the darkness in the center of the portal steps none other than Lady Johanna Constantine. She gives a wry smile. "You were expecting someone else?" 

Everyone starts to talk all at once. Lucien pulls a bell from the inner pocket of his vest. He rings it until there is silence. He turns to Lady Johanna. "Welcome, milady. How pleasant to see you again. May I take your cloak?"

She shrugs. "No need. We shan't be here that long. Time is of the essence, as the saying goes."

Lucien nods. "Very good, milady. Did you bring what my lord requested?"

She shakes her head. "I gather the Helm of Fate has been destroyed. But I did find something almost as good..." She reaches into her cloak and produces Alan Scott's green lantern and ring. There's a twinkle in her eye as she adds, "They are almost completely drained of magic. But the 'almost' is what matters. How do you plan to recharge them?"

Another portal, this one ringed with smoke and moonlight, opens on the far side of the room. Dream walks out, followed by his sisters Delirium and Death. "All in good time, Lady Constantine." With a wave of his hand, Dream closes both portals. He regards Lady Johanna with obvious bemusement. "You could easily have walked here. Was there really a need for all the pomp and circumstance?"

Lady Johanna scowls, but doesn't respond. Dream continues: "Now that everyone is assembled, I wish to welcome all of you to the Dreaming, officially. I am glad to see you have been enjoying our hospitality in my absence. My sisters and I have called you here to charge you with an urgent quest. The multiverse is collapsing, and the only one who may be able to reverse the damage has hidden where we cannot follow. I can send only my raven with you."

He scans the room, meeting the gaze of every mortal who stands here. Seeing Vibe, his glance lingers for a moment, and then Dream says, "Cisco Ramon. You were not invited, but that may have been an error on my part."

Vibe shrugs. "There are multiple people in this room-"

Dream holds up a hand and interjects, "My sisters and I are not people. We are personifications of fundamental concepts that matter to sentient life. Forces of nature, after a fashion."

Cisco shakes his head. "Not the point, but fine. There are multiple beings in this room who seem to be able to open breaches at will. Of course I found my way here. This place is the nexus of whatever the hell is going on. Do you feel like explaining a little more?"

"Not breaches, portals," Dream corrects him. "A breach is an unnatural thing. I am the Shaper of Form. A force of nature, after a fashion. Reality is mine to mold."

Cisco shrugs again, and sits back in his chair. He points to Axel, then to Lady Johanna. "What about these two? Are they 'Shapers of Form' also?"

"No." Dream's eyes smolder as he stares Cisco down. "They are the right people for the job. And they are who is available. You must decide whether you will help, or whether you will leave. Now."

"Excuse me," Axel asks. "How did I even get here? The last time I tried to open a portal, I ended up puking my guts out."

Dream gives him a kind smile. "You come here when you dream, Axel Asher. Not every time, but often. Mortals forget, but I do not. Even when your waking mind did not remember your true self, you remembered this place when you slept. Bringing you here was trivial. Keeping you here, on the other hand... It has not been easy. Please stop trying to leave. Suppressing your powers is distracting, and I have more pressing concerns."

Now Cisco jumps up from the table. "You must be the reason I can't get out of here, either."

Thawne takes a sip of his coffee, smirking. "Told you so."

Dream nods, responding to Cisco first. "That is true. But after you hear my proposal, you will all be free to go."

He turns toward Thawne and narrows his eyes. "You should count yourself lucky. If any other speedster had survived, anywhere, anywhen-"

"But none of them did, did they?" Thawne replies, with a sharp laugh. "You're stuck with me. And I see no reason why I should help you. Not without some incentive."

"You would prefer to be returned to your cell?"

Thawne shrugs. "Over a suicide mission? Yes."

Dream gives a subtle frown. "You care nothing for the destruction of your own world? Even if it means never again tormenting Barry Allen or his family?" He pauses to let this sink in. "I am the King of Dreams. For all your speed and all your power, you are still just an arrogant man. Your arrogance makes you forget I know everything you care about. You are bluffing, Eobard Thawne."

A long minute passes. Finally, Thawne mutters, "Damn it. You win." He sits.

"As for you, Rex..." Dream turns to Death. "Sister, please tell him what you confirmed earlier."

"I've got good news and bad news," Death says with noticeable pity. "Rick isn't with the other bodies, and he also isn't in any underworld that I know about."

Finishing her thought isn't hard, so Rex does. "But you don't know where he is. So he could be alive or dead."

Death shakes her head. "No. If he had died - any place, any time - I'd know it."

This makes Rex laugh so hard that he snarfs his orange juice. It squirts out his nose, soaking the toast on his plate. "Damn it, I was going to eat that..." He blots up as much of the orange juice as he can, with his napkin. "So you're, what... the grim reaper?"

Death shrugs. "Reaper, close enough. Grim, not usually. I'm Death. Pleased to meet you." She extends her hand, but no one moves to shake it. Death lets her arm fall back at her side. "Sheesh. You won't actually die from shaking hands with me. Everyone today thinks things work the way Hollywood says..."

When she still can't get anyone to shake hands with her, she adds, "Dream is my younger brother, and this right here..." She puts her arm around Delirium. "This is our baby sister. You can call her 'Del'."

Delirium starts to speak. "But-"

Death puts one finger over Delirium's mouth. "Ssshh. I know. It's just for a little while. You can tell them later, once they get to know you a little better. (Maybe.)"

- Stay tuned for Issue 4: This Comic is Full of Spiders -

Chapter Text

Scene 1
Setting: Marvel Multiverse, Earth-616a, Manhattan

Rick Sheridan is sleeping. His body thrashes and claws at the air, as if drowning. While he dreams, Sleepwalker is out on patrol. But their time together has taught Rick how to sense when something's amiss in the dream world. He knows someone is watching this dream. It doesn't feel like anyone familiar. "Hello?" he calls, hands cupped to his mouth. "Who are you? Why are you in my dream?"

His voice echoes down the hallway of the high school he hasn't thought about in years. Silence, followed by the returning echo of running footsteps. It sounds like a group of at least four or five people. As the footsteps come closer, he can hear whoever it is engaged in a lively conversation... but it's too muffled to make out any words.

Yelling to announce his position may have been very stupid. Luckily, there's an open locker next to where he's standing. Rick ducks inside, and pulling the door most of the way closed behind him. The footsteps get louder, but no one appears. He waits a moment, then cautiously exits the locker into the hall. Glancing to the left and right, there is still no one else with him. But on the floor, at the intersection with a perpendicular hallway, sits a medium-sized black leather briefcase.

He prods it with his foot first. Nothing. Rick picks up the briefcase. The two locks, on either side of the handle, read "1234" and "5678". When he tries the switches, it pops open.

Inside, tucked into custom cut-out chambers in foam, are six objects: an hourglass, an ankh, a stylized gas mask, a heart, a ring with a hook, and a butterfly. They are all made of brass, and each is small enough to be held easily in one hand. The empty, seventh cut-out chamber in the foam is shaped like a dagger or sword. Looking closer, Rick notices that the glass on the hourglass is badly cracked. Sand isn't leaking out of it, though.

The little brass gas mask begins to glow a light electric blue, pulsating first slowly, and then with increasing speed. Rick drops the briefcase, startled. The rest of the objects fall with the briefcase, but the glowing mask remains suspended in the air, its blue glow flashing ever faster. There's a brilliant flash... and then the light is gone.

A voice, chilly yet caring, rational but also intuitive, comes from all around him: "How curious. It has been a long time since I encountered an adult dreamer entirely unknown to me. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Dream of the Endless, called Lord Shaper or Morpheus by some. Where I come from, I am king of all dreams. But here in your world, it is all I can do just to make contact. I regret that I am unable to manifest, or else I would look you in the eye and shake your hand."

Rick shakes his head, more than a little bewildered. "It's fine, no problem. My name's Rick. Rick Sheridan. And you're going to want to talk to my friend, when he gets back. This metaphysical stuff is way above my pay grade."

He feels the hair on the back of his neck stand at attention, all at once. The effect continues down his back, and he feels his whole body start to shiver. "Uh... Mr. Morpheus? I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Right now."

Rick hears an edge in the voice this time. "Do not be fooled by your inability to see me. As a rule, kings are... unaccustomed to being dismissed in this manner. Explain yourself."

Rick shakes his head. "I'm sorry, I should have explained. Something... someone has noticed you. His name is Nightmare, and for good reason. Even if my friend were already back from his patrols... even if all of his people were here... it still might not be enough. Nightmare has his own realm like you do, but he's not a king... he's more like the biggest thug on the mountain. I don't know what he would do if he found you, but it wouldn't be pleasant. Not for either of us."

The tone of the disembodied voice softens. "My apologies for misjudging your intentions, Rick Sheridan. We have only just met, and already you have proven to be a valuable ally. Soon, you and your friends will be meeting my agents in the physical world. They will present you with a briefcase identical to the one you have already seen. Should you need to speak with me directly, place the brass mask under your pillow and sleep. We will find each other again here."

Rick looks back down into the briefcase. "But what about the other five sculptures? And why is the seventh one missing?"

"Let us hope you never need to know the answer to either of those questions."

Scene 2

Earth 616a, Xavier's Asylum for Troubled Metahumans

After a long and stressful day that left him with more questions than answers, Jon Osterman sleeps the deep sleep of a truly exhausted man. And for the first time in he doesn't even remember how long, he dreams of Laurie. It reminds him how she used to be in his dreams frequently... but it's been so long since he even needed to sleep. Of course this was one of the many "minor" human things he somehow allowed himself to forget, as Doctor Manhattan.

They are sitting together in the grass, admiring a vast, wide lake with not a single boat or swimmer to be seen. Unspoiled wilderness stretches around the two of them. From the slightly chilly temperature and the barren trees around, Jon assumes it must be early spring or late fall.

"I love coming here in the off season," Laurie says. She squeezes Jon's shoulders with the arm already wrapped around them. Then she lays down and puts her head in his lap, folding her arms over her chest.

Jon gazes down into her adoring face. The words come easily: "That's why I was happy to bring you. It's even more beautiful than you said it would be."

He remembers this trip, even though it never happened. It must be a memory from one of those alternate versions of myself, he reasons. Either that, or just deja vu. But he has learned far too much about time to believe in the concept of "just deja vu" anymore.

Laurie sits up, tugging on Jon's left hand. "Come on. I wanna dip my toes in the water before it gets any colder."

He nods, slips off his shoes, and jogs behind her to the water's edge, still holding hands the whole way. If only I could stay here forever.

As she takes her first step into the lake, Jon's vision blurs. The world lurches and spins. For a split second he feels seasick, but then it passes instantly. He is still holding hands with a woman, but now it is Janey Slater. They are at Disney World, riding the teacup ride. As it twirls them in concentric circles, Janey lets go of the safety bar in front of her, shrieking with pure exhilaration. This never happened either. Jon hasn't been to Disney World.

He decides to enjoy the moment. Jon slides one arm around Janey's waist, and holds the other up in the air like she is. The teacup whips around another curve and he finds himself screaming. When the ride slows to a stop, he turns back to her, only to find in her place a short figure wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt and jeans. He can't see the face within the hood, but Jon feels the oddest sense that the eyes just did a double-take. She (somehow he knows it's a she) begins to speak. It's the voice of an older child, or perhaps a young teenager. "Uh... hello. Who are you? Where are we? And what happened to my brother?"

Jon is about to speak, but the girl interrupts him before he can. "You seem so familiar... are you one of our other brothers?"

He shakes his head. "I don't have any brothers or sisters. Are you lost? Do you need help finding your way back to... wherever?"

She shrugs. He still can't see her face, but now he feels like her eyes have gone wide. "OH. You're that guy who- um, sorry, gotta go. This isn't when you and I are supposed to meet. Sorry to interrupt... I can find my own way back, eventually."

And then "D" vanishes. There's no puff of smoke, not even a distortion pattern in the air. She's just there one second, and gone the next. The dream image of Janey doesn't return. In her place sits the Book of Destiny. Jon stares at it, but does not pick it up.

When he awakens, the Book is sitting on the chair across the room from his bed. It glows and pulsates with a warm red light, as if taunting him. Jon stares at it some more. He knows he's not going to be able to sleep again any time soon.

Scene 3

Earth-616a, Pittsburgh, same smelly alley where we found Axel before, 1:51 AM on a Sunday

Axel Asher, Cisco Ramon, Liri Lee, and the rest of their companions (including the large black bird) burst out of a dumpster, with a bright flash of blue and red light, accompanied by much rustling followed by a loud crash. Everyone without flight or super-speed lands in a heap on the street. "Ow," Rex groans from the bottom of the pile. "Could you all get off me now?"

Liri, Eobard, Axel,  the raven (who still hasn't given his name), and Jo wait patiently while Axel, Cisco, and Lady Johanna stand up, brush themselves off, and help Rex to his feet. Liri plucks a soggy receipt from her hair and flings it away.

Everyone but the bird is wearing what they consider to be street clothes (though Lady Johanna's are rather formal by modern standards). The general consensus, before they all left the Dreaming, was that unfamiliar costumes might draw too much attention in this world. To whatever extent possible, this has to be a stealth mission.

Ultra Boy is the first to speak. "So, how do we think we're going to find this guy?"

"This is the right universe," Axel says. "It wasn't easy to find. It's also one that I've never seen before. And I used to think I had been to all of them at least once."

Cisco raises an eyebrow. "How can-"

Axel waves the question away with his hand. "We don't have time for me to explain that right now. What really concerns me is that I couldn't get here without your help. That shouldn't be possible."

"Right there with you, chief. I don't normally need an assist with my powers either." Cisco reaches into his pocket and unwraps a granola bar, biting into it with a crunch.

"Hey!" Rex cries. "I'm pretty hungry too. I don't suppose you have enough for the whole class."

With a smile, Cisco removes another granola bar from his pocket and hands it to Rex. "I do, as it happens. Somebody has to think about practicalities, and more often than not, that somebody is me. Anybody else want one?"

After a pause, Thawne nods with an obvious scowl on his face. Cisco tosses him one. "Don't worry, Thawne. You don't owe me anything for this. Feel free to go back to being your same old obnoxious self after we've saved both of these multiverses."

Thawne laughs. "As if I need your permission."

Cisco's smile vanishes. "You will, if I open a breach in the middle of your body. Can't run away when you have no legs. Now be a good boy and eat your snack."

Thawne has no response. He turns and faces the wall while he eats his granola bar.

Lady Johanna clears her throat. "Pardon me, gentlemen," she says, emphasizing the last word with clear and obvious sarcasm. "It seems to me that the sooner we achieve our mission, the sooner we can go home and return to whatever we would rather be doing."

From within her cloak, she pulls out Alan Scott's green lantern. It is glowing now, both inside and out. In the center of the lantern floats the ring. "Our host was gracious enough to recharge this lantern's magic for us. Since we know this is the correct universe, I should be able to use the ring to find out exactly when the first intruder entered. In theory."

Liri has been nodding along as Lady Johanna talks. She adds, "If you can get us within a few months of the time he entered this reality, I'll be able to detect the residual chronal energy on him. That will let us pinpoint his exact location in spacetime."

"And if he tries to escape when we find him, that's where I come in," Rex agrees. Everyone turns to stare at him.

Jo has tinge of a smirk at the corners of his mouth. "Seriously? How useful do you think a tiny man... raccoon... whatever you are with super-strength that only lasts an hour is really going to be, against an atomic super-being with multiversal time powers?"

"Red panda. How ignorant." Rex scowls at Jo, pointing to his necklace with one claw. "You're misinformed, my boy. Maybe that's how my counterpart's hourglass works on your world... but mine is a little more advanced. You'll see."

Ultra Boy nods in response. "All right. Didn't mean to snap at you. It's been a weird day."

"For all of us," Axel agrees. "Is everyone ready?"

A few people nod. No one shows any sign of objection. Seeing this, Lady Johanna slips the only magical Green Lantern ring onto her finger. The green glow of the lantern extends to the bottom hem of her dress, traveling rapidly up her linen gown and transforming it into rich, emerald-colored silk. A green masquerade-style mask on a long stick appears in her left hand. "Quaint, but impractical," she says, tossing it into the air. "Let me try again."

As she watches the mask and concentrates on it, it undulates and morphs into what looks like a blob of glowing green putty, floating in the air. No stranger to controlling magic through will already, it takes Lady Johanna just a few seconds to adjust to the peculiarities of this new power source. The mask transforms into a stylish top hat whose color perfectly matches her dress. "Much better," she says as she puts it on. "Now that I have a little practice with the ring, it's time for the real work to begin."

"Aren't you going to say that ridiculous, saccharine rhyme like all the others?" Thawne asks. "I wish I could forget it."

"Idiot," Rex says, laughing. "Alan's ring doesn't work that way."

Lady Johanna smiles. "By all means, Mr. Thawne, you may say the rhyme for me. Hearing you say it would be very entertaining. Such a small thing to do, to make twenty pounds. Do we have a deal?"

Scene 4

Marvel Universe 616a, Madame Web's psychic sub-dimension, bordering the Mindscape and the Nightmare Realm within the Dreamtime

Within her fortress in the waking world, Cassandra Webb sleeps and dreams, just as she does every night. Something disturbs her suddenly, but she does not awaken. If this is what it seems to be, better to remain here in her place of power.

She takes a moment to focus and gather all her psychic resources. First, she reaches out to every Spider-Man and Spider-Woman she knows about. They have arrived. Finally. But none of them seem familiar. Watch them carefully, and report back to me if they do anything suspicious. I will coordinate with the others who need to know. Madame Web out.

Then she does what she swore to herself she would never do again: she locates and touches the mind of Charles Xavier. It's just a simple knock-knock, not an attempt to break in; no sense in being reckless. After a moment, he acknowledges her call. Cassandra. What an unexpected... surprise.

For me as well, Charles. We need to talk.

The mind-image of Dr. Xavier smiles and nods in response. Yes, we certainly do. I assume you remember how the world was, yesterday. Your mind is more than resilient enough.

Madame Web nods. Xavier continues his thought. There's a young man I'd like you to meet. I suspect he has the answers to many of our questions, somewhere within his mind. I'm going to need your help with his partial amnesia. Maybe Jean's too.

Even though it has no actual effect, Cassandra finds herself taking two steps back. Are you sure that's a good idea, Charles? I told you then and I'm telling you again right now: that isn't Jean, not anymore.

He shakes his head. I know. I should have listened to you the first time. I'll do my best to avoid involving her... it. But if you and I don't have success on our own, what other choice is there?

What about Em-

Charles shakes his head even more vigorously this time. No. That's an even worse idea. She would demand an unspecified favor at some point in the future. And know how hard she is to say no to. Jean... or what used to be Jean... will either help or it won't. It doesn't negotiate.

She nods. Fair enough. Expect me at your office soon, Charles. No security guards, please. I would hate to have to erase anyone's memory. Can't be too careful, these days.

--Stay tuned for Issue 5: The Search Begins--