Odd Future [OPEN TO ALL]

[Pete Todd]

It had been ten years since Black Adam destroyed Stark Tower. The Earth kept turning. Time marched on. Many battles had been won and lost since then. Friends had been made and lives had been lost. The battle between good and evil and all that lies in between raged on. Many things changed, but at the same time, nothing really did.

Then there was Pete. Some would argue he had grown and changed an awful lot; the pizza stains on his underpants begged to differ.

It was a beautiful night in Gotham. Spring had just sprung and it was the type of night where you slept with the window open for the cool breeze. Then again, this was Gotham so most people probably didn't do that for fear of home invasion. Pete Todd, now in his late twenties, lay half-asleep in his apartment with his hand down the front of his heart-printed boxers.

A vibration shook the coffee table in front of the coach. It was coming from an earpiece that lay inside an empty pizza box. Pete grumbled a bit, rolled over, and grabbed his JLA communicator. He placed it in his ear and yawned.

"Batman here, whats the matter?" He spoke groggily into the device.

[Anneliese Grayson]

"Don't call yourself that dork." Annie's voice came clearly through the communicator, not having changed at all. Still melodic and proper, with clipped vowels and no distinguishable accent.

"Anyway. I kind of ditched the wedding. I need a place to crash for the night before heading back to San Fran tomorrow, back to Richard's place. I'm crashing at yours." As she spoke - not that Pete would know - she was in the lift of his apartment building and if anyone was with her, she would have been getting odd looks. After all, it wasn't every day you saw a beautiful 28 year old brunette in a simple yet beautiful cream wedding dress, veil pushed back, hair in perfect ringlet curls.

[Pete Todd]

It was Annie. Pete had suspected this was going to happen. It always did. Pete had attended her first few weddings but he decided it wasn't worth the trouble anymore because they never panned out.

"You're just jealous cause I got to be Batman and lil' ol' Junior is stuck being some type of Nightwing knock-off for all eternity. But that's cool with me. Just try not to wake up Lucy." Pete stated with a yawn; it was Richard whom he was refering to. "When are you getting here?" Pete asked. Promptly after the question was asked, there was a dainty knock on the door.

The new Dark Knight sighed and rolled off the coach before making his way to the door. He undid the lock and pulled the door back to see his cousin standing before him in full bridal wear. Pete stood before her in his boxers. What they were wearing alone was a pretty good analogy for their entire relationship. Pete laughed loudly and slapped his knee.

"You look like an expensive hooker. Come on in." Pete chuckled as he ushered his cousin inside. Before saying anything there was a pitter-patter of small feet coming towards them. A tiny mixed girl who couldn't have been any older than six rounded the corner at top speed.

"Auntie Annie! Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh!" The girl collided with Anneliese at full force. She hugged Annie's thigh as hard as she could. "Wow! You look like a princess in that dress! Daddy, hooker must be another way to say princess, right?" The girl asked. Pete smacked himself on the forehead.

"No, Luce! Why aren't you in bed? That's a very bad word and you shouldn't be saying it! It aint lady-like. I can say it cause I'm your daddy." Pete chuckled to his daughter. He knew saying it wasn't lady-like would help because Lucy was in a big princess phase right now and she wouldn't want to screw up her regal reputation. The young girl put her hands over her mouth and giggled. Pete smiled at her and crossed his arms. She was really the best accident he ever had.

"So what happened this time, Anne? Isn't this like your third wedding this year?" Pete teased.

[Anneliese Grayson]

"Richard isn't a Nightwing Knock Off. Neither of us wanted the whole 'Lone Hero' persona. We're a duo. Besides, you know Richard and me were his first choice. You're just pissy 'cause you were second picked." She taunted with humor in her voice. It was both true and untrue. Bruce Wayne knew that he wouldn't be able to separate the twins by naming one 'Batman', and 'Batmen' didn't really work.

"And you look like a dead beat junkie. What's your point." She stated dryly at his insult towards her dress, stepping inside, before being tackled by an energetic 6 year old.

"Thanks cutie." She winked after being called a princess. "But I look like a Princess because I am one, remember? And your Uncle Richard is a Prince." She smirked over the kids head towards Pete. Far be it from her to rub the fact that his daughter adored Anne because of her roots. The girl almost worshiped the ground Anneliese walked on.

"Tut tut. Teaching her all those naughty words. What type of father are you." She laughed, before pulling her veil off her head and placing it on Lucy's. "Now you look like a Princess too!" She glanced at Pete once again. "You got any spare clothes I can steal? This dress is annoying."

At his question, she rolled her eyes. "3rd Wedding in the past 6 years actually. 4th in 10 if you count the whole arranged marriage to that tool Kaland'r, which I don't." She wrinkled her nose at the memory of her almost forced marriage to 'keep the bloodline pure' among the Tamaranean Royals. "I just realized I didn't want to marry him...it just so happened to be 10 minutes before the vows. All the guys I've almost married don't care about me. They just either want my body, my fame or my money." She shrugged like she didn't care, although it did upset her a little. Was is so wrong to actually be loved for who she was or whatever. Only one man did, truly, and that was just a topic better left unthought of. "Why is it I can't ever find the right guy?" She asked with a slight sigh.

[Pete Todd]

"Pfffft, first choice? Is that what the old man told you? He always did have an awful dry sense of humor." Pete joked. A lot of people liked to believe Pete was still the same bumbling idiot he was back in his Young Titans days. Today, he was one of Earth's most capable heroes.

Lucy squealed in delight when Annie put the veil on her head. "THANK YOU SO MUCH!" Lucy exclaimed before skipping back to her room. Pete shook his head and tried to hold back a grin. She was really the cutest thing. When asked for clothing, he disappeared from his room for a moment and emerged with a white hoodie and a pair of "Gotham Rogues Football" printed sleeping pants. He tossed them towards Annie.

Pete recalled their "fun" little trip into outer space to save Annie from an arranged marriage. Good times. "No idea. Cheer up, you'll probably find somebody stupid enough to actually like you for who you are some day." He told her. Pete could tell she was secretly a little bummed.

Pete heard some laughter coming from Lucy's room and he sighed.

"That girl is going to do me in, swear to god. You know she's already asking if she can try on the "birdie" suit in the cave? I really don't know if I want her getting in on "the family business". I wouldn't mind letting her come out with me from time to time but next she's gonna want to be a Titan. The thought of her living in that glorified frat house we stayed in scares the shit out of me." Pete complained.

He scratched the back of his head. Mr. Todd had grown up to be a decently handsome man. He had gotten to be pretty ripped over the course of a lifetime fighting crime and his arms were now covered in tattoos. His black hair was cut short and Pete was starting to notice his hairline was already starting to recede a little. He had gotten to old to wear his signature backwards baseball hats so there was going to be no covering it up, either.

Growing up was a real pain in the ass.

[Anneliese Grayson]

"It's not dry, it's outrageous. I mean, naming you Batman? Perhaps he needed to be put in an old folks home before he made that decision." She stated dryly, accepting the clothes and looking at them suspiciously. "These better be clean." She warned him before hiking up her dress and slipping the sweat pants on under it, before unzipping the back and wriggling out of it.

After spending most of their teenage years together, along with the fact he was like a brother to her, she had no qualms about changing in front of him - she had a bra on, so like, whatever. She slipped the hoodie on and chucked the dress on the floor, before setting about removing the pins in her hair.

"Wow. You're such a good comforter. You should give pep talks to teenage girls with low self esteem problems." She sneered dryly, running her fingers through her now free locks and pulling them up into a messy ponytail. "Either way, I should just start listening to Richard about these things. He hated those guys from the moment he met them, and everytime he hates a guy I'm seeing, they always end up being douchebags." Never mind the fact he hated every male she ever hung out with. Even Pete was cast with suspicion once upon a time, which she still found hilarious beyond belief.

"She's a Bat Brat. Of course she'll want to fight crime. I'd say it's genetic, but minus Maddie, none of us are even biologically related to the Original." She shrugged. "Might as well start training her now. Dad started training me and Richard from around her age...but then again, it was partly to stop us ripping doors off their hinges by accident." It was, around that age, that their alien dna started showing up. The amount of things that needed replaced due to being blown up by energy bolts or broken by accidental super strength.

Over the past 10 years, Anneliese hadn't changed much. She looked a little older now, her slightly chubby cheeks thinning down, but all together, she still looked identical to her 19 year old self, from her minimal curves to her wild brown hair, to her fog blue eyes to the light sprinkle of freckles across her nose and perfect bone structure.

[Pete Todd]

"Sure they're clean... mostly." Pete added smugly.

As Annie changed behind him, Pete hopped back on the coach and turned on the TV. He flipped to Animal Planet where they were showing some guy wrestle a crocodile. Pete clenched his bionic hand into a fist. Sure, the skin grafts had finally grown over it and it looked exactly like a normal hand but Killer Croc had bitten his real one off years ago.

The gigantic man took the alligator and raised it over his head before slamming it to the ground. The beast didn't move. "

"Wooh! Suck it, punkass gator bitch!" Pete roared at the tv screen "Oh... oh right, sorry. You know I don't like their kind." Pete said, clearing his throat.

He nodded at the comment about all her boyfriends being douchebags. "To this day me and Dickie can only agree on one thing; you have horrible taste in men. What ever happened to Carl? He's a standup guy." Pete commented. He also didn't like seeing his cousin hanging around with lowlife guys as she tended to do.

Pete didn't want to admit it, but she was right. It was in Lucy's blood. Something made the people in their "family" feel the need to fight back against the injustices of the world. It had been so long now since Pete first got that feeling. Pete wasn't gifted in the same ways that Richard and Anneliese were. His first times going out and fighting crime he didn't have super-strength or starbolts; all he had originally was a baseball bat and the red hood helmet. Pete really had come such a long way.

"I'll think about it. When I feel like she's ready, maybe I'll let Maddie start showing her the basics." Pete said "I'm gonna head out on patrol pretty soon. You can come or stay here, it's your call." He offered.

[Anneliese Grayson]

At his comment about how she apparently had terrible taste in men and the his question about Carl, she sighed. "I don't have bad taste in men...not really. Some are nice...it's just the ones I choose to marry that suck. And Carl...I dunno. We just didn't work out I guess. I'm just doomed to never have anyone other that Richard fully understand me. And you sometimes...a little I guess." She teased, but shrugged. It was mostly true. "And about Richard...I could be with the nicest guy in the universe, who treated me like the Princess I am and Richard would still hate him and you know it. Hell, he even hated you because he thought we 'got on too well' because I started spending time with you outside the tower. Of course, he got over that, but still."

As her phone started ringing - in the small white clutch she carried - she sighed, opening it and glancing at the screen. "Speak of the Devil...Hello Richard. Yes...so you heard? He called you? Why-...of course he thought I was with you. No...I just...I didn't want to marry him...no he didn't hit me! Do you think he'd be in one piece if he did? Mom's freaking? Geeze, how did she hear about it, mom and dad are in Milan! I'm OK, I'm at Pete's...well I would have come to you if you actually came to the wedding! I'm probably going to fly back to San Fran tomorrow. Yes...I know. OK. Right..see you then. I love you...bye." She hung up with a heavy sigh. "Over protective Richard. You know he's never come to a single one of my almost weddings...minus the Tamareanean dilemma." She knew the reason though...it was the same reason she knew she'd never go to his wedding, if he ever met someone he could settle with.

At the offer of patrol, she hummed. "Maybe...but my outfits in my hotel suite and I'm not going back their tonight. Plus....media yanno. Nightstar appears in Gotham alone, the day Anneliese Greyson returns to Gotham without her twin? It may be a little easy to put together...." She tapped her chin. "Maybe if I threw together a new costume for one night and didn't use my starbolts thought..."

[Steel]

Pushing 40, John was having a hard time getting around like he used to. Being the hero Steel is something he could have kept up with a few technical modifications to his suit, but he opted out of that. He'd seen what staying in the suit could do to a person over time and now tried to help his not-so Young Titans as much as he could as a permanent stay security monitor, virtual over-seer, and training instructor. JJ missed the runts, but he kept in good standing with all of them. Shuffling some documents aside in his "office", he uncovered an invitation. "Annie..." he muttered then shook his head. "Oracle, call Ms. Anneliese Grayson please."

He'd missed the wedding, which was unlike him. He was typically prompt for everything. He patiently awaited her reply and sighed as he began reflecting back to the conversation he'd had with Vincent Stark the day he decided to join the JLA. Within a few years he was given the opportunity to come up and serve with the rest of the team, switching duties with another colleague, Silver Scarab, but he decided against it as he'd grown more fond of them than he had originally anticipated. Especially Pete and Sam.

The line clicked and he immediately began talking, "Ms. Grayson, I do believe I missed quite the event today. Forgive me if I'm interrupting anything with you and... what was his name? Don't tell me! It'll come to me. Promise you I will keep this brief[/b]. How is the family? Ask Pete, yes I know he's there too...." [/color]moving in his chair from one end of the room to the other pulling up another monitor "I can see you both via the communicators. Anyway, ask Pete when he's bringing Lucy. And tell that boy to put some damn clothes on!!! Lookin' like a filthy ass, trailer trash, cracked out junkie! He's fuckin' BATMAN!!!! WHY BRUCE?! WHY?!"

[Pete Todd]

Pete shuddered. "Junior thought... me and you?! He really is an idiot. I'm waaaaaay out of your league anyway. I mean, I'm the goddamn Batman for Christ's sake." He exclaimed.

Richie's ears must have been burning because just then, Annie had a call. "Hey... hey Annie... pass the weed! Annie! Hi Dick! Hey Annie!" Pete said as close to the phone as he could, childishly trying to disrupt their call.

"Another costume? I mean that's a huge problem considering we only have like a bajillion retired outfits hanging out in The Cave's armory. I'm pretty sure some of your old undies you used to fight crime in are in there. Pick whatever costume you want but just be careful because some of em' are practically antiques at this point." Pete mentioned. The armory housed many of the Batfamily's old costumes including various outfits and relics once belonging to their ever-expanding rogues gallery.

Suddenly, Annie's phone started ringing. It was JJ! Even when he was hundreds of miles away and Pete was in his own damn house, their old drill sargent still found a way to tell him what to do. He knew all JJ's jabs at him becoming Batman were all in good fun. Pete found it hilarious that nobody came to Annie's wedding. Everyone probably knew how it was going to turn out.

"Aw come on Jay, I didn't mean to intimidate you with my awesome body. I've got some JLA shit to handle next week up in space so Lucy'll probably be over tomorrow night." Pete said with a yawn. Lucy had the luxury of having "aunties" and "uncles" that happened to be some of the most powerful people on the planet. All of Batman's colleagues loved her. JJ would be keeping an eye on her for a few days while the JLA handled a situation out on Thanagar.

"And don't worry you old bastard, I was about to get changed anyway." Pete chuckled. He grabbed Anneliese's wrist and tapped a series of buttons on his communicator. A blue light enveloped the two and they disappeared.

They reappeared deep under Wayne Manor in the Batcave. The small fortress hadn't really changed since Pete became it's "commander".

"Oh, didn't mean to startle ya.... oh wait, I did." Pete said with a chuckle. He knew teleporting freaked Annie out. He walked up to a steel sliding door located in the cave wall. Pete placed his eye up against the retinal scanner.

"Pete Todd; Batman." A mechanized female voice came from the scanner. There was a click and the door slid open. Before them was a hall of glass cases. These cases were filled with all types of costumes worn by people ranging from Tim Drake and Bruce Wayne to Mr. Freeze. At the very end of the hall was Pete's Batman Costume, it was located right next to Maddie's old outfit.

He opened the case and began suiting up.

[Brandi Cypress]

Its has been along time since she had retired her old friend Kamiko and made her independent instead of deactivating her making her six feet tall. She currently is still working her inventions and has a new buddy with her called Kameo which is kind of downgrade but its a camera but that just makes clicks and beeps.

She listened on her communicator and calls Pete's commacatior bringing hers to face staring into it with a grin on her face. She had thick goggles over her making her look extremely nerdy. Kameo su0ddenly bobbed beside her making clicks and beeps. She speaks to him " hey there Pete.. whats ...going on Seriously Pete....did you just call yourself Batman ...." Brandi thought out the years had grown into a very beatuiful twenty-eight year old woman she got over her fear of clowns and gotten much better at her building skills . She and Sam are currently still together but at moment she didn't know where he was at moment.

[Anneliese Grayson]

"Junior thought... me and you?! He really is an idiot. I'm waaaaaay out of your league anyway. I mean, I'm the goddamn Batman for Christ's sake."

"Firstly, don't call him that." She told him dryly, before punching him in the arm, super strength included. "Secondly, oh please. I'm so far out of your league, I'm surprised you can even see me BratBoy."

As he childishly interrupted the phonecall to Richard, she shoved him away, off the couch.

I'm pretty sure some of your old undies you used to fight crime in are in there. Pick whatever costume you want but just be careful because some of em' are practically antiques at this point.

"I never wore my underwear you asshole. I simply made use of my assets as an attractive female to help distract criminals before we wailed on them. I'm hot and you fucking know it."

When her phone went off again, this time it being JJ, she sighed. "Save the act JJ. I'm well aware of the fact that everyone in the world knows I ditched my third groom at the alter. Also has anyone ever told you it's super creepy the way you can watch us? Like, what if I was changing huh?"

At the teleport, Annie grimaced. She hated the feeling, it always seemed to take a few moments for her stomach to catch up with the rest of her. Then again, she always got her revenge on Pete by flying him super high and super fast, which he hated too.

"You're such a dickhead Pete. I'm totally going to beat the crap out of you at some point tonight. In public. So everyone'll know 'Batman' got his ass whooped by a girl." She told him bluntly, using air quotes around his new codename. Not in a mean way, but in a joking way.

She glanced at the uniforms before sighing and grabbing a skin tight blue leather vest and a pair of jet black leather shorts, matching them with leather over the thigh boots. "Got a spare blue or black mask?"

[Samuel Bishop]

Sam had been scouring the future lately. A lot had changed in the past 10 years. He was taller, older, a little wiser, but mostly battle hardened. He'd been a leader, a teacher, a friend, a lover, a warrior, a detective... But now? Now he seemed lost. His on-going relationship with Brandi had proven to help him stay somewhat grounded, mentally, but even with his skills and abilities, he couldn't have been prepared for this..... He was disappearing. Yeah, like that guy Michael J. Fox - erh...What was his name? Sam thought to himself, He was in the movie Back to the Future... Marty! Marty McFly!, but this didn't feel as though it would have a happy ending.

Coming to the door of a duplex he owned near downtown L.A. he sighed to himself. Here we go again... He had been holding off telling the JLA for several months now for fear of hurting Brandi. Sam would be gone for hours, sometimes days at a time... Ha! There's something funny about that... He'd search time itself for an answer to his problems, thinking he could rescue himself. There were plenty of heroes new and old that could even help him in this quest... but he his thoughts drifted back towards Brandi. He loved her and wanted nothing but her happiness. Yet, how was he to ensure that when he was gone. Who would keep her warm when their bed got cold at night? She still tried to do too much when she set foot into her workshop at the JLA's orbital tower. Who would call and tell her to take a break or rest? Sam had retired his costume already and didn't foresee a reason to return to it with all the new heroes popping up, so their team ups were very scarce now, almost rare but he still kept in touch with the teams.