Ethan moved carefully, easing his arms free from Jean and Anna with the practiced patience of a man who had learned that disturbing sleeping women was its own kind of danger. He sat up slowly, crossed his legs, and let out a slow breath as the stillness of the room settled around him.
He turned his gaze to Jean first. She lay on her side, her red hair fanned across the pillow, her lips slightly parted in peaceful sleep. She wore her green pajamas, the soft fabric rising and falling gently with each breath.
Beside, Anna slept just as deeply, her yellow pajamas a warm splash of colour against the pale sheets, one arm curled loosely beneath her head.
Ethan sat there for a moment, just watching them both. Then his eyes drifted back to Jean.
His hand moved on its own, slow and deliberate, lifting the hem of her shirt just enough. He pressed his palm flat against her belly, and the moment he did, everything else fell away.
He felt it. That small, quiet signature of life nestled deep within her. Faint as a candle flame but burning with unmistakable warmth. His Genesis Awareness had never felt anything quite like it.
He had sensed the life energy of entire planets, had felt the pulse of ecosystems stretching across continents. But this, this single flicker curled within the woman he loved, hit him somewhere no cosmic power could reach.
A smile crept across his lips before he even realised it.
His eyes stung. He blinked, and a single tear traced its way down the side of his face. He didn't wipe it away. He just sat there, feeling that warmth beneath his hand, and let it wash over him completely.
'Twenty-nine years in this body,' he thought. 'More than fifty years in my mind. All those battles, all that power... and nothing has ever felt like this.'
He knew what it meant to fight for a world but he had never known what it meant to fight for someone who hadn't even drawn their first breath yet. Until now.
Slowly, he leaned forward and rested his head against her belly, his ear pressed gently to the soft fabric. He closed his eyes and his hand moved in small, slow circles, barely grazing the surface.
"I promise," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, low enough to belong only to this moment. "I'm going to be the best father you could ever have. I don't care what it takes."
He smiled against her and stayed exactly like that, eyes shut, chest full of something he had no proper name for.
He didn't notice Jean stirring.
The unfamiliar weight on her belly pulled her up from sleep in slow degrees. Her brows drew together first, then her eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dim light. She looked down and found Ethan there, head resting on her, eyes closed, lips curved in a quiet smile she had never quite seen on him before.
Confusion settled across her face. Before she can call him, she nearly gasped at what came flooding through.
Joy. Pride. Nervousness. Fear. Love. Awe. And underneath it all, something raw and overwhelming that she could only describe as wonder.
His emotions were pouring out of him completely unchecked, layered on top of each other like crashing waves. Ethan, who was always so composed, so measured in how much he let slip through, had his entire soul wide open right now.
"Ethan," she said softly, her voice still husky from sleep. "What's going on? Why are you..."
His head lifted immediately. His eyes met hers, and before she could finish the sentence, he leaned up and pressed his lips to hers.
She blinked in surprise, though it was not entirely unexpected. Ethan had a habit of greeting her and others with a kiss, especially in the warm aftermath of nights like the one before. But this kiss was different. It was not hungry or playful. It was tender in a way that made her chest ache, carrying something in it that felt almost reverent.
She kissed him back without thinking. When they pulled apart, she looked at his face and saw it clearly. His eyes were wet. A faint trail on one cheek where a tear had already fallen.
Her expression softened immediately and she reached up to touch his face. "What happened? Ethan, your emotions right now..." She searched his eyes. "Why are your emotions so unstable?"
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he reached out and took her right hand in both of his, gentle and deliberate. He guided it down and pressed it flat against her own belly, holding it there beneath his palms.
Jean frowned slightly. She looked down at their joined hands resting against her stomach.
Then she felt it. Her breath caught and eyes went wide. The words that came out of her mouth came in fragments, each one softer and more unsteady than the last.
"Am I... are we... is that..."
"Congratulations on becoming a mother, Jean." Ethan's voice was rough at the edges, the kind of rough that had nothing to do with sleep. His smile broke wide and unguarded across his face. "And thank you. For making me a father." He let out a breath that was half laugh, half something else entirely. "I'm... I'm just so happy."
He pulled her into his arms and held her, and she held him back just as fiercely. Her fingers gripped the back of his shirt. Tears slipped freely down her cheeks and she didn't bother stopping them. She pressed her face against his shoulder and laughed a little, the sound watery and bright.
For a while, neither of them said anything at all.
They had used a concealment spell for years, a quiet precaution to ensure their nights together remained only that. But after the wedding, Ethan had quietly let it go. He was strong enough now to hold a galaxy in his hands. There was nothing left in any universe that could genuinely threaten what was his. The caution that had once felt necessary had simply... faded.
He had not expected this to happen so soon. Honestly, a part of him was still catching up to the fact that it had happened at all.
Neither of them noticed Anna until the moment she bolted upright in bed.
The overflow of emotion coming from the two of them had seeped through her sleep like a tide coming in, tugging her up from the depths of a perfectly comfortable dream. She blinked, disoriented, and found Ethan and Jean wrapped around each other, both visibly emotional, both smiling like they had just been handed the world.
"Okay," Anna said slowly, glancing between them with narrowed eyes. "What am I missing?"
They separated, both turning to look at her.
Ethan spoke first, his grin still wide and irrepressible. "Jean's pregnant."
The sleepiness vanished from Anna's face so fast it was almost comical. She shot upright, eyes flying open. "WHAT."
Jean laughed, covering her mouth with one hand.
"I'm going to be a father," Ethan said, leaning back with unmistakable pride radiating off of him like heat.
Anna stared at Jean for exactly one second before launching herself across the bed and throwing both arms around her. "Congratulations! Oh my God, Jean, congratulations!"
She pulled back just as quickly, breathless and beaming, and pressed a hand to Jean's belly with wide eyes. "So the little Ethan is going to make his appearance soon. I cannot wait to see him."
She gasped. "Wait, have you picked a name yet? No, wait, forget that. I'm going to be a stepmother. I need to watch videos. I need to research proper parenting strategies. Jean, no more junk food, starting right now. We are on a proper diet from this moment. The little guy needs to be healthy."
"Why do you both assume it is a boy?" Ethan asked while raising an eyebrow. "I have a strong feeling it is a girl."
Jean and Anna turned to look at him at exactly the same time.
"We have a feeling, it's a boy," they said, in perfect unison.
Ethan opened his mouth, then closed it. He shook his head slowly with a quiet smile. "Fine. Either way, this calls for a celebration." He sat straighter, the energy in the room shifting as the excitement fully took hold of him. "I am throwing the biggest party this world has ever seen. Tomorrow night."
Anna threw both fists into the air. "Hell yeah!"
...
[Hotel Lobby, Ground Floor]
They came downstairs dressed and bright-eyed, still carrying the warmth of the morning between them, and found Elizabeth already in the corridor, polished and poised, clearly on her way up to check on them.
Anna barely waited for a greeting. "Jean's pregnant."
Elizabeth stopped walking. The composed expression she wore every waking hour flickered. For just a moment, something genuinely startled moved across her face. Then her expression warmed and she stepped forward, offering her congratulations with quiet sincerity to both Jean and Ethan.
Ethan smiled then he turned and called for the hotel manager directly, who appeared in short order looking professionally attentive.
"Everyone on staff," Ethan said simply, "gets five years' worth of salary. Today." He paused, then added, "And we are hosting a large celebration tomorrow evening. Make whatever preparations are necessary. Spare nothing."
The manager blinked. He opened his mouth once. Closed it. Then understanding crossed his face, followed immediately by genuine delight as Ethan explained the reason.
He offered his heartfelt congratulations and disappeared at once to begin the arrangements, moving with the energy of a man who had just been given an extraordinary purpose.
Anna had already stepped aside with phone pressed to her ear, cycling through her contacts. Lena first, then Eve, then Pamela. Each call brought its own burst of sound from the other end of the line, voices spilling out in disbelief and excitement. Anna relayed each reaction to no one in particular, grinning the entire time.
Elizabeth and Jean moved toward the dining area for breakfast, their voices low and easy between them.
Ethan watched them go for a moment, then turned and reached for his jacket. He had intended to head to the Hall of Justice himself. He wanted to deliver the news in person and there were a few other matters he needed to see to while he was there. Gifts, specifically, for two people in particular.
He stepped out into the open air and had barely cleared the entrance when a streak of red and yellow split across the street in front of him and came to a sharp halt in a crackle of residual lightning.
Barry Allen stood there in his Flash suit, slightly breathless, eyes scanning Ethan with a quick once-over. "Everything alright? I woke up this morning and ran a sweep. There are no anomalies and disturbances, I've observed so far."
He tilted his head. "But you've got a look on your face I haven't seen before."
Ethan stepped forward and pulled him into a firm hug.
Barry's arms came up automatically, though surprise was obvious in the way he stiffened briefly before relaxing. "Okay. That answers exactly nothing."
"I'm going to be a father," Ethan said.
Barry pulled back and looked at him. The speedster's expression shifted from confusion to something bright and genuine. He gripped Ethan's shoulder. "That's... that's incredible. Congratulations, man. Seriously." He shook his head with a short laugh. "Jean? Or Anna?"
"Jean."
Barry grinned. Then, because he could not help himself, he added, "You realise that kid is either going to be the most powerful being in the universe or the most terrifying teenager to ever exist?"
"Probably both," Ethan said.
Barry laughed. Then his expression steadied into something more attentive as Ethan's tone shifted slightly.
"There's something else," Ethan said. "I want everyone gathered at the Hall. I'll reach them now."
He did not wait for an answer. His telepathy reached out in a calm, even sweep, touching each mind in turn across the city, carrying a single clear message. The League was to assemble.
...
[Hall of Justice, Washington D.C.]
[Main Assembly Chamber]
The Hall of Justice held a certain gravity even on ordinary days. The high ceilings, the large windows, the weight of what was gathered within its walls. Today, seven of them stood in a loose grouping near the central floor, their expressions ranging from attentive to faintly puzzled.
Bruce sat with his arms folded, reading the room as he always did. Clark sat nearby, unhurried and attentive. Arthur leaned against a pillar. Hal sat with his arms crossed, looking mildly impatient. Billy lingered near the back seat. Victor's sensors were quietly active. Barry sat close to Ethan.
Diana was still in the Marvel universe. Ethan felt it was better they would end the honeymoon trip soon and return home for Jean's delivery. He had planned to tell this to Anna and Jean after informing everyone about this.
Hal was the first one to speak. He looked at Ethan with unfiltered bluntness and said, "You show up here after months with that ridiculous smile on your face. What happened?"
"He's going to be a father," Bruce said, without looking up.
Every head in the room turned toward Bruce.
He unfolded his arms slightly. "The change in his expression was minor, but the smile is not one I have seen on him before. Pride and nervousness together. The only thing that makes a man who once went hand to hand with Darkseid, and ended the War with the Atlantians look nervous and happy simultaneously is becoming a parent."
A beat of silence....
Then the room erupted.
Clark was across the space in two strides, his hand coming down warmly on Ethan's shoulder with a broad smile. Arthur's brow shot up and he pushed off the pillar, his laugh low and genuine. Hal shook his head with a wide grin and extended his hand. Billy's face lit up completely. Victor gave a nod that carried real warmth beneath the composure.
Ethan took it all in with that same wide, helpless smile, accepting each congratulations as it came.
He raised his voice slightly to carry over the noise. "Tomorrow night. The M&C. There's going to be the biggest celebration this city has seen. You are all invited."
A chorus of agreement moved through the room.
"I'll see if I have time," Bruce said.
Several people in the room turned to look at him.
"He'll be there," Clark said quietly, with the calm certainty of a man who had known Bruce Wayne for a very long time.
Ethan let the laughter settle, then raised a hand. "There is one more thing I need to share with all of you."
The room quieted.
He explained what happened with the Flashpoint and reached into his jacket and retrieved the recording device. He pulled up the footage of the Flashpoint event and transferred it to the Hall's display system. The footage played without commentary.
The silence that followed was not the comfortable kind.
Every face in the room had tightened. Arthur stared at the display with his jaw set. Hal's arms had uncrossed and dropped to his sides. Clark's expression carried something controlled and heavy. Victor's optical sensor shifted with the kind of micro-focus that indicated his systems were still processing.
Every eye eventually drifted to Barry.
Barry stood still, looking at the floor. The colour in his face had receded slightly. "I know," he said quietly, before anyone else could speak. "I know what I did. And I won't do it again." He looked up, and his voice was steadier than his expression. "I have the memories now. Living that other life with her. That is enough. That is more than enough."
Bruce looked at him for a long moment. "Our scars are what make us who we are. The pain, the loss, the mistakes. All of it." His voice was even and direct. "Do not make that mistake again. You will not always have someone like Ethan to step in and correct it."
Barry gave a single nod. It was not a defensive gesture. It was the nod of a man who had genuinely heard something.
Ethan turned to Barry and met his eyes with a quiet look. "There won't be a next time," he said simply.
The conversations that followed were measured and necessary. The implications of the event, what had been altered, what had been restored, what safeguards existed now that hadn't before. They talked through it with thoroughness.
Eventually, the gathering broke apart, voices trailing off, footsteps heading toward exits. The hall emptied in degrees until only two figures remained near the centre of the room.
Ethan waited until the others were gone. "Bruce."
Bruce had been on the verge of leaving, but he stopped and turned. "I have something for you."
Ethan reached into his jacket and produced a small drive. He held it between his fingers for a moment before extending it. "A recording. I want you to watch it."
Bruce took it without question. Ethan crossed to the nearest display console and connected the drive himself, then stepped back.
The footage began to play.
Thomas Wayne appeared on the screen. He was wearing the Batman costume, and he looked as though carrying it had cost him something immeasurable.
His face was older than Bruce would have remembered from Crime Alley. Worn in places that grief had carved. But his eyes, when he looked directly into the camera, held something clear and deliberate.
Bruce's expression did not move. Not at first.
"Bruce... my son... if you're seeing this, then somehow... the world has been given another chance."
Thomas paused for a long moment. When he continued, his voice carried a fracture in it that he made no effort to conceal. "I failed you."
"That night in Crime Alley... I was supposed to protect you. That was my job. A father's only job... and I couldn't do it."
"I watched you die, Bruce. I felt you slip away in my arms... and there was nothing I could do."
His breath came unevenly.
"And your mother... Martha... I failed her too. I couldn't save you... and I couldn't save her from what that pain turned her into. I lost my son... and then I lost my wife..."
"Everything that came after... the blood, the rage, the war I waged on this city... it wasn't justice. It was just a man drowning in his own guilt."
His voice shifted, losing some of its weight, gaining something quieter in its place. "But then... Ethan showed me something."
"He showed me you. Not the boy I buried... but the man you became."
A short, broken sound escaped him. Something between a breath and a laugh, faint and raw.
"You became Batman... but not like me. You didn't let the pain hollow you out. You didn't let it turn you into... this. You became something better. A hero. A symbol. A man who still believes in saving people... not punishing them blindly."
His voice filled with something that had no other name but love.
"I am so proud of you, Bruce. More than I ever thought I could be. Even in a world where I lost everything... you still found a way to become someone your mother and I would have believed in."
"Don't carry my sins with you. Don't carry that night like a chain around your soul. Let it make you stronger... but don't let it make you cruel."
"Save who you can. Love when you can. Live... the life I couldn't give you."
A final, long pause. "I couldn't save you... and I couldn't save Martha. But maybe... through you... we can still be saved."
"I love you, Bruce. And I am so proud of the man you have become."
The recording ended and the room held its silence.
Ethan did not look at Bruce directly. He kept his gaze on the now-dark screen, giving the man beside him the privacy that a moment like this deserved.
After a long breath, he spoke quietly. "Your father also wrote you a letter. He gave it to me before I left." He paused. "I haven't read it and don't know what's in it." He set the sealed envelope on the console beside Bruce's hand. "But I think just seeing him was already enough."
He stepped back and opened a crimson portal with a quiet gesture.
"Ethan."
He stopped and turned.
Bruce was still facing the darkened screen. There was a single line of moisture at the corner of one eye that Batman would never in his life acknowledge aloud.
"Thank you."
Ethan smiled, quiet and genuine, with none of the fanfare that usually accompanied his larger gestures. "You're welcome, Bruce."
He stepped through the portal, and it closed softly behind him.