Author's notes: Sigh... It happened again. After I posted the previous chapter, I was busy writing my final thesis to graduate from college. And after that I had to write one more research paper IN ONE WEEK to pass one more course needed for graduation. I hope you understand that after that writing this story after all that other writing I was so tired from writing that returning back to finish this story. Also, because we are already at the end of the story, all the more interesting events to be written have already been written and this work felt like a chore.

Just like with Geoff Johns' Doomsday Clock, this spread longer than it should have, but here we finally are. More about this in the lower A/N:s.

Replies to reviews:

-Guest: Sorry this took this long. And to your other question, go to the lower A/N:s.

-Spider-Man999: Nope, we all know what happened to that Superman. The Superman I used in this story was based on a fan summary I came across in the mid-00s on some website. DCeased was still a good miniseries and I hear Tom Taylor is working on a sequel.

Chapter 21: Manhattan

''Let me say goodbye to everyone.''

Bruce kept his hand pointed at observation area's glass, it shaking with little strengths left in it until Brock gave the Pokémon treating the patient an order to stop trying to heal his wounds and just tie the wounds shut while just focusing on keeping him alive. As Brock then made his way to door connecting the operation room to the observation area, Bruce was moved from the sterile area to somewhere he could be visited. Once Bruce was moved from the OR, that was when Brock saw to going to the observation room and tell the people there what was going to happen next.

Just when Brock had opened the door and was about to open his mouth

''ALLÉHOOPARING!''

a ring appeared to expand and opened a portal, like the one that had save Brock and all the hostages the Dark Knights had been keeping on the Ultima Thule, bringing those left at Mount Coronet to reunite with everyone else here at the Aether Foundation.

''Pikapi!''

''Pikachu!'' Ash said grateful as he picked his Pokémon partner up and set him to stand on his shoulder. ''Where did yo-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-u-''

Pikachu rubbed his cheek against Ash and gave a slightly vengeful electric shock, that was also felt by Serena, who got her share of the shock from Pikachu's tail reaching to touch her.

''Don't be surprised, you had that one coming,'' Owlman said standing firmly with his hands crossed once Pikachu was done electrifying Ash.

''Oww-w-w-w-lma-n-n-n, I thought you stayed behind on the Thule,'' Serena said looking at him while feeling the effects of Pikachu's shock. ''How-w-w-w-w did you-''

''Alléhooparing!'' Hoopa yelled out, playfully jumping out from behind Owlman and enlarged one of it's rings, this time bringing Team Rocket there with them.

''That's how,'' Owlman said pointing the taloned finger of his gauntlet at Hoopa's ring as Jessie, James, Meowth and Wobbuffet fell out of it. ''In our 'fight or flight' situation, we forgot that Batman had brought a Pokémon with that could open portals and could have gotten us off the Thule that much easier.''

It was probably due to Pikachu giving them that minor shock that Ash and Serena could understand immediately what Owlman was talking about. Batman had arrived to the Ultima Thule with Ash's Pokémon to fight the Dark Knights, but had also smuggled Hoopa in there with him to extract all the hostages away from there. From inside the Ultima Thule to the Spear Pillar outside and-

''We could have gotten mom back in a much easier way,'' Serena spoke in fragile voice and almost lost her footing in shock, causing Ash, May and Dawn to take a hold of her. ''If we had just used Hoopa to get off the Thule, mom would still be with us and the Nth Metal could have been used to heal her and Bruce wouldn't be laying in there with his stomach open.''

''SENPAI!'' the woman in Draconid robes, who had brought Rayquaza screamed looking at the operating room where Serena had pointed at and rushed at the glass to better see into the opeperation room and the pieces of the Batsuit laying on the floor. ''Yes, Senpai has been there, I recognize the cloak, gauntlets and that belt. Why was he in there? What happened after he left me?''

''Who is the hell are you?!'' Serena asked, with hostility in her voice directed at the woman.

''Good question,'' Owlman said grabbing a hold off the woman's shoulder. ''I don't believe any of us caught your name.''

''Actually, we did,'' Hilda said jumping in between Owlman and the woman with Hilbert supporting her. ''Her name is Zinnia, she was there on Spear Pillar with Rayquaza to help us get away, at Bruce's request.''

''Pika PIIKA!'' Pikachu also spoke jumping in between in Zinnia's defence. ''Pikkapi kaa kaa pikachuu!''

''HEY! EXCUSE ME!'' Brock yelled out, defusing the situation the best way he saw how to and then immediately begun to use the attention he had taken. ''Bruce has lost a lot of blood while having his gunshot wound get punched in and dug into. The Pokémon have done the best they can to regenerate the damaged tissue, but-''

''What are you trying to say, Brock?'' Owlman asked glancing at the OR and noticed that Bruce was not being treated in there anymore. ''Is Bruce going to be okay?''

Brock looked at Ash and Serena with Owlman and Zinnia, then at May and Dawn with Hilda, Hilbert and Team Rocket before he shook his head and tried to explain the situation again.

''It… it doesn't look good for him,'' Brock spoke trying to keep eye contact with everyone as well as control the confusion caused by the extra people's arrival. ''The Pokémon in there did their best to regenerate the damaged tissue surrounding the gunshot to his stomach, but getting it punched it and pieces ripped out when we were flying in here, coupled with the blood loss and adrenaline shocks to keep him fighting…''

Brock paused for a few seconds to rethink what he was about to say and took a glance at everyone in the observation room. They had all been in this situation before, back when Bruce has been in a coma after Barbatos had first attacked them at Saffron City Gym. Except compared to last time when Bruce had been laying unconscious on but otherwise still alive. Now he was barely holding onto his life with a big hole in his stomach.

''Bruce… might not live through this,'' Brock eventually said with his head going down to look at his feet. ''With the regeneration being this slow, even with the Pokémon assisting it, his body won't heal fast enough for his brain to get enough oxygen. Not to mention he has developed heart arrhythmia… rhythm problems from when he had Pikachu 'shock him with adrenaline' so he could keep fighting. We can either focus on healing his wounds while letting his brain shut down or keep him him awake until he dies to his wounds.''

Brock took another pause to read the room for how everyone was reacting.

''Pikkapi…?'' Pikachu said looking at Bruce's belongings on the the floor in other side of the glass from Ash's shoulder as he and Serena also looked at them concerned.

''Senpai… is going to die?!'' Zinnia asked in shocked whisper while Hilda held onto her own gunshot would and looked at Hilbert.

''WHY IS MR WAYNE GOING TO DIE!?'' Dawn screamed while May helped her as she begun to shake. ''We pulled our world out of the darkness and he has to die-''

''Put him in life support!'' Owlman said in a commanding tone while pointing his finger at where Bruce had been laying on the other side of the glass. ''It will help him keep breathing and give his brian oxygen to-''

''I'm sorry, but that would just keep him alive for so long,'' Brock said passively cutting Owlman's commands. ''Bruce has asked for a chance to say goodbye and explain some things before-''

Brock couldn't finish that. Instead he looked at the opened other door at the other side of the observation room where Aether Foundation's workers had arrived to let them know where Bruce had been moved.

Vworrrrrr… the piece hummed in Bruce's hand as he laid in another hospital bed in a brightly lit room. It was sensing his fleeting life force in his body and it was now preparing to send him elsewhere.

''Not yet, not yet,'' Bruce muttered under his breath while making a fist. ''Don't you dare take me anywhere before I get to-''

Vworrrrrr- the humming seized, but Bruce could still feel it vibrating inside his fist. The goodbyes would end up being hasty, but at least this time Bruce would get a chance to say them. Unlike with Ciri and Avallac'h in Thedas or with that young version of himself and that younger Gordon he had met in a past version of Gotham. Bruce thought back to them when he heard a door opening and could sense people entering the room with him.

''Serena, Dawn, May… Hilda, Hilbert… Brock, Ash, Pikachu… Owlman,'' Bruce said addressing everyone as they walked to surround his bed and nodded his head with his eyes half-closed, ''Zinnia… thank you, you did good.''

''You're welcome, senpai,'' Zinnia said bowing her head with a bittersweet smile.

''Everyone else, I want to… thank you too,'' Bruce continued looking around his bed at the people surrounding him. ''You, all of you… met and accepted me… when I was a stranger to you. You helped me as I… as I helped you, which is why… why you deserve to know what is going to happen next.''

''Why are you this willing to die?'' Owlman said asking the question that had entered everyone's minds from listening to how Bruce had been talking.

''Senpai, it's okay,'' Zinnia said taking a hold of Bruce'a left hand as he begun to raise it up.

''Bruce, before you say anything else,'' Serena said leaning over at Zinnia with both of her hands on the table, ''can you explain who this woman is?''

''I'm-''

''Her name is… Zinnia of the Draconid People… I met her at the Sky Pillar at the Hoenn Region… while I was looking for those Metal cards,'' Bruce answered quickly by telling the truth. ''Pikachu was there too.''

''Pika piika,'' Pikachu responded reaching his pawn at Serena from Ash's shoulder.

''I had been using Charizard to fly there, so… Zinnia having Rayquaza made travelling much… easier,'' Bruce continued pulling his left hand raised it up to show the open palm. ''But this is the only thing that matter more right now. This thing that has been stuck in my hand… it's the reason why I'm here in your world to begin with. It brought me here, after my body died from… suffering through necrosis. It… it has been taking me to places where…''

It was obvious that speaking was turning into a struggle for Bruce. However, he had given them the necessary heads up on what was going to happen next. Told them not to worry about him and be-

''Hell NO!'' Hilda said voicing obvious rejection and disapproval. ''We just- Everyone one of us just got through being pulled to Hell and back, not to mention I got shot too-''

''Prez-'' Hilbert said taking a better hold of Hilda on her shoulder.

''-and we are all alive here, so you have no right to die on us here!'' Hilda continued in her denial looking back at Hilbert. ''You could still be stuck inside the Light Stone and I could have bled out if Bruce had not kept me alive while you were released. And then there's everything Bruce did to keep you two alive before I met you.''

That last part was directed at Serena and Dawn, who were based on the looks on their faces also trying to find words to voice how they were feeling with Bruce's situation.

''I'm sorry, but I feel to indebted to this man to just let him die,'' Hilda said with her voice breaking down and let Hilbert take her in his arms while they both looked at Bruce. ''It doesn't feel right.''

''I won't die, I'll move on and heal elsewhere,'' Bruce said, his weakening voice mixed with apology and stated fact. ''Don't let this change you too much, but if you do, have that be as better people. And Ash…''

Bruce turned to look at Ash with what he was about to say next.

''I became Batman so what happened to me… would never happen to anyone else,'' he said while also looking at Owlman. ''What Owlman did… what he gave to you by bringing you to live here… it was a gift that you should be grateful for, because... you got more time than I did before… it happened to you. You have accomplished more than I had at your age… and I… the honor to have protected that life and your accomplishments… I appreciate having been given that. Owlman-''

Vworrrrp!

''- I see you as a better man now than- ''

Vworrrrp!

''-when you invaded my world. Don't waste the second chance this world has given to you.''

Bruce's hand begun to hum and vibrate with the sound.

Vworrrrp!

''It's time,'' Bruce said taking one more look at the people around him. At Ash, Serena, Pikachu, May, Dawn, Hilda, Hilbert, Brock, Zinnia and Owlman. ''One more thing before I go, Ash. Your Pokémon are at Mount Silver between Kanto and Johto Regions, being looked after by Ho-oh, Lugia and your Bulbasaur. The Pokémon that came with me from there are in my belt. You should take them back.''

Vworrrrp!

''Thank you… Bruce,'' Ash said visibly more aware and appreciating of what he had as Bruce begun to turn transparent from sound and humming. ''If you have to go, then I hope your next stop after our world, is your home.''

Vworr-

''I would like that very much too-'' Bruce responded, almost gone already, when suddenly the sound and humming seized.

Looking at it's source in his left hand, everyone could see Owlman holding it by the wrist and had his talons sunk into the palm, digging out what was inside under the skin. It was also the last thing Bruce could see, before his lost his consciousness.

''Owlman, what are you doing?!'' Ash, Hilbert and Brock all yelled out when Owlman's talons were pulled out of Bruce's palm, along with the humming blue piece between them.

''That is not me.''

Owlman's voice echoed from behind them, the exact opposite side of where everyone saw him to be. Before getting a chance to turn and look at it's source, something big rushed over them at Owlman and forced him to let got of both Bruce's hand and of the blue piece, causing it to fly up in the air before landing on once again solidified Bruce's unconscious body. But no one managed to see that happen, as their attention was moved to the sight of

''TWO OWLMEN!?''

The other one, that had been in the room with them and had come from the the Spear Pillar with the Unovians, Zinnia, Pikachu and Team Rocket, stood on one knee after being attacked, while the other one was unmasked and wearing a damaged armor with visible wounds, standing in a battle stance ready to attack again.

''The Dream of the Endless has a sister, Death of the Endless,'' the unmasked Owlman in the damaged armor spoke keeping his gaze in his doppelganger. ''After I died fighting the Batman Who Laughs' son, this thing took my appearance and came here with you. Death must have known about it, because she left me to hang around without letting me move on yet.''

''Death is a girl?!'' Dawn said poking her head out from behind Brock.

''Then, if you're the real Owlman,'' Serena said, being the first one to speak to the unmasked Owlman in the damaged armor, ''and you died, who is that?!''

My disguise has been undone. I was not able to see how this happened.

The other Owlman took few seconds before giving any answers. It looked like it was trying to concentrate it's mind on everyone in the room and watching it while rising back on it's feet. Doing so, it also begun to emit blue glow, like the blue piece pulled out of Bruce's left hand and changed it's form from Owlman's double into-

''DUDE?!'' Hilbert yelled stunned while tightening his grip on Hilda.

''WHAT THE FU-'' Hilda was about to scream when Hilbert also moved to have him stand between her and the being.

I abandon my disguise so I can focus. I look into their future of solid destination with no altering paths. This is one more time where I am forced to get involved with people's lives.

''WHO ARE YOU!?'' Ash also said with his voice raised and taking a stand with Pikachu ready to attack.

I am able to see that what has happened to this timeline with its descend and ascension from the Dark Multiverse. It has separated it from the other possible timelines in Hypertime and this experience has defined it as a reality.

''And why are you not wearing pants!?'' Brock asked with a demanding tone while taking a stand with Ash and Hilbert to stand covering the girls from the being.

A world like the one Thomas Wayne Jr and his brother came from and I can see where it can go from here.

''You watched me die and you took my form,'' the now only present Owlman said with his left hand extended to keep the others behind as he closed in on the blue naked being. ''For what? To attack them when their guard was down? One last attempt to beat us from Barbatos?''

But I couldn't see Thomas Wayne Jr coming for me in my disguise and even now I can only see him just as he is. Dead, but not departed.

''I saw you being taken to reunite with your wife by the Death of the Endless,'' the other Owlman answered, speaking in a different voice and now appearing as a bald, muscular man with blue radiance coming from his body and without any clothes on. ''You should have allowed yourself to move on having died a better man in death than in life.''

''More people than I have died today, she was busy with them,'' the undead Owlman appearing as if he was a wraith, spoke in a chilling, hollow voice. ''She said she would take me last.''

''Okay, but I still don't get it'' Zinnia said jumping over Bruce's hospital bed and begun to try cover it. ''What are you and what were you doing to Senpai?''

''My name is Jon,'' the being said appearing next to Bruce's hospital bed observing his condition as a a separate being while still standing opposed to Owlman. ''Bruce Wayne still has something inside the palm of his hand that can hide from my vision and surprise me when I'm not expecting it. Not many things like that have done so, I'm curious to learn what it is.''

''What? How-'' May said voicing the confusion of two 'Jons' standing in two places at once as separate, identical beings. ''How is he doing that?''

I divide my focus. The thing inside Bruce Wayne's palm is sentient and like other sentient beings I can see it's past, present and future. It is coming with me when I leave this world.

Because the two 'Jon's' attention was Owlman and the unconscious Bruce, and because 'Jon' was naked with intimidating physique and presense, no one was comfortable to try physically stop him from what he was doing. Even Team Rocket was too uncomfortable to try entering the room with 'Jon' in it.

''I will be leaving with this,'' 'Jon' spoke as he pulled the thing inside Bruce's arm out of it and merging back to one being. ''You will try to stop me, but eventually you will allow me to leave.''

''Is your name… really just 'Jon'?'' Ash decided to ask taking a stand next to Owlman with Pikachu on his shoulder. ''And is it possible for you to wear ANYTHING!?''

''That is all you need to know to call me,'' 'Jon' answered with the thing from Bruce's hand now vibrating between his finger and bending light around himself to give an appearance that he was wearing a black three piece suit with a white shirt. ''My friends called me Jon.''

''None of us are your friends,'' the undead Owlman growled in his haunting and hollow voice as he pointed the blades from his gauntlets at 'Jon'. ''Why would any of us let you leave? Why should I let you leave!?''

''For one, when I removed this from Bruce Wayne's hand,'' 'Jon' said lifting up the vibrating piece he had removed from Bruce's hand and gestured towards the undone bandages coming off of Bruce's abdomen, ''I did it after it was done reviving his body, but before it would hava taken him elsewhere.''

''Senpai?'' Zinnia said closest to Bruce and his healed wounds, then put her head on his chest, waited for a second or two before saying: ''I'm don't know how his heart is supposed to beat with that thing you said, can someone else also look into this?''

''Let… me,'' Brock said taking a stethoscope he had picked up from the building and used it to check Bruce's pulse, along with his healed wounds. ''Unbelievable… his heartbeat is stable and these wounds…''

The gunshot wound that had been ripped open had closed, but there was still a noticeable scar on Bruce's stomach. Small reminder of what had happened to him and a new addition to all the other scars visible on his body.

''Where do you think you're going, 'Jon'!?'' Owlman's voice cut through the everyone's raised existement on Bruce's restored health, with his gauntlet's blade extended against 'Jon's' neck.

I can see the future of this world and these people, but Thomas Wayne Jr is still a ghost and without a lifeline that has a past or future, he can sneak up on me. He needs to be gone before I can leave without anyone remembering I was here.

''Both of us will soon be gone from, Thomas Jr,'' 'Jon' answered turning around and putting the piece he had taken from Bruce's hand to the brest pocket of the suit he was wearing. ''And after we have left, these people will move on, forgetting we were ever here.''

I turn to everyone observing us and focus on their futures. I see how they move on.

In one year, Ash Ketchum has begun a new journey in the Galar Region as a Pokémon Champion while also revisiting the other regions and their Leagues' to redo them with new resolve.

Brock Harrison has become a legitimate Pokémon Doctor, something he already knows, while assisting in the rebuilding the hospital in Saffron City.

May Maple has taken the offer to come work for the BW Agency, representing the company in the Hoenn Region and properly mentors Dawn Berlitz as a Pokémon Coordinator.

After I have left, Hilbert Black and Hilda White will find a room and make love for the first time uninterrupted. This union will lead to the birth of child they will name in the honor those who have died. A year from now, she will be back running her company with him representing it as a high-ranking runner up champion of the Unova Region.

Bruce Wayne's wounds have been healed enough for him to be back on his feet after a´week's rest and physical therapy. He will return to his world with the use of Hoopa's Rings, where he will face off against the Batman Who Laughs once more. Serena Yvonne will follow him there knowing her mother to still be with that nightmare.

Zinnia of the Draconid People departs heartbroken after learning about Selina Kyle existing in Batman's world.

As for those four standing by the door, they are going to do with their future exactly what this dead man here is going to tell them.

''Use your last moments here well before you depart.''

The undead Owlman put down his gauntlet's blade while keeping his gaze in 'Jon'. Slowly, the wraith turned his gaze over to the direction where Ash was standing, between him and the door to the hallway where Team Rocket was poking their heads out of the doorway.

''Jessie, James, Meowth and Wobbuffet,'' the undead Owlman said turning his glare back into 'Jon', but was still addressing Team Rocket. ''I'm only going to say this once, so you better hear it as clearly as possible, because I won't be coming back to repeat them.''

''Okay,'' Jessie said coming in.

''We are listening, boss,'' James said coming after Jessie.

''Yeah, speak and we listen,'' Meowth chimed in.

''Wob-bu-FFET!'' Wobbuffet said making a salute.

''Team Rocket is no more, and the Crime Syndicate has died with me,'' undead Owlman spoke turning to them and saw a pale girl wearing black standing behind them in the doorway, hidden from everyone else's line of sight. ''Stop any more criminal activities you still have. It has come clear to me that you are ALL terrible at them. Get better jobs at something that you are actually good at, all four of you.''

''He is not actually wrong,'' May said adding into undead Owlman's speech. ''Jessie, you have actually been good at Pokémon contests that you have competed with me and James also has a nack at different Pokémon competitions.''

''Thank you, May, for helping me to prove my point,'' the undead Owlman said looking at the pale girl in black standing behind Team Rocket. ''One more thing before I go… Ash, and Bruce if you can hear me, I truly am sorry for being the catalyst for everything that has happened. I'm sorry for turning you into something you're not, I'm sorry for causing Barbatos to learn about this world and I am sorry all the deaths they caused… because of me.''

The undead Owlman turned around to take one last look at Ash, Bruce and everyone else in the room.

''May, Dawn, Hilbert, for your Pokémon killed by the Batman Who Laughs… Serena, for your mother and he did to you too.''

''Owlman, no matter what you say-'' Serena was about to say in a cold voice.

''I am not asking for your forgiveness over my actions, I am owing up to what I have caused and what is my fault,'' undead Owlman said cutting her off. ''And no matter where Death is going to take me from here, I am going accept that because… I know I'm going to get what I fucking deserve.''

The pale girl in black at the doorway made a chuckle and then extended her hand towards Owlman, giving Jessie and James a spook while she did.

''Pikapi,'' Pikachu told Ash as undead Owlman begun to walk to take the pale girl's hand.

''Thomas Jr-'' Ash was about to say.

''Goodbye, little brother,'' undead Owlman said taking the pale girl's hand. ''And 'Jon', I don't know who you are, but I hope this has been worth it.''

''Batman saw you as a better man and I suppose at your last moments that was true,'' Ash said trying very hard to remember something he shouldn't have as the Death of the Endless resumed what she had come to do and took Thomas Wayne Jr to where he belonged.

''Sigh… goodbye, Tommy.''

Earth-0 – Circle Tower Ruins in the Island between Gotham and Metropolis

A ring opened in the ruins of the tower destroyed during the Blackest Night with an aura of dark green emitting from it. Even when the site was under being fixed with reconstruction, at night time there was only the few night watchmen, who weren't able to see the orb emitting the aura or the people carried inside. The orb flew up over the Wayne Tower to a high vantage point to observe the surroundings.

''Well?'' Dawnbreaker asked dissolving the the orb and let the others out of it.

''Give me a second,'' Batman Who Laughs said walking to the ledge of the building and took a look around while focusing his visor. ''Yes, I see.''

''What do you see?'' Grim Knight asked joining him at the ledge with a sniper rifle to take his own glance around.

''Dark Metal in the buildings of this city, hah hah hah, I see it,'' Batman Who Laughs replied cackling and turned to the other Dark Knights, while also placing his left hand around his bride's hip and right hand on his son's shoulder. ''Gentlemen, Grace, my son, we made it.''

Author's notes: Okay, this seems like a good spot to end this. With Doctor Manhattan's premonitions, everyone's future after the story is pretty much explained and an epilogue chapter written from Bruce's perspective after he wakes up would be DLC. Unneeded, but if not unwanted, I might still do that.

Also, in January I started to doing Youtube as a hobby under my current name author-name Pikashades now that I'm no longer in school and have the free time. So far I have been making audiobook readings from Tomoco Kanemaki's written Kingdom Hearts novelizations and a couple of video essays, that include:

-a review/rant about the Birds of Prey and the unnecessary long subtitle including Harley Quinn movie,

-an essay about the Missing half of Flashpoint,

-a spoiler-free review about the Sonic the Hedgehog movie and

-a review about the Mewtwo Strikes Back: Evolution movie.

As Guest asked, Pokémon Sword that I played was a great experience to play through, with it's pros and cons, that I could make video to talk about around the time when the DLCs are coming out. This is also not plea for subscribers, but I would also like to make commentaries about some of these fanfiction stories ONLY if there will be an audience to listen/watch them.

And when it comes to continuation from here, I'll leave the story's status as ongoing for a few weeks to see if you want a Bruce's POV epilogue chapter. If enough people want one before, checks calendar, March 29th, I'll write the epilogue and then begin to draw out the proper plotline for the next story with the few ideas I have.