Time Reveals All Things

So It Begins

Barbara runs her fingers through her hair nervously at the things she and Alfred have been caught up on, "That is definitely odd how we all saw her... especially me and Alfred. I mean, we weren't even there in the museum to meet her—" Barbara quickly gestures around the room—"Do you think she's in the house?"

Tim frowns when he automatically looks down to look at his tablet—and he didn't bring his tablet so he can't check the security cameras. "I don't think she could be in here? It's been established we all had a dream... at least it sounds like we all did. How could she make it in the house? And if she did then that would mean..."

Everyone frowns at the meaning behind Tim's words. If she is in the house now... then that means she knows the family's identities, which may already be too late since in the dreams they had they all were themselves when in the dream manor. No superhero costumes at all.

Richard crosses his arms and sighs, "Maybe she's not in the house? What if the light that flashed in the museum connected all of us together to her somehow?" Jason shakes his head in disagreement, "I thought that at first too... but if that's that case then Bruce, Kate, Barbara and Alfred shouldn't be affected—"

"But isn't that odd? Father isn't affected by the whispers or the woman at all... yet Jason, you just said father shouldn't be affected—" Jason groans and finishes Damian's sentence, "And he isn't affected... at all."

Cassandra taps her finger on her chin before perking up at her thoughts, "But... B found... the watch—" the young girl gestures around to everyone else and then back to her own body—"That's what... connects us." Kate smiles at Cassandra's genius mind, "That's right! I remember I even came over to look at the watch... and let's say this light does connect us all. Wouldn't it make sense that this watch is connected to the light since it appeared after the light was gone?"

Alfred feels pride at the kids his young master has raised, they are very brilliant people. But, there's one problem with the train of thought everyone is going on. "Excuse me, but you all said that the woman disappeared after the light flashed correct?" Alfred watches the kids nod their heads, and causing Alfred to frown at the agreement, "Then does that not mean she could have possibly turned into the watch? It does seem a bit peculiar you find the watch in the same spot the woman was standing in, does it not?"

Everyone's faces turn pale at that... the kids were feeling too dazed when they woke up to really give Bruce or Kate too many details, and Kate realizes she was too busy making sure the kids were okay to really be concerned about the watch. And that would leave Bruce... and the man was feeling too frazzled at having Damian passed out in his arms, well, he must have been rushing it.

Jason drags a hand down his face and groans, "Where did Bruce put the watch then? He was the last one that had it when we all went to leave!" Everyone looks towards Kate and the woman shrugs, "I'm sorry guys... I went up a few minutes after you all did. But, Alfred was the last one left with Bruce."

Everyone turns towards Alfred expectingly, only feeling disheartened when the older man frowns. "I am terribly sorry children. I made sure to ask master Bruce if he needed anything else... but he said no, so I headed upstairs. I did hear him come up the steps with me, but I don't remember looking at his hands to see if he put the watch down already."

Stephanie blows a piece of hair out of her face, "Great! Which means it could be anywhere from the cave to any number of rooms in this maze of a place!"

While everyone is busy talking about what they should do next. Alfred's eyes begin to look around the room... and he knows an expensive, possibly overpriced piece of a vase should be the least of his concerns. But he has been tidying up Wayne manor since his master Bruce was in diapers, and he couldn't possibly ignore something being left out of place.

The man walks over to the shelf Bruce left it on and carefully picks it up, sighing as he does so. Because why must Bruce make a mess of such things? What was the reason he took it out anyway?

Alfred makes sure to secure the treasure in his one hand while the other opens the box. The butler dropping the artifact when he sees the object of their current discussion right inside of this box, was this planned by the woman or did Bruce do this? Everyone immediately looks over to Alfred worriedly and quickly approaches the old butler.

"Alfred! Is everything alri—" Richard looks down where Alfred is looking and stops in shock. It's the pocket watch... has it been in here the whole time with them? But before anyone else can make a move to close the box or move everyone out of the room, they all watch as the watches case opens on its own and the needles inside start to move rapidly on their own.

Alfred throws both of his arms out in a protective gesture. Making sure everyone backs up—even though it's not helping much— everyone begins to hear the chanting the woman already tormented them with pick up again, but this time they see through their rapidly blurring vision the woman standing in front of them chanting it.

The woman begins to look like she's getting brighter while the room swirls around in a dizzying way, "As I have said before. You all shall finally understand the unanswered mysteries of the Bat's life, Hanaphta Rogul Zemek. Kanaktu Achta. Time, time, time!"

Everyone lets out a scream at the blinding light and the searing pain shooting through their skulls. Bruce's youngest son finding the strength to keep his eyes open a bit longer to feel his knees hitting concrete, the young boy's thoughts growing confused at the different terrain he is now on.

Damian is no longer able to keep his thoughts for much longer as his vision continues to grow darker and consumes him whole.