Episode 9 was emotionally tiring. I think I died a bit. So this fanfiction takes place minutes after episode 9 "Darkest" Nightwing centric. Other chapters will feature other couples including SuperMartian, Spitfire, Chalant and whatever Mal and Karen are called. This will be approximately five chapters. Please Review.

Chapter One: Necessary Risks

Hall of Justice, Washington D.C

With Mount Justice being destroyed, and most of the League being off Earth the team sought refuge in the Hall of Justice. M'gann sat beside Conner, bandaging him up. Tears streaming down her mint green cheeks, knowing that her brother was been captured. I should have been there...was the only thought in her mind. She was terrified to hear that their home, the only home that she's really had, was gone and that the man responsible for it was Kaldur. He was my brother...My leader...my friend...how could he...?

Conner looked over to her and gave her a soft look. "M'gann...I'm so sorry...I-"

"Conner please...it's not your fault...no one knew this was going to happen...we'll get him back..." I hope... "We have to..."

Karen hugged Mal tightly, resting her head on his chest. "Baby...I can't believe this happened..." she shook her head. "You could have been hurt...if you showed up a few minutes earlier you could have been..."

Zatanna hugged her arm "If he showed up a minute later Conner, Nightwing, and Wolf would have been dead..."

M'gann's honey eyes widened hearing that, she truly could have lost Conner for good. She grabbed his hand lovingly. I can't take anymore loss... She thought to herself. She couldn't bare to lose anyone else she loved.

Conner returned the loving gesture and gave her a small smile. "Hey...I'm ok, it's going to take a lot more than that to stop me." Looking around the room he saw that Captain Marvel, Green Arrow, The Flash and Black Canary were trying to consul the team. Cassie was crying, imaging that worst had happened to her friends, and Barbara scared that she lost someone else. Examining the room a bit more, he realized that Nightwing was no where to be found, along with Wally. He remembered that Wally went into the league library. He listened closely to their conversation behind the thick metal walls.

"What happened?" Wally voice was low and coarse. Conner raised an eyebrow as this was very out of character for the speedster. He's never heard Wally so angry.

"It was necessary." he set down his coffee.

"It better have been...spill." his voice threatening.

"Aqualad needed to find a way to help us rescue Lagoon Boy. He'd already injected a microscopic tag into La'gann's blood stream and he used the raid on the cave to pass essential intel. A flash drive with among other things tracking software that can locate the tag."

Conner's eyes widened more, he was in disbelief. M'gann...read my mind...

What? Conner what are you-

Just do it! Now please...

Linking with Conner's thoughts, he relayed the conversation he was listening to.

"Like that's all he did." Wally grumbled.

"Wally, he had to make it look good. He put inhibitor collars on us, but he knew I'd get us out of them."

"He took three more hostages! Members of your team!"

"And we'll rescue them. When we rescue Lagoon Boy."

"Dick he blew up the cave! You guys almost died."

"No. It's all on the flash drive, he knew I'd have to peruse to make it look legit and that's exactly what happened." he sighed "He gave us time to get out, we just..we got caught the debris field from the explosion."

"Do you even hear yourself? What if either one of you had been left behind? Huh? Why take that risk? Why go to such extremes?!"

"The drive explains that too. He needed to cement his position with the Light and the lights partner."

"Wasn't that why he 'murdered' Artemis?"

"I guess that didn't convince everyone?"

"You guess?!"

"The cave is-was just a place! Worth sacrificing if it helps us stop the invasion. Look I'm sorry you lost all your souvenirs."

"Are you serious!?" he shoved him to the chair. "I don't care about that junk! I'm worried about Artemis! Terrified for her! and you put her right into his hands!"

"Wally, we're talking about Kaldur here."

"I know...Kaldur...our friend..who in the space of a few months lost the love of his life and found out that Black Manta was his father. I, but are you absolutely sure he isn't playing you?"

Conner's eyes widened with rage. M'gann looked over to him, she couldn't believe that Nightwing was playing all of them. They were just pawns in his plans. Before she could stop him, Conner had made his way through the security pass way and plunged at Nightwing, pinning him against the back wall. "Ugh!" he glared. "You knew that Kaldur wasn't a traitor?! And you didn't tell us!"

Mal, the team and the league hurried after him "Con man, calm down what are you talking about?"

The kryptonian looked back at the team. "Why don't you tell them!" he gripped his shirt tighter. "Tell them all about how Kaldur isn't really a traitor and that Artemis isn't dead! Tell them about how blowing up the cave was to make it look good!" his eyes narrowed. "Any more secrets? Or did I nail them all?" he gritted his teeth, suppressing his urge to break every bone in his body.

"Conner! Stop" M'gann flew to his side touched his forearm.

He looked over to her "It's his fault Garfield got kidnapped! He used your brother as bait!" She froze as his words sunk in, her arms dropped down by her side.

Zatanna shook her head. "Dick...how could you...?"

"It was for the team! This was only going to work if Manta and the Light knew they could trust him! Having the team and the league know would jeopardize the entire mission. You'd all become a liability." He had no choice but to come clean, there was no point in lying now. He was caught red handed and if worst came to worst M'gann would have been able to extract the necessary information.

"Typical Nightwing. Mission first, no matter what the sacrifice, right?! We're expendable because you can always get more team members" Conner threw him through the wall angrily. "It's that same mentality that Tula killed! She trusted you and you let her die!" he glared at Wally, as he was about to grab him M'gann wrapped her arms around his forearm. "And you...What kind of man are you?! You claim you love Artemis and yet you go along with his plan! If anything happens to ANY of my friends I will personally end both of you!" he turned away and shook his head.

Tim stepped up, his eyes lost and confused. "Nightwing...Wally..." he looked down for a moment and gripped his fist. His blue eyes turned back to Nightwing as he gathered himself out of the debris. "Dick...you always said that you guys started this team because the League was keeping secrets..." he shook his head. "You always told me...no unnecessary risks on a mission...We trusted you...you're my brother...and now my best friends are in danger..." he turned away and left the room.

As Nightwing stood up he was met with Barbara's cold blue eyes. "Barb please...I was just trying to stop the invasion Jason would-"

She shook her head and she looked down. "Stop it! Don't you dare bring up Jason! I don't know about you Dick...but I've buried enough friends...I'm done..." she slipped off her cowl and left back into the meeting room.

M'gann looked down. "Each of us would give our lives for this team...you don't need to sacrifice us...if you were upfront this could have gone differently..." she followed behind Barbara. Cassie gave him a sad look before walking out.

"What about Artemis! And La'gann...Gar...Jamie...and Bart...are we giving up on them?" Wally asked.

Mal grabbed Karen's hand. "We'll get our own back...our way..." he shook his head and glared at Dick angrily.

"Guys this was for your own good. I was trying to protect you!" Nightwing yelled.

"From what Dick? Were you trying to protect us from the Light? Or were you trying to protect yourself from us?" the raven haired magician looked down. "You used me..." her voice was soft. "The charm...you made me conjure a charm to deceive our friends...our family..."

"Zee..." he reached out toward her hand but she took a step back, shaking her head. "Zatanna please..."

"No...I'm tired of the mission coming first Dick...it happened with us...and now...you risk our friends lives...I...I can't..." She walked out of the room and sighed.

Green Arrow looked down. "You made me think that I lost Artemis...that it was my fault." Canary held his hand lovingly. "She's alive...thank god she's alive..." Ollie's eyes narrowed as he looked over to Nightwing. "I don't know what you think your doing, but I've been doing the hero thing for a while kid...and what I've learned is that...you're only as good as the people you fight for." walking away he held his head high. "Who do you fight for?"

Before he knew it Nightwing was alone. Anyone he ever loved and cared about had left him. They have every right to be mad...I knew going into this that they'd never forgive me...but I need to get my team out of there...They trusted me...they gave their lives to me...and I owe them this... He walked out into the hallway, surprised to see that his team was still there. "I understand that you don't trust me...and I promise to step down and disappear as leader but...Artemis and Kaldur are trusting me to do this. This needs to end. After this you'll never have to follow me again...but our friends are counting on us so please...Trust me one more time. One more mission"

Conner crossed his arms and felt M'gann touch his hand. Exchanging a few glances the team understood. Although they were still angry at him, they knew that they needed Nightwing's intel and leadership. "No more secrets...as in you come clean. Now." the kryptonian clone forced.

Nightwing looked down. "The plan started one year ago. Kaldur was to switch sides and join the light. He actually learned that Manta was his father before the death of Tula..." he took a deep breath. "Everything that happened from then on was part of the plan...except La'gann was not supposed to be captured..." he crossed his arms over his chest. "Tula's death...would act as the perfect motive for Kaldur to switch sides. And it being his father on the Light made him the only candidate. Artemis was a second choice, but with her decision to leave the team and the lifestyle...I tried to keep her out of it for as long as I could..."

Wally flinched at the thought of his Artemis being in danger. "Che ya...as long as you could wasn't very long.." he rolled his eyes.

"Manta was closer to the Light and was the only way that we could see who the Light's new partner is...We find the partner and we can stop the entire invasion. That would mean...Kaldur needed all the reason to hate us...Blaming me for Tula's death...on my first mission as leader we lost Aquagirl..."

M'gann's honey eyes widened. "You didn't..." she whispered.

He looked down ashamed. "We staged Tula's death...But that's really all she knows of the plan...it was best to keep her in the dark..."

Barbara stood up and glared at him "Dammit Dick! Is this what you do now? Stage deaths? Did you stage Jason's too?! Where the hell is Tula?!"

Wally grabbed her to hold her back from smacking Dick. Her eyes watered, in anger. The speedster glared at him. "How could you not tell me that Tula was still alive?!"

"Barb...Wally...I'm sorry...it was...necessary...And I didn't stage Jason's death..." he looked down taking a moment to mourn a fallen family member. "Tula...is safe..living her life with Garth on the surface world."

"Anything else...?" Cassie asked quietly.

"No. That's it, no more secrets." He sighed in relief. Wow...that feels so much better...He smiled at them. "You guys have no idea how good it feels to tell you...I know you'll never trust me again but … Kaldur... don't be mad at him. This was my plan and he's had to make some impossible decisions."

"Why did he take La'gann?" M'gann asked softly.

"La'gann...he didn't follow his orders. If he would have he, Blue Beetle, Beast boy, and Impulse would be with us right now. And the cave wouldn't have have to be destroyed." he looked down. "Kaldur had two choices. Send him to the Light or...execute him...With La'gann being captured, he needed to pass on essential tracking intel and we'd need people on the inside. Our friends will be ok but we need to get in there...and save them."

Conner nodded "We're in." The rest of the team stood by him. "But lets get one thing clear Nightwing. After we get our friends back, and end this stupid plan you and I are going to-"

"No!" The Flash intervened. "I can't believe any of this...Do you guys realize how stupid this plan is? Do you know how dangerous this is? The League is extremely short handed right now and so are you guys! If anything were to happen to you I-you..." he took a breath. "No, N.o. You guys aren't doing this. I'm not letting you get killed."

"We're not kids anymore." Wally looked at his uncle sadly. "If...anything happened to your wife...wouldn't you do anything in your power to save her life? Including risking your own?"

Barry sighed and looked down. "Guys...I know you mean well, but we've gotta wait until the League gets back. And we do this together."

"It'll be too late then! Everyone will be gone. We don't have that type of time...From what Kaldur gave me...All original subjects will be exterminated."

M'gann let out a sad yelp as she covered her mouth, and her eyes watered. She turned to hug Conner tightly. Gar...No...

Conner held her tight and kissed the top of her head. "Shhh...it's ok...he'll be ok." he lifted her chin "Hey...I promise...we'll get him back."

"Haven't you done enough Nightwing? You endangered six of your teammates lives and now you're going to lead the rest on a suicide mission?"

Green Arrow sighed and stepped forward "This ends now you guys. You sit this one out and the League will take care of it."

Black Canary gazed at the team, she saw that determined look in their eyes. She knew no matter what they said that this team was going to do it anyway. She wasn't going to give them her approval but their will power was admirable.

The Flash looked down at them "You guys, I'm sorry but you have direct orders to set this one out. You've lost too many people..."

"Why let them tell us what to do? It's simple get on board or get out of the way!" Conner glared, crossing his arms over his chest.

Captain Marvel looked down. "We should wait for back up..."

"You guys, I'm really sorry, but there's no hope for this ending well.." Green Arrow looked at M'gann hoping to sway over the more sensible one.

M'gann stepped forward. "We know that all seems lost but...we still have hope...and no one can take that away from us...not the Light...and not the league"

"Hope survives because the battle is not over...not as long as even one of us is willing to fight..." Conner gestured toward the team.

"It doesn't matter how many fall, because new heroes will always rise to carry on. Bringing all their resources, their skill and there talent to bare and defeat the enemy." Wally looked at his mentor, determined.

Nightwing nodded "We're ready."

To be continued...

Hope you guys like it, please review and I'll have the next chapter up as soon as I can. Thank you for all of your support. Much like the show, I'm going to shift focus on different characters and couples in the next chapters. Thank you ^_^