The land had seemed to look dry at first but when he landed, the ground was soft, as if it was being moisturize from beneath. And the plant life here are as tall as the High Towers back at home, thought a stranger clad in his hunting gear, and look healthy from the shimmering lights from within the plants that shine bright when you walk near them, making the already beautiful landscape a more lovely impression. The stranger grinned; it would make a great profit if someone ever wanted a planet like this.

Turning back towards the client, whom to which is an ugly form of an alien in his opinion, she looked much like that of a Zee tu em in a... Tameran form just green instead of orange. "So, my target is on a planet called Earth, the very one that is Green Lateran Corps. Territory? Or the one that is rumored to hold the daughter of Trigon?"

"There are two planets named Earth?" The client asked in surprise, causing the Hunter to stare at their client dryly, making the client to clear their throat, "No matter, all I want you to do is to capture – or if there much too much resistance from his friends, eliminate him if it is within your power."

The Hunter snorted, "What's the point of hiring me to take care of a bounty you yourself set up, with a very generous reward mind you, if you think I can't handle it? Besides," He moved his eyes towards the holographic life-sized picture of his target, "He's tiny; I should more than enough to take care of this Yu en." He grinned cockily, confident to be able to take care of something that is so puny compared to some of the bounties he has taken cared of before during his earlier years as a Hunter.

The client frowned, "He has the power of a device that we created to be the perfect weapon attached to his very being, and it is a weapon that only another Scarab or a truly powerful being can defeat. So be warned when you go to battle him – he may seem like a weakling at first but he has not discovered the full power he has in his hands. Or the emergency overrides we had programmed into the Scarab when we had him in our hands, if our monitor is correct and is still reading off of the subject, and not another being."

The Hunter narrowed his eyes a bit, before a nasty grin appeared on his scaly, dry, blue lips, which showed off his sharp, canine-like teeth. "This Blue Beetle of yours will not be a problem; I've dealt with other so-called perfect weapon devices, and they were simple to defeat with a little thinking."

"... If that is the case, then be wary of his friends; they are all powerful in their own right and they each have special abilities."

『 can you keep a secret? 』

CHAPTER ONE

『 〤O〤O 』

For the first few months, everything was fine as it could get, what-with Wally being gone and Lex Luthor being praised as some kind of messiah by the citizens of the World for the eggs he created to stop those weather disrupters.

However, gradually, the Scarab and I noticed a slight change in some of the senior members of the team would act towards me that slowly progress. Like how I would not get as many cookies as before ever receiving hardly any. Okay, yeah, sure, I can handle that – it is just cookies, big deal. But then... after that, I would be cut off short mid-sentence or conversation, they would take over, and anyone I was talking to would then completely ignore me. Be given slightly more missions that are dangerous or getting the wrong information I needed, and both to mine and the Scarab's shock, end up getting a bruise or minor injury even with the armor the Scarab has given me but he always end up finishing his mission in a "decent, well done."

Then it started to spread to my peers, first with Lagoon Boy. Then it was Wonder Girl, then Robin, then – then Bart.

It hurt, so much, to realize he did not want to hang out with me anymore, it was – it was as though he only stayed with me these past few months because he wanted to make sure I was really me before deemed the reason he came to the past in the first place completed and moved on.

As it treaded on, I felt discouraged to speak my mind, so I hardly spoke unless spoken to first (or given an order, but even then it sparse).

It would seem as though the only ones whom was unaffected were the League, surprisingly enough. In addition, the protectors of Bludhaven, whom both came around occasionally, and when Nightwing did, he would usually glance between me and the members ignoring me with some narrowed look that seemed as though he was displeased with something. Nevertheless, he wouldn't do anything – I believe he wants me to judging by the nod I would receive from him when he was would noticed I noticed him looking so displeased; or maybe just to acknowledge me and know he is fine with whatever the others seem so mad over? The other Bludhaven hero merely scowled distastefully at the others before finishing what he was doing and quickly leave, but not before patting me on the shoulder or head (dude's tall), which makes me think he was trying to keep my spirits up. I have heard stories from when he was on the team when it first started. It always concluded to the fact that he wasn't the greatest person to go to for a pep talk. Moreover, there is also Arsenal, but he seemed he did not care much about anyone but himself in the first place, though I cannot blame him; if I knew I was going to get hurt like this from the beginning, I would not have joined at all. Finally, there is Superboy, relieving enough, however he would seem angry about something most of the time, so I tend to shift away from him when I can without seeming rude.

Then my life as Jaime Reyes got put in jeopardy; my father had died in a car crash, t-boned by a semi. My mother had taken it hard; like, literally, she started drinking the heavy stuff after thirty-four years of being sober since she was teenager, she took up the bottle. My sister had gotten a Lantern ring from her hope and will, so she says at least, not to lose another family member, but in the process, indirectly, she lost me when she begun to brush me off.

So with her youngest gone to help her out emotional as I was doing the money support with a part-time job I got lucky to get that has weird hours and pays well, she begun to take out her anger and need for more alcohol out on her eldest; me. She called me all kinds of names, sneered at me as if sicken by my existent. She called me worthless and useless compared to my sister whom is a Lateran while I'm not, but she knows nothing about them expect for what the other Lantern's would tell her. It was, however, enough to think my sister was more important and worth more than me, a boy who got lucky by getting the Scarab attached me – not that she knew that, but she figured it was along those lines I guess. She smiled for widely for my sister, she became the woman she was before the loss of my father, but she has the gall to accuse me coming home drunk and having parties over when my sister finds the bottles and cans while 'she' was out working. As if, I had said the first time she said that, you are spending your money on this stuff while I am working my butt off on two jobs; one where I am just that weird kid Jaime Reyes and the other as Blue Beetle! However, my sister would only frown at me, as if disappointed I would try to shove off this shameful habit onto our well-respected mother, before yelling at me that I was a disrespectful son and undesirable brother. I never said anything to her ever again –

No, that is not quite right... I just learned to keep my mouth shut, really, even to the point where I learned how to keep my thoughts separate from the Scarab without having to speak aloud, though that was incredibly hard to obtain.

It seemed as though my only truly trusted and supportive friend would be the Scarab attached to my spine for the rest of my life unless I want my spine taken out, the one reason why I am Blue Beetle – and the reason why The Reach wanted me. Nevertheless, I would not take the chance of not being Blue Beetle, even with the large amount of distrust I receive; despite everything I have been through; I gained a reliable partner and friend, the Scarab itself – Khaji Da it named itself – even if I have to talk to myself sometimes to separate our thoughts.

But then –

But then things became better when I started getting on more missions with Superboy, prior to SB's demand apparently. Both the Scarab and I were glad when I started getting less and less bruises, and it seemed Superboy was beginning to loosen up and started smiling again. I, quite foolishly in the Khaji Da's opinion, fell hard once I show more and more of those smiles and was determined to see them more or even get him to laugh if I could. I did not care if M'gann still seemed to hold his heart in her icy cold clutches.

Though, of course, things began to spiral downwards even more after that bounty hunter from a different galaxy came looking for Blue Beetle,for me, because of a phony bounty put on my head.

What am I suppose to do to protect myself with a team, with the exception of three people, that does not seem to care anymore, and with just a handful, the said mentioned three people of the team, of people that actually seem to care plus one Scarab?

x| ‹( ◦ ◊ ◦ )› |x

"Can you keep a secret?"

Those words escaped my mouth before I could stop them, and my partner for the mission Aqualad had sent us on paused with what he was doing and turned his head towards me, his bright blue orbs were filled with curiosity and interest. Yeah, I don't blame him, I mean – I knew he didn't hate me and he knew that I knew that and that I know that he knows that, but why would I entrust a secret with him when we barely seemed to chat, even on our increasing stake-out missions or standard infiltrate ones. Nevertheless, I sure as hell not going to share a secret that not even Bart knows about before he... left.

"Yeah; why?" Superboy said, raising a brow before going back to looking out into the lifeless lands.

"I... may be... beyond doubt, genuinely, insanely in love with–" What is my mouth doing? Stop it! "This one... person, and I have no idea how to say it."

Splendid save, Jaime Reyes.

I heard my voice, yet not my voice, echo in my head, making me frown and shake my head. 'Whatever, what happened? Was it your doing?' I questioned, while I trusted the Scarab, there have been moments when my mouth went and spoke without my permission. He claims not to, but then why would my mouth open and my tongue move without my say so? But I never got an answer as I only to ignore whatever he had to say next when I noticed Superboy was staring at me strangely with a raised eyebrow, causing my face and neck to inflame in embarrassment, not that he saw it what-with the armour being in the way and all. Giving a shaky, nervous but apologetic smile, I ask, "Sorry, what did you say?"

"Was the Scarab talking to you again? What it say?" It seemed like he was asking, and he really could be, but my paranoia kicked in and I begun to think maybe Superboy was only pretending to actually like me as a member of the team when the rest seem to want me off for reasons I don't understand. He was only there to gain information like what if – no, they would send Bart in for that I mean – he was my best friend. Why wouldn't I hopelessly hope against hope that he was only with them and not with me is to find out that he was finding out why everyone had begun to resent me? Then they would suspect I would hope for that and but I would also know and – and...

youfailed

Jaime

FyouAyouIyouLyouEyouD

stop

youfailed

must

theEarthdoesnotneedyou

protect

yourfamilydoesn'tneedyou

JAIME

doesnot

JAIME

w Y a O n Ut

STOP

sowhywouldHE–

"Blue, you still with me bud?"

With a barely there wince, my smile slowly disappears before its replaced by me nibbling on my bottom lip as I curl within myself and rub my right arm with my left hand. "Um, yeah, but it was just telling me something I already knew, so. Um, yeah."

Superboy narrows his eyes at me before going back to what he was doing beforehand, "Alright... let's get back to the task at hand. We will talk later." The way he said that last bit caused me to stiffen, remembering the few times SB had cornered me and would not let me go until I split the beans about my current life has been.

I slumped, discontented, before looking upwards at the starry sky with a downcast gaze. 'Looks like I ruined another chance to get close to him.'

Blue orbs take a few glances at the blue armored male before focusing completely to the open area.

You shall be surprised, Jaime Reyes.

I couldn't stop my brow from lifting at that remark, but I had to shove it out of my mind because a guy showed up and ruined SB and I's stalk-out by punching me square in the chest that made me breathless for several moments.

'What is up with people with enhanced strength always punching me in the chest?!'

Seriously, WHAT THE HELL!

~| (› ● ¤ ● ‹) |~

Being tossed around while being hit with voltages of electricity is so not fair, I decided as both Superboy and I had took a breather after defeating the guy that calls himself Full Dark. 'Where did this guy even come from?!'

The Superboy is–

"You okay?"

I glance to my left to see Superboy had chosen to sit beside me, and forcing a bright smile, and I said, "Yeah, just catching my breath."

This was inspired by a sad SuperBeetle fic I read a long thing ago last night when I was thinking of a different angst-bunny at the time when this one popped up but I can't remember what the first one was about now but I was falling asleep at the time. so. However, I think for the story that inspired this (among other things) story is going to have a different turn around the end. Well, not much of one, but. Yeah. In addition, there might be some implied smut, but – IDK, I barely write this stuff, so. And yes, this WAS originally posted on Screaming Muted, but I took it down from there and posted on my main account, Shattering Desire.

Warning: Slash. Clichés. Angst. Takes a spin out from the original storyline – obviously. The Reach have revengeful bastards in charge; space bounty hunters are shitfaces as well. Possibly some implied smut if I decided to put it in, with a hint of implied dubious consent, but I don't know; hardly write this stuff. On other note, failed attempt at making an Alien language up ahead. Oops? Was originally going to be a long-ass one-shot, but then I got lazy... which is a bad thing.

Was Also Inspired by: Tired brain; angstbunny; this super angst-y SuperBeetle fic that just made me sad. The songs: Can You Keep a Secret by Hikari Utau-something; Emotion by BIGBANG; One More Night by Alex Goot; Far from Over by REV THEORY; Prisoner by Porcelain Black ft. Jeffree Star; She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5; Fever by Family Force 5; Tears into Wine by Billy Talent; Boyfriend cover by ISSUES; Hushabye by Korn; Break The Ice by Brittney Spears; Zombie by Natalie Kills; So Listen by Cody Simpson.

Overall Word Goal: 15, 000!