This story was originally one that my (now) ex-boyfriend and I were going to put up together, but just before the break up, he decided he no longer wanted to write it, so I said that I'd continue it. The first two chapters were a collaborative effort, and I'd like to give him due credit. After that, though, this story is my original fanfiction.
The room was dark. Thinking back, I realize the irony of that darkness. My life began in darkness, it's dark now, and very likely, it will end in darkness, but in that moment that night at Wayne Manor, life was brightest. A happy chuckle breaks the silence, and I look up to see the cause of the laughter. It was my six-year-old twins. My little girl, Melani, and her brother Axel. They were so little, so happy then.
They were playing. So young. So innocent. Mine were the youngest. I was keeping an eye on them to make sure they didn't get into any trouble, but also so that none of the older kids could take advantage of their innocence. Can you blame a father for looking out for his own? It wasn't Grayson's kid, Tyrand'r, who worried me. I can't see Starfire's son taking advantage of a kid of six years. Logan's girl, Arianne, is much like her mother, quiet and wrapped up in her own world. It was Evy Allen, Jinx's daughter, and the "Wonder Son", Corey, who worried me. Evy was a full five years older than the twins, and Corey was Conner's kid, besides being three years older. I never have liked the Supers.
I was on nanny duty that day. Raven and Gar were somewhere in Russia, following up on a lead that Leonid might be alive. With Grayson and the others preparing battle plans, and the "Wonder Parents" standing guard outside, I was the only one available. Sometimes, I wonder, if I had been with the others planning, and someone else had been watching the kids; maybe it would have worked out differently.
A loud crash sounded as what could only be described as a demon smashed through the wall. He was about seven feet tall with long horns and purple skin. I cringed as I saw the blood dripping from his fangs and the scrap of blue cloth with a red S pattern stuck in his teeth.
"Dick!" I call, even as a clone of the first crashed through with a golden lasso clenched in his jaw.
Four more broke through as the others rushed into the room. We all looked at each other and knew that with the loss of Conner and Cassie, we didn't stand a chance. Still, Grayson took up his role as leader and started telling us what to do.
"Someone has to get the children out of here," He said as we heard the metal being torn from the roof; the others had arrived, "One of us has to take them out through the tunnels while the rest of us hold them off."
No one wanted to volunteer. It wasn't surprising. No one wanted to let them reach the kids alive. We were all parents; we would sacrifice our lives for them, but Nightwing was right. Someone had to get them out of there. Someone had to leave his friends to die while protecting the children. It was a grim situation, but we had no time to hesitate. That night, I made one of the most difficult decisions of my life.
"I'll do it," I said, "But you better promise me, Grayson, that you'll all come out of this alright."
"I'll do my best, Jason," He replied, charging off into battle, Starfire, Jinx, and Cyborg followed him. My wife, Mia came to me quickly with tears in her eyes. I embraced her quickly, promising that it would be okay, both of us knowing that promise for a lie, and then she followed the others. I didn't know if I'd ever see her again.
Then, I turned to the children. They were huddled together in the far corner, all terrified, with Corey and Evy standing in front, protecting them.
"Corey, I'm going to need you to carry Evy. And, Tyrand'r, please hold onto Melani. Arianne, stay close," I said, picking up Axel, "Let's go."
I started running with Axel in my arms toward the tunnels to the Bat Cave. Superboy, Blackbird, and Flashfire flew ahead of me carrying Hex and Speedy. One of the beasts tried running after us, but he was blocked by Cyborg's massive frame. I shouldn't have looked back. I stumbled as I saw him lifted into the air by a tiny little girl's powers. He screamed as she soullessly tore him apart, pulling the cybernetic parts from each other, tearing and destroying the flesh in between. The image of his mangled corpse raggedly connected to his metal parts is one that will haunt me to my grave. I'm only glad none of the children looked back. The image is mine alone to carry.
As we entered the tunnels, I heard a beast roar and Grayson cried out angrily. One of the creatures had cornered Nightwing. Good old Dick. He was going to fight to the end. Then, I heard a sickening crunch. Dick's shouting ended abruptly. I didn't want to imagine what had happened.
"Don't look back, kids. Keep going. I'll catch up," I called, placing explosives around the mouth of the cave. I picked Axel back up and continued running.
At a safe distance, I detonated the explosives, and the entrance collapsed. I knew it wouldn't hold them off for long, but it bought us time.
I wouldn't allow myself to feel the loss of my friends. Not then. If I wanted to be able to mourn their deaths later, I would have to keep us moving. If I had let myself collapse, I wouldn't have been able to save the children. It was for their sakes that I forced them and myself to push on. They were the important ones.
Much later, though exactly how long after I wasn't sure of even then (the numb dullness that I forced myself to feel to keep away the crippling pain made me forget all unimportant things like time), we emerged outside on a hill overlooking the manor. I uncovered the Batplane and piled the kids inside. As I climbed in, I heard the terrified shrieks of Mia, Kori, and Jinx. Turning on my comm. link in the jet, I said to Gar, Raven, and whoever else may have been listening, "Titans' emergency comm. link, access code, "Lazarus". Gotham's compromised. Heading to emergency base in Jump. I've got the kids… We're all that's left."