References the Cadmus arc, specifically the episodes "Question Authority" and "Divided We Fall" so spoilers ahoy. I'm also going on the theory that these two characters actually already know each other in their civilian identities. I have a logical reasoning for this, just not one you know about :P.

"I do not need you happy. Only safe."

- Heroes, Chapter Eighteen.

Conspiracy.

'...So we've already had that conversation about how much fate stinks, right?'

They make an awkward pair, sitting together in the Breakout room with an iced mocha and an orange juice between them as they both try very pointedly not to look in a particular direction. But that's nothing unusual. They work in a place filled with more spandex, Kevlar and brightly coloured capes than an All American Circus and Mega Truck Ralley combined, so most conversations in this place look a little awkward from a distance. It's only when you get close enough to see the men behind the masks (and the figures behind the lycra) that it stops seeming so bizzare.

Don smiles awkwardly. In fact, they'd had a number of discussions of which Fate had been the subject of them more times than most people would probably guess. 'It's a fickle creature, Flash, take it from me. But, aren't you exaggerating a little?'

Flash looks at him for a second, unblinking. 'Don, there's a new rule. Like a stored-in-the-primary-databanks kinda rule: Apparently The Question and me aren't allowed to be alone in the same room at the same time for anything short of a worldwide crisis.'

'Really? Why, in case he ends up predicting your death again?'

'Man, that's so not funny.'

'I know.' Don says seriously. Because it's not. Maybe it would've been funny, a few months ago, when the Justice Lords hadn't been general League knowledge and The Question's whacked out conspiracy theory (singular) had been exactly that - a whacked out conspiracy theory with no real solidity to it.

But then The Question was tortured by Cadmus, th League was almost ripped apart, Brainiac tore himself from Lex Luthor's ribcage, and Wally nearly died.

All of a sudden, the theories didn't seem quite so crackpot anymore. Flash is pretty sure he even heard Stargirl muttering about taking down some poster of Say This she has.

'There's... not actually a rule, like that, is there?'

'Meh, okay, not really. It's more of a suggestion.' Wally looks down as his mocha cup wondering where all the frothy stuff went before remembering that he's already drank that part. Damn, super metabolisms can be awkward. 'Bats likes to keep tabs on who works well with who, who's likely to rip another teammates head off, who's powers would collide and cause more trouble than they fix; you know that kinda thing. They're not so much rules as advice to whoever the team leader is, you know? For example, it's strongly advised that you and Hawk be send in as a tandem in most cases and to only separate you when you're with a senior member. Otherwise things go screwy'.

Don appears to be trying not to take offence. 'I see... and you and the Question...?'

'Are listed as "inadvisable" for group work and "out of the question" for duel missions. And you totally know why that is.'

Don almost smiles. 'Is that a pun?'

'From Bats? I doubt it.' Wally sniggers at the very mental idea of Batman chuckling at his own joke. Batman didn't laugh at anyone's jokes. Not even his.

Anyhow, given that secrecy was apparently a Bad Thing, the League decided to opt a few different policies - like the new No Keeping Any Of Our members Out of the League History Files policy, and that (almost paradoxical) one about not using any psychic powers in the breakout room. Most people stuck to these rules, enjoying the new privileges and enforcing the responsibilities which came with them. They very much did not want to get broken up by Cadmus again.

Of course, this meant that pretty much everyone knew now. About the Lords. About Cadmus. About what happened in that other universe and how close it came to happening here. About how the Question tried to kill Luthor. About how Wally had circumnavigated the globe in under five seconds to tear Brainiac away from Luthor's body. About the fact that The Question had been so close to being right about armageddon that it was disturbing. About the Speedforce.

Well, not the Speedforce. That bit they'd kept quiet. That was the bit Wally wanted to tell the people that mattered about in his own time, and not have it shouted down his ear every time he went into the gym.

Don's the latest to find out. Him and Hawk.

And it's not like there's any staring going on or anything, it's just... Flash and the Question kind of been avoiding eye contact for a while. Or else the Question is trying to make eye contact or... you know, it's understandably hard to tell with that guy. And it's not like Wally usually stresses out about these things (they're super heroes, sure they could die, it's practically in their job description) but... Yeah, the Justice Lords are an issue for pretty much all of the original seven. Besides nobody had ever predicted his death in advance before. Not that it was so much prediction as it was crazy deduction on The Question's part. It's just as well that Don isn't insanely secretive about his identity, because there's no way to look at the profile and open, pale eyes of Dove without seeing Don Hall beneath them.

'You could always go and talk to him.' Dove suggests, as if it's the simplest option in the world. 'You know what they say about facing down your fears.'

'Fears? Hey, who has fears?' Wally downs the last of his mocha, disappears to the kitchen, grabs another, and is back before Don has even sipped his orange juice. 'It's just weird, that's all, you get what I'm saying? I'm sitting across the room from a guy who worked out when, how and by whose hand I was gonna leave the mortal coil. And now...'

'Well then, imagine how it must be for him.'

Wally stops. Don lowers the orange juice that had been making it's way to his mouth. Guy always thought so damn much it took him half an hour to drink the stuff whereas Wally was already on his third iced mocha. 'Think about it. To us these crackpot conspiracies only gained some level of solidity in the last few weeks. And most are assuming that's coincidence rather than design. Before then your own life wasn't staring you directly in the face. You don't have to die. It's not about you anymore.'

Wally stares at him for one, agonizingly long moment. 'Yeeeah... and?'

'To us.' Don says. 'That's the way it works. But not to The Question. The Question believes in those theories and he always has. He's lived with them for only-he-knows how many years.'

Wally raises an eyebrow beneath his mask. 'Yeah and that's a great trauma, or something? Knowing that boy bands are connected to global politics and... and that there are thirty-two flavours of Ben and Jerry's? I mean we've all suspected that at some point in our lives, but...'

'I don't see why not. Especially when nobody believes you.'

Wally's opened mouth closes. He takes another glimpse across the room. The Question isn't looking straight at him. He could be talking to Green Arrow there, but of course it's kind of hard to tell for sure. He's making talky-gestures with his hands, at least, so... it's possible. 'Kinda like in those movies, huh? Where the guy's being followed around and nobody believes him and the cops all think he's crazy and his wife leaves him and...'

'Pretty much. If that were you, how do you think you'd respond? By sitting around or taking action.'

'I never sit still.'

'Exactly. It's not like there's any malice involved, right?'

'Right, but... hey it's not like I'm holding it against him or anything its just...' That the last time he got all conspiracied-up about me, he nearly killed a guy, nearly got killed himself, for that matter. He doesn't say.

'Well then, why all the uncertainty? See it for how is is,' Don says. 'You're another part of the puzzle to him, Wally. A very big puzzle that encompasses the entire world. Just one more piece. It doesn't matter how real the puzzle is or not to us.'

'Sooo you're saying he could've made this weird connection with anyone?'

'No, not with just anyone. Because... well, there aren't many people in the world who Superman would kill for. Not like that. You're part of the original seven and your life means a lot, to them and to us. I can see why something happening to you would damage things so badly. ' He gives Wally a look. 'Wally, I can totally see your already substantial ego inflating from here, quit it.'

Wally snorts with laughter. 'Hey can I help it if I'm so charming and influential?'

'No, but you can help being so full of yourself about it.' Don says, but he's laughing too now, and... the moment feels right and okay, in a way things haven't between them since high school. 'You understand my point though, right? The Question just dealt with the situation as logically as the Question knows how. He acted alone, because he knew nobody else would believe him. And he tried to kill Luthor so that he could change the future that nobody but him could see happening. And it was happening. Maybe not in a conspiracy buff kinda way, but... it was.' He and Wally look pointedly at each other, but neither of them says exactly what they're thinking. They both saw what happened with Captain Marvel. 'You were an unfortunate piece of that puzzle. He believed that keeping you alive would save the world. He was kind of right.'

Dove leans back in his seat, watching passers by in vague interest and not looking in The Question direction - not deliberately not looking just... not looking (Wally's pretty sure by now that The Question is too busy enlightening Green Arrow as to the connections between St. Patrick's Day and Cosmic String Theory to notice even if he had). He's got that look on his face that Wally can remember from study periods when they were like, fourteen.. and moments like this it's really easy to se e how Donald Hall turned into Dove. 'Understanding the two of you... sometimes it's kinda like trying to understand my brother. We're so different it's like we don't know how we could ever be connected. But we are connected - and the hows and whys of that don't matter so much as what we do with it. You're worked into the Conspiracy now, Wally,' Don smiles broadly. 'Better get used to it.'

Wally swirls the mocha left in his cup and contemplates getting another, mostly so he can break this train of conversation before it gets any heavier. 'It's still kinda weird. Can't say I'm happy about being a part of his cosmic jigsaw puzzle.'

'He didn't need you happy about it,' Don says, calmly. 'He just needed you to be safe. There were bigger things at stake, Wally. And ultimately, it all came down to choices anyway. Superman made that choice in the end. And there are always choices, even if the conspiracy turns out to be more than just... you know.'

Wally vibrates in his chair, wondering just where Don gets all of this psychological mumbo jumbo stuff and how the hell he and Hank Hall can possibly be brothers.

The Question is probably not glimpsing in Wally's direction. Probably. And Wally tries and fails not to think about the fact that at some point, this guy was so absolutely certain that Flash's death would result in a crazy Superman, a dead Luthor, and an apocalypse, that he'd almost committed murder to prevent it. Because that was what The Question believed.

Talk about a weight on your shoulders. '...Guess I never thought of it like that.'

'Wally, the day you think is the day there is an apocalypse,' Don grins, and looks like he wants to say something else, but there's something beeping in his ear. Hawk and Dove are being called into a mission, so whatever he was going to say is left unmentioned.

Wally waits a good twenty seconds (forever) before joining Green Arrow, listening to The Question's seemingly enthralling tale about Cosmic String Theory.