A/N: Oh look, a Young Justice fic. Okay, so one, I've fallen in love with this show. Two, I've fallen even more in love with this pairing. Three, I seem to have a fascination with people like Superboy, Superman, Captain America, etc, etc, dying instead of the heroes without powers. I dunno. Short prologue is short, big surprise there. The real first chapter will be longer, and I'm working on it now so hopefully it will be up tomorrow or the next day or whatever. I make no promises because I'm lazy and life is a middle finger when you want something done. But soon, because I like this plot bunny that has been nibbling on my toes for months.
In the prologue, Dick is 18 but Conner is still 16. That will be explained later. And if he seems like an idiot here, it's because of shock slash denial. Or my bad writing skills. And yes, Dick is Nightwing and Wally has become Flash by this time.
Warnings: this is slash. That means boys liking boys. And boys kissing. Eventually. There will also be angst, of course. And fluff. And most likely bits of my humor which may or may not be a good thing.
00
Kick to the Head
It looked like Hell was the most coherent thought in Dick's head. The silence after the fight and fall of the tower the Luthor from the alternate Earth built was almost too much. Wreckage surrounded him, clouded by a brown haze. The sky was a deep red, but not as angry as before, not as vibrant as mere moments ago, clouds starting to roll in. In fact, everything looked washed out, at least from his perspective, kneeled down on the rubble with his legs tucked under him. Everything looked muted and sad, including them.
He wondered if this is how his fiancé felt when he didn't understand way back right after Cadmus. He hoped the clone woke up soon so he'd have someone to feel lost with. They were all battered, bloodied, and bruised from the battle, but it wasn't that that confused him. It was their expressions.
Artemis looked ill, like she was about to be sick, looking paralyzed save for trembling. Beside her stood Miss Martian who seemed like she was trying to curl up inside herself, a hand covering her mouth as tears slid down her face. Flash was a mix of worried, saddened, and apprehensive.
"R-Rob? Superboy…" his best friend began to say when a dark hand rested on his shoulder to silence him.
Nightwing frowned a little, his gaze moving up to Aqualad, who was staring back. Their former leader seemed the most in control, but Dick wasn't sure that he had ever seen such sorrow in his pale eyes. His stomach clenched even as he became more bewildered. He had given up being Robin four months ago. Wally only called him that when something was really wrong. But everything was fine.
"Don't worry," Dick's eyes fell back on his friend. "Superboy's resting. He'll wake up soon, alright?"
Yes, it was a close call, enough of a one that Dick was beginning to think not calling the League was a mistake, but in the end Superboy flew both himself and Superboy-Prime into a tower, destroying both the building and the Super from an alternate Earth.
Flash sighed, defeated and waiting for the inevitable, as though Nightwing wasn't getting something and the Speedster wasn't sure if he wanted him to understand or not.
Nightwing turned his attention to the black-haired boy lying next to him, his head on his lap. He tenderly stroked his lover's hair, and a heavy feeling settled in his chest as he took in the blood covering half of Superboy's face. His brow furrowed as he was hit with a strange sensation. He could identify everything, but it felt like his mind was unable to put it all together to give the bits and pieces meaning.
Superboy's body was splattered with blood. But he was Superboy, he shouldn't be bleeding. Dick's hand caressed his face. It was cold. Superboy was never cold, he was always warmer than everyone else, a sign of his Kryptonian heritage. The older boy bent lower over him as his hand gently slid down his neck. He felt no pulse. Superboy always had a pulse, so why...?
"Conner? Kon, wake up," Dick murmured.
No response.
"Come on, show them you're okay."
Superboy remained still.
"Conner?" He shook the clone's shoulder to no avail. Why wasn't Conner waking up? Conner always woke up. It was hard not to wake him up. And he always answered him. Always.
As Nightwing stared at his fiancé's broken body, his mind slowly, so very slowly, began to process the information and things started clicking together.
Superboy was bleeding.
Nightwing's breathing quickened.
He was cold.
The vigilante's heart pounded in his ears.
He wasn't breathing...
Dick's shaking hand tightened it's grip on his shoulder.
...He had no heartbe...
Nightwing's vision blurred.
He was-
He wasn't-
He...
Dick buried his face in Conner's chest and screamed.